Traveling to Cuba pt. 1

Hola Mis Amigos! After two weeks of studying abroad in Cuba, I’m finally back in the U.S. (and back to blogging again)! In 11 days we managed to travel to around five different cities in Cuba, and it was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had thus far! My friends and I joked that one of the most difficult things about coming back would be having to tell all of our family and friends the stories and events that occurred, and how much work it would be. I was up for 30 hours straight heading back home, so I have yet to tell anyone hardly anything… but I figured posting photos of the trip while everything is still fresh in my mind would make everything easier!

I took nearly 3,000 photos, so needless to say this post will be broken down into several parts (not all 3,000 pictures, of course :)), but today’s post will focus on the capital city, Havana, and an ecotourism site about 1.5 hours away, Las Terrazas. So, let’s jump right in!

Havana: This is the beautiful Malecón area. It’s a long strip running against the Atlantic Ocean, and locals gather there to sit, talk, and even fish! It’s particularly popular on the weekends for couples!This is a gorgeous view from a rooftop in Chinatown (yes, there’s Chinatown in Cuba). In fact, Cuba used to be a home for a large population of Asian immigrants, but many traveled back to their countries or to the U.S.. This rooftop is also the childhood home of my professor who lead the trip!  The last two photos were taken in Revolutionary Square. “Vas bien, Fidel,” was said by Camilo Cienfuegos – a central person in the Cuban Revolution – during one of Castro’s speeches. It means “You’re doing fine, Fidel.”

The last one is of Che Guevara, who is actually someone I’m extremely fascinated by! I watched The Motorcycle Diaries when I was in high school, and it detailed his earlier life. Ever since then, I’ve always thought him to be one of the most iconic people in history. His statement, “Hasta la victoria siempre!” means “Until victory, always!” and was written in one of his last letters to Fidel before he decided to head to Bolivia. 

I know all of this because we had the chance of visiting the Museum of the Revolution, as well as Che’s museum!
This was taken on the steps of Universidad de la Habana.This photo was taken in a Coco Taxi, which I may or may not have thought would end my life lol It was such a crazy ride, and wish you guys could see the videos! lol These photos were all taken in Old Havana, which was one my favorite parts of the trip! Old Havana has large square and plazas with tons of shopping boutiques, and as you can see, is a port for cruise ships! It also has an enormous craft market, which my roommate and I spent two days in lol It was seriously awesome!Meet my friend, John! Haha this is a photo of the infamous John Lennon memorial, and it was right outside of a bar called Yellow Submarine. The decor and band was completely dedicated to the 60’s and 70’s and was one of my favorite nights! These photos were taken in the Afro-Cuban cultural center. This place was awesome. We watched an amazing show based off the Santoria religion, and viewed exquisite (and expensive) paintings!

Las Terrazas:

We visited Las Terrazas for one day of the trip, and it was absolutely stunning! These photos don’t even compare to how beautiful it was in person. Lots of people in the country head there to vacation, and it’s neat because it’s extremely eco-friendly. We ate at a really delicious restaurant, and then a few of the girls and I headed out in a row boat to explore the massive lake! The earlier photos were from the smaller lake, but we boated in the bigger one.

Well, that’s it for today! I really hope you enjoyed looking at the photos!

I’m thinking that this might be broken into 3 parts, but part 2 will definitely be up on Wednesday, so make sure you check back! The next photos will be from my absolute favorite place!

If you follow me on Instagram, you can see some sneak peeks!