Havana and Vinales, Cuba
Off to Cuba! We took the 1 hour flight from Cancun and landed in Havana. If you backpack Cuba and do not to stay at the all inclusive resorts you see the island by staying in what they call "casa particulars". Theses are rooms that people rent out of their homes. The rooms need to be registered with the government so all the prices are the same. Sometimes you get a beautiful casa with a roof top terrace, and sometimes you have an amazing mama that cooks wonderful meals :) Arriving at our casa in Havana we unloaded our bags and headed out to see the city. The old American cars are beautiful! Rumbling along with Russian diesel engines and filling the streets these old cars are still the countries main mode of transport.
Old buildings on the malecon
Colourful streets
As the most sustainable country Cubans re-use and wash everything from diapers to plastic bags.
This lady was lowering a bag down to a friend on the street.
Tires on the balcony?
Downtown
Exploring Havana it was hard to miss the "Revolution museum". Hosted in the ex presidential palace that was poc marked with bullet holes was testament to those who fought for the revolution. Sorting through the rooms of weaponry, documents, blood stained uniforms of the presidential guard and yes of course propaganda we were immersed for a couple hours.
Cemetery in the city
Big billboards of Fidel and Che. Cuba has no advertisements. You do not see signs for cell phones, or coca-cola, or restaurants, it is all government propaganda.
Cars of Cuba
Main strip in Havana
Havana Club rum museum
All the rum, we came home with 4 bottles :)
Mojitos
The fort
The Cuban people spiteful of the American blockade are however very proud of their sustainable ways, culture, and safe communities. Waiting patiently in long lines for things like cheese and toilet paper the people make the exchange for the highest literacy rate in the developing world and most doctors per person.
Line up for meat on the street
On Sunday's down on main street the locals come with signs if they have something for sale. It's like a flea market but they just sit on a bench with their signs and shoppers wander past.
Baseball is Cuba's national sport. We went to watch the most popular team the "Industriales" play in Havana. Good thing the stadium is a "no alcohol" venue because the locals got pretty heated.
WWAAAA!!!
Chillin' with a cigar.
If you are to watch the game on national television you will not see one commercial, there will only be the odd public service announcement including the promotion of the use of condoms.
The industriales lost.
The malecon
Fishing
Enjoying sunset
Driving through the country these are the billboards and paintings you see along the roads, all about the revolution and socialist ideals.
In every revolution
Che
Down the Cuban Adjustment Act
Down with the Torricelli act
Down with the Helms burton act
Defend Socialism
Revolutionary working people and culture
26th of july a Victory of ideas
Cuba punching out the US blockade
Raul Suarez Martinez
Famous patriot of this town
The mountains ? bastion of the revolution
In the world we need people who criticize less and do more, promise less and work more, to say now and not tomorrow.
Vinales
Taking a bus the 4 hour drive from Havana to Vinales we saw beautiful countryside. Vinales is home to tobacco fields, where the locals take pride in doing all the work by hand.
Our casa in Vinales
Local selling fruits
We hired a guide and headed out on a 6 hour walk through the valley.
He drank too much rum!
Stunning scenery
Oxen and man tilling the fields
Tobacco leaves drying hut
Picking the tobacco leaves from the plants for drying
Tobacco
These are the barns used for drying the leaves
The leaves hanging to dry
Having a cigar
After the tobacco farm we ended up at a cave, it was so big you could drive a car into it. At the end was a fresh water spring.
Going for a dip
Stalactites and Stalagmites
Limestone entrance
More work in the fields, always with a cigar
Cliffs full of caves
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