Time warp from the 50's

The debate to post photos from my trip or not was cleared up after I read an email from my mom with an article from my hometown newspaper.  I'd sent an email to them before I left, thinking I could report on a topic, from inside a communist country, if they wanted and I laughed when seeing that the email had been  quoted in an entire article.  

Now that the news is public, I'll just try my luck on the border whenever I come home, hopefully my 17 day dissappearance won't stir up any unwanted fines or jail time from the US Customs peeps.  Land of the free but restricted to travel in certain countries!?!?

I'm back.  PERMA SMILE.  Face hurts actually, still laughing re-living the magical moments from Cuba.  By far my favorite country......EVER!

A time warp with cars, buses, and the public transportation of horse drawn carriages.  The archicture is stunning, so old the people walk in the middle of the streets in Habana Vieja because buildings fall every day.

(photo from Lukas Rada)

Ice cream for 4 cents.  Pizzas and ham sandwiches for 25 cents. Which I hope to never eat one of those again!

Tourist buses.  Evil musicals from the 80's.  Tourist currency (a 25-1 difference....discrimination?)

Beaches.
Dominos. And Chess in the park.

Castles.
Fantasy beaches in the Carribean.
Cigars.
Temperatures between 80-100 degrees.
Havanna Club.  Mojitos.
Cakes fro 40cents.  Entire cakes!

MUSIC.  Oh the music.  Coming from the cracks of every building.  It's magical.  Live music everyday.

The dancing.  Don't even get me started.  I felt like a professional.  The men......haha oh the Cuban men can dance.  It's in their blood.

Latin passion.
Casa particulars.  No hostels here, instead you stay with the people.
One day I heard:  Czech, Hebrew, Dutch, German, English, Spanish, French being spoken.

Street corner cameras.  Big brother is watching.
Safest country I've ever been in.  Maybe because the locals can get arrested for talking to tourists.

Bars open 24 hours.  A round of shots for the entire bar:  $1.50.

Coffee.

Street art.
A name change to 'Linda' (Spanish meaning: beautiful)  aka they love Americans.
Everyone has family in Miami.
The billboards are for propagada only.

Solismo si!   Viva Raul.  Viva Fidel.  Viva Cuba Libre!

A local said:  Cuba is the biggest prision in the world.  Another local told me that 'if she could leave, she wouldn't want to, best place in the world to live.'

(marched with a millon for their labor day parade)

I'm forever changed.  My heart hurts because I had to leave, but wow, what an experience.  Put this place on your list.  It's special and magical.  Bring patience!

More to come.  Takes time to recall this 17 day adventure!