Cuba…. a land lost in time. up until the 1950´s Cuba was a growing country with beautiful grandiose cities, a thriving art and music scene, and a lot going for it. I really cant even imagine what an incredible place it must have been at that time. then, in 1959, Fidel Castro flipped a switch and time stopped for Cuba. the impressive buildings slowly started to crumble, with no new upkeep or repairs done to them. ginormous Cadillacs and Chevys from those years, still roam the streets, relics of another era that just never got replaced. yeah, socialism really did a number on Cuba, leaving people with very little in the way of material goods and new technologies.

yet, the people have not let that break them. walking around Cuba, you would almost never guess that the people here are as “oppressed” as the rest of the world says they are. everyone is always outside partying, smiling, and laughing. music plays everywhere, the bars are full, and spirits seem high. of course, what you can see with your eyes, isn’t necessarily the same as what lies beneath. I’m sure that life isn’t as easy for Cubans as it may look sometimes. but, at the same time, I’m would bet it isn’t as horrible and awful as David made it seem… I’m sure his stories were a bit skewed in order to get some pants.

so, somewhere in between, lies the truth. as a tourist, you never really can see the full picture of any country you visit. you can only see what’s on the surface. luckily, even just on the surface, Cuba had a lot to give. the country itself is incredibly beautiful, from the charming cities with their many plazas, old colonial buildings, and interesting streets, to the palm dotted lush greenery that covers the rest of the island. Havana with its thriving nightlife and incredible sights, Camaguay with its winding streets and quiet parks, Santiago de Cuba with its diverse neighborhoods, and Cienfuegos with its ocean views and mellow lifestyle… each city that I visited was wonderful in its own way. but, as i read somewhere, it’s the people of Cuba that are its real treasure. Cubans are exuberant, well educated, creative, and artsy. on every corner you see art for sale or hear wonderful music being played. there is always something going on and it seems life never slows down. the amazing music drives the nightlife here, as do the mojitos, daiquiris, and Cuba Libres that were all invented here. it’s definitely a great country to take some time out, kick back, have a drink, smoke a cigar, and people-watch for hours on end. also, you get to at least sort of get a better perspective of how people live here because you can stay in people’s homes and witness things firsthand. now, if only they could do something about the food, heh.

over the last decade, tourism has slowly started changing Cuba, little by little. tourism has given Cuba a much needed influx of cash, but unfortunately has also given it a large influx of hustlers and prostitutes. luckily, other than the huge resorts, tourism hasn’t changed Cuba a ton. there are still no advertisements all over and no McDonalds on every corner. Cuban life has largely remained intact, which on one hand makes this a pretty difficult country to travel in, yet is a great thing because you get a more authentic vision of it all.

while I was gone, Fidel got sick, so who knows what the future holds for Cuba. perhaps the government will change, and socialism will end here just like it has in so many different countries recently. if that happens, the us embargo will most likely be lifted as well. these two things would radically change Cuban life and in just a short time, it would be a radically different country. maybe in just a little time, US citizens will be able to travel to Cuba again and not have to sneak in like I did. I sure hope so, cause I’d really like to go back…

you can check out the rest of my second batch of Cuba photos. these are from Santiago de Cuba, Cienguegos, and my last day in Havana.

*v

everyone’s definition of a dive bar is different. i’ve been amazed in the past at the kind of places that some people consider to be dives. well, when it comes to the Bow Bow, i’m sure everyone could come to an agreement that it’s one of the diviest places around. the place is dirty and hazy from all the smoking going on inside it. peanut shells are scattered over the floor from the free peanuts served on the bar (watch out for the funky boiled ones, yuck!). at the far side of the room, people are screaming karaoke at the top of their lungs. man, even 5 drinks later, that karaoke still sounded horrific.

the patrons here we serious drunks. there was the drunk woman at the bar who stood up of her stool and then just crumpled onto the floor… she had to be helped up by the bartender, and then just sat their passed out till someone came in the bar, and carried her out. two wasted guys at the bar sat there and heckled everyone who passed by at the top of their lungs until they were threatened to be killed by a passerby. there was the vagrant who came in to demand money from the bartender. and of course, there were two guys who were obssesed with trying to get everyone to do karaoke and they called tom “cupcake".

so, yeah, this place was quite an experience. we all loved it and definitely want to go back. never a dull moment in that place. the bartender “Candy” was super friendly and kept pushing more and more beers on us. then, when tom asked for a free one, she just said “sure” and gave him a free beer. free beer?! yes, that’s right.. free beer… truly amazing.

Bow Bow Coctail Lounge is at1155 Grant Avenue in San Francisco

Ok, this place just confuses me. i walk in and everyone at the bar is wearing fancy suits and probably trading stock tips. definitely not our kind of crowd. but then, as we push our way through to the back, the rest of the place looks like some kind of diner or something. hrm, that’s odd. one of my friends got the signature hot chocolate w/ brandy drink… ugh!! just smelling it made me feel ill.

Tosca Cafe is at 242 Columbus Avenue in San Francisco

the capitolio in Havana

classic cars are everywhere

classic cars are everywhere

coco taxi

kids around havana ride these homemade scooter made out of wood planks and metal wheels

i randomly found this concert in someone’s house

everyone loves Che

people are always kicking it on their balconies

quintessential Havana - classic cars, cuban flags, and crumbling buildings

you can check out the rest of my first batch of Cuba photos. these are all from Havana and Camaguay.

*v

from everything that i had read about this place and how cheesy it was, i somehow expected it to be really run down. i pictured it to be like a old battered reno casino, with grumpy frumpy old waitresses, a falling apart stage, and dirty floors. but i forgot to take into account that it’s in the Fairmont. so, we walk inside (all 20 of us) and realize that this place is actually a bit fancy, and we’re a bit under-dressed. hrm. this place is definitely kind of kitchy, but kitchy in an extravagant kind of way. it turns out that we have to pay if we want to sit at a table, so we just opt to drink at the bar. or at least try to drink at the bar. after 30 minutes of waiting, we still havent been able to order. finally, we give up… it just isn’t worth it. yeah, yeah, we never got to see the band float out or the fake rainstorms, but i somehow think that i’ll get over missing that stuff.

The Tonga Room is at 950 Mason Street in San Francisco

the big foot lounge was full as usual, so we ended up trying out the random bar that we found across the street. it wasn’t till all of us were inside and waiting for our drinks that we realized that it was a gay bar. oh well, no big deal right? so we get our beverages and take a look around while we drink them. it was only then that we noticed the painting. there’s a painting up on the wall of… a lion having sex with a man. yes, you heard that right… there is a painting of a man laying down w/ a lion mounting him doggystyle (lionstyle?). now, anything that two men (or lions) do together in the privacy of their own home is fine by me, but i gotta say that a painting featuring cross-species intercourse is pretty bizarre.

The Cinch is at 1723 Polk Street in San Francisco