Day 9 - Hiking Havana

We woke up to a lovely sound, similar to that of a jack hammer.  The noise was coming from the water heater, as we found out when we gracefully waltzed out dreary-eyed and hungry.  Our host, well one of many, served us each a bowl of papaya and banana.  While we scarfed the fruit down she prepared us each an egg, a pancake, and I assume what was supposed to be sausage.

At breakfast we met two Israeli friends, Amir and Meir, as well as a German couple, Tina and Mike.  We went to exchange our money at the bank with Tina and Mike, then we began our sight-seeing.  We toured up and down the streets of Havana.  The quarter we stayed in, Capitolio, is fairly run down.  It looks like San Francisco just after the 1908 earthquake.

Most buildings wouldn't pass inspection in the first world.  

As we walked through the city we went through the Vieja district.  This district was much cleaner and well kept.  The buildings were in good shape, the road was nicely kept cobblestone, and lots of stores and little history museums could be found on every corner.

Cuba really does have vibrant colors, even in the cities.

One of the many plazas scattered around Havana.

This spooky house is right across the plaza from the castillo.

Havana has hundreds of "museums" most just one room with a few things on display such as the Museo de Cerámica or the Museo de Chocolate, which is really just a chocolate shop, but a damn good one.

Some museum we walked by.  I didn't know Spanish well enough to warrant entry.

We eventually happened upon Castillo de la Real Fuerza.  Built like a fortress protecting the entrance to the harbor, the castillo looks incredibly regal from the coastline.

Layout of the castillo.

A bunch of cannons guarded the entrance.   

There's a moat and drawbridge!  How cool is that?!

 I can't even begin to imagine how uncomfortable that helmet must have been.  

 A giant model ship in the castillo.  Remember that the Spanish were really interested with ships back then.  

 Every good traveller needs a sextant.

While called a castle it really was more of a fortress.

 View of Havana Harbor from the castillo.  

After the castillo we wandered back down to Vieja, where we stopped by a café for lunch.  Anissa and I split a dish of fish, rice, and a pathetic excuse for vegetables.  The rice was undercooked and I wasn't much a fan of the fish.  The lemonade, however, was extremely refreshing on the hot day.  \

After lunch we found the Museo de Chocolate.  Walking in the door we were hit with an aroma of pure cocoa.  Mmmmm.  Mike and I both had the hot chocolate and when I say chocolate I mean it was basically melted chocolate in a cup.  I loved it.  We also had a bar of milk chocolate.  Total sum: $2.50 CUC.  So cheap!

Everything is a museum here. 

 Melted pure heaven in a cup. 

Damn that was good hot chocolate.

We sauntered our way to the beach.  It was warm and very humid, so we weren't walking fast.  Well, it turns out, there wasn't a beach where we went, just a cement wall that buts up against the water, supposedly to keep the crazy Floridians out.  We had a nice long walk along the Av. de Maceo before cutting in to see the Plaza de la Revolucion.

 Lots of fishermen catching nothing bigger than 6 inches.  

 Tina and Anissa have girl-time while use guys try and document the trip.  

Along the way we spotted a "taco" shop.  I put "taco" in quotes because it would hardly be recognizable if I hadn't.  Thus far on my journey, the best tacos I have had have been back in California.  You're letting me down Latin America!

Beans, pork, pineapple, and sauerkraut?  Those aren't even corn tortillas, I have no clue what they were made of.  

After the "tacos" we headed back to the hostel where I peeled off my clothes and showered all the stickiness away.  From then on out I decided to go commando.  There just really is no other way in such humidity.

  The Plaza de la Revolucion.  That statue is of the late late late José Martí.  

 Fidel behind the plaza, always watching.  

Che on an adjacent building.  

Off to sleep!

Day 8 - Flight Back in Time

I was a bit let down that the Cubana Airlines flight was not on an old 1950's plane.  We flew to Cuba on your standard Airbus 320.  A bit old by today's standards but it's no led zepplin.

My first glimpse of this forbidden land. 

Customs and Immigration was, for the most part, a breeze.  The immigration officer kept asking me
"Something something something Africa."
I'm in Cuba not Africa.
"Something something something Africa."
Uhhh why does Africa have any relevance here?
"Something something something Africa."
I am really confused.  
He eventually moved on and did the whole stamping thing.  Finally I was through.  I'm in Cuba!

I realized right after the immigration officer was inquiring about Africa because of the Ebola outbreak.

Jackie, Anissa, and I caught a taxi to El Capitolio for $20 CUC.  Riding through Havana literally was going back through time.  The city looks like WWII just ended.  There are lots of abandoned buildings that could be mistaken for being bombed.

Clash of old with the renovated.  Classic juxtaposition in Cuba.   

 There are lots of abandoned buildings like this one.  

Revolution propaganda in the form of statues, murals, paintings, and posters fill blank walls, bus stops, and any open space that needs more revolución.  The propaganda all pay homage to the same few things: 26 de Julio, Che,  La Revolución, or José Martí (mainly just those four).

Annisa, Jackie, and José.

The "26 de Julio" is the date that Castro began the revolution in 1953 by raiding a barracks in Santiago de Cuba.  "Che" is short for Ernesto Che Guevara who was a key person in the Cuban revolution and who later went on to instigate rebellion and revolution throughout the rest of latin america before being assassinated by the CIA in Bolivia.  "La Revolución" refers to the Cuban revolution.  It is a source of pride for the nation not unlike US citizens rallying around "freedom".

We got to our Casa Particular and knocked on the door.  Someone dropped a key on a string from up above and we let ourselves in.  The buildings in Havana are reminiscent of buildings in San Francisco.  The outside looks old and rundown but the inside is new and refurnished, at least to Cuban standards.

Not the nicest exterior but the interior is often kept up quite well.

After settling in and getting the rundown of Havana from the owner, the three of us were off to find Jackie a Casa Particular.  A Casa is a room in a house that someone rents our, not unlike AirBnB.  The houses must get government approval to accept guests, typically only the nicer places.  Jackie knew of a place he wanted to stay at (our Casa had room but he wanted a place for no more than $10 CUC).  We found the address and walked in the front door only to be greeted with a dark stairwell and a revolting smell.  Piss.  It reeked of piss.  At least the stairwell did.  The actual accommodations were habitable.

The three of us went to grab dinner at Los Nardos, a restaurant recommended by The Lonely Planet (a highly recommended book to use for anyone traveling to Cuba).  Holy crap this place is fancy.

Los Nardos had a western style look going for it.  A pianist was playing The Girl from Ipanema.

Holy crap this place is cheap.  Drinks were no more than $2 CUC and the average dish was $5 CUC but had twice the food you would get in the states.

Well went all out.  Coming from one of the most expensive cities in the world really warps your perspective on things.  

I got the vegetable paella.  The dish didn't particularly appeal to me.  Anissa had the same but Jackie got fried chicken.  Three whole chicken legs plus thigh, including potatoes and fried plantains (the best)!

I was a bit let down because it was mainly rice.

They each got three rums and I got sangria, Johnny Walker Black Label, and red wine.  For dessert we shared a Tres Leches cake.  Mmmmmmm soooo gooood!  Total for dinner was $48 CUC.

The cake made up for my disappointment though.  

I'm full and tired.  Time for bed.