Havana

I wanted to visit Cuba before the country is really connected to the rest of the world. Since there were no good public transport services and didn't speak any Spanish, I booked a package tour to Cuba.

We started the tour in Havana, the capital city. Our hotel located was located near Old Havana, with its narrow streets, colonial buildings and overhanging balconies. With only a few (old-timer) cars on the streets it was easy to walk around and get a feeling of the Cuban vibes. I was surprised to see some old Dutch busses in town.

There was a special currency for foreigners to keep (government controlled) tourism separate from the local business. It was obvious most Cubans weren't wealthy and tourist scams were all round in the touristy old town to get some of the foreign Cuban-pesos.

We saw most of the remarkable landmarks like the Capitol building, the Revolution Square and the Plaza de Armas. In the evening I strolled along the Malecon (the boulevard) to enjoy the view on the bay and to drink a rum like the locals.