To Habana We Go!

By travelerdon on December 27, 2018

We head for Habana! Nov 10

So we order breakfast for 7:30 AM and Alian picks us up promptly at 8 for our trip back to Habana (not a typo, it’s how they spell it in Cuba). I snap this shot in our Hostal right before we leave. Has anyone heard of any of these camera brands?

Old cameras at Hostal Siglo XV
View out the bathroom window

Different road signs and sights along the way!

We arrive in Habana and check back into the same apartment as we had our first night! Then we head out in the streets to start checking out this city in depth. We even spot a section of roadway where they have left what’s beneath it for viewing!

Old city showing through
Live music everywhere

We have not a moment to spare as we have a city tour and old classic car tour scheduled. We head out in the direction of the Plaza de San Francisco and we meet our guide, Carlos, under the statue of Father Junipero Serra with a small boy at the San Francisco de Asis Convent. To me, the statue was rather creepy. Please comment if you like!

Cuba’s first locomotive?

Carlos takes us around and educates us on a lot of the history of Old Habana and we see a lot of very clean streets of old cobblestone.

An old presidential limousine passes us and we come across the favorite bar of Ernest Hemmingway where we step inside to see a group of live musicians playing very spirited music!

We walk around Capitolito Plaza where tourists (not from the USA) can stay in government owned hotels for a meager $275 per night! (We spent 10 nights in Cuba and barely spent that much total) Parks and statues and lots of Classic American Cars everywhere you look!

And of course, we check out Sloppy Joe’s Bar La Habana!

Finally, it’s time for the fun part of the tour. Carlos brings us to his driver and we get into a 1948 Chevy Convertible for a tour of the rest of Havana. We drive around the Capitol and throughout New Havana past parks and statues. We pass a place called the Agencia Cubana de Rap and wonder what that is about. Before we’re done, I even get photos behind the wheel of this gorgeous old Chevy!

We drive further and end up returning to Capitolito Plaza via the Malecon near sunset. A walk down to the harbor reveals the Cruise Ship business is alive and well here!

Carlos then takes us to a rooftop bar where we are taught how to make a Mojito and we sit and enjoy it. Then we are invited to make our own and Carlos tastes them and rates us on our drinks. We both get a ’10’, but you knew that, right? Sunset photos intact and we bid Carlos adios!