Havana, Oo-La-La

We docked in Havana the next day at 7AM. After going through customs and exchanging our U.S. dollars for CUCs (one of Cuban's two forms of currency), we took a 3-hour walking tour of historic Havana. The following day, we took a "highlights" bus tour of all the city's cultural landmarks, plus enjoyed a mildly burlesque cabaret show at the Hotel Nacional's Parisien club the night before. I'll let our photos tell the rest of the story . . .

Going through customs before being released

into Havana

 

Our first sight as we exited customs: 

La Plaza de San Francisco de Asis, built in the 16th century

Colorful building on the plaza, directly across from

the church: living quarters above tourist shop.

Note the small drawing of revolutionary and

cultural icon Che Guevara above the shop door.

Venturing down a side street 

Cobblestone streets and beautiful balconies

Plaza Vieja (Old Plaza), featuring a rather

modern sculpture

Colorful colonnades surrounding the plaza

And, of course, beautiful hidden courtyards

Repurposing some of the older buildings: 

a bright yellow microbrewery

Catedral de San Cristobal, where Christopher

Columbus's remains were kept from 1796-1898

Church (L) and house (now a hotel) (R) at La Plaza de Armas 

(Arms Square), Havana's oldest plaza, ca. 1520s. Note the 

pineapple atop the center urn.

Caddy-corner to the church is Havana's oldest fort, Castillo 

de la Real Fuerza (Castle of the Royal Fort) (late 16th century).

View from inside toward the city.

View from the fort across the harbor to another fort, Castillo

de los Tres Santos Reyes Magnos del Morro (Castle of the Three

Sainted Kings) (1589-1630), Havana's first line of defense against

sea invaders

And speaking of invaders, these gorgeously restored--and gaudily 

painted--cars are now taxis that cart tourists around town

Tim fits right in!

No tour of Havana is complete without shopping for Cuban

rum, cigars and coffee. We didn't buy, but we did join the crowds

as this was the only air-conditioned building on the tour! See Tim 

make his way towards the AC on the other side of the room.

Our first and only night in Havana spent at the Parisien cabaret,

where performers presented a mildly risque show about the

history of Cuba. Excellent dancers, even if we couldn't

understand a word they were singing.

Day #2 in Havana: Revolution Square, with Che Guevara's

image on the side of a building

More old cars and tourists. The yellow vehicle is a taxi,

called a coco because it looks like a coconut and holds only 

2 riders.

Across the harbor at yet another fort, La Forteleza de San

Carlos de la Cabaña. Havana on other side of the harbor.

From a different angle.

Lots of museums in Havana, including this one about the

Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Unfortunately, the tour bus didn't stop here.

El Cristo de la Habana, 66-ft. tall statue of Christ

that overlooks Havana harbor. The world's largest 

statute carved by a woman, Jilma Madera.

Looking back at Havana from the statue

Trying to stay cool!

Hundreds of people along Havana's famous seawall, 

the Malecón, as we leave Havana

The capitol city at sunset, as we leave Havana