Tour of old and new Havana

We decided to take a trip from Varadero to Havana..after all, you simply can't come this far and not see the real Cuba in it's famous capital. So, we boarded a bus that took us via another little area I had looked at in the brochure, which is ridiculously desolate and leafy, so I am glad I chose Varadero, and after many other pick ups, we were convinced we had chosen the best hotel in the area.

We spent the day firstly touring the City centre starting at El Capitolo building, where the square was full of locals, tourists, old colourful buildings with peeling paint, tobacco factories, and 50's cars with wings and in better condition than a lot of modern cars elsewhere. It is notable that everywhere you go in Cuba, they stop, up the bonnet, and start working on the mechanics of the car, usually with pieces of cardboard.

They then drive off, stop somewhere else, and then do the whole thing again. Dad and a guy from Jamaica were talking to a local about his car at one of the roadside cafes. Well, dad nor the Jamaican spoke Spanish, nor the Cuban English, so it involved the universal language of smiling and pointing, which I found very funny.

Literally EVERYWHERE you go there are cigars and rum. Everywhere. The smell of it all is fabulous. The country is also very green, and has a lot more oil reserves than I had any idea about. We passed hospitals, found out about history of local areas, tobacco plantations, rum factories (mmmmmm!) earthquake centres, universities etc. Incidentally, Cubans are incredibly literate, infact they have a higher rater of literacy among women than in the UK.

...really. Music really is in their blood. I have never been anywhere where the people literally cannot stop moving their feet if they hear a beat somewhere. From walking down the street to serving you in a restaurant, they dance, and smile continually. I felt very safe and very welcome everywhere we went. If I am honest, I really fell in love with the country.

We visited old Forts, and did a walking tour of Old Havana which really was an eye opener. San Cristobal cathedral is a truly beautiful building. All the little winding streets held many visual and audio pleasures along the way. I would happily move there. The university in Old Havana is a stunning mix of new and old architecture, and the hotel where Hemmingway lived looked the part too.

We went to the square where Castro gave political speeches, and learnt about the HUGE number of assassination attempts on his life. Che Guevara, as expected, plays a huge part in Cuban life and history and the Cubans are very proud of their past, as well as their present. A true joy to experience.

One of my favourite moments was when a fisherman on the end of the pier in Old Havana asked dad what time it was. Dad, not speaking Spanish, asked me, and I told him to hold out his watch, and gave the time in Spanish. The fisherman loved that I attempted to speak Spanish to him, and asked me to fish with him. We had a sligtly broken Spanglish conversation, where he practiced his English and I my Spanish. He seemed to love it there, although he said he wanted to travel, but I seriously doubt he will find a treasure of a place in the world that is quite like the extraordinary experience that is Cuba.

I can honestly say Cuba was one of the most magical places I have visited, made all the more special by the fabulous Blau and its staff. All I can say is VISIT!  I would go back tomorrow.