Havana, 2 Days

Monday, January 25, 2016
Havana, Cuba
Havana is essentially divided into 3 main areas. Old Havana, Vedado (business district) and the newer suburban districts. Our walking tour today is in the old section which is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's one of those cities that you can't help but wonder what it was like 50-75 years ago. With its old Chevys and cobblestone streets, it's a city like no other. Yes, a lot of the buildings are in disrepair, but a good many of them are in the middle of restoration. In the 30's, Havana was a booming town. With its tourism and gambling, it was actually bringing in more revenue than Las Vegas. It was a city that grew quickly to accommodate the largest middle class population in Latin America. But then, with a combination of strained relations with the US and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country suffered a severe economic downturn.

After our tour, we were able to go down some of the less traveled streets . It was interesting peeking into some of the shops and restaurants. The outsides didn't look so hot, but they were beautiful inside, not unlike some of the older places we've seen in other parts of Central and South America. And then there are the cars.... if you're old enough, it probably brings back memories of your first date or a night at the drive in theater.... or maybe even more than that, seeing how big the back seats are! Before we know it's lunch time so we head back to the ship, grab a bite to eat, and get ready for a bus tour of Havana in the afternoon.

After a nice lunch on the ship (the food was not bad), we were treated to a bus tour of the city as part of the "People to People" program. It goes without saying that even though you see more on a bus, it's not as intimate as walking (and, of course, you're always on the wrong side). This tour was quite interesting with stops at Revolution Square and San Jose market. We walked through the market quickly, (about 5 minutes) as we don't need another souvenir to dust..... especially now since I'm part of the official dusting team at home. We were able to walk back to our ship and once again went off the beaten path. Sometimes it's interesting just standing and observing. A man teaching his dog new tricks in the park, a young girl learning to ride her bike with training wheels.... all the same things as home. So similar, yet so different. That's what makes traveling so interesting.

Tomorrow we are off to the small beach town Maria La Gorda. We plan on doing a little snorkeling.

Comments

Phyllis S
2016-02-05

Love reading about your adventures !! xo enjoy !

2025-02-13

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