Oye chico! We’re in Cuba!

Getting there

Fast forward and after so much planning I was on a plane with 2 of my favorite people in the world: Berna and Joss. We were on our way to a place so different and of which I had heard so many good things. I could not wait to land on the beautiful island of Cuba.

Cuba is the only place where your host/driver can end up being a medical surgeon. Our host on this trip Mario was super friendly and started to give us tips about being in Cuba as soon as we entered into his vehicle. What stood out to me was how secure he assured us Cuba was.

One of the key things we needed was cash so we made sure to get a good amount ($200) so we could get by for a few days. But keep in mind for every dollar you get 10% penalty on top of the fees. Even then you end up with a lot of bills… probably because of the exchange rate? who knows…

After finishing counting our newly acquiried Cuban money and setting our stuff in on Airbnb, we headed out to the main Plaza to see what Cuba was about. We had to walk through some neighborhoods which look super scary but as our host told us they are indeed 100% safe (Even more when you look kind of cuban).

The Capitol

One of my favorite things about Havana was its architecture. It takes you right back to the colonial times as all the buildings look pretty Spaniard. My favorite building from them all was El Capitolio. According to wikipedia “It is similar to that in Washington D.C, but a meter higher, a meter wider, and a meter longer, as well as much richer in detail. To finish its construction they needed more than 5000 workers, 3 years, 3 months and 20 days; as well as approximately 17 million American dollars.” No wonder why it looks so majestic.

El Malecon

After taking a bunch of pictures for Insta we started to head to famous Malecon. We were so lucky to catch the sun on its way down and ended up having some pretty awesome shots.

I do recommend walking the entire strip as you get a nice perspective on the city from around. We spent quite a bit of time around el Malecón as it has this relaxing feeling. From there you can see locals and tourists going about their lives. It is a pretty chill environment.

The best (most expensive) Havana ride

The host we had never failed to deliver our yummy breakfast daily. As soon as we finished up our breakfast we headed back to Havana to continue on our adventure.

The first thing we wanted to do as we did not have enough time in Havana was to get a classic car tour. They’re available every where. So we picked a ride we liked which I think cost us 150$. Now looking back to that I definitively recommend you do some research before taking any tour as you might find some cheaper options.

Gotta love those monuments

Our tour guide took us around the most touristy places along Havana. One of the stops we made was to see the largest monument to a writer in the world the José Martí Memorial. Our tour guide at that point explained to us the Role Jose had on the Cuban history Jose as one of the greatest patriots and nationalists.

We made a few stops to check out interesting parts of Havana. Including a river side used mainly for witch craft. As we walked around the river side we even saw some people practicing pretty interesting stuff.

A stop that definitely was worthwhile was at the Jhon Lenon Statue. There’s a pretty interesting story behind the statue as it was the result of Castro change of tune and looking at Jhon as a revolutionary. (Read more)

After saying goodby to our friend Jhon, we continued our adventure with our crew. Our next stop was the neighborhood of Casa Blaca. A spot where we could get a better look of Havana.

Last hours in Havana

After a few hours walking around Havana and getting used to no internet connection, we started to plan out our next adventure in Cuba: “Varadero”. Our plan was to have a driver take us to Varadero as we did not have time to take the bus.

Although we did not spend much time in Havana, I loved the fact that everyone seemed to be going about their lives in a very chill way. It seemed as to despite all the troubles they might have they put a smile on their face and thrive. I enjoy being around such happy people!

Varadero

A few hours on the road and we were Already in Varadero. It took us around 2 hours from Havana to Varadero. Our driver explained us the nitty gritty details about Cuban life on the road which was quite a nice experience.

We got to Varadero right on time to watch the sun dawn right from the back yard of our rented place. After we settled into our place we decided to go out and explore the town.

The following morning we went out to enjoy the beach for the last time and headed onto our next stop. One of my favorite parts of being in Varadero was the fact that we were staying so close to the sea. It felt as if we were at a very exclusive place as very few people were on the beach.

Our last stop before we headed to the airport was 20 meters deep. They call it the Cavern of Saturno and personally one of the trip highlights.

After a a lot of steps down you could start to see the impressive architecture of the cave. The humid breeze could be sensed from afar as we approached the cold waters underground.

We spent a few hour swimming on these underground caves as the temperature made them even more appealing considering the hot weather on the outside.

We then got dressed and headed back to the Airport to finish our Cuban Adventure. Despite it being a super short trip, having two awesome friends and being an awesome place is definitively a successful adventure! Cuba is definitively a place you have to visit.

Check out this to learn about my adventure in Peru!