Residencias Miramar Havana

... The kids and Bill Bill came by around 6:00pm and picked us up for a dinner in Columbia proper. We decided on "The Flat Branch Brewery" . They make many different styles of beer right on premises with huge glass windows letting us see the process. Everyone said their beers and stouts were exceptional! We all enjoyed a fun atmosphere and great imaginative meals. YUM again. The rain had stopped or let up for a spell so we all ...

... show Darren the Missouri campus he always tries to discount due to his Kansas ties. We visited Kristi's brother Brian and his girlfriend and they served as our tour guides around a campus that has changed quite a bit in ten years which made Kristi feel really old. It's still a beautiful campus.

... there were many posters reading 'ˇViva la revolución!' (Long live the revolution) as it was the 50th anniversary of the communist revolution so we headed for the 'museo de la revolución' to explore. It contains blood stained clothes of Che Guevara and other guerillas.

Whatever the political situation, it must be said that Havana is one of the world's greatest cities.

... stretching for miles from Old Havana in the east to Miramar in the west. We walked west; our goal, the Hotel Nacional, former hangout of American gangsters Lucky Luciano and Myer Lansky who ruled the corrupt casino business in Havana before the revolution kicked them out permanently.
The walk over allowed us to see much of Havana's "waterfront properties". All along the Malecon, old colonial buildings stand. Well - some still stand, others are crumbling. The architecture of ...

... Then the storm alert came in. Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms with half-dollar sized hail were heading from Texas to St Louis, right behind us. Everything was silent outside (and obviously in the car) and the sky was all crazy gray and purple colors and I was on the hunt for tornadoes again. Rain came dumping out of the sky and winds shoved the car all over, but we pushed on.  By the time we got within reach of St Louis we were three hours behind schedule, it was ...

Ok, it was the second day. We got up bright and early. Ok, well, I did anyways. Adeana and E followed shortly after. We got a quick breakfast at the continental breakfast bar. I don't get continental, it sounds so...nice, but it's not. It always just cereal, some pretty so, so breakfast food, and well, ok, the one we were at this morning had one of those waffle makers, so they get some credit for that :-) We ...

... and I cannot express the beauty and richness of this city. Pictures can never convey the feeling of riding down the cobblestones that my posterior will never forgive me for. It is so unfortunate that there is not enough money to restore these fabulous buildings. There is the charm of Europe in the narrow streets with the pastel blues, pinks, and other colours that would be considered obscene back home but here they fit right in with the mood. Jan 28, Well I got ...

... lucky to be entertained as the only customers in the bar where Hemmingway drank his Moijito's, usually buzzing with tourists. Moijito is a Cuban found cocktail consisting of Habana White Rum, soda water, sugar and fresh mint leaves all crushed together - delicious. We visited the Capital building, which is a replica of the US Capital building in Wasington DC. It was a gift from the US to Cuba several years ago. One floor is open as part of the museum and it is beautiful ...

What a bad, bad bunny I am. I thought I was gonna have a heart attack going thru immigration. I have no idea what I'm in for. I fill out all my documents, visa, etc. and wait to be called forward. An upright Socialist in his starched uniform calls me to him. I give him my passport, he looks at me. STARES at me. Stamps what I hope is my visa and not my passport. Still staring. Then he winks at me and says "Have a good trip!". As I step into a rainstorm ...

We just finished our chores. It was Noelle, Madison, Carmen, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones who were traveling together in their wagon train when we came across a huge mountain. It was only a mile away and we had to start traveling soon or it would get really cold up there. We all got our wool clothes on, our shawls on, and our leathery boots out. We took our aprons off and started the dangerous journey across the ...