Everyone wants to know what we thought the best part of the trip was. The answer is pretty easy - the art. But it is so closely followed by the music and just how fascinating Cuba is overall that I'd summarize it by saying "everything." When we first planned on going (Dan forwarded me the email from MoLAA with the message "Cuba?" and I immediately answered "Yes!") we considered it a once in a lifetime thing. Now, we are considering going back. And there isn't even any wine made there!
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There is definitely some anxiety with a group trip - going for 9 days with a bunch of strangers. Well, turns out this was a fantastic bunch of strangers who have now become friends. |
FOOD AND DRINKS
You don't go to Cuba for the food. It's not bad, it's just not great. I think the Cuban food in the U.S. is much better. And there is an explanation for that - in the U.S. we get pre-revolutionary dishes (with some American influence). Recipes from before a lot of the agriculture was switched over to sugar cane (which is now in reversal), from before "the special period" when the Soviets left and people were malnourished and starving, before the ration books that drive the limited cuisine of average Cubans, before the current generation who don't know all the foods (though there is an attempted revival).
I suspect you can find a Cuban sandwich, paella, tortilla or batido in Cuba, but we didn't run across any. All of our meals were for the group, so our choices were limited, but we still looked at a number of menus and there wasn't a lot going on.
Our breakfasts were buffets at the hotels. They ranged from pretty awful (Hotel Jagua in Cienguegos) where some of the dishes were the previous nights leftover vegetables, to amazing (Melia Cohiba in Havana) with eggs cooked 6 different ways plus omelets and goodies like cheese and prosciutto among the dozens of dishes, and in-between (Hotel Nacional also in Havana).
Our lunches and dinners almost always started with a mojito. Can't complain about that ;) They were usually not high in alcohol and were seriously refreshing in the hot weather. Beer drinkers also enjoyed Bucanero beer - a nice pale lager.
Then it was pork or chicken, some fish (almost always overcooked), and rarely beef. Always rice and beans. Flan was very popular for dessert.
Anyone who has seen our travel pictures in the past knows that they are dominated by food pics. Not here. Just not interesting enough to make me want to take pictures. Though there are a few...
I suspect you can find a Cuban sandwich, paella, tortilla or batido in Cuba, but we didn't run across any. All of our meals were for the group, so our choices were limited, but we still looked at a number of menus and there wasn't a lot going on.
Our breakfasts were buffets at the hotels. They ranged from pretty awful (Hotel Jagua in Cienguegos) where some of the dishes were the previous nights leftover vegetables, to amazing (Melia Cohiba in Havana) with eggs cooked 6 different ways plus omelets and goodies like cheese and prosciutto among the dozens of dishes, and in-between (Hotel Nacional also in Havana).
Our lunches and dinners almost always started with a mojito. Can't complain about that ;) They were usually not high in alcohol and were seriously refreshing in the hot weather. Beer drinkers also enjoyed Bucanero beer - a nice pale lager.
Then it was pork or chicken, some fish (almost always overcooked), and rarely beef. Always rice and beans. Flan was very popular for dessert.
Anyone who has seen our travel pictures in the past knows that they are dominated by food pics. Not here. Just not interesting enough to make me want to take pictures. Though there are a few...
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JOSE FUSTER: FUSTERLANDIA
(THIS SHOULD PROBABLY BE IN ART, BUT THAT PAGE IS GETTING TOO LONG AND THIS IS TOO COOL TO MISS!!)
A fine artist with a little bit of crazy in him, Jose Fuster has turned his house and 80 of the neighbors' homes into elaborate mosaic sculptures. It's Gaudi, Picasso and Dubuffet all rolled together. Started in 1995, it doesn't look like there will ever be an end to it. We had a fantastic lunch nestled among the mosaics (see above) and then a jaw-dropping walk around the neighborhood. It was hard to put the camera down! Warning - there are tons of photos. You can just scroll through the thumbnails and pick and choose a few to see up close without being inundated...
HAVANA
Due to a combination of our crazy schedule and the need to shower each evening before going to dinner (it was hot!), we didn't have a huge amount of time to explore Havana on foot. But we had a lot of opportunity to see it from the bus and to see whatever was nearby at any of our stops. It's a fascinating city with almost no new buildings since the revolution. Due to lack of money, many buildings are in a strange state of disrepair. It isn't unusual to see an apartment building with the first 2 floors occupied and the top 2 falling apart.
We did get some time in Old Havana and it was a pleasant surprise. It's absolutely beautiful and currently being restored (It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Unfortunately, the Cuban idea of building preservation is not quite at the level of the U.S., but it's a start. There are some amazing private restaurants and hotels in Old Havana. I think it's the place to stay next time. I'd also try to concentrate more on architecture. And once again, there are tons of random (but good, I swear) images of Havana. |