In April, 2015, I spent 11 days traveling in Cuba by visiting three cities: Havana, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad. The trip was organized by the Grand Circle Foundation with an emphasis on cultural activities. We visited artists, dancers, musicians, and ordinary citizens. We also visited museums, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a farm, stores, and markets.
Havana
First Impressions of Havana
A charter flight brought our group of 20 travelers from Miami to Havana. Our guide, Zoe, greeted us just outside the terminal of the José Martí International Airport. We met our driver, Luis, and boarded a comfortable tour bus made by Yutong of China. We stayed in Hotel Saratoga.
Muraleando
Muraleando: An Artistic Community
In Havana, an award-winning community group called Muraleando welcomed us with music, art, dinner, and dancing. The talents displayed by these artists and musicians were first rate.
Fuster
Artist José Rodríguez Fuster
We visited Fuster’s studio in the town of Jaimanitas near Havana. He uses decorative mosaic tiles to create murals and sculptures. He has decorated various buildings and structures in his neighborhood.
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos
The city of Cienfuegos faces the Caribbean Sea on the southern coast of Cuba. We explored the colonial part of the city, which is well preserved. We stayed in Hotel La Union.
Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad, founded by a Spanish conquistador in 1514, is located in southern central Cuba. It is a small city with a slower pace of life than the bustling Havana. The city is designated by United Nations as a World Heritage Site in 1988. We stayed in Hotel La Ronda.
Havana
Havana Again
We spent the final days of the trip in Havana again. We stayed in Hotel Nacional de Cuba.
Photographic Tools
- digital camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
- zoom lens: Canon EF 75-300 mm F4-5.6 III USM.
- zoom lens: Sigma 24-60 mm F2.8 EX DG.
- memory: SanDisk CompactFlash.
- tripod legs: Slik Pro 714 CF II.
- tripod head: Acratech Ultimate Ballhead.
- camera bag: Lowepro Nova 4.
- photo processing: ImageMagick, Canon Digital Photo Professional, GIMP