Bienvenidos a Cuba

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A trip of a lifetime

While I type this, I am sat on a plane on my way back from Sydney following an amazing 3 week trip to the southern hemisphere. The fact that I am writing this from the comfort of my extra legroom seat, makes me look back on how lucky I have been this year, far beyond my wildest dreams.

Not only have I been back to beautiful Australia to reminisce and relive my precious memories from 9 years ago. But I have also been fortunate enough to realise one of my lifelong travel dreams this year.

You probably suspect it by the title and the pictures you just scrolled through. But this year I had the privilege of finally travelling to Cuba. And I say finally, because not only has this been a dream destination for me since I was I child, growing up listening to Bebo, Compay and the entire Buena Vista Crew, thanks to my dad’s impeccable taste in music. But also because I had been trying to organise this trip for over a year. We eventually got past our planning procrastination (very unlike us) and got to booking this trip of a lifetime at the start of the year. My resolution for 2015, if nothing else fulfilled itself, was to at least set foot in Cuba before changes came flooding in.

I am generally terrible with resolutions, but I must say, I nailed this one.

What will now follow and will keep on coming for the next few weeks and posts, is a series of snapshots, experiences and advice on the breathtaking time-warp that is Cuba and our experience of its splendour.

Wow … I just got really deep and poetic there, didn’t I?  Throwing in synonyms for the word “pretty” here and there. I need to make sure I don’t overuse them. I will try to control myself… but it truly really was so pretty!

Our trip to Cuba, with our limited 7 days, led us to visit the typical suspects of Havana, Viñales, Cienfuegos and Trinidad.

The pictures in this post are from our first day in Havana.

The details, colours and streets of Cuba


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During this first day, not only did we wonder the maze of streets in Havana and discover cool little restaurants, but we also took a tour of the city in a 70 year old car. This tour allowed us to discover an Havana we would never have seen on foot, but truly makes you understand the city and its magnitude beyond the crumbling walls of the Old Town. I highly recommend taking one of these, although very steep in terms of investment, it is a 100% worth it. Our guide Raul drove us down a boulevard lined with over-the-top mansions that now house embassies and international companies, but back in the day were home to high class bourgeoisie and gangsters alike. We also got lost in a fairytale like forest and were blown away by a humble neighbourhood turned by Fuster into a simile to an outdoor museum, reminiscent of Gaudí.

Driving through Havana, discovering Fuster’s wonderland


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What makes Havana so special are its sounds, colour and people. Unfortunately, I can only share with you guys today the colours and vibrance of the city. But although I do not have any sounds to share, please feel free to chuck on some Buena Vista Social Club while looking at these shots, it will improve the likelihood of tele-transportation.

Havana’s people


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