Busy Day

Aw, my aching feet! Okay, they weren't sore, but they should have been...we walked for hours in Old Havana exploring new sights and sounds different from yesterday. The streets are not always smooth or clean so walking was made a little more difficult than normal.

Our goal today was to see a few of Ernest Hemingway's old hangouts while visiting the historic section of town. We found the hotel he lived in for years, but it was closed for the day due to the changing of his display.

We were impressed with the beautiful old buildings, many of them in a state of disrepair and in dire need of renovating. This is a massive job as there are an incredible number of stately buildings with an important historic story to tell. There are a few sections of Old Havana that have already been restored and these areas are very nice.

Anne and I had a daiquiri at noon in one of Hemingway's favourite bars. According to legend, he would walk from his hotel to this bar every morning and have many daiquiris before moving on to another favourite place to drink Mojitos. We have not stumbled upon that place yet, so my first ever Mojito will have to wait!



It is suggested that you pay for any photos you take of the locals and we had this thought in mind when we took pictures of some colourful Cuban ladies near the Malecon. They certainly knew how to play these four tourists from Canada! The pictures turned out great, but before we could figure out what was happening they had taken money right out of Anne's hand and were demanding more. It wasn't a lot of money, but we will be prepared for the next time!


Old cars are everywhere! Some are in great shape while others are not looking so good. I'm glad Rick is here because Fred now has someone to talk to about this motor or that fin. Not that I wouldn't have played the "great listener"...but could I have done it without yawning?


Cuban food is not something to look forward to when planning a visit to Havana. I have not had one meal that I would have again, nor has Fred. Anne tried the pizza last night and found it to be delicious....fresh fish not great, but good pizza???

Only two more days for Anne and Rick before they move on to the beach scene so we will be on the move trying to complete this whirlwind tour of Havana before they head out.