Cienfuegos to Havana, Cuba

Wall Art, Havana Streets

Please, No more lobster!  After spending a couple of glorious diving days in the Garden of the Queens at Cayo Cuervo, we made our way further along the South Coast to Cienfuegos (nominated as one of the Unesco World Heritage Sites, the other 2 cities nominated in Cuba are Havana and Trinidad). The sail overnight was not pleasant to say the least, rather rough.  We cleared in at Marlin Marina, Cienfuegos and went exploring the Town.


The currency in Cuba for the tourist is the new Pesos Convertible called the CUC.  There are 24 local pesos (locals only) to 1 CUC and 1 CUC is equal to 1 US Dollar (8 SA Rands).  Getting your hands on some local pesos(locals will guide you) is wise as you can buy where the locals buy, food, ice cream and transport are ridiculously cheap then.  For example, a bus ride into town costs 25cents of a local pesos and like I said there are 24 local pesos in 1 US dollar, so basically you ride for free.  Delicious homemade ice cream scooped into sugar cones as long as your forearm are sold everywhere for less than a US Quarter, really!

Skyla, Rourke and Layla enjoying creamy, dreamy, Cuban ice cream (helado)

Most Cuban cafe's and bars have live music and...

Mojito's.  Mornay, Sascha and Jytte  

Kimble and Sky on the boardwalk in Cienfuegos,
T R I B E, Calabra and Amphitreete anchored far in the background

The following day, the 3 families (9 kids) from T R I B E, Amphitreete and Calabra hired cars and drove (3 and half hours) in tow to Havana…  we checked in to a delightful Casa Particular (B&B) in the historic part of Havana.  

How Havana has changed since our visit here 8 years ago… Many of the magnificent old buildings have been refurbished to their former glory. It really is uplifting to see the narrow picturesque streets bustling with renovation.  I last left Havana with a forlorn hope of seeing it restored. It looks like Fidel's brother Raoul has loosened things up a bit, realizing tourism is a gold mine. 

Woohoo, road trip to Havana

 Part of Old Havana 

Old Havana with "The Cuban White House" in the distance, once the
seat of government in Cuba until after the Cuban Revolution in 1959,
now home to the Cuban Academy of Sciences. 

crumbling walls

on patrol

Skyla and Kimble in our Casa Particular (B&B)

Chris puffing on a Cohiba Esplendido enjoying the ever present Cuban musical talent
in the background

Rourke, Layla, Sascha and Sky in Plaza Vieja

Havana's arms are open wide, a city that never sleeps… the vibrant, inviting nightlife and the celebration of music die down to a trickle in the early hours of the morning, only to come alive again at first light.  The music and sounds of life on the street flow up and over our balcony, in through the tall stained glass wooden doors that lead into to our yellow room with a view.



Walking along the stone paved streets I am unable to take my finger of the shutter release button as the photo opportunities abound.  Paintings of Che, socialism and the fight for freedom adorn the street walls, the old cars, music, dancing (most Cuban's can dance the salsa by the age of 2 or 3 and continue dancing with a complete lack of self consciousness), food, coffee (Cuban's love their coffee which is served strong, black and sweetened in espresso-sized cups), cigar aroma's and art fill the streets, one's creative side jumps to the fore and if you think you didn't have a creative side, you will find yours here.  


We drank rich dark chocolate at the Museo Del Chocolate.  Watched the original Buena Vista Social Club Boys, what a privilege, a special appearance in Havana (where else?).


Attended a spirited Flamenco Dinner Dance Show on Skyla's 14 Birthday.  Cubans are natural performers, inheriting a love for dancing from childbirth! 


 Carnival in the streets, homemade ice cream galore, mouthwatering Pizza.  Cohiba's, Mohito's, late night Salsa and later night clubbing.  We tasted all the Havana had to offer!

Street Vendor selling homemade yummy stuff...

Chocolate from the Museo del Chocolate

Hot Chocolate, cold chocolate and special filled chocolate

Layla wasted no time

ceramic gallery, Havana

Local expressive ceramic work

Skyla

Sky walking the colorful streets of Havana

A resident of Havana looks down at the street carnival below

Mail Service

Street Carnival, Havana

Always watching

Local Cuban school kids

Cigar Shop

Old books at the open air market, some of these books are from the 1800's

Rourke and Layla exploring the market at Plaza de Armas

Original Cuban and Russian pins

Layla, Sky and Rourke

Plaza de la Catedral

Peso pizza! (So called because you pay for them in Cuban pesos)  In the 1970's few Cubans knew what a pizza was.  By the '90s, they were cooking up more than the Italians.  They are oven-baked in makeshift kitchens

Buena Vista Social Club, Original Show

Jono, Chris, Sascha, Jytte and Mornay

Sascha with two of the old Legends

Wall Art, Havana

Jono and Layla

Havana Perfumes

Ernest Hemingway on the wall in La Bodeguita Bar, Havana

'In Cuba the music flows like a river,' wrote Ry Cooder in his sleeve notes to the seminal Buena Vista Social Club CD, 'It takes care of you and rebuilds you from the inside out.'

Chris and Rourke, Havana

Havana is full of Artists

The Cubans love their cigars

Skyla (on her 14th birthday in Havana) with Kimble

we took Sky to watch a Flamenco dancing performance

Chris and Skyla

Upon our return to Cienfuegos, we were delighted to find Craig and Nix (my brother and his wife aboard their catamaran SY SAFARI) had arrived and a very happy reunion was enjoyed by siblings and cousins (they have 2 children, Storm and Teak).  We spent 3 days with them (one in Trinidad, the next post) and then they went off to Havana and we sailed south to the Cayman Islands… we will meet again in Mexico or Belize.

Aboard Safari with my brother, Craig and Nix, family reunion in Cienfuegos

Sky and Teak, kissing cousins

Just a lizard in a tree...

Craig and Chris in front of a Diner in Cienfuegos.  The old cars in Cuba cannot be bought, they are inherited and are part of the family

I was locked out, so had to make a plan...

Teak my nephew sailing on Safari

Layla, Storm and Teak

Chris, Rourke and Layla with Raw Cuban Honey, we stocked up

Our ride into Cienfuegos

Sky

Hello to readers in Sweden, Welcome!  :)