Whether by car or on foot, we found ourselves spending a decent amount of time “cruising” when in Cuba. Our second day in Havana, we woke up and had a lovely homemade breakfast on the rooftop terrace. This was followed by being picked up by two 1950s style cars – pink and purple ones, at that.
These cars were unreal and I was so glad that I was the lucky one with the data sim card. I immediately called my dad via FaceTime so he could see these incredible cars live. Two local men drove us and gave us a glimpse of the parts of Havana we couldn’t easily reach on foot.
We ventured over to Plaza de la Revolución first to check out the imagery of Che and the memorial to José Martí.
From there, it was over to what looked like your standard neighborhood. We soon realized we were mistaken, as we had been taken to Fuster Casa. The entire block was covered from head to toe in artistic, mosaic pieces. It was wild and sparkled brightly under the hot sun.
The artist, Jose Fuster, was inspired by Gaudi in Barcelona. According to Wikipedia, this neighborhood “is now a unique work of public art where Fuster has decorated over 80 houses with ornate murals and domes to suit the personality of his neighbours.” Having the opportunity to walk through it, purchase Jose’s art, and support the locals through shopping was so cool.
After our time in the mosaic neighborhood, we drove through the gorgeous and lush forest located in the center of Havana. Some of the trees were said to be hundreds of years old, and the shade and greenery cooled down our hot skin.
Our old car ride ended with a rooftop lunch at Yarini back near our AirBnB. We of course immediately ordered alcohol and spent our meal reliving our great ride through the city.
Even though we had only been in Havana for about 24 hours at this point, we already started to recognize some of the neighbors. Most of us on this trip are moms, and Avril and Jen were extremely thoughtful and prepared. They brought toys and candy to hand out to the local children. The smiles on these kids faces was enough to melt your heart. This cute little girl also thought we were French!
We continued on with our exploration of Havana and met an incredible guy who happily educated us on the history of Cuba. All of us were extremely curious to learn more about Fidel, American relations, and how that has led to where Cuba is today. Hours were spent looking at the gorgeous buildings and asking questions. I loved traveling with this group of women because they all have a natural curiosity and desire to understand. To me, this is one of the proof points of having not only an open mind, but also an open heart.
My initial, intimidating impression of Cuba was quickly evaporating. Upon closer inspection, the buildings were not only colorful and beautiful, but unique and iconic. The people continued to be friendly and warm. The desire was for openness and interaction. And I never once felt unsafe.
With every step, I only loved Havana more and more.
We were quite tired from all of the walking from the day. But as we were on vacation and kid-free, we made sure to close down the night with some drinks at a local bar. There was also some extremely lively entertainment, which only made it more fun!
Our last full day in Havana was more relaxing. We did some shopping and had a late lunch, took a nap, and enjoyed some afternoon cocktails. More sangria for me, please!
Since it was our last full night in Havana, and our last full night together, our AirBnB hosts helped us hire some local musicians. We enjoyed live Cuban music while we dined on a delicious, homemade, local meal.
I was even taught how to dance! It is quite embarrassing to say the least.
All in all, while a short visit, it was an incredibly memorable one. Not only did I spend time with an awesome group of women, but I also learned a lot. Cuba is a hidden gem, and having the opportunity to visit only reinforced what I love so much about travel – the reminder that we are all human beings. In the words of Anne Frank, “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.”
Never was this more true than in Cuba. Now take me back!!!
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