Blogs from Cuba, Central America Caribbean - page 62

San Francisco and the onwards trail.. This afternoon I’m sitting staring at my diary, trying to decipher my furious daily scribblings from the last 2 and a half months - An attempt to remember everything; sights, sounds, smells. It’s not a long time really, but it’s enough to almost forget the feeling of travel sickness on a packed Mexican bus winding the rolling mountains of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, or the dizzying scent of tobacco smoke from a Cigar and fresh Cubanita espresso on the Plaza Almas, Habana, Cuba. Now my tan is fading, and life is returning back to normal, it feels only right that I should finish what I started and complete my blog. February 28th 2010 Flying from Fiji to LA meant that we gained a day, so we used the extra ... read more

We found the easiest way to get to the sights of Vedado and Revolution Square was to catch one of those to be avoided at all costs tourist double decker buses that operates out of Parque Central. The 5 CUC hop on hop off ticket lasts all day and it seemed a whole lot simpler than crushing on a service bus or “negotiating” with a taxi about the prospect of a fair fare. The bus runs a circuit of about 15 stops encompassing anything of note in Vedado and Revolution Square and sometimes stops, if you press the bell often enough. Revolution Square is a huge open area of concrete, at which most major public addresses by anybody from the Pope to Fidel have taken place since the revolution. The near side of the square to ... read more

It is one invitation to discover the most bright and radiant capital of the Americas. In a resemblance to the Paris and New York of today, the Havana of the fifties laughed at the most seen places of the United States of the after war. There were the latest fashionable bars, the most luxury hotels, and an exuberant challenging architecture, in the oldest commercial place of the Caribbean. What's left from all that? The history is turning in 180 degrees after a period of fifty years, changing into vestiges the luxury city from before. It's an adaptation or a transformation all about? Despite the abandoned monuments, the atmosphere is intact. Havana Connaisseur presents, on the backside of the contemporary history and through many forms of current activities, what conforms the face of the Havana of today. ... read more

Above panorama: View on Plaza Vieja and centro Habana from the camera obscura building. What can one expect of Cuba and Havana in particular? Amazing centuries old colonial architecture? A vibrant city with traditional music, dance and street life? Cigars, rum and mojito's? Revamped classic American cars from the 1950s? A society still in "revolution" and the evidence of Fidel, Che, Camilo and Raul "liberating" Cuba from dictatorship? Well, those were all the expectations I had. They all came true and I wasn't disappointed! Havana "delivers" and is an amazing place to experience, unlike anywhere else in the world. It is all around you. It's not all beauty and fun, though. There's poverty, although you don't see it on the street that much; it's definitely not in your face. Cuba's economy is not exactly in bloom, ... read more

I arrived in Cuba to a group of about 20 guards, standing fully armed all around the exit of the aircraft. I immediately felt like a POW and was sure not to make eye contact with any of them – just in case they thought I looked suspicious! The guards lead us into the airport terminal and directed us to the booths ahead (customs and immigration). There another guard would question every individual as to reasons for entering Cuba, prior visits, etc. The word “interrogation” came to mind on more than one occasion. Once outside of the terminal our large group was told to exchange our money at the money bureau and we were guided (amid more guards) to shuttle b... read more