After a not so peaceful day in Antigua due to running around trying to find some money to take for the next adventure , we gave up and decided to run our luck with getting money from Costa Rica . Why? Well our next adventure was going to take us to Havana, Cuba where I was going to ring in my bday with a true Cuban Mojito ! However, as many know, Americans are not allowed to technically ( yes there is a technicality as with everything else) travel to Cuba due to an embargo that the U.S. has with Cuba. (Basically since America cannot influence their economy - McDonalds can't go there and can't own their sugar lands) ... American citizens cannot spend money in Cuba, boiling down to you can't go there. For more info: http://www.ibike.org/cuba/ofac/cuba-travelto.htm. Anyhow, the American dollar doesn't hold much value there and american credit cards are worthless there so you better be well prepared and well budgeted. Lucky for us Costa Rican banks are better at providing money than Guatemalan banks so we were beyond prepared with Euros galore .
A couple plane rides later we made it to Havana, hailed a cab, got to our hotel, had a celebratory midnight beer and then passed out . Waking up on my birthday morning to the Havana scene wasn't quite as appealing to my eye as expected . Then again why have expectations. This city once known as the " mafia playground" I imagine a vegas times 10 with glamour everywhere... is now a little run down and full of history- oh and hustlers. My morning started with cuban locals asking the famous question " where you from" which led to a 8 dollar nasty mojito ( times 4) and being asked for money to feed someones baby. I paid it and laughed because - yup - i just got hustled ! Whats the fun in going to a city if you don't get hustled atleast once. After that the answer to " where you from? " was ICELAND !
Havana isn't quite what I imagined it to be but it definitely prides on two things its flag - which is in front or on every building and its cars. We're not talking about Mercedes, BMW's or Lexus's , most of the cars roaming the streets of Havna are leftover from the early 50's or before.... yes the 50's !!! Cubans haven't been able to purchase new cars since Castro took over so the people became experts are repairing and rejuvinating their dinasours. To a vintage car fanatic it is paradise and to a typical tourist it is a fun site to see. The cars are big and clunks and colorful and of all shapes and sizes and its great ! I was in love with the cars and impressed by the mechanical skills or the cuban people. 2 days in Havana and Im ready to get out of the big city and head to a beach ....
A couple plane rides later we made it to Havana, hailed a cab, got to our hotel, had a celebratory midnight beer and then passed out . Waking up on my birthday morning to the Havana scene wasn't quite as appealing to my eye as expected . Then again why have expectations. This city once known as the " mafia playground" I imagine a vegas times 10 with glamour everywhere... is now a little run down and full of history- oh and hustlers. My morning started with cuban locals asking the famous question " where you from" which led to a 8 dollar nasty mojito ( times 4) and being asked for money to feed someones baby. I paid it and laughed because - yup - i just got hustled ! Whats the fun in going to a city if you don't get hustled atleast once. After that the answer to " where you from? " was ICELAND !
Havana isn't quite what I imagined it to be but it definitely prides on two things its flag - which is in front or on every building and its cars. We're not talking about Mercedes, BMW's or Lexus's , most of the cars roaming the streets of Havna are leftover from the early 50's or before.... yes the 50's !!! Cubans haven't been able to purchase new cars since Castro took over so the people became experts are repairing and rejuvinating their dinasours. To a vintage car fanatic it is paradise and to a typical tourist it is a fun site to see. The cars are big and clunks and colorful and of all shapes and sizes and its great ! I was in love with the cars and impressed by the mechanical skills or the cuban people. 2 days in Havana and Im ready to get out of the big city and head to a beach ....
