I went to Havana for 3 days as part of my round the world trip in early January.
I arrived on an Air Canada flight from Toronto and the weather was fantastic for the whole time I was there (sunny with max temperature of 25 Celsius during the day and minimum of 18 Celsius during the night)
Getting through customs/immigration at the airport was quick and easy and then I got a taxi to get to the city centre which costed about CUC 30 ($ 35). Cuba is a fairly expensive country for tourists but I was happy to pay because tourism is an important source of income for the country which still has to deal with the despicable trade embargo imposed on them by the USA
I stayed in what they call "casa particular" or private house which is basically people renting out rooms to tourists which is a great alternative to staying in a hotel if you want to save a bit of money. The casa particular where I was staying was fantastic as it was located on the 9th floor of a building and it has penthouse views all around and I only paid CUC 35 per night which is a bargain when you compare it to the CUC 150-200 that you would pay if you stay in a full service hotel
Despite the poor state of the infrastructure in Cuba I really had a nice time going out and about, mingling with locals, sitting around having a coffee or just observing daily life in Havana go by. Due to the lack of modern technology such as internet, cable tv, playstation and all the rest... most people go out a lot to socialize and there is a greater sense of community
Havana street scene by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Havana street scene by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Havana at sunset by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
old car in Havana by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
An old car in Havana by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Havana street scene by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Havana street scene by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Malecón by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Havana street scene by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Malecón by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
A mural in Havana by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Old Havana by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Havana sunset by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Coco Taxis by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Havana street scene by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr
Havana street scene by
Piero Damiani (back home), on Flickr