Did you guys know I'm Cuban? My dad was born there and his family came over to the states in 1960. He was only two when they left so he doesn't remember it but I've always wanted to go and see where he was born and what life was like in Havana. It was a trip that has been in the works for a while and we didn't know if/when it would happen because of travel bans. However, since Obama's presidency it is a lot easier for Americans to visit. We decided to take advantage of this before things changed again and we weren't able to go.
And I have to say, although there weren't beautiful waterfalls, or obscene mountain views I enjoyed this short vacation as much if not more than all our others. The people were so friendly, the architecture was really cool, the coffee was better than any I've ever had, and there was just something about finally getting to visit the place where my dad's family is from. It's hard to explain - I've always known I was Cuban but I'm not sure I knew fully what that meant. Now I feel like I have a little bit better of an understanding.
I also now understand why my family is so loud. Just sitting on the plane waiting to take off, you could have closed your eyes and you would have thought you were in a crowded stadium waiting on the superbowl to start. It. Was. So. Loud. People were just having conversations. Loudly. Haha. I loved it.
And I have to say, although there weren't beautiful waterfalls, or obscene mountain views I enjoyed this short vacation as much if not more than all our others. The people were so friendly, the architecture was really cool, the coffee was better than any I've ever had, and there was just something about finally getting to visit the place where my dad's family is from. It's hard to explain - I've always known I was Cuban but I'm not sure I knew fully what that meant. Now I feel like I have a little bit better of an understanding.
I also now understand why my family is so loud. Just sitting on the plane waiting to take off, you could have closed your eyes and you would have thought you were in a crowded stadium waiting on the superbowl to start. It. Was. So. Loud. People were just having conversations. Loudly. Haha. I loved it.
Because most of the hotels are government run, we ended up staying at an Air BnB type place that is run by locals. That way we were supporting the local people instead of the government. Our apartment was in a building that housed mostly local families and it was located in the heart of old Havana.
This was the view down our street. Our building is the one that says 259 on the top of it. Isn't it cool?!
We arrived in the afternoon so we spent the rest of the day walking around the area near our apartment and then we grabbed dinner at spot nearby.
Our building was just a few yards away from a happening plaza called Plaza Vieja (Old Town Square). We spent a lot of time watching the birds, observing the locals and soaking in the sun while the sounds of the city buzzed around us.
Our building was just a few yards away from a happening plaza called Plaza Vieja (Old Town Square). We spent a lot of time watching the birds, observing the locals and soaking in the sun while the sounds of the city buzzed around us.
The next day we hired a taxi driver to take us around the city. We had a couple of stops in mind, the first being the University of Havana. My grandmother was a professor of math here and my great grandpa helped build the columns on the pharmacy building.
The second stop was the revolution memorial.
The third stop being trying to find the house my dad was born in. Our driver, Tito, was so patient with us and although there were more than three streets named the same thing, we finally found the one with the right range of addresses. It was weird walking around the neighborhood where my dad's family lived...but it was really cool to see.
To round off our day, Tito took us to Playa Azul. Emma napped and Jonathan and I enjoyed the peaceful sound of the waves with a mojito and beer in hand.
Emma was not having the sand between her toes! After the beach we had worked up quite the appetite so Tito took us to grab a bite. It was a pretty rustic looking shed but sandwiches were amazing. You can see Emma below telling Tito her order.
Tito had one more stop for us before heading home. Fort Morro. This fort is on the opposite side of San Jaun Bay so it boasts great views of Havana.
We spend the rest of the days walking around Old Havana and soaking up the colorful, narrow streets, eating street pizza, and grabbing ice cream.
Now, the picture above, to the right of me with the pastry...this was a cool moment. Jonathan saw a lot of locals waiting in line to order these hot and fresh out of the frier. He didn't know what he was getting, he just knew there was a long line and they were cheap, so he waited. I bit into one and almost started crying. They were fried pastries stuffed with guava. Growing up, my grandpa LOVED guava and everytime I would stay with him we would eat guava pie or something with guava. It is not something that everyone likes. The texture is different and the taste is too. But I love it. So stumbling upon a yummy guava fritter in Havana was kind of emotional and yummy and I loved it. I miss you Abo!!
One of my favorite things we did was stop and get coffee each morning. I loved sitting in the coffee shops and people watching and taking in the smells and sounds. The coffee was always delicious too!
Aren't the colors and narrow roads so cool?!
It was hot walking around, especially with a baby strapped to you, so when we came upon this little shop we had to stop. They were pressing sugar cane and pouring it over ice. It was so yummy and refreshing.
For dinner one night we stopped at a little bit more of a tourist spot but we sat next to a family of cubans. They loved Emma and Emma took right to them.
As we were walking around one day we came across this little fenced in play area where some local boys were having a little soccer match. I couldn't pass that up. So I strapped Emma in her stroller and she cheered us on. It was so much fun.
I can't tell you how happy I am that we got to visit Cuba. It was such a great experience. I'm not one for wanting to visit a place again because there are too many places to go and not enough time. However, I would go back to Cuba. I would have coffee every morning and people watch for a few hours. And then go grab Cuban sandwiches, play a little soccer, and then enjoy a mojito in a plaza while everyone settled in for dinner. It was a great vacation.