Just a quick email as I’m having a blast in Cuba. The Internet is very slow, expensive and hard to find, so I will do all my updates once I get to Canada and back to the USA in July, but I wanted to at least have some notice so there are no worries.
-I’ve now been in Cuba for a week, and its really like a different world!
Highlights so far:
GETTING TO CUBA
- Almost not getting to Cuba as the flight turned around on the runaway and returned to the gate to kick off two America guys that I just made friends with. They thought they had Swine Flu as they were so sick and throwing up (I thought they were hungover…but they had food poisoning). They later made the flight the next day and we met up for fun.
HAVANA VIEJO
- Wandering the old streets in Havana Viejo and trying to avoid all the annoying men that wouldn’t stop calling me “Mama Mia, Sweetie, Honey, Blondie, Lady…Lady”. It was annoying at first and then got worst and the more I ignored them, the more they continued!
- Trying to join a few tour groups in Old Havana (as a Stowaway guests)
- Going to the Havana Club Rum Factory for a tour and hopefully a drink or two when it was so hot in the day. Tour was ok, shot of rum was tiny…so overall not a great experience
CENTRAL HAVANA AND VEDADO
- Best tour ever was of a cigar factory and I don’t even like smoking. I loved more of the economical factors of the factory and working conditions. More details to follow!
- Walking and walking all over Central Havana and finding China town to get my Asian food fix!
- Watching locals playing ball in the streets, old ladies throwing baskets down from the upper balconies to get deliveries as its so hard to walk down the stairs
- Finding the US Embassy (if you call it that) – more of the office of special interests for the US.
- Enjoying the views at the National Hotel and wishing I had some money to splash out and stay some where really nice for a treat!
- Finding the local ice cream place Coppelia and learning I had to go around the corner to the tourist only window and pay way too much. Its reverse discrimination.