New York, U.S.A.

Family Portrait at The Empire State Building Observation Deck in New York 

New York, my favourite city on Earth and a place so special to me for so many reasons. When I worked out that we could fly to New York to spend a week before flying on to India I was ecstatic. Not only because I could finally show Craig my favourite city but also because my mum and little brother Matthew were flying over for the week to see us too. When we went on our first backpacking adventure, my mum flew over to Australia for three weeks with a friend to spend some time with us after 5 months apart and it was wonderful and so needed as I missed her so much. This time I'd gone 8 months without seeing her and so the anticipation of a week together was so exciting. 

Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, New York 

Withering Tulips in The Brooklyn Botanical Garden in New York

Craig and I flew in from Cancún and landed in the afternoon, it took an hour and a half to get through immigration at JFK, the longest I've ever spent in a queue and on my own too as Craig and I had to go through separate lines. We caught the Airtrain and subway to our new home for the week in Brooklyn's beautiful Park Slope neighbourhood where we had booked an Airbnb apartment. The area was so quiet; independent grocery stores and coffee shops lined the street and a blossom tree was in full bloom right outside the local church we walked past. We immediately clocked a pizza joint called 'Joe's' on the corner and made a mental note to visit ASAP. The apartment was just two blocks from the subway station which was perfect, we got the keys out of the lockbox which reminded me of a Japanese puzzle box and let ourselves in. The apartment was bright and airy, with white walls, polished wooden floors, shelves full of plants and pretty ceramics. It was bigger than I was expecting but still a cute cosy space which would be just about right for the four of us. I felt relieved, finding a place to stay for 4 adults on a budget in an expensive city was challenging and caused a big headache when it was arranged. We left our bags in the pastel blue bedroom and nipped out to run some errands, we were in a hurry as it wouldn't be long before mum and Matthew would be getting in from their long flight from London and I'd promised we'd meet them at the airport. We grabbed some groceries from a local deli and dropped off our laundry as we weren't able to get it done in Cuba or on our last day in Mexico. Of course we stopped at Joe's for the much anticipated first slice of New York pizza and it didn't disappoint, a mammoth slice of tomatoey, cheesy goodness. We left to collect mum and Matthew from JFK and only waited a few minutes before they walked through the arrivals gate, mum did a little squeal of excitement as she does and I cried, we had a big hug and I immediately started winding up my little bro, I had 8 months of being the annoying big sister to catch up on after all! We headed back to the apartment and went to bed, we'd all had a long travel day.

The Brooklyn Botanical Garden Lake, New York

A Mininature Wisteria at The Brooklyn Botanical Garden, New York

The next morning was a beautiful bright and sunny day, Craig made American-style pancakes with syrup for himself and Matthew while mum and I had cereal, good cereal had been a luxury for me on our travels so I relished the opportunity to have it. I didn't want to plan too much as I wasn't sure how tired everyone would be so we took it easy and went for a stroll down the road to nearby Prospect Park. The stroller moms and dog walkers were out in force and you wouldn't even know you were in the city, it was so peaceful. We walked through to the other side of the park, saw the impressive Brooklyn Library and Grand Army Plaza and went to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Amazingly enough the gardens were free as it was Tuesday and so we saved ourselves $15 each. It had been part of my plan to do as much as possible 'on the cheap' as I knew we'd all appreciate saving some money so to start the trip with a free activity was a bonus. We wandered in and of course it was quite busy as it was a free entry day, the people didn't get in the way of the beautiful blooms however which were stunning. There was a myriad of colourful flowers and the spring tulips, wisteria and blossom were still holding tight. The Japanese garden was lovely and the glass houses were full of tropical plants, bonsai trees and orchids. My favourite part was the Shakespeare garden full of English flowers and little signs with Shakespearean verse on them, maybe it was the little reminder of home that I liked best. We had lunch on the patio before moving on to the subway station to head for the Brooklyn Bridge Park and to glimpse the Manhattan skyline. It was only a few stops away, we left the station and walked past iconic brownstone houses, wondering how many millions it must cost to buy one. The park became visible and then so did downtown Manhattan across the East River. To The left was the Statue of Liberty and to the right was Brooklyn Bridge. One World Trade Centre was a beacon in the middle of the skyscrapers, shining brightly and imposingly. When I had last visited the city in 2010 the tower had yet to be built. We wandered slowly along the promenade, stopping to photograph the sights and to sit on benches and take it all in. Craig was as giddy as he had been when we first saw the amazing skyline in Hong Kong, he could barely tear his eyes away from the jungle of skyscrapers. 

Brooklyn Bridge, New York

Crossing Brooklyn Bridge, New York

We ventured down a walkway to get closer to the waterfront and found an ice cream store, the line was out the door and as the sun was still shining we decided to treat ourselves. Once we tasted our cones we could understand why there was a big queue, the ice cream was delicious. We sat with a view of Brooklyn Bridge, trying to avoid the wind while we ate our treats and then went and had a look at an Anish Kapoor art installation in a green space, it was a whirling pool of water which was thunderous enough to attract a crowd. We walked inland and found some steps leading up to the iconic neo-gothic Brooklyn Bridge so that we could walk across to Manhattan. The wind had really picked up and nearly blew us off our feet, it wasn't the relaxing walk that I had in mind, the wind whipped my hair onto my face and cyclists whizzed past so fast I thought I might collide with one. It was a little stressful but made for an exciting crossing. We made it to the other side and took a walk through downtown Manhattan via the Stock Exchange and City Hall to Battery Park which seemed much bigger than when mum and I visited 7 years ago. As we sat on a bench looking out at the Staten Island Ferry making it's crossing we started to feel a little chilly and so walked to the nearby subway station to catch a ride home. Once in Brooklyn we had pizza for dinner at Joe's, purely because I wanted mum and Matthew to have a taste, obviously. 

A Bicycle in Manhattan's East Village, New York

While in New York Craig and I wanted to arrange our visa for India by going to the Indian Embassy, our first task of the day was to get there and hand in the paperwork that we'd spent ages putting together. We got all the way to the Embassy to be told that the visa service had recently changed and been outsourced to a company in a different building. We got back on the subway to where we had been told to go and waited for an hour to hand in our paperwork. The very unobliging lady behind the counter sneered at our documents, she told us that we needed a signed letter from the person who had rented their apartment to us for the week as well as other bits of documentation. She also said that if we did get all this extra information then it would still take 10 days for the visa to be granted or rejected. Cue two very annoyed and unhappy backpackers! We felt foolish, despite doing a lot of research and spending time and money printing forms we still hadn't got it right. We blamed the lack of new information online due to the service being changed very recently and felt that there was no need for her rude manner. Feeling disheartened we left and agreed to enjoy the rest of the day and look into getting a visa online later.

From The Empire State Building Looking Downtown, New York

Empire State Building Observation Deck Binoculars, New York

We were in mid town right by the Empire State Building so after a quick stop for hot drinks at a cute café we decided to go to the top. As mum and I say, you can't come to New York and not go up the Empire State Building! That may be because mum and I are fans of the movies An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle though. Amazingly there was no queue so we got our tickets straight away and whizzed in the lift to the Observation Deck on the 86th floor. Despite being my third time seeing the views from the observation deck I was still in awe, each time offers something different and the feeling of being so high and looking out over the city is fantastic. The building itself is a wonder with its perfect art deco design. We walked around the deck so many times I lost count and as usual Craig had a ball taking photographs from every position imaginable. The clouds were starting to gather and the wind picked up which made walking around in a dress a little tricky, we ducked inside every now and again to warm up before braving the chill again until finally we felt we had seen enough. We got back to ground level and after lunch where we ordered way too much food we walked to Grand Central Terminal to see the famous turquoise and gold ceiling before walking up Fifth Avenue towards Central Park, stopping at mums favourite store to visit; Tiffany's. We admired all the jewellery that we couldn't afford and chatted to a lovely lady about the huge yellow diamond that they keep on display, the last person to wear the diamond was Audrey Hepburn for a photoshoot. We walked across the street to the Plaza Hotel and then went into the lower end of Central Park for a slow wander, the sun had decided to come out again and lit up the tree tops and buildings beyond. Once back at the apartment Craig and I completed our online Indian visa application. We hadn't done so before because the online visa only allowed for a 30 day stay but it appeared that just a couple of weeks ago that changed to 60 days which would be plenty of time so we were very relieved. All we had to do was take passport style photos of ourselves in the morning to upload and we should find out if we had been granted a visa in a couple of days. 

A Bridge in Central Park, New York

A Squirrel in Central park, New York

We woke up and after a lovely breakfast in the apartment, made our way back to Manhattan for a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art; my favourite museum. After a quick coffee stop we went in and paid our 'donation'. I had only realised through research that the $25 entrance fee is actually voluntary, you can give what you like. In order to help with our limited funds we donated $15 each which we thought was fair. The museum is a maze of exhibits covering everything throughout history that you could possibly think of. From Greek and Roman statues, Egyptian sarcophagi and Incan artefacts to modern abstract expressionist painting, Islamic art, Persian rugs and even a Japanese courtyard garden. With lots of energy we started in the Roman section, a highlight was seeing the artefacts from Central America as we had travelled through so much of the area on our trip. I walked around the Impressionist painting galleries several times, even walking all the way from the other end of the museum for one last look before we left. The Cy Twombly painting in the abstract expressionist gallery was another highlight and one that prompted a me to have a little reverse self portrait with it. Despite having visited the museum three times I still haven't seen it all but at least got round to seeing a little more than I have before, eventually I'll see everything.

Sculpture at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

Mosiac Inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

We left and walked to the park as the museum sits just beside it, we found the Alice in Wonderland statue next to the toy boating lake and then walked south towards Times Square. It was nearly dark out, we had a hot chocolate at a café next to the LOVE sculpture and then found the bright lights of Times Square, a sensory overload with bright neon and digital bill boards all flashing at you while people dressed in costumes take selfies with tourists. Not us though, we took in the lights and then headed back to our peaceful Park Slope neighbourhood, a stark contrast to bustling mid town Manhattan. 

The Alice in Wonderland Statuein Central Park, New York

The LOVE Sculpture by Robert Indiana in New York

Matthew said that he wouldn't mind going to the Natural History Museum, I think most probably due to its appearance in the Night At The Museum films. It was a dreary wet day so another museum day sounded good. We got there by subway as usual and queued in the rain to get in, luckily we didn't have to wait long. The museum was again big, but not quite as polished as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We walked through the exhibition halls looking at the dioramas of people of different cultures, animals and landscapes. There was even a New Forest scene which is a national park just a short drive from our home in the U.K. It's amazing how quickly time goes when you're wandering around a museum, before we knew it we were edging closer to closing time and we hadn't even seen the main draw, the dinosaur exhibit. While Craig wandered on, mum, Matthew and I stopped to take a proper look around the crystal and meteorite hall before heading upstairs to see the dinosaur replicas, one of which was brand new and the biggest I've ever seen. Whilst in the museum Craig and I got an email confirming our Indian visas which was a huge relief. 

Times Square in New York

The Lights Of Times Square in New York 

We left the museum at closing time and made our way to the MoMA for the free Friday night event that they run each week. In an effort to save the cents we had decided to squeeze in a trip to see the artwork while it was free although the crowds made it near impossible to enjoy the paintings on display. Luckily mum and I have already seen the work inside the MoMA so I wasn't too annoyed and enjoyed getting to spend a few minutes with my favourite painting, Monet's water lily triptych. The hoards of people surrounding the Van Gogh painting were a sight to see, I love Van Gogh as much as the next person but I'll never understand how his work causes such a scrum. It's ridiculous. 

Admiring My Favourite Artwork, Monet's Water Lily Triptych in the MoMA

Hoards Gather To Glimpse Van Gogh's Starry Night in the MoMA

The next day, with slightly brighter weather we went back to downtown Manhattan, this time to see the 9/11 memorial. When I first visited New York on a college trip in 2005 the events of 9/11 were still very fresh in everyones mind, still raw. Ground Zero was a mess and the catastrophic effects of the collapsing towers had left scars. In 2010 when I visited with my mum, the area had began to recover and now, seven years after that I could see a transformation. One World Trade Center was finished and the footprints of the original World Trade Center towers had been memorialised with two huge sunken pools, inscribed with all those who had lost their lives in the terror attack. What broke my heart most was seeing the names of a few of the women with 'and her unborn child' written by it. There were a few white roses dotted around, we learned that the staff put a rose out on the victims birthday.

Looking Up One World Trade Center in New York

After paying our respects at the memorial, watching the water cascade into the pools and reflecting on the site mum, Craig and I took a trip to the One World Trade Center observation deck while Matthew stayed behind. The $37 entrance fee was steep but we were interested to see the views from the top. The panoramic views over Manhattan, New Jersey, Brooklyn and beyond were impressive though not quite as charming as viewing from the Empire State Building, possibly because we were behind glass. I loved hearing facts about the building and the Twin Towers, like how when the towers were standing some workers on high floors would feel motion sick in windy weather as the towers would sway. We met Matthew back on ground level and walked to a nearby shopping mall that he had found to grab a bite to eat in the food court; there were no McDonalds or KFC's around though thank goodness. Instead there were a dozen boutique eateries and food stands to choose from, all as tempting as the last. From New York bagels to gourmet burgers, bulging burritos as well as Japanese cuisine and BBQ. We were spoilt for choice and all ended up choosing something different. With bellies full we left the mall and walked to the waters edge on the west side of Manhattan, we kept walking, admiring the Hudson River and the cluster of buildings on the other side. On and on we went until we reached The High Line, an elevated promenade which stretches from the Meatpacking District to Chelsea, the repurposed railway line has been made into a communal space full of benches, plants and artworks. We walked the entire length of the park and could see the West Side from a new perspective, apartment blocks adorned with anti-Trump street art, the Hudson and little local shops and business premises. 

The View Over The East River and To Brooklyn From One World Trade Center in New York 

The View Over The Hudson River From One World Trade Center in New York

We left The High Line and walked around Chelsea looking for a café, eventually we stumbled upon a pâtisserie where we stopped for hot chocolates and a delicious fresh cream pastry. We wandered on and found Chelsea Market, a characterful indoor marketplace with exposed brick, twinkling fairy lights and a homely yet industrial feel. The market was full of shops of all kinds, a bookstore, a clothing shop in flea market style, a cookery shop and a whole host of eateries. I was tempted by several beautiful books and art prints in one store but was sensible and walked away, next time I'll return to the city with a big suitcase when I can fill my boots with all the lovely things. As the sun was setting we walked back to the Hudson River where Craig managed to capture some dramatic shots of the incredibly moody sky and sun rays peeping through. A little wander through the pretty brownstone neighbourhood of the West Village was our last activity of the day, we stopped by a convenience store to grab some Twizzlers an American sweet confection; I also picked up a slice of takeaway New York baked cheesecake to eat while I walked, yes a mere couple of hours after our pâtisserie stop and I'm not even ashamed. The area was becoming more lively as it was a Saturday night, if only we had a table reservation and empty bellies, it looked like a great place to get dinner. 

The High Line in New York

City Views from The High Line in New York

Chelsea Market, New York

Chelsea Market, New York

We started the day with a walk around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir in Central Park, a little further up the park than we had explored so far. As it was Sunday morning the joggers were out doing their circuit and friends had gathered for a relaxed stroll. We walked from the south side of the water all the way round to the north west side where we stopped at a greasy spoon style café on the Upper West Side for a no fuss hot chocolate to warm ourselves up. As the week went on the weather seemed to get chillier and more overcast, that first day in the hot sun in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden seemed like a distant memory! We caught the subway to Chinatown, the district is in complete contrast to the parts of the city that we had been to so far; suddenly Craig and I felt some familiarity as we walked past hawkers, it really is like being in an Asian city. As we wandered by the shops selling trinkets and the dim sum restaurants with steamed up windows the rain started to fall. We ducked for cover then pulled on our rain macs to brave the weather. We walked on leaving Chinatown behind to the East Village to find Crif Dogs, a hot dog place that I'd researched earlier as they offer vegetarian dogs. We gorged on hot dogs with avocado and all the condiments with a side of potato tots and I was not disappointed. I'd always wanted to try a New York hot dog like the kind you see on a street stand but my first visit to the city in 2005 was six weeks after I became vegetarian so I never got the opportunity before. 

The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park, New York

Tulips in Central Park, New York

We caught the train north and visited Bloomingdales department store before taking a last walk around the lower end of Central Park, unfortunately it rained again so we sought shelter under a bridge and got chatting to an interesting businessman. He gave us some tips on where to go in the park but it was just too wet and was our last full day so I was a little disappointed not to get to the places he suggested. 

Chinatown in New York

We woke up on our last morning together, I was feeling really sad. The week had been so fun and jam packed that I didn't want it to end, we'd seen so many sights and walked miles, eaten lovely food and enjoyed lots of art too. It had been my favourite kind of week and now it was at an end. Luckily mum and Matthews flight wasn't until the evening and Craig and mines was very early the next day so we had a few more hours to go yet. We took ourselves out for breakfast for the first time; I had delicious egg, cheese and avocado on sourdough. Craig went to get a haircut as the last time he had it done was in Bolivia where his hair wasn't really cut so much as hacked at while the rest of us went for a walk around Prospect Park. The sun was out which was joyous so we did a loop before meeting Craig and taking an easy stroll around Park Slope and South Slope. Our last dinner was at Joe's pizzeria, our go-to place for the week due to it's amazing quality and cheap prices. We chilled out in our lovely apartment until we had to take mum and Matthew to JFK, we tried packing their bags with a few things to take home for us but their 10kg each weight limit didn't allow for too much. The farewell was sad and to tell the truth I could easily have got on the plane back home with them. We rushed back to the apartment to pack up and tidy up as it was already gone 11pm, in just a few short hours we'd be back at JFK for our flight to Delhi. 

New York video:

Have you been to New York? If so, are you as in love with the place as I am? Maybe you're planning a trip, I've got tonnes of advice and tips I can share. Let me know in the comments below. 

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Central America

March 22nd 2017 - May 1st 2017

When we first planned to go backpacking we didn't set out to visit Central America. In fact, the only thing that we did plan in advance was our initial flight from London to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. We thought we might spend a year exploring the South American continent, hoping to touch upon most of the countires in that time. Whilst we happily travelled from place to place, crossing borders and ticking off amazing wonders at our own pace we realised that we were getting through the continent much faster than anticipated. We weren't rushing in the slightest, in fact we felt as though we were dawdling a bit too long in some places.

By the time we got to Bolivia around Christmas time (nearly four months in to the trip) to spend a few weeks in the beautiful white city of Sucre to take Spanish lessons we began to think bigger than South America. We'd always wanted to visit India as we didnt make it to the vast country on our last big trip where we took in many countries in Asia. We started looking into flights to grasp an idea of how much it would cost to get there and therefore how feasible it would be to go. With Colombia in mind as our last destination in South America (as Venezuela is too dangerous currently for tourism) we researched flights and were blown away by how expensive they were and how long winded; several stops, multiple hours. Undeterred we looked at other routes, what if we flew somewhere else first so that our flight to India was cheaper? With this in mind I opened up Skyscanner and after much research I found that we could fly to India via New York very cheaply. Colombia direct to New York however was expensive so I looked up flights to New York flying from Mexico which was a good bet. With our new plan in our minds we booked both tickets. We were in Bolivia with one way tickets from Cancun in Mexico to New York booked and New York to Delhi booked. Now there was just the small matter of working out how we would get to Mexico.

Towards the end of our time in South America we booked cheap one way flights from Cartagena on Colombia's Caribbean coast to Panama, the most southerly country on the ithsmus of Central America. It would have been nice to continue to travel overland but the Colombia/Panama border sits in the wild Darien Gap jungle and isn't the safest place to travel through. Once in Panama I picked up a Lonely Planet Central America guidebook from a hostel shelf and used it to plan a rough route to Cancun in Mexico in time for our flight to New York which worked out at 40 days to do the journey. Of course, we didn't want to make things too easy for ourselves so we aimed to touch upon each country in Central America as we went. That meant travelling through Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize and finally Mexico. While in Costa Rica we decided to also include Cuba in our plans and booked return flights to Havana from Cancun making our journey time even shorter.

There is a lot of talk on the internet about the idea of 'slow travel'. Making the most of your time by not ticking off things to do and rushing around cramming everything in but by wandering at a gentle pace, people watching and embracing the idea of living in a new place for a time. Well, as you can imagine our time in Central America was anything but slow. We mostly spent no longer than two nights anywhere, only staying longer once we had made it to Mexico and knew we wouldn't be in any trouble of missing our flights.

We may have moved fast but our experience was still wonderful, full of the same kind of adventures and emotions as South America had been only our general journey times were shorter. Panama shone through as being our favourite country, we enjoyed staying in Panama City where we could enjoy the novelty of American fast food (avocado topped veggie burgers with fries and all the condiments anyone?) whilst watching basketball on TV, Boquete was a peaceful nature filled destination after seeing the city sights and we fell head over heels for Bocos del Toro and in particular the island paradise of Cayo Zapatilla. There is something about powdery white sand and crystal clear warm ocean that is just irresistible.

Costa Rica unfortunatly fell short of our expectations and we do feel sorry about that as it is a country on many people's wishlist due to its natural beauty and wildlife. As budget conscious backpackers we found the country to be 1. very expensive and 2. totally unsuited to backpacker travel. Getting aound was tricky, all the food and activities were too costly and unfortunately quite a few of the locals were unhelpful.

The many Mayan sites that we visited in Central America were a wonder. From the intricately carved decorative stones in Copán, Honduras to tourist filled Tulum in Mexico to the awesome Tikal in Guatemala. And not forgetting Chichén Itzá in Mexico with its 'wonder of the world' status. Each Mayan site piqued our curiosity and left us feeling like true explorers.

The food in Central America was also a highlight. The staples were rice and beans, refried beans, plantain, avocado, salty cheese and tortilla, need I say more? Baleadas in Honduras were something that we'd never heard of before, let alone tasted. I now make a version of them regularly at home for lunch. I'm no food blogger but they are so easy to make and delicious too so here goes: take a flour or soft corn tortilla wrap, smooth on a layer of refried beans (I use a version with chilli in), grate over cheese and add chunks of fresh avocado. Fold over and squash down slightly, place in a medium-hot dry frying pan for a couple of minutes until contents are warmed through and the the tortilla has crisped up and browned slightly. Sour cream can be added and in Honduras they were made with egg inside too.

When I think back to Central America I think of;

• Riding in chicken buses

• Accidentally joining an Easter parade

• Searching high and low for a working ATM

• Breakfast overlooking beautiful blue Lake Atitlán in Guatemala

• Exploring Mayan ruins

• Swimming in a magical cenote in Mexico

• The machete weilding man

• The most chaotic border crossing

• The perfectly cooked plantain

• Baking hot bike rides in Nicaragua

• Toasting marshmallows over volcanic heat

• Paradise in Panama

• The worlds most delicious gelato.

With our goal of touching upon every country in Central America met plus a quick jolly to Cuba thrown in too we moved on to the next part of our trip, a week in New York with my mum and brother to recover from our fast paced 40 days and then India, perhaps our biggest challenge to come.

Have you been to Central America? If so where did you go and how did you like it? If you're thinking of going and would like any advice or travel tips then please let me know in the comments below.

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Havana, Cuba

An Authentic Feeling In Havana, Cuba

Walking in the baking sun under blue Caribbean skies, a sooty smell fills the air. Children play football on the street, teens are without phones and the elderly smoke cigars watching the world from doorways. A dilapidated building sits to the right of me and a wide road stretches out to the left; a neon green Cadillac, an old black cab and a Barbie pink Chevrolet whizz past, a rainbow of colour and a disorientating sight; have we stumbled sixty years back in time?

Cuba has been on my wanderlust wishlist for years. It felt like there was an urgency to see the place, before improved relations with the U.S.A meant that new cars were imported and floods of American tourists arrived. A good pace of travel in Central America meant that we had some time to spare and while in Costa Rica we'd found flights under £200 each online which were too good to pass up. As we wouldn't have this opportunity again we decided we'd go and see Havana, Cuba's capital city for five nights. We arrived with trepidation, the country has a huge history for its small size and a reputation to live up to. Every single person we had encountered who had visited had absolutely loved the place and everything about it (well, except for the food). There was a lot of expectation. Upon landing we waited at the baggage carousel for an hour and a half, hundreds of boxes and duffle bags wrapped in clear plastic were piled high on the belt, locals blaring music from tiny speakers hauled their belongings onto trollies. 

Waves Break At The Sea Wall in Havana, Cuba

A Fort Overlooking The City and Sea in Havana, Cuba

We got in line for currency as we were unable to prepare ourselves by getting some in advance and then jumped in a taxi to go to our casa particulares (a room owned by a local, rented out to travellers). Hostels are not common in Cuba and a hotel would be too expensive so we hoped that a casa in Vedado a residential area would be a cheaper and perhaps more authentic arrangement. Judith, her husband and her son met us outside the casa which we could get to via stairs in an underground parking lot. We walked to the top floor and entered, I was expecting a room in their own home but this was a stand alone studio apartment with a tiny kitchen. We were instantly impressed with the two huge double beds and lovely windows with shutters. Judith spoke English very well and explained that as she was going to be admitted to hospital soon for surgery, she'd brought her husband and son along to learn the ropes while she was out of action. We signed some forms, paid for our apartment in cash and had a chat, Judith promised to bring us breakfast each morning. After our lovely welcome we settled into our own little slice of Havana before heading out for some food. We were a little unsure of the local cuisine as we'd heard some bad things about it. As soon as we told people that we were vegetarian and going to Cuba they had a confused look on their face with a 'good luck trying to eat' type comment. With a meat heavy diet and shortage of fruit and vegetables due to a lack of agriculture infrastructure we knew we might struggle and so expected the worst. With that in mind we walked a few minutes from our apartment and found a place slightly on the pricier side to have pesto pasta which turned out to be delicious. Seeing the 1950's and 1960's American cars speeding along was a novelty that I hoped wouldn't wear off. When it came time to buy some bottled water we struggled, there were no supermarkets or even corner shops to speak of, just small stands and government owned stores with one counter selling staples like rice, oil and flour. We found a tiny sandwich shop which had bottled water in the window, at the equivilant of a couple of US dollars it wasn't cheap. 

A Taxi Worth Travelling In, Havana in Cuba

The next morning Judith brought a simple breakfast of bread and two boiled eggs to our apartment and we ventured out for a day of exploring. We walked down the street towards Old Havana, the buildings that lined the road on each side were in a sorry state and were a murky grey colour. The air smelled like coal smoke from an old fashioned steam train and it truly felt like we had wandered into an open air museum like the sort you'd find at Beaulieu in England's New Forest. We crossed some roads to the Malecon; a long promenade by the coast and watched the waves crash into the stone sea walls as we walked. The sea breeze cut through the stifling hot air and the city skyline was spread before us, leading our eye to a lighthouse. We walked to a point and sat dangling our legs over the wall, a friendly local came over to remind us to be careful. There was a fort just behind us so we paid the small fee to have a look inside. The view from the canons was lovely so we sat and watched the cars, a myriad of colours whizz by before leaving to cross the wide road to find the Revolución Museum dedicated to the life and work of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara among others. The white building beamed in the sun, a true brilliance of architecture. Inside was a very unflattering caricature of George W Bush with "thank you cretin for helping with our independence" written under it, it made me laugh. We flitted from room to room, reading plaques accompanying pieces of interest like items belonging to revolutionists, blood soaked clothes and propaganda. The silence was broken by a dance class taking place in the buildings central open air courtyard which was fun to watch though looked exhausting. Upon leaving the museum Craig bought a CUP coin with Che Guevara on it as a souvenir from a local as he'd seen someone with one in Mexico. The local currency of CUP and the tourist currency of CUC made life confusing. It also felt a little like a swizz as CUC was equal to the US dollar and worth 25 times more than the local CUP, every time we bought anything we were paying much more than a local which pained us as budget conscious travellers. We walked down what seemed to be Havana's busiest street which was in stark contrast to the part of town that we were staying in, we realised that we were now definitely in the touristic part of Old Havana. The buildings were in much better shape, painted in hues of bright and pastel colours and restored to their former glory. Café's had placed tables out in the street, one of which we sat at for lunch. Performers in neon coloured costumes danced past while we ate, waving at Craig's GoPro and filling the air with a joyous carnival-like atmosphere. We wandered some more and visited a load of second-hand bookshops, I flicked through old postcards and posters, dusty books and memorabilia wishing that I had room in my backpack to take some pieces away with me. 

Old World Charm in Havana, Cuba

Washing On Lines Is a Common Sight in Havana, Cuba

Locals Are Obliged To Pick Up Any Hitchhikers, Havana, Cuba

Beautiful Old Building Exteriors in Havana, Cuba

The next morning I woke up with a poorly tummy, the first time on the trip that I'd felt so dreadful with a stomach upset. It appeared that I'd eaten something that hadn't agreed with me, I'd been careful not to drink the local tap water as advised by the guidebook. We took it easy and walked to the National Museum of Fine Arts. The museum is split between two buildings, one contains Cuban art and the other international art. We decided to pay 8 CUC to have access to both (5 CUC individually). The Cuban galleries were full of mostly modern painting and some sculptures too, I did enjoy the abstract expressionist works. My cramping stomach made concentrating on the work a little difficult but after a restful sit down in the gallery and lots of water I was feeling well enough to go to the second museum a couple of blocks away. There were artefacts from Ancient Rome and Egypt, Dutch and Flemish painting as well as decorative arts. The building itself was fascinating to see though it was under some restoration work inside. We left the museum in search of a place for lunch although I wasn't up to eating. We sat at a table on the patio of a quaint café serving local Cuban cuisine, while I sipped water Craig had a plate of rice and vegetables with a bean soup which looked delicious.

Dancing Locals in the Church Square in Havana, Cuba

The View From The Ball Tower in Havana, Cuba

We left to explore more of the old town and came across a square with a church and bell tower, I was given a piece of shimmering purple fabric to cover my legs and we paid to climb to the top where the views over the terracotta rooftops were lovely. Once back to ground level we sat on a shady curb in the square and watched dancers perform, a man next to me was painting but packed his tools away to lay down on the concrete for a little afternoon nap. We found a fancy hotel and walked in to book a day trip to Viñales which is a part of the Cuban countryside just to the west of Havana. As we were staying in a private casa we researched online in advance and found that the best way to book a tour is to go to a hotel's tour desk as we had no access to the internet. Our tour was booked for the following day and I just hoped that I'd wake up feeling ok.

Perfectly Restored Old Havana in Cuba

We were up nice and early for our tour and thankfully I was feeling better. The coach picked us up from a nearby hotel and we were on our way. I was looking forward to seeing the countryside and what Cuban life was like outside the city. Our first stop was to a factory making traditional rum and brandy which we tasted before driving on to a viewpoint over the vibrant green landscape. A band was playing just behind us as we looked out over the palm trees, blue skies and unusual lumpy hills. We went to a cigar plantation and watched the farmer roll a cigar from scratch surrounded by drying tobacco leaves. Craig had a smoke while I photographed the barn, tobacco hanging from rafters and piled on the floor covered by giant palm leaves. We went for lunch with the tour group and got chatting to a lovely lady originally from El Salvador who has been living in California for 45 years since she was a teen. She explained that she was recently retired and loved to travel, she's been going from place to place for the last couple of years solo and is looking forward to her husbands retirement so that they can take trips together too.

Local Liquor in Production in Viñales in Cuba

Tobacco Leaves Drying Ready To Be Made Into Cigars in Cuba

While we chatted we ate from platters and Craig sampled a piña colada with Club Havana rum, they put a whole bottle on the table so you could top up your cocktail as you wished. As I wasn't fully recovered from feeling poorly the day before I just had a sip, the cocktail was pure coconut creamy deliciousness. Before driving back to the city we stopped at a cave and went on a boat ride through the dark cavern, the driver pointed out rocks that looked like animals and afterwards we browsed some local handmade crafts and paintings. One of the highlights of the day for me was seeing the colourful wooden houses in the countryside surrounded by palms, I wished we could have stopped to take photographs and go for a wander to see the area at a slower pace. In the evening we ate at a paladar which is a small restaurant run by a local sometimes in the front room of their home. The paladar was extremely cosy, we ate bean soup with rice which was really tasty and cheap. My initial worries about the food situation felt a little unfounded, so long as we ate simple local food like rice and beans then we were fine, our bellies were full and our budget intact. 

Beautiful Green Landscape in Viñales in Cuba

A Grazing Horse in Viñales, Cuba

The next morning we took a walk to the university which was just a few blocks from our apartment. We were approached by a guy who talked to us about his class, how he's finishing this semester and then moving to Miami where his family now live. He gave us an impromptu tour of the grounds and explained some of the history before mentioning at the end how expensive books are in Cuba and could we spare a bit of cash to help him out. We gave him $5USD worth of CUC before walking away, the penny then dropped that he obviously wasn't a student and that this was a great way of earning some money from bewildered tourists like us. Craig was fine with it but I felt annoyed at being made a fool of, a donation to a local for showing us around would be no problem, but I begrudged the dishonesty. We wandered to the old town and treated ourselves to chocolates at the chocolate museum and explored the area on foot. We'd have liked to have taken one of the old convertible cars for a spin but unfortunately our budget wouldn't allow. Still, we saw lots of picture perfect squares, buildings in varying states of repair, pretty tiles, washing hanging from lines and locals going about their business. A horse and cart pulled up alongside a car from sixties America and I hoped that with recent relations with the U.S.A that Cuba would retain its old world charm. After a drink at a café it was Craig's turn to feel a bit unwell so we walked the long walk back to the apartment to rest for the afternoon before heading out for a cocktail at the famous Hotel National which looks out over the sea. As we sipped our expensive piña coladas we mused over how different Cuba would be to travel to with a healthy budget, we'd enjoyed our few days in Havana but it didn't feel to us like a holiday destination as we weren't able to splash out on fancy dinners and rides in a convertible. We walked to a restaurant for dinner and the less said about that the better, it ended with a disgusting meal, a shockingly overpriced bill and a huge argument with the wait staff. Our last day in Havana hadn't really gone to plan so we consoled ourselves with a strong mojito at the lovely and friendly bar opposite our apartment.

On The Outskirts of Old Havana, Some Buildings Require Attention, Cuba

Our last morning allowed just enough time for breakfast at Riley's up the road before Judith and her husband arrived to take us to the airport. We had a conversation in the car about what life is really like for Cubans, how strict rules make life hard for Judith and her business, how fuel is in scarce supply at the moment and her apprehension at the surgery that she was going in for in a couple of weeks. We wished her well and she hugged us goodbye, hoping that we'd send any friends visiting Cuba her way. We left Cuba with mixed feelings, our stay had been fraught with illness and a couple of bad experiences. We'd had some lovely moments with friendly locals, but also some downright rude service from wait staff. The currency situation was annoying and the lack of shops to buy water an inconvenience but I left feeling intrigued. The total lack of wifi was liberating, seeing children and teenagers play in parks without technology felt like a wonderful novelty that we don't see in England anymore. We're used to seeing people rushing around in a constant hurry glued to their smartphone but here friends gossiped on benches, elderly ladies leaned off of balconies and smartly dressed men cruised by in a Cadillac, people took their time.

Only since leaving Cuba have I realised how hard life can be there. I looked into why fruit and vegetables can be hard to come by and why there are no supermarkets, I found that due to a lack of agricultural infrastructure crops just aren't grown in the volume that they need to be to feed the country. Locals are struggling to eat as the food that is grown is sold on the black market to private hotels and restaurants to feed the growing number of tourists. Locals working in government jobs are paid a measly set wage meaning that they can barely afford to eat food other than rice and beans, fresh vegetables and meat (mostly pork) is a luxury. I felt a pang of guilt writing this post, so much of Cuba I loved but other things annoyed me and only now am I realising how petty those things that annoyed me were. I'm glad we visited and saw a little piece of the country but we will most definitely have to visit again, maybe next time we'll know to approach travel in Cuba like the locals approach life. With plenty of time to stop and dance, to chat and laugh over a bottle of rum. Despite the struggles Cuban people without a shadow of doubt have retained their passion and zest for life. 

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