La Havana, Cuba

It’s been a few months now since our latest trip. Myself and a couple of my closest friends try every year to go someplace new with the sole porpoise of  knowing more about people and cultures different to our own. There was no particular reason in choosing Cuba other than taking a break from all the Fast food franchises and famous brand boutiques which seem to have taken over every other tourist destination in the world. “Cliché” a recurrent image that defines a place, invites us to be a part of it, and then, once getting there we try to avoid. Well  you won’t be able to escape it this time, not in Cuba, everywhere you look there’s a cliché, from the anti-American propaganda and revolutionary billboards, (mainly of Che Guevara),  to the colorful display of  cars reminiscing of ancient times, not necessarily happier though. Since tourism took off in the 90s, the government has dedicated itself to restoring the historic centre of the city, Havana Vieja. A destination so appealing that E. Hemingway spent a lot of his time in it’s world famous bars and stone paved streets, which really take you back to the glory days of the island. But just by taking a few steps out into the real Havana you’ll see that Havana Vieja is just an appealing facade. Get to know this other side of Havana, the real one, smoke a cigar, drink a  mojito, a cubata, and go to a local dancing joint,  take a peek into someone’s home,  start a conversation with someone on the street, talk  to the elder, they sure have a story or two about life before Fidel. Discover the city in your own way, if there is a lesson in visiting this unique place this is it;enjoy.

About the Author: Javier Diaz is an architecht, spends his free time traveling around the world knowing cultures and people.