straight to the beach in veredero. technically we are in cuba, but culturally we are miles away from it. we quickly discovered big all-inclusive resorts aren't our thing at all.
beach vendors with skillfully crafted shelves built around a bike frame.
cheers jenny.
we made the most of our stay here by taking basic spanish lessons from isa, and overheating whilst learning salsa.
what a monster.
ahhh havana. the real fun starts here.
walking the streets of la habana vieja (old city havana).
thanks to the city historians office, the old city is being restored. many impressive buildings.
the bell boy noticed us admiring this hotel and saw the opportunity to make a few dollars...so he invited us inside to show us around...
...art nouveau stained glass inside...
...rooftop view...
...stylish bar...we tipped him nicely.
some sort of 4 player racquet ball game in a vacant lot between buildings.
the second hand book market by plaza de armas. everything from old comics to a new york times magazine from the 50's to (of course, many) books on che and castro.
plaza de la catedral.
la taberna de la muralla, a great spot in plaza vieja for good beer (thanks to a joint venture with an austrian beer company) and fantastic music. there is no escaping music in havana...its everywhere and always lively and energetic.
our casa particular (homestay) bursting with amazing antiques of all kinds.
che is everywhere.
as we walk out of the old city, lots of buildings and roads are in a state of decay.
building to building wall supports.
literally crumbling buildings.
busy busy traffic around parque central.
as you would imagine...loads of old cars in various conditions everywhere.
funny 3 wheeler bubble style taxi called cocotaxi.
that scaffolding has been there long enough for plants to grow up it.
on the malecon...
havana locals (habaneros) escape the heat by taking a dip.
even along the malecon with sea views, most of the buildings are in disrepair.
more 'revolutionary' art.
our favourite bar. good music, great mojitos. very happenin' and loud.
farmacia la reunion...a beautiful massive restored old style pharmacy.
ford fairlane.
another che.
dominos seems to be very popular with games goin' on all over the place.
too cute.
an art neoveau residence in relatively good condition.
cars are a luxury for most cubans, both the expense and government regulations make it difficult...so many rely on public transport, which is crowded, uncomfortable, and sometimes locals wait for buses that don't even show up.
we leave havana for a couple of days to visit pinar del rio province. on our way to the town of vinales we check out a rum distillery.
the local brew. cheap.
the beautiful mogotes (tree covered limestone cliffs) in the valle de vinales.
puff puff.
a little road side fruit stand.
our casa particular in vinales.
our host family cooked THE best food we had in cuba.
we enjoyed more of the scenery from horseback...and even had a swim in a cave pool 250 metres inside the limestone cliffs.
main square.
morning rush hour in vinales...this is a common way many people get around...
...and how many kids get to school.
back to havana for a couple of days.
the mojito.
amazing flamenco dancers at el meson de la flota.
on our last night we had to go back to the happenin' bar monserrate.adios cuba.
