Hola From Havana, Cuba

Two years in the making and we've finally landed in Havana, Cuba. It's a place which has been on both Tracy's and my bucket list for such a long time. We are both still in a bit of travellers shock that we are here.

The flight from Aruba was a bit of a roller coaster and there was a really tight turn around in Panama City to make our connecting flight so I was a tad stressed by the time I got here. We'd booked a nice hotel in the old town and had a really friendly taxi driver who gave us lots of tips on the way here. After ditching our bags we headed out for a bite to eat.

The old town in Havana is amazing. It is quite unique and feels a little like the old town in Barcelona but much less developed. They have been slowly renovating buildings over the years and seem to be making good progress but there are literally hundreds of buildings in need of repair. The old town is made up of lots of little streets. Some are just for pedestrians, others have cars and bikes on them. It is the perfect place to aimlessly wander soaking up the rich character and everyday lives of the people who live here.

The are no shortage of people trying to make a buck from us tourists but they are not aggressive so they normally leave you alone after a non gracias.

The place is a photographers heaven. The old cars, interesting people, building facades make the environment wonderfully rich for some pixel loving.

We have spent the first two days aimlessly wandering around town. On Friday night we met some friends of friends who are living down here and had a really nice dinner (and maybe one to many Bucuneros) at a place on the Mallecon called Castropol. The Mallecon itself is a stretch of road along the waterfront and a real living room for the people of Havana. Kids play, old men smoke cigars, dozens of people fish and the brave swim.

The food and drink is cheap. You can get a decent meal for two for under twenty dollars and that is in the touristy areas. The meals are big on meat and seafood with rice on the side. We've found a little place round the corner from the hotel which we like and have been there a couple of times now.

We're really digging the vibe of this place. Amazing.

My first mojito in Cuba

The main old town square.

The old cars are everywhere.

"Just say no to fruitcake!"

The Mallecon

 

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