10 Days In Cuba

  Being a Serbian in Cuba that speaks Spanish has been one of the most unique experiences I've had traveling.Nothing like learning the history of a country from an elderly Cuban who was born before the revolution that's giving you a ride across the island in his 1950's Chevy, who's also aware that Fidel and Tito were "gran amigos" and has nothing but love for Yugoslavia.  Serbia is one of the few countries that doesn't need a visa for Cuba and Cubans don't need a visa for Serbia!  We showed up in Havana without a plan and without any accommodation booked. We had an address of a lady that was recommended to us that runs a homestay, and it all started there. Without internet to look up where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do, we had to purely rely on the recommendations of the people we met along the way, and what an adventure it was. Our ten days in Cuba looked like this: 

La Habana

 Havana is the capital of Cuba and, not surprisingly, packed with tourists! It's great to spend a few days there exploring La Habana Vieja and getting a taxi to drive you up and down Malecon, but if you want to see the real Cuba, you have to venture outside of the capital. 

Trinidad

 With its colorful streets, surrounded by mountains and close to the sea, it's easy to guess Trinidad is everyone's favorite. Also, dinner on the roof is a must here!   

Cienfuegos

 While approaching Cienfuegos on our way to Trinidad, the highway was filled with revolution propaganda, so we decided we had to put Cienfuegos on our map. We hired a car to take us around town and show us where the best revolution graffiti are.  Our driver was cracking me up with his shirt rolled up the entire time!   

Santa Clara

 Santa Clara is mostly known for it's mausoleum which houses the remains of Che Guevara and sixteen of his fellow combatants killed in 1967 during the Bolivia campaign. Americans are not allowed to enter the mausoleum.   Our favorite part of Santa Clara was the ride there - we hired a car and this elderly Cuban kept telling me stories about the revolution, and life in Cuba nowadays. You don't need wikipedia when you speak the language of the country you're visiting :)   

Viñales

 Viñales valley in western Cuba is known for its tobacco and coffee production, as well as for "mogotes" that shape its landscape. As of lately, it's also known as the town that has more tourists than locals!   

Hasta la victoria siempre

 And finally, the love they have for Che in Cuba is hard to describe, but it's easy to convey in pictures:  Hasta la victoria siempre!