Back in time to Havana, Cuba

Cuba is one of those exotic places you dream of going one day.  So to dream is one thing and to actually go is almost surreal.  Today, I still pinch myself every now and then when I thought about us being there just a few weeks ago.  And exactly as we expected with a few lovely surprises along the way, Havana is something I imagine life as it was more or less thirty years ago.  We arrived on a Sunday so things were a bit more quiet than usual.  I immediately fell in love with the authenticity of Havana.  For the most part, the city itself is not very picturesque and quite rustic to be honest.  The foundation is there and I can see a lot of wonderful potential for this vibrant city.  One of the lovely surprises is the number of tourists we see along the way.  All were so happy and eager to discover more about this incredible mystery we all grown to be fascinated by as time goes on.

The best way to see Havana is through a city tour and preferably with a private tour guide.  We had the most amazing time getting to know Havana and by far, my favourite part is of course, the old Havana.  So alive and colourful, it is full of old rustic charm with lovely faces smiling back at us wherever we went.  By far, I think this is the busiest areas and one can see that it is becoming more and more touristic each day.  But for the most part, it is layback, delightful and full of curiosity oozing from every nooks and corners.  It was in this area that we tried the original mojitos and dined at the best restaurant in Havana called La Guarida.  If one day you have a chance to visit the city, it is a must that you try out this magnificent restaurant known not only for its friendly service, delicious foods but as well, the amazing view.  From the outside, it doesn’t look as if a restaurant this lovely is where it is located.  And that is what I love about Cuba.  It is always about more than meets the eyes.  One can see that at one point in time, it was a very beautiful building with gorgeous architectural details.  Now, half torn and half functional, the adorn winding staircase (by the way, is my favourite) leads you higher and higher up into a room full of life surrounding by breathtaking view of Havana.  We came here for dinner so the only regret I have is that we didn’t go during the day because can you imagine the amazing view during the morning sun?…

We have travelled to many places and by far, Havana is one of my absolute favourite cities.  For the most part, I wish it would stay like this with all its charms from the old vintage cars to the half torn buildings but still have all the gorgeous details amongst the fascinating ruins.  Nevertheless, it would be good for Cuba if changes were to come and there are more opportunities for the country to flourish.  There are many things to improve upon such as the wide availability of wifi but in the scheme of things, it was rather refreshing to be disconnected somewhat.  We were able to connect once back at the hotel but looking back, I was actually happy that I didn’t have access to wifi while we were out and about.  It was lovely to actually enjoy ourselves completely without giving a thought to social media.  With that said, there were a few amazing moments I wish I could have shared with you guys so the wifi wish is still on the table.  My dream is to return one day and see how things have progressed.  However, a big part of me doesn’t want to see that much change because I truly love the realness of Havana, Cuba.

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