100 Travel Stories
Havana, Mi Amor
“My mojito in the Bodeguita del Medio and my daiquiri in the Floridita.” – Ernest Hemingway
Cuba, one of the last bastions of communism in the world, a forgotten country so close to USA and so far away…
You will never forget your first experience in Cuba, and from then on, you will keep coming back again and again.
Havana (Habana)
Passing through José Martí International Airport in Havana feels like stepping into another world—a world frozen in time 50 years ago: aged buildings, vintage fashion, and the smell of cigarettes. People were even smoking while waiting to pick up their luggage!
I accepted a ride to my hotel from two men inside the airport. Their ‘taxi’ was a very old, broken-down Soviet-made Lada. Of course, there was no seatbelt or taxi meter. The men were very friendly and smiled the entire time—until they suddenly frowned…
You might see Cuba as an exotic place, where old, dilapidated buildings have their own charm.
La Maravilla, Havana
Billboards and paintings of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara serve as reminders of the Cuban Revolution.
Che Guevara wall painting
Vintage American cars from the 1950s and 1960s are still on the road, and they are beautiful. Many have been restored—a Chrysler may have only its original body, while the engine could be from a Toyota and the clutch from a Dacia, an old Romanian car.
50’s Chevrolet
American beauty
Falling in love with Havana is easy! The city is so unique, so vibrant, yet so tranquil…
The Capitol, Gran Teatro de La Habana and Inglaterra hotel
Street performers
The Parliament building in Havana
Old Havana (La Habana Vieja)
Havana
Strolling through the narrow streets of Old Havana, between old colonial-style buildings and beneath clothes hanging high above on lines, feels like stepping back in time. People chat, dance rumba, or enjoy a cigar. Children play soccer in the street. Bicycle taxis wait for customers. Old cars are being repaired or painted. Stray dogs wander around…
The people are very friendly, and knowing some Spanish will be helpful. Bring plenty of gifts from your country—chocolate, gum, toys, soap, t-shirts—anything is appreciated.
Welcome to Havana!
Colourful old building
Old car being repaired in Havana
Havana market
Street market, Havana
Bicycle taxi
Plaza Vieja, with the beautiful Catedral de San Cristóbal, is a place where you can enjoy a local ‘Bucanero’ (Pirate) beer on a terrace, smoke a cigar, listen to Cuban jazz, and watch the world go by. Locals in colonial costumes, ‘smoking’ huge cigars, wait for tourists to photograph them in exchange for pesos. Newspaper and peanut vendors wander around, while fake cigar dealers operate more discreetly.
Plaza de la Catedral
Catedral de San Cristóbal
Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, Plaza de Armas
Malecon
From Old Havana, take a stroll along the coast on the Malecón esplanade toward the Hotel Nacional, the former Mafia hangout. Big waves crash against the Malecón as groups of friends enjoy the ocean breeze. The area becomes livelier in the evenings, especially near the Hotel Nacional, where teens dance into the night in the shadow of the U.S. Embassy. Life goes on!
Tourists on Malecon
Cabaret Parisien, Hotel National, Havana
Hemingway
Finca Vigía” was Hemingway’s house, located near Havana, where he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea.
Follow in Hemingway’s footsteps: enjoy a mojito at the picturesque La Bodeguita del Medio and a daiquiri at El Floridita!
La Bodeguita del Medio
Jazz
You may still have the chance to attend one of the Buena Vista Social Club‘s concerts in Havana or visit a live jazz bar to listen to the beautiful music of Cuba!
Cuban musicians
Cigars
The devil is around the corner: a beautiful woman, a good cigar, and a bottle of rum!
In Havana, I added a new vice to my collection: cigars! I wasn’t a smoker until I tried my first cigar. Enjoy it with Havana Club rum and the elusive ‘beautiful woman,’ all while the sounds of salsa, rumba, or bolero fill the air!
Cuban grandma smoking cigar
Beaches
There are beautiful beaches just a short drive from Havana: Playa Bacuranao, Playa Santa María del Mar, Playa Boca Ciega, and Playa Guanabo.
Palm tree on the beach
The Other Face of Cuba
Despite the romantic view of Cuba, for the majority of Cubans, life is not easy. Small monthly rations of rice, eggs, sugar, meat, and cigarettes are sold through the ‘Supplies Booklet’ system in dark, state-owned stores.
To survive, people help each other, and corruption is a way of life.
For centuries, Cuba’s greatest resource has been its people. Pico Iyer
Hopefully, Cuba will be able to overcome its economic problems and, at the same time, maintain its identity while remaining the beloved country people around the world appreciate.
Convenience store in Havana with food rations display
Tips & Tricks
What I Tried
- Crocodile meat
- Cuban cigars (faked and genuine)
- Mojito, Daiquiri, Cuba Libre
- Parisien Cabaret
- Fortune teller
What I Didn’t Try
- Learning salsa
What I Didn’t Want, But I Got Anyway
- Giardiasis
- Lost VISA card
- Stranded for eight hours at Varadero airport due to ‘bad’ winter conditions in Toronto—if you’re flying low-cost Sunwing, but no problems if you’re flying Air Canada…
Crazy Talk
- ‘Katyusha’ is a Russian rocket launcher, but it is also a patriotic name for a Cuban woman, an homage to the former Soviet protectors.
- ‘Anais’ is a beautiful girl’s name, derived from a French perfume.
- Most toilet seats in public places don’t have a rim cover.
- Cuba customs questions. Officer: ‘What do you do for work?’ Me: ‘I’m a web designer.’ Officer: ‘Porno?’ Me: ‘No, government.’
- Black magic is still practiced in the countryside.
Black magic artifacts