Wait a minute, if you are too idealist about Cuba, you will absolutely feel disappointed once you arrive the city. You will find that La Habana is flooded with tourists, it is said that there were 3 millions tourists in Cuba last year. Because of the booming of tourism, there are a lot of hasslers all over La Havana. From asking you to eat in their restaurants to requesting for money, pens or T-shirt.
The owner of the Casa particular where I lived told me, never talk and listen to anyone on the street, they are all liers. At first, I didn't believe, but I still took cautious. But later, I found that it was 90% true, the remaining 10% was that there were people who just wanted to talk with tourists, but not asking for anything.
I was lucky to meet a spanish couple in my Casa particular, and joined them to travel around Cuba in car. It didnt only give me the chance to see the real Cuba easier and our combination as a Chinese with two Spaniards had attracted more attention, thus letting us had more chance to conversate with Cuban people.
First, we went to Viñales, in the southwest of La Havana, where in car is about 3 hours journey. Viñales is famous for its limestone landscape and its strange shape hills just stand out abruptly from the plain. But to me, it is very similar to the landscape in Guilin in China, though I haven't been to Guilin, so it did not surprise me too much.
But I did enjoy the beautiful combination of the limestone hills, the red soil, the farmlands and all the greenery.
The overview of the landscape. Isn't it similar to Guilin? The only different is Viñales lack of the presence of a river.
Like a big bun was suddenly thrown from the sky, making the interesting landscape here.
The greenery cheered me up a lot.
A nice stroll throughout the farm. I love the tranquility.
The farm house is totally built with grass, without any bricks or rocks.
Near Viñales, there are many tobacco farm. This is the typical image drawn in a picture of a farmer working in a tobacco farm.
The town Viñales is so small that it only has one principle street, so even for me, the direction stupid can handle to strode around without getting lost.
The main church and plaza in Viñales.
Colonial houses.
Street scenes.
Horses are very important transportation here.
Simple daily lives.
Quiet lives.
We drove outside to the city and encountered the beautiful sunset.
The beauty of the nature is too rich to be real.
A village beside a port, Esperanza, near Viñales. Originally, there was a bridge, but it was destroyed by the hurricane and the beach has then become smaller.
An air full of solitude.
Illusion.
Two hours in car before Viñales, we went to Soroa where situated a National Park, with bunch of natural flora and fauna.
The whole region is covered with forest. So it was once the base of the troops of 'Che' during the war against the government.
Bees are kept also.
There was once a coffee plantation. Now the houses and the old equipments are used for tourism.
The beautiful French style old house.
The guard of the house is explaning the making of coffee.
Each of these small 'rooms' could incredibly accomodated 10workers. Such a life!
Seems that someone has just painted on the tree.
Bano San Juan, a natural waterfall and pool, where popular with locals for holiday.
You can rent a lodge here to get close to the nature.
Che Guevara, Cigars, Salsa, Volleyball, Baseball are the impression of people about Cuba. The only city that people can tell is definitely La Havana, its deteriorating, but colourful colonial architectures, its charming and friendly african descendenta, its fabulous 1950s old cars and the big waves hitting the avenue Malecon.
The embargo from the US makes the people here take extra good care of their cars, most of the cars here have been running for at least 50 years.
Seems like the princes are waiting for their princesses in the cars.
The fancy taxi which I definitely to get on.
The image of such a old car and old house is so unreal.
They also have old style motorbike.
On Obispo street, you can find the best perserved colonial buildings.
The colours used on the building can only be imaged in fairy tales.
Horse ride for the tourists.
A nice restaurant situated in the corridor.
A fusion of the 1950s old car and hundrens years old colonial archtecture.
Another fusion.
The huge Capitolio Nacional is a landmark in centro La Havana.
The equaly huge statue is overlooking Paseo de Marti from Capitolio.
Catedral de San Cristobal de La Havana, with two unequal towers.
The beautiful building besides the Catedral.
The elegrant Gran Teatro.
Subsided in the atmosphere of 16th century.
But outside the main touristic area, you can find many buildings are lack of perservation.
The deteriorating colonial buildings.
The fading colour is much more impressive than it would be bright.
The interesting half-renovated building.
This one seems to going to collapse.
Old but beautiful.
Street scene.
Outside the La Havana Vieja district, the city is more modern and you can find the propaganda of the government everywhere.
2009 is the 50th anniversary of Cuba´s revolution.
Che's image on the wall of a hotel.
Plaza de la Revolucion with the status of Marti, where Castro always held its assembly.
Hotel Nacional, signifies the conflict between US and the pre-Castro government.
Fantastic view inside the hostel across Malecon.
A nice cafe inside the hotel.
A fabulous old music machine.
The May in Cuba is getting hotter and hotter, a stroll along the windy Avenue Malecon can help to escape from the heat inside the city.
One day, it was espcially windy, my hat was almost flying away and no one could see my face because of my flying hair.
But it was a good chance for the teenage here to have fun for the whole afternoon.
The wave catchers on Avenue Malecon.
When the wind was calm, it was a much nice stroll.
Avenue Malecon with all the old colonial archtectures and the ocean.
Instead of catching the wave, the Cuban people went fishing by Malecon.
Sunset in La Havana.
