Havana's museum & walk about town

Once again we wake up to a damp Havana, well it is the rainy season so we really can't complain. With nothing planned in particular for the day we have a leisurely breakfast and decide to head out into to town on foot. Although damp it was still  very warm and pleasant to get about on streets. Only a 5 minute walk from the front of our hotel we decide to go into the national museum. With Cuba's colourful history and fairly recent revolution it was a great opportunity to learn more about the plight of this nation. Most of the exhibition is rightly about Fidel and Raul Castro and of course the iconic Che Guevara. Plenty of photographic opportunities during the tour with no block on taking images and no extra cost to take a camera in.

Stand out artefacts in the museum included the boat and tanks the rebels travelled to the USA in, the missiles used to shoot down an American spy plane and the remains of an engine of said plane. Also there is the continuous burning flame which Fidel Castro lit.

After having history and cultural overload in the morning we headed out to the cathedral square at the very East of old Havana for more. On a three wheel taxi ripping through the streets amongst the 50's cars and pedal taxis we got a somewhat smokey real feel of Havana. After the drop off near the water front, just a 3 minute walk and we were in view an impressive cathedral which externally looked worn like the rest of the buildings in Havana but inside was an impressive feet of engineering. The square was beautiful but somewhat spoilt by a huge sewage repair taking place which had a lot of the surrounding roads and paths dug up. We needed to walk about a mile away from the cathedral itself to get away from the sound of jack hammers. The lunch stop too was not quiet by any stretch of the imagination as we found a nice bar/restaurant in the heart of old Havana with a live 6 piece band entertaining the punters.
I can safely say the music was a whole lot better than the food we ate but it was cheap so no huge complaints as we weren't that hungry anyway, it was more about getting a drink down our necks. After our not so great lunch we decided to head back to the hotel via the back streets of old Havana, admiring the locals selling food, cigars and souvenirs and of course taking lots of photographs along the way. 


Today's image is a beggar who thought he was Che Guevara

A quick change into our swimming costumes, then up to the roof top of the new section of the hotel to take a dip in the pool. The views of the city were incredible from up (see extras --->) Whilst by the pool we were entertained by a bunch of English lads and girls doing the "para Olympics" swimming races ie. with only legs or arms. The highlight of there tomfoolery was when one suggested to another catching one of the girls novels by jumping midair into the pool to save it, he failed!

Dinner that evening was a recommendation of the hotel concierge who suggested we eat at a restaurant just around the back of our hotel called Havana Gourmet. The restaurant did not disappoint, three levels under one roof, Italian, authentic Cuban and grill, we opted for the Cuban and enjoyed a rare steak and leg of lamb.


Havana has been great fun so far and I'm so glad I've got to sample it before it all changes.


Mr  Bo Hingles