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Cuba discovery

December 2018 - January 2019
A 16-day adventure by EMiche Read more
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  • EMicheCuba discovery
    Day 2

    Fusterlandia

    December 28, 2018 in Cuba ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Where does art go after Antoni Gaudí? For a hint, head west from central Havana to the seemingly low-key district of Jaimanitas, where artist José Fuster has turned his home neighborhood into a masterpiece of intricate tile work and kaleidoscopic colors – a street-art wonderland that makes Barcelona’s Park Güell look positively sedate. Imagine maximal-impact Gaudí relocated to a tropical setting.

    Cuba has a rich artistic tradition, which can be found everywhere from murals painted on walls to the fine art pieces housed in El Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana. One of the most unique places to find modern Cuban art is called Fusterlandia.

    Fusterlandia is the nickname given in Jaimanitas, a seaside town just west of downtown Havana. In Jaimanitas, artist Jose Fuster has built a creative enclave called Casa de Fuster that has spilled out into the surrounding neighborhood.

    It’s no longer just his house, but Fusterlandia has expanded to include murals on other nearby buildings and walls.    Read more

  • EMicheCuba discovery
    Day 3

    Plaza de la Revolucion (VEDADO)

    December 29, 2018 in Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Plaza de la Revolucion features massive tributes to Cuban revolutionary heroes Fidel Castro, Jose Marti, and Che Guevara. After the Cuban Revolution (1959), it was renamed "Plaza de la Revolución" or "Revolution Square."

    The square is dominated by the José Martí Memorial, which features a 109 m (358 ft) tall tower and an 18 m (59 ft) statue.

    Located behind the memorial is the Palace of the Revolution, the seat of the Cuban government and Communist Party.

    Opposite the memorial are the offices of the Ministries of the Interior and Communications, whose facades feature matching steel memorials of the two most important deceased heroes of the Cuban Revolution: Che Guevara, with the quotation "Hasta la Victoria Siempre" (Until the Everlasting Victory, Always) and Camilo Cienfuegos (sometimes mistaken for Fidel Castro), with the quotation "Vas bien, Fidel" (You're doing fine, Fidel). It is also the site of several cultural institutions.

    The entire plaza is paved over and heavily monitored, making it one of the least inviting places I saw in Cuba.    Read more

  • EMicheCuba discovery
    Day 3

    Capitolio (AVANA CENTER)

    December 29, 2018 in Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    El Capitolio, or the National Capitol Building (Capitolio Nacional de La Habana) is a public edifice and one of the most visited sites in Havana, capital of Cuba. The building was commissioned by Cuban president Gerardo Machado and built from 1926 to 1929 under the direction of Eugenio Rayneri Piedra. It is located on the Paseo del Prado, Dragones, Industria, and San José streets in the exact center of Havana

    Statue of the Republic
    Located in the apse, the Statue of the Republic is the figure of a young woman standing, dressed in a tunic, with a helmet, shield, and lanc; it weighs 30 tons, is 14.60 meters high, and rests on a marble pedestal of 2.50 meters. It was sculpted by Angelo Zanelli, author of the Altare della Patria, part of the monument to King Victor Emmanuel II, in Rome. It is the third largest indoor statue in the world, surpassed only by the Buddha of Nara, Japan and the Abraham Lincoln statue in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. D.C.    Read more

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  • EMicheCuba discovery
    Day 3

    Castillo del Morro (AVANA CENTER)

    December 29, 2018 in Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    La Punta, like El Morro, was designed by Italian military engineer Bautista Antonelli to protect access to Havana from frequent attack by corsairs. Initially, in 1559, lookouts were posted at La Punta.

    The Morro fortress in Havana shares its name with structures in Santiago de Cuba and the Castillo de San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In this case, the Spanish "morro" means a rock which is very visible from the sea and therefore serves as a navigational landmark.

    Perched on the promontory on the opposite side of the harbor from Old Havana, it can be viewed from miles around as it dominates the port entrance.    Read more

  • EMicheCuba discovery
    Day 3

    AVANA VEJA

    December 29, 2018 in Cuba ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Plaza de Armas
    This is the most famous square in Havana and, they say, one of the most harmonious in Latin America. It is one of the richest squares in history and art.
    The square takes its name from the baroque Catedral de La Habana which dominates the square; Here in the past the ashes of Christopher Columbus have been preserved, later brought back to Spain when Cuba won the war of independence in 1899. The construction was completed by the Franciscans in 1777.

    Calle Obispo, among the first streets built in Havana, still boasts the primacy of the liveliest street in the neighborhood. Running from Plaza de Armas to almost Central Park, the street will lead you through multiple tiendas and markets of crafts, art, books and various food.    Read more

  • EMicheCuba discovery
    Day 3

    Bodeguita del medio (AVANA VEJA)

    December 29, 2018 in Cuba ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    La Bodeguita del Medio is a typical restaurant-bar of Havana. It is a famous tourist destination because of the personalities which have patronized it: Salvador Allende, the poet Pablo Neruda, the artist Josignacio and many others. La Bodeguita lays claim to being the birthplace of the Mojito cocktail, prepared in the bar since its opening in 1942, although this is disputed. The rooms are full of curious objects, frames, photos, as well as the walls covered by signatures of famous or unknown customers, recounting the island's past.

    Today, there are establishments of the restaurant in locations outside Cuba, including Mexico, the United States, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Macedonia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Lebanon, and China. In Spain, a company has opened four Bodeguitas del Medio, perfect replicas of the original Cuban restaurant. Today, tourists and locals continue to go to La Bodeguita del Medio to drink the authentic Cuban mojito.    Read more

  • EMicheCuba discovery
    Day 4

    Callejón de Hamel Live Rumba Save

    December 30, 2018 in Cuba ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Aside from its funky murals and psychedelic art shops, the main reason to come to this alleyway, Havana's high temple of Afro-Cuban culture, is the frenetic rumba music that kicks off every Sunday around noon.

    For aficionados, this is about as raw and hypnotic as it gets, with interlocking drum patterns and lengthy rhythmic chants powerful enough to summon the spirit of the orishas (Santería deities).

    Due to a liberal sprinkling of tourists these days, some argue that the callejón (back alley) has lost much of its charm. Don't believe them. This place still rocks – and rumbas!    Read more

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