travel-dan

Matanzas is a city at 3 hours by bus from Havana. The first theater in Cuba was built there around 1850. They liked to think that they were the cultural capital of Havana. After the slavery abolition and the drop in sugar plantations, the role of the city decreased.

I stayed at 'Casa particular', The stairs go to a 400 sqm terrace with view to the sea

In all Havana there are old colonial buildings from late XIX and begging of XX. The Cubans fought against the Spaniard occupation. Their national hero, the poet Jose Marti, killed in a battle, had said to pay attention to the big neighbor in the north. And he was right, because US arranged of a false attack of Spanish against them, so they started the were as well in Philippines.

Here is the monument of Marti, and me, I am running on a street in the center of the city of 12 lines. Fortunately, each minute only 3 cars passed. After the American occupation, the Cubans were frustrated for the stolen freedom, but on the other hand they so a lot of development highways, buildings. Marti lived in NY and he was horrified even at that time of American consumerism and that with money you can make lobby and influence the politics

the people are so friendly, I talked with anybody on everything. And even if we don't talk, they are content to be in a photo

it is right in the center, some music came from up

Here I felt mostly the bad part of the system. It is a bookshop. The book stand with El Che and company was very rich.

this is the museum of the city, which had a garden in the middle.

a Coral building block

At the fortress of Havana, the oldest building of the city, rebuilt after a first attack of a French pirate.

A waiter from this terrace proposed me a cigar, I say no, thank you - but what about cocaine ?

inside the restaurant of the waiter

The old cars from before 1959 are still the most popular. I so a mileage at around 800.000

the kids play football or baseball everywhere. they are very good at sport, 5th nation in 1992 and 4th in 1980 !! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba_at_the_Olympics

The atelier of the Lazaro Gonzales. I liked that he had several styles realist, naive and abstract. After I bought he told me that he has as a client a film director living in Cayman islands, another 2 from Canada.

the Artist

I met 2 couples in the street. After a short while they invited me to their home. My Spanish was very funny for them, and me I had a very good time.

El Barron, the big brother.

There is a short street recreated by an artist

Agua blanca agua nera speaks about no racism

I hoped to see more people playing domino, but only two times in 3 days.

the kids asked for a photo

he was very good. I passed him only once from 3 trials, but he dribbled me 4 times in different ways

can you imagine, to play football on a boulevard with view on the sea, next to the center ?


El Mojito ... I am not impressed. In Europe the northern countries have spirits, but in the southern it's wine. I cannot understand how Cuba has the rum, Mexico Tequila. It's 40 degrees, and the rum in sold in big bottles. I highly recommend http://www.amazon.com/Bacardi-Long-Fight-Cuba-Biography/dp/0143116320/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364721490&sr=1-1&keywords=bacardi+and+the+long+fight+for+cuba

it was the biggest Cuban company before the revolution, his CEO was finance minister, and the sun of the founder helped Marti in the Cuban fight for freedom.

near the University

spot the ipod - after the fall of Communism in Europe, the very next day, the help from URSS dropped so economical conditions suddenly got bad. US installed radio stations in Florida to stir a rise. About 800.000 people or almost 10% crossed the 200 km by boat, avoiding the Cuban frontier control and sharks - rafter crises when about 40.000 Cubans were intercepted. Since Raul Castro, the emigrants can send money and stuff to their relatives.

Picnic at my Casa Particular. I met a group of French students, one was studying political science !! After 2 days in Cuba, and 3 months of learning Spanish at home, I could barely find my words in French !

Very interesting people: a Cuban actress, a Polish Film Producer living in Finland - quite opposite countries, after 2 years living their she made one friend. What is the difference between a introvert and a extrovert Finnish ? the introvert looks all the time at his shoes, the extrovert looks at the shoes of the person in front of him

Looks a bit with Casa Scanteii, the Stalinist architectural style

See the wholes in this building, right next to the center, near hotel National - Location, location, location

Hotel National - symbol of Havana; I slept for 3 hours in its garden. American Mafia made a congress in 1942 there, the scene appears in The Godfather 2. Lasky was renting an apartment here. Frank Sinatra invested money in projects run by these gentlemen.

Among other personalities you can see king Carol the second of Romania. An icon place of the crazy years is Tropicana cabaret, which was never closed. After the revolution, a lot of Russians came at this place.


residents of this hotel - people who have more than 100 years. the 37th place of life expectency the people praised their health system. The social life must be very important. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy