Los Frailes Havana

... it by only allowing travellers to go to certain places, or at least making it very difficult to do anything different.<br><br>By about 6pm we were in the precarious stage of food poisoning sickness where you think you are hungry, or you feel very weak like you need to eat, but the stomach is still saying no no no. We decided to lash out and get some western food at a hotel, just in the hope that it would stay down. We got soup. It ...

... work as a computer technician to make ends meet. The computer parts which he owned were almost as old as the Cuban Revolution. The interior of their home was quite basic with a few old cupboards, a couple of beds and precious pictures hanging on the peeling walls. Despite their lack of wealth, they made do with what they had and were content with life in general. I enjoyed talking to them, and our conversations ranged from Bruce Lee movies to Cuban ice cream ...

... to about three starters and three mains, and what we had was delicious - a spinach pancake stuffed with chicken and mushroom followed by Mahi Mahi (nothing too posh or decadent there then..). The wine was OK and overall the experience, although very efficient, was warm and friendly. Getting a cab back to the hotel after ...

... Russian and Japanese models, are awarded by the state for good behavior and performance, and cannot be sold or traded, only handed down to family members. Cubans put forth heroic effort to keep the old cars running. The Capitolio is a building near Old Havana that is a replica of our (If you're from the U.S.) nation's capitol. On the steps is where I experienced one of my top moments. An old Cuban was taking photos of tourist in front of the building ...

... a Greek Orthodox church garden, that was dedicated to Mother Theresa of Calcutta, a quiet oasis on the city's edge. We passed a displayed railway coach that had been used by the President, but it was closed up. Continuing through 'Plaza Vieja', we headed further into the city and after buying water and ice creams (which immediately melted), at a busy 'local' shop (for local people?), we headed towards the 'El Capitolio' building that we had briefly been shown on the taxi tour ...

... Cadena del Cerdo" (Pork chain). Pieces of meat, a scale, and a cashier. There was also another counter, with the basic supplies: Rice, beans, sugar, eggs. On a separate display, with prices, coffee, oil, chocolate, among other few things. Still walking down my street, I also walked into a place where they manufactured glasses to all sights. The guy that came to talk to me and explained me a few things was talking amazingly softly. He invited me to come back another ...

... pillows shaped like swans. The afternoon we visited the Museum of the Revolution, very interesting and depicting the heroic, romantic and galant side to the characters of the revolution. Dinner was at Belkis' Casa and was delightful. she was indeed a wonderful hostess and so were her husband Guillermo (i think he was trying to tell me William in Spanish) and her daughter and grand daughter.

... lost the game (and the series), but that didn&#8217;t dampen the spirits of the residents of Old Havana. They remained out in the streets until the early hours of the morning, shouting, banging all kinds of kitchen and household items together and generally causing a huge celebratory din. Whether it was their noise that stopped me falling asleep right away or the rather odd looking figurines giving me attitude from across the bedroom I don&#8217;t exactly know.<br>

... the beautifully positioned Baracoa. The return journey took us across surface-less mountainous trails to the nickel smelting plant and virgin beach of Moa. European dishes of freshly prepared Cuban beef await the tired Havana-bound traveler in Holguin. Proud Cubans have the same leader for the past forty years who does not allow dialogue with foreign folk (I'm told this is to protect me ...