Day 6&7 Feb 2-3 (Trinidad)

Trinidad is an old colonial town and World Heritage site.

An example of interesting artwork to be found throughout Trinidad. During the "Special Period", people tried everything they could to make a living. This industrious wood carver used old doors and windows to make 3D carvings.

Going for a ride Cuban style. These horse drawn carts are all over the country, including on main highways. The ride saved our feet from the rough roads, but not our butts.

Local Salsa players.

Not so local Salsa dancers. We actually took Salsa lessons.

More local dogs.

The streets in Trinidad are actually rougher than this picture shows. It's a good place to trip or sprain an ankle.

Rick Steve's just did a blog posting on a Cuba trip he took in December. Much more professional than mine, but he did go to many of the same places we did:

http://blog.ricksteves.com/blog/rick-steves-cuba-report/

We are heading back to Miami tomorrow. See you in a few days.

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Day 5&6 Feb 1-2 (Bay of Pigs)

Mark and Sandra snorkeling in the Bay of Pigs

A rooster foraging on the beach

Dave at the Bay of Pigs museum

Tromping through the jungle swamp to bird watch. Us "old birds" were always bringing up the rear. According to Sandra, we spotted 38 different species of birds, including two different kinds of owls

An owl in its nest.

Another watching us from a tree.

A termite mound we stumbled upon.

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Day 4 Jan 31 Cuba (last night in Havana)

Havana has an old cemetery that is worth the visit. If is full of remarkable statuary made of imported Italian marble. There were some very rich people living here at the time. Unfortunately, most Cubans were very poor or only recently released from slavery. Cuba was the last country to outlaw slavery. Almost all wealth was concentrated in a few individuals or foreign investors.

We had a wonderful guided tour of old Havana. This is a statue of Christopher Columbus in the old government building, now a historical site, in the original town square.

There were a total to 5 squares in this area, with lots of interesting side streets. We got to eat in a private home that caters to the many restaurant workers from the area.

An interesting mix of old and new.

A street musician.

New Havana's skyline from the Spanish fort protecting the inner harbor and old Havana.

Our last night in Havana.

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Day 3 Jan 30 Cuba: (Havana)

Today was a busy day of architecture education, a visit to the modern art museum and Casa Fuster, and then a delightful conversation and exchange with two local college students.

Isabel Rigol Savio giving us a crash course in Cuban architectural history from Havana's founding in 1519 to the present. Her specialty is architectural restoration and her passion is trying to preserve some of Havana's great architecture that is now slowly decaying from lack of maintenance.

Window to a beautiful art deco building now used as an apartment building and in real need of restoration. Inside the entry reminds you of the foyer to the Empire State Building, only on a much smaller scale.

Havana's famous sea wall. This is light surf. Last week's storm flooded parts of down town.

We also visited Cuba's modern art museum, a must see. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed.

Casa Fuster and neighborhood, a small area of Havana decorated with colorful ceramic tiles.

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of Dayana and Jose Carlos, two college students who spent a long time with us discussing life in Cuba and quizzing us on life in the United States. Vera and I even did a very brief East Coast Swing presentation, stretching some muscles that had not been stretched in years.

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Day 2 Jan 29: Cuba(Havana)

Today, we went on a shopping trip, Cuban style. The average government wage in Cuba is about $14/month. Haley gave us about $2 in a local type of Cuban pesos. Lots of bills, but little value. Our mission was to go out and buy some food for a nutritious meal.

A government run outlet, with almost no choices or inventory. We couldn't shop here anyway, as they only accept government ration cards.

We got to shop at the farmers market, where small entrepreneurs could set up shop.

Sandra's haul for the day: beans, rice and a few vegetables. Obviously $14 a month is not enough to live on today. Many people now have other jobs. People will also leave for lunch from their government jobs, never to return until the next day. They are out trying to figure out how to make more money. By the way, our shopping haul for the day was given to a needy local.

Cuba had a tough time after the U.S.S.R. Went broke and stopped backing the country. It was called "The Special Period", and out of it emerged much more religious freedom and the ability for individuals to start their own businesses. The above farmer's market is just one example. We ate at many private restaurants and are staying at a private hotel.

The streets of Havana taken from our ride in an old Buick convertible. Wish we had a better picture. This car was owned and operated by the government, but there are also private operators.

Mark being taught how to cook ropa vieja (translation: old clothes) at the national cooking school. We had lunch here as well, with Mark's version being the best.

Later in the day we visited an after school program in the arts for children, and these kids were outstanding. You could just tell by their reactions that they loved what they were doing.

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Day 1 Jan 28: Cuba (Miami to Havana)

Yes, we are in Cuba! Mark and Sandra came up with this last minute deal that we couldn't pass up. The four of us have our own personal guide (Haley) who will be showing us the highlights of this interesting country for the next 8 days. And yes, the old American cars are as plentiful as they say. Internet is hard to come by, so you will be receiving our posts late and/or sporadically.

The main war memorial and public celebration area of Havana. You may have seen the Pope here.

Mark and Sandra looking for books at one of the many small private businesses that have cropped up as restrictions have been lifted.

A table top at the pre-revolution Hilton hotel. It is now government run and even now, over 50 years later, still shows off some of its former elegance.

We visited an amazing dance and rhythm studio called Compas. They gave us a mix of African rhythms joined with a Salsa/Flamenco dance you could only find in Cuba. Kind of like "River Dance", but with a Latin flare. Even Mick Jagger and Usher have been here to watched the show.

We have never seen a city with so many dogs. Those are name tags giving the dog's name and organization responsible for their care. These are street savvy dogs, wise to traffic. Many more wander with no tags and I assume are privately owned.

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