Even the Cuban disease exists... Playa del Este, Havan, Cuba…

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Going to sea in winter, go to a country where there is winter, or at least it's not like we ... This is the dream that I wanted to achieve for some time.
Confirmation can take a week vacation at this time I had only 3 days before departure! I went to flight travel agency and asked that we were considering offers that I could not before starting on Saturday (January 21) and I had to fall within the following Sunday (ie 29) to avoid having to request additional leave days. We had to exclude Mauritius, Jamaica and more because it started or Tuesday or Thursday. Given our requirements, was to choose only between Sharm and Sharm Although Cuba was certainly a destination where the heat was insured (January is certainly not the best time to go to Cuba but not the worst, say a middle ground) is also a destination where we are offered all year round, while Cuba was not so obvious, the passport had already rule in then no problem even for that.
This fact, on Saturday morning we were on a flight with Air Europe destination Havana.
The flight was perfect, about 300 seats on board were only about 80 so we could stravaccarci wanted, the hostesses were very friendly, food was good and we arrived on time. 10h30 to fly around.
The hotel was part of (inter alia, "all inclusive") is located in Playa del Este, a half hour by bus north from Havana. The hotel is called Hotel Atlantic is a good 3 stars, the structure is of the 70s and it shows, it has all but piccolino (swimming pool, shops, 2 restaurants ...) and most importantly has a direct access to the beach.
I shall not dwell on details, but a step in soon to tell "our" Cuba
Meanwhile, we say that the temperature exceeds 25 ° but not exceeding 30 degrees: it is fine. The sea is a bit rough because it is a 'ventilated, when the wind becomes stronger beginning to be difficult to stay on the beach, of course, just because the temperature is not excessively high, the sea, or rather the ocean is neither too hot nor too cold.
Since the holiday has not been planned well in advance and therefore we have not had time to organize and / or inform us about what to do / see, we had only a week's time and that we also need time to relax, but not We saw the island as we wanted, indeed, we saw only twice Havana.
The tour operator (not even remember what was perhaps because there has been significant ...) brought some trips, in some cases was not clear on the day of departure because it depended on the number of requests.
The most interesting was definitely the one for Santa Clara-Cienfuegos-Trinidad, but they provided a tour consisting of a night at another hotel, and of course the cost was very high (the equivalent in euros was € 100 a head !!!).
Another trip was possible for the Zapata peninsula - but mostly Guam was to visit a crocodile farm (second largest in the world) and we are not interested in their own.
What interested us more was to Pinar del Rio - Vinales, a valley full of vegetation that makes the landscape in this area unique in the island. Crops in the fields according to the seasons are tobacco or maize. You can also visit a cave in a boat entering in the cavity and along stretches of the waterway, between the white limestone rocks. Very impressive.
The last two outings, however, not well known in that day would be made for no one knows what reasons ...
Intando immediately confirm our presence on the tour in Havana, a must stop for anyone who goes to Cuba
In the end we go to Havana twice (it's a half hour from the Playa de Este), the first organized tour with us to see the main places of interest (Placa de la Rivolution, Cathedral San Cristobal, the Bodeguita Middle where you can enjoy a true mohito, the Capitolio, the Hotel Ambos Mundos, where Hemingway stayed, the place where you can see how cigars are made strictly by hand and where you can buy over the real ron (rum) ... plus other places seen running with the bus), while the second time we went on our own (with a shuttle bus that was passing not far from our hotel to same and the taxi (€ 15) for the trip) and we go to visit the old historic center including viettine hidden, the famous flea market and the Malecon.
What they say is dangerous turn at night, but during the day no problem.

The trip to Vinales, on the other hand, in the end we could not do it because they have organized for the day before departure and unfortunately I was not feeling very well ...

Now you give more info spot.

The dance of today is not so much the sauce but the reggeton, much of sensual salsa or merengue, but maybe this depends on how the Cubans are dancing and especially the Cuban ...

Go into one of the Cubans who attend, that is, not those made especially for tourists in addition to cost you dear do not apply their own punishment. We went to some local villages in the vicinity (the taxi is very little) with other people's (obviously for the most part were men ...), there are some girls who are waiting outside the room for someone to pay for their tickets Entrance (3 €! But usually Cubans earn the equivalent of € 10/20 per month!), then once you trigger revenue dancing provocatively in front of him or tourists interested in the street ... not Prostitute there are because the Castro regime has forbidden, and this is their way of addressing customers. I have found a much more attractive than what you see on the road from us, is sad to see but so young girls to behave like that.

If you like rum try in every way, here is different as compared to prepare cocktails in Italy. And if you want to buy it do not wait to take it in duty-free because there are dear, ask local authorities will advise you how to buy low-priced (we paid € 5 per bottle), ditto for the cigars.

At the airport a random check all your luggage, please note that you can take away up to 3 bottles of rum and cigars, 23-to-head (note that there are packs of 25 cigars!) And you have to take them with the box showing the stamp, otherwise it means that you bought on the black market and do not seize the goods (!) and this applies to all objects (eg pictures).

What considerations: Cuba will not be the most beautiful place in the world, but people, music and atmosphere that reigns in Cuba will remain in my heart, or at least for us it was so. Leaving Cuba has taken the melancholy. Definitely return, hopefully before Castro dies and the United States to change everything.