Havana, Cuba
Isolated from the Western world for decades, Cuba is a priceless relic of an era long passed. Since Castro’s rise to power time has stood still in Havana, with trade embargoes between the US and Cuba crippling the island nation’s economy, infrastructure largely stands today as it did way back in the 1960s. From vintage American cars to the dilapidated colonial gems of architecture – Havana’s charm is in its value as a time machine. As one walks along Havana’s famed Malecon boulevard, gazing out across the Straits of Florida, one would be forgiven for mistaking for a brief moment that they have not in fact been transplanted into a Hemmingway tale.
Life is slow in Havana, slow in a good way. Whether your time is spent admiring the Spanish influenced architecture or sunbaking on a Havana beach, the pressures of real life seemingly do not exist in this time capsule of a city. There is a certain, but inexplicable, beauty in the uncorrupted soul of Cuba.
When you’re requisitely tanned after countless hours ~ with a pina colada in hand ~ enjoying one of Cuba’s many idyllic beach clubs, there is an important piece of Cuban history that should not be missed. The Che Guevara Mausoleum is the place of the famed revolutionary’s last battle and his final resting place. Cuban history is iconic around the world, and one cannot help but feel a part of some bigger global community strolling the streets of Havana Old Town. From the missile crisis to Cuba’s current tourism renaissance – every chapter in this country’s history has made it ever richer for travellers.
