Rise and Grind

I woke up early and knew we had many activities to complete this fine Sunday morning in Cuba. I first did my usual routine of grabbing my water bottle, crossing the street to grab water, and waiting for breakfast to be served at the girl’s Casa. After filling my water bottle, I walked up the tiny stairs at the girl’s Casa and looked out at Vedado in the morning. The streets were full of people waiting to work, but there were very few cars, and I could see the ocean between the buildings. After looking out on Vedado, I crawled down the stairs clutching on and sat down for breakfast. We had our usual fresh juice, eggs, ham, and, most importantly, strong Cuban coffee. After having a few cups and conversing with everyone at breakfast, it was time to prepare for the day. This involved lathering up on sunscreen and bug spray, and then we hopped on the bus and were off to Old Havana, the tourist part of Havana, and what the city is best known for. 

Plaza de la Catedral

Hopping off the bus, Elianna, our translator, began to give us a tour of the first plaza we were in. Havana’s history is fascinating, and learning about how the British took control of Havana from the Spanish and then ended up trading it back for Florida shows its complexion. One of the most interesting parts of the first pizza was seeing how one street had a wood road instead of cobblestones, as the governor of Cuba then did not like the noise level caused by cobblestones. Historically, the wood street was a bad idea and did not hold up well, so it was not widely adopted. However, as a civil engineer, I find it interesting to see what roads can be made of and how they last long-term. Moving out of the first plaza, we moved into Plaza de la Catedral, a beautiful plaza containing the Havana Cathedral, a spectacular catholic church that is stunning. Walking inside, you can see the architectural beauty and why the plaza is named after the cathedral. After I said a prayer and admired the Cathedral, we headed off to our next adventure.  

Old Havana

Leaving the cathedral, we saw more of Old Havana, which was very quintessential Havana: the colorful buildings and music. We saw many activities in the streets, from street vendors selling art to dancing, and the spirit of Havana was alive. Before lunch, we stopped at a chocolate shop to get a 100 pesos milkshake and talk about our experience. Then, we headed off to a rooftop for lunch. Let me tell you, the food was fantastic, starting with Nachos and having a salad for lunch. It was easily the best food I had in Cuba. The atmosphere was perfect, and I could see the harbor. This was how I imagined Cuba was. After finishing a delicious Creme Brulee, I was full and excited to start the second part of my day. 

San Jose Market

The next exciting part of our day was the San Jose market. I was too excited. I love flea markets and negotiating, so this day was becoming nearly perfect for me. So, the San Jose market was hit hard. The first item I bought was two replica license plates, which are good replicas. After going through the market’s first floor and seeing the same items at every booth, I went upstairs to check out the artwork. Let me tell you, it’s spectacular, and I was quickly engaged after walking around and shrewd negotiation. I ended up with one print and two paintings. I was happy with my purchases and felt triumphant at the market. 

Car Tour and Wrap Up

Leaving the market, we were off to our next adventure, which I was most excited about: the classic car tour, which is a tour of Havana in classic American cars. So, upon arrival at the vehicles, I looked for which one looked most unoriginal, which happened to be a beige 1932 Ford. While hopping in the car, I talked to the owner, who mentioned it had a Lada engine, a very popular swap as Ladas are so available and parts are plentiful. As we started our tour, I noticed that Cuba has road laws that do not seem to be strongly enforced, so the streets are a crazy mix of people, including cars, bicyclists, mopeds, motorcycles, and buses. Alas, we survived and made it to Revolution Square. I was able to talk to the owner more about how he had converted the coupe into a convertible and how the car was his pride and joy. Furthermore, how he got parts for the vehicle from a friend in Chicago, showing how, with some work, the embargo can be bypassed.  

We ended our day at dinner at our usual spot, and I got the chicken breast, like always. I was quite happy with my day and could not think of a better way to spend a day in Cuba. The final activity for the night was checking out a couple of the bars in Vedado and then heading back to the Casa to get sleep before another day of exploring Havana.