It's been a couple months since I've been back from Cuba. I only went for 5 days so don't think this is some eat, pray, love post, it was just really simply wonderful.
MM 131 - Vedado Havana, Cuba - Casa La Gloria x Cuba Street Flowers
Many people asked me, how did you go? How can you go? and that got me all crazy thinking I just booked my ticket for nothing. It was like going to Cabo, but going through the east coast with an extra fifty bucks in your travel expense for the visa. I chose the option "Support the Cuban people," which means you should be doing all local things and buying from cuban locals, staying at air bnbs, etc. I thought they would check our itinerary, making sure we did all of that, but it was laid back going and coming.
My cousin and I stayed at Casa La Gloria. Here is the link and Peter is the best. He lives in the same building, on the other side of the wall (pictured above) with his wife and kid. He's a cool dude, the rooms are clean and the space is also very picturesque.
MM 130 - Plaza Vieja Havana, Cuba
MM 129 - Old Havana, Cuba
We did the touristy things, walked around, drank some rum, got in a vintage car and took a salsa class, but what I can't shake off is the feeling. The nights were pretty perfect. The kinda feeling when you're on your way home and the air has light wind, but the temperature is so warm it hugs your skin, the city literally hugs you. To top that off you had some one of a kind magical day. Maybe you went to a concert outing with some of the coolest people you just randomly met that day, or you went on one of the best first dates ever and your biking home and you can feel the wind extend your smile, whatever that perfect summer night is.. it was in Cuba. I had Cuba fever for about 4 months and it was real, I felt like I was trying to quit an addiction.
Luckily, I was able to fit in a bike ride. I love to bike casually, not a crazy rider with the spandex. I know this one guy who biked from Brooklyn to LA, yea Los Angeles, CA from Brooklyn, NY. What. Back to this bike ride. It was lovely for me, not super safe though. The roads are jagged so if you're not that great or a regular cyclist, then maybe hold off. Take a vintage car or a coco taxi! A vintage car from Vedado area to Havana was $7-$10. The coco taxi was really fun, I felt like I was on a Disneyland ride... a mixture of the Alice in Wonderland and the Tea Cup to be exact.
MM 136 - Vedado Havana, Cuba
Cuba is where I started film. I bought the Argus C3 about a month before and the Yashica Minister D. The Yashica was not really my favorite. I was just staring at an object for five minutes trying to focus. It wasn't the right fit. And that's okay. So I played a lot with the Argus C3. It's so manual. You have to wind, press the shutter release, focus using distance estimate instead of the viewfinder, then hit the shutter. I kept forgetting whether I took a photograph or not, so that's how magical MM 129 happened. MM 131 was intentional. But I don't mind the exposures of my lost memory.
Cuba was beautiful and since we can still go, you should go! I also fell in love. If you find my saxophone hunk, give him my email. Here is a picture of him, yes.. I asked trip advisor to look for him.
Camera - Argus C3 | Film - Ektar 100
Next Post - Colorado, USA
MM 147 - Old Havana, Cuba Building