Day Three in Havana, Cuba

Havana is a gorgeous city. It reminds us of a cross between Naples, Italy and Cartegena, Columbia. But it is meeting the Cuban people that is a highlight of the trip. It starts with our wonderful hostess Carmen in our Casa Particular (Cuban B&B) and her family. We've been welcomed into their home and what fun we're having. We have had long conversations too with Cubans we have met around the city and at the historical sites. People here are really interested in getting to know Americans and very happy to have us here. Some are worried about the long term changes but generally the mood is very positive - or at least it was under Obama. Like everywhere in the world, people are nervous about President Trump.
On our third day we walked for miles through the old city, stopping for tours through the Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta, the Cathedral of Havana and the Museo de la Ciudad. But all of that will have to wait for another post. Only so much wifi at a time! And so much to tell...

Our hostess and now our good friend
Carmen

The two other couples, Allison & Matthew from Pittsburg and
Don & John from South Africa with us around the breakfast
table - fun mornings.

Don bought a huge amount of fruit for the house and hear
we are with Carmen's mother joking around.

Scott and I had a really fun time at the Buena Vista Social
Club dancing and singing with a variety of famous Cuban
musicians. We were up on the stage "trying" to salsa at one
point!

This was the early group at the Birthday party for Carmen's
son. It got busier and more raucous later.

There are musicians everywhere and they love
to come over and chat afterwards.

A number of Santaria practicioners pose for photos and
give advice throughout the city. Here 3 fun chicas pose for
a photo (and I caught it too)

There are hardly any boats in sight on the water or land.
these two were the first we'd seen. We enjoyed talking to
the men working on the boat.

Scott and I post for a photo. We've had long conversations
with many of the official guides at the sites and museums.
They are very knowledgeable about the history but the best
part is talking about our countries and lives.

This Santaria couple were tourists like ourselves. One pair
of women were also on the plane with us coming from
Mexico

Two Santaria women tell fortunes here for customers.

Carmen catching up on her paperwork. She has four rooms
with private bath for rent in her apartment. And her mother
and son live with her too. All on two floors of a narrow
apartment building.

Day Two

Yesterday we walked and walked and walked! When we finally got back to our room, we were exhausted. Happily there was a big birthday party at Casa Carmen for her son so we canceled our dinner reservations and joined them. During the day we visited about 1/4 of the old city and stopped often for a coffee, drink or snack to listen to music and/or people watch. This is such a beautiful city and so vibrant. We have to buy internet time at a hotel and use our wifi there, so I'm making these entries brief. I'll tell a lot more stories after returning to Mexico. But we love Cuba and are excited about returning in our boat.

Taxis come in all forms. We haven't taken one yet but I
made friends with this fellow and we had our picture taken
together.

Here's another type!

We listened to a lot of bands during the day. They play in
many of the cafes and bars.

This picture and the next have a long story but I'm going to
wait until I have some time (and I'm back in Mexico) to
detail. 

A couple we met and had drinks with.

This is a section of the old wall that once surrounded the
city.

We toured a huge warehouse on the water
with hundreds of artists and craftspeople
selling their wares.

This amazing brewery could have been in any big U.S. city.

It is a conversion from an old warehouse. Beer for groups
is served in these tall containers. Big decks stretch out on
both sides and it's right on the water.

And of course, they had a live band.

This marker shows the old and new building

Some of the bars here had very famous
regular cutomers.

We toured a Greek Orthodox church and I had to don a
apron like skirt to enter.

There are lovely parks all over the city

The streets are often pedestrian only in the
oldest part of the city. But compared to any
US city, there are few vehicles.

Another charming little park.,

Public art is everywhere - statues and murals

This is the Plaza de San Francisco with handsome buildings,
art and a big church.

As the sun started to go down, the light became so lovely.
The temperature has been in the 80's during the day and
around 70 in the evening.

At least 75 percent of the building have
residents in all or part.

Sidewalk cafes abound. We had two of the best cups of
coffee here we remember having!

These two old gentlemen were wearing
yamakas but we had a hard time understanding
them, although we tried. Usually Scott does
so well.

One of the historic old hotels that are scattered
throughout the city and all appear to be thriving

And the churches all appear to be in use.

We had a fun evening at the birthday party for
Carmen's 26 year old son. There were lots of
family and friends with a buffet dinner and
plenty of things to drink. More photos from
this tomorrow (from Scott's cell phone).

Day One in Havana, Cuba

This is my first post here in Havana, Cuba and I'm doing it from the bar at a quite fancy hotel, the Saratoga. Wifi is only available in public spaces in Cuba, either a large hotel or a public park. We paid $10 for one hour access. Our flight only took an hour from Cancun yesterday arriving at 1 pm. Our Casa Particular, Casa Carmen, arranged for someone to pick us up and that was included in the rooms rate - $73 per night for a large bedroom, private bath and breakfast. Carmen is a charming woman who lives with her mother and son in a two floor apartment only blocks from the Capitol Building in old Havana. It's very central to lots of the sights. Carmen speaks only Spanish but employs a family friend in Miami, Leif, who does all the organizing through Airbnb - so this was easy to arrange ahead of time. Scott speaks quite good Spanish and I limp along so we've had fun getting to know Carmen and her family. Our first afternoon we walked around for hours, stopping twice for a drink and to listen to music. Then we met a fun young man who does tours with a flashy red Thunderbird convertible and he convinced us to take a one hour tour of Havana at sunset. What fun!!! He dropped us off a very good Cuban restaurant, D'Lirios on the Paseo del Prada, that he and Carmen had recommended (separately) where we enjoyed a typical dinner - good not great, although the ambiance was terrific.
Our room is in the center of the building, no windows, but it was very quiet at night. This morning Carmen made us a big breakfast and we spent a lot of time talking to Liam, a very interesting young man from Toronto who is staying there as well. Today we hope to buy tickets for a dance performance at the ornate State Theater and then manage the public bus to buy tickets at the main Bus Station to Viñales for Saturday. We'll spend one night out at this lovely rural valley with friends of Carmen and then return to Havana.

The Casa Particular we are staying in, Casa
Carmen - the middle two floors.

The next street over - mostly residential

The Capitol Building, under renovation

Hotel Saratoga where we can get wifi - and
where I'm posting this blog entry.

Scott pauses in one of the lovely porticos that line
some of the streets.

The National Theater - we hope to get tickets to a dance
performance this morning.

Walking around our first afternoon, we enjoyed this live
performance in the park, as did a class of young students.

Antique cars are everywhere in Havana and
they are so beautiful.

As is a stop at cafe for a rum and a cervesa -
Bucanero, very appropriate.

Wifi is either available in some of the larger hotels or in
public parks and spaces. You know where it is as everyone
is on their phone or computer.

This is the huge line for the public bus - the cost is only
pennies.

I love this memorial to a Revolutionary Hero that also
protects a beautiful old tree.

In the park we saw several "counselors" available that appeared
to be practicing voodoo. You can tell this person is not
of the Santaria faith as she isn't all in white.

Very typical residential building.

We stopped for another drink and listened to this excellent
Cuban jazz band and bought their CD.

Then took a one hour tour in a 1954 Thunderbird around
the city with a very personable young guide, Moses.

We had to have our picture taken of course

In several views.

OK this was our third drink (and last) with
dinner at a Cuban restaurant that our host
Carmen recommended. It was a very fancy
daiquiri.

The view from the balcony of our Casa Carmen

Carmen's mother in the living room. She appears to spend the
day watching television. There are three state channels and
one is soap operas, game shows and music. Another shows
mainly baseball but also soccer. And then there is a Spanish
language channel from Orlando, Florida.

There is the very steep narrow staircase leading
up to our Casa. Then another one inside it
 leads to 4 guest rooms with baths. My
fireman grandfather would have been horrified!
This is the only exit.