All together within a week, we went back to Old Havana at least 4 times, and each time we discovered something new and different. Here are some highlights of our exploration.
(to be finished)
Monday, December 29, 2008
Discovering La Havana Vieja
To discover Old Havana (La Havana Vieja), one definitely needs several days. It's actually not a large area, but there is so much to see due to the hundreds of years of colonial presence of the Spanish. Since 1982, Old Havana was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Now, the Cuban government, with help from UNESCO and foreign countries, has started a 35-year project to preserve and restore Old Havana for modern-day Cuba. Here is a short article about the project.
All together within a week, we went back to Old Havana at least 4 times, and each time we discovered something new and different. Here are some highlights of our exploration.
(to be finished)
All together within a week, we went back to Old Havana at least 4 times, and each time we discovered something new and different. Here are some highlights of our exploration.
(to be finished)
On Arrival
When our plane landed in Cuba, the passengers clapped their hands. I guess most people were going to Cuba the first time like us. It's been a long route, though, because we had to transit through Toronto. Most Canadian tourists prefer resorts such as Varadero, so there are charter flights direct from Vancouver. But to go to Havana, a much lesser choice, Toronto has to be a stop in between. But it turned out that our decision to stay in Havana was a correct one. It was simply not possible to see Havana in a day or two.
The first thing that struck me at the airport was that national flags of many countries were hung from the ceiling. This was the first time I have seen such a decoration in an airport. A very nice gesture indeed. Try and see if you can find the Canadian flag :)
Cuban Immigration and Customs were surprisingly efficient. To begin with, there were not too many arriving passengers, and it's probably because post-revolution Cuba has opened its doors to foreign tourists since the 90s. So in less than half an hour, we found ourselves sitting in a taxi heading towards the city. The Jose Marti International Airport was about 10 km from the city, so the trip to our hotel was quite short.
We stayed in the Melia Habana, in a district in Havana called Miramar. This area was developed mostly after the revolution of 1959, and currently was considered one of the better-off districts
in the city. The hotel belongs to an international hotel chain called Sol Melia, which operates a variety of standalone and resort hotels in Cuba in partnership with the Cuban government. Since the 90s, tourism has been a major source of income for Cuba after they lost their aid from the Soviet Union.
These hotels are different from the ones, mostly located in Havana (especially Old Havana), which were developed by converting old mansion-like buildings. For those who want to have a taste of how the colonists lived, these "classical hotels" are the better choice than the newly developed hotels such as Melia Habana and similar ones. Of course, there is often an even higher price tag.
The first thing that struck me at the airport was that national flags of many countries were hung from the ceiling. This was the first time I have seen such a decoration in an airport. A very nice gesture indeed. Try and see if you can find the Canadian flag :)
Cuban Immigration and Customs were surprisingly efficient. To begin with, there were not too many arriving passengers, and it's probably because post-revolution Cuba has opened its doors to foreign tourists since the 90s. So in less than half an hour, we found ourselves sitting in a taxi heading towards the city. The Jose Marti International Airport was about 10 km from the city, so the trip to our hotel was quite short.
We stayed in the Melia Habana, in a district in Havana called Miramar. This area was developed mostly after the revolution of 1959, and currently was considered one of the better-off districts
in the city. The hotel belongs to an international hotel chain called Sol Melia, which operates a variety of standalone and resort hotels in Cuba in partnership with the Cuban government. Since the 90s, tourism has been a major source of income for Cuba after they lost their aid from the Soviet Union.
These hotels are different from the ones, mostly located in Havana (especially Old Havana), which were developed by converting old mansion-like buildings. For those who want to have a taste of how the colonists lived, these "classical hotels" are the better choice than the newly developed hotels such as Melia Habana and similar ones. Of course, there is often an even higher price tag.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Why Cuba?
What does "Cuba" mean? For me (and likely most other people), it's a long list (not in any particular order) that includes Buena Vista Social Club, music, Spanish, old American cars, Communism, Che Guevera, Fidel Castro, black people, Caribbean, hurricane, poverty, economic difficulties, colorful culture, cigar, rum ... and it can get even longer. All of these are reasons for me to want to visit Cuba.
Preparation was basic. Reading Wikipedia articles, checking Cuba travel sites, skimming through scholarly works borrowed from the library, and yes, listening to Cuban music. Oh, not to forget photos on Flickr and videos on YouTube and Google Video.
The most difficult part was to gain a basic understanding of the complicated and long history of Cuba - from a Spanish colony to an independent republic under American control to a socialist (communist) state. It was indeed a very special journey for the Cuban people.
Cuban culture is necessarily mixed and colorful because of its history. I wanted to experience this rich culture and had a taste of what the Cuban identity is all about. And that's why we were not going to a resort such as Varadero.
The destination was Havana, and we intended to see as much of this great city as we could within 7 days.
Map of Cuba - click map to enlarge
(Source: http://geology.com/world/cuba-satellite-image.shtml)
Preparation was basic. Reading Wikipedia articles, checking Cuba travel sites, skimming through scholarly works borrowed from the library, and yes, listening to Cuban music. Oh, not to forget photos on Flickr and videos on YouTube and Google Video.
The most difficult part was to gain a basic understanding of the complicated and long history of Cuba - from a Spanish colony to an independent republic under American control to a socialist (communist) state. It was indeed a very special journey for the Cuban people.
Cuban culture is necessarily mixed and colorful because of its history. I wanted to experience this rich culture and had a taste of what the Cuban identity is all about. And that's why we were not going to a resort such as Varadero.
The destination was Havana, and we intended to see as much of this great city as we could within 7 days.
Map of Cuba - click map to enlarge
(Source: http://geology.com/world/cuba-satellite-image.shtml)
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