Blue Water Sailing — June-July 2017

(^26) BLUE WATER SAILING • June / July 2017
{ CRUISINGLIFE }
streets are crowded with a mixture of
tourists, street vendors, and neigh-
borhood locals. We rode into the city
at least three times during our stay
in Cuba and, with each trip, we saw
something new.
The historic sights are a big draw
in Havana. Crowds of tourists joined
us as we climbed the bell tower of
Havana’s historic Cathedral de San
Cristobal, which offers the best aerial
views of the buzzing city streets. We
made sure to visit the fort, Castillo
De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro, and
the statue of Jesus located high on
a cliff, looking over Havana. There,
we enjoyed a spectacular view of the
entire city. A few cucs were even spent
on a personal tour of Havana in two
gorgeous, classic convertibles. Our
drivers cruised down the city streets
telling us every imaginable fact a visi-
tor would want to know. Our hours
spent roaming the streets of Havana
were undoubtedly highlights of our
expedition in Cuba.
However, as we continued to ex-
plore; our group developed a long list
of favorites. Within walking distance
of Marina Hemingway, we found our-
selves marveling at a neighborhood
covered in the hodge-podge crafts-
manship of a Cuban artist. One night
we even taxied our way to
Fabrica de Arte Cubano, a sort
of nightclub-art gallery where
modern art and the strums of
live music fill the halls. Bar-
tenders on every floor whipped
up mojitos and cuba libres for
the crowds of people who
filed through the museum-like
exhibit. After making sure we
saw every corner of Fabrica de
Arte Cubano, our crew caught
a taxi back to our floating
home. The next morning we
would depart for Viñales.
A large pothole put our
taxicab on the side of the
road halfway to Viñales. Our
friends, Patrick and Kristen
sacrificed some hammock