Old Town (Havana Vieja): Very touristy area, but quite a pleasant place to walk around. Loved the faded colors of the old buildings. I think there were several museums in the area, but I didn't bother going in. Now looking back though, I sort of regret not going to the art one; I really like Cuban art – so colorful! The most famous building in the old town is this cathedral. Beautiful.
Revolutionary Museum: Highly informative exhibition of Cuba's history and revolution. Maybe a bit too detailed for me. As usual, I lost interest towards the end...
Soldiers: Gathered around the revolutionary museum for some sort of training routine, I suppose. These men were...how do I say it...VERY attractive. I wanted a photo with a group of them, but was sternly declined. Probably illegal.
Che: In addition to the displays of his life in the Revolutionary Museum, there's also one dedicated to him at the fort across the bay. That, and the beautiful views towards downtown Havana, are probably the only reason to head out to the fort. Otherwise, it was really a bore.
Hemingway: His Cuban retreat is located several kilometers out of the city. Getting there on the local bus was more interesting than the house itself. Fare of 0.40CUP each way. Let's see...that's about a penny. I didn't have exact change.
When I asked the woman at the tourist information office (I was there to ask for directions) for change, her comment was, "Just pay whatever coin you have. It's not worth that much to you anyways." True...I had a 10CUP coin (about 4 cents), but using all that for the bus seemed like a waste at the time. I was determined to get the change!!! Which she reluctantly handed over to me in the end. But on the way back, I realized how cheap I acted (a bit shameful) and paid the 10CUP. These drivers were probably getting paid close to nothing (government regulated) and could use the extra 3 cents.
Boarding the bus is highly regulated in Cuba; there's a strict, honest line system. You must seek out the last person in line by asking "Ultimo?" and line up behind him. The Chinese should learn something from these guys.
As for the Hemingway house, it was cute and quaint. No pictures to show because of the outrageous camera fee.
Casa Particulares: After our first night at the prearranged hotel, Nao and I moved closer to the Havana Vieja for the remaining nights. Casa Particulares are like guest houses, where people rent out rooms in their houses/apartments. We moved to one near the Capitol run by the nicest old woman named Juaquina. Highly recommended. Contact me if you want details as these houses are not marked. Need to go by word of mouth!
Malecon: Basically a street along the waterfront. I witnessed the most interesting fishing method here. A group of men all lined up, watching the gulls. When the gulls dove into the water (signs of fish!) the men madly cast their hooks and started reeling. No bait necessary. Unfortunately, the seagulls sometimes got caught in the hooks. I couldn't bear to watch them get reeled in...Poor birds.
Callejon de Hamel: Tiny, colorful, artsy street. Very difficult to find.
Cars: You know my fascination with these old model cars. There's a whole album dedicated to my Cuban car photos on Facebook. Please check them out if you're interested : )
Food: More fun than yummy.
For the most part, I ate at the peso stalls where you can get a small lunch box (usually rice with some sort of meat) for about a buck and sandwiches for 20 cents. There are also pizzas for 5CUP and soft serve ice cream for 1CUP. Really cheap!!! Incidentally, Cubans seem to love ice cream, with stalls on every street. One of the most famous eateries in Havana is Coppelia Ice Cream Parlor. Serving only 3 flavors depending on the day, they charge by the scoop (5CUP each). 1 strawberry scoop was enough for me, but all the Cubans were ordering like 5 scoops! After eating all that, they ordered more for take-out in their personal plastic containers.
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