Day 24: Havana the magnificent.

December 27, 2017

I got up around 6:30 after a good night's sleep. Yesterday, while I was lying on the beach, my thighs sent me a message with nasty cramps. I might have pushed my body too hard over long distances. My body needs to adjust gradually. I was walking through the streets of Guanamo and spotted a great pork special. I decided to take a souvenir photo. It's always interesting to see that... It demonstrates the importance of cooking meat thoroughly before eating it.

After this lovely little walk, I return to my room to pack my bags and have breakfast.

I'm back on the road towards Havana. It's nice to drive with music in my ears. Everything's fine, the road is beautiful. I come across a stadium that seems deserted.

The stadium is in a deplorable state, but athletes are training.

After this visit, I head towards the fortress and catch sight of the city in the distance. I take a small path along the seaside. It's wonderful.

The view of the city is magnificent. There's a tunnel in the bay that allows vehicles to reach the city center quickly. Unfortunately, the tunnel isn't accessible to bicycles or pedestrians. So I have to take a long detour, but I don't mind, because I'm going to discover new places. I'm visiting an open-air museum of remnants from the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, which involved the former USSR, which had installed missiles on the island of Cuba capable of reaching major cities in the United States.

The crisis lasted 13 days. The conflict ended with the withdrawal of missiles from Cuba in exchange for missiles located in Türkiye that the Americans had pointed at Soviet cities.

A crisis that nearly triggered World War III.

I then visited a giant statue of Jesus.

Then a short break with an excellent ham and cheese sandwich for 20 Cups (CAD$1) and a small refreshment for 3 Cups (CAD$0.15)

I drive and drive to Havana and take the opportunity to eat a delicious 3-cup ice cream (CAD$0.15). It's hot...

I also indulged in an ear of corn with butter, salt and hot sauce for 10 Cup ($0.50 CAD)

I then decided to exchange some money. I exchanged 600 Canadian dollars.

That's 454 CUC (convertible pesos)
Or 10,896 CUP (Cuban pesos)

The exchange rate is much better than during my first exchange at the airport. Just a reminder: 1 USD = 1 CUC = 24 CUP

On the street, the two systems coexist. Street food prices are indicated in Cups.

You can easily find hamburgers for 8 cups (CAD$0.40) on the streets of Havana. I was telling the German guy I met yesterday that I often eat pizzas for 20 cups or even sometimes 5 cups.

He told me he paid 22 CUC, so he paid 26 times more for his pizza than I did. You have to choose the right restaurant according to your budget. I often see gigantic apartments; I wonder how many thousands of people live in those buildings.

I finally arrive in Old Havana. The streets are narrow, life is everywhere, children play in the streets. The colonial buildings are magnificent and sometimes dilapidated.