| - To get into the tropical atmosphere of Cuba at its | | | | who lived in this building from 1939 to 1961. It was here |
| fiftieth. Among the American automobiles, the smoky | | | | where Hemingway wrote "Whom sound the bells for" |
| bars of Havana, the effect is assured. | | | | and the "Old man and the sea". |
| - For its fantastic sea. Cuba offers about six thousand | | | | Music National Museum |
| kilometers of splendid Caribbean coast, with beaches | | | | Address: Calle Cárcel, Havana |
| and cliffs for all likes. | | | | Schedule: 9-17; Sundays 8-12; Closed on Mondays |
| - For the people's hospitality, not always interested as it | | | | Entrance is paid |
| is wanted to make you believe. The Cubans are | | | | There are exposed numerous Afro-Cuban musical |
| people full of happiness and eager to leave, people | | | | instruments, besides the Fernando Ortiz |
| who love to find the foreigner, just to exchange ideas. | | | | anthropologist's private collection. Disks, scores and |
| - To smoke the best tobaccos in the world, made by | | | | instruments are sold, also some concerts are |
| hand with the leaves of Vuelta Abajo. You can also | | | | presented in the museum saloon. |
| attend to the making of the tobacco in a factory or | | | | CUBAN CUISINE |
| maybe inside of a big hotel, where there are exhibited | | | | The traditional cuisine in Cuba is excellente and it would |
| in parties, authenticate preparations for the tobacco's | | | | be a sin to get lost looking for other inetrnational plates, |
| artists. | | | | proposed in other local. The Cuban culinary art is born |
| - To travel through out the town of Hemingway, a | | | | from the encounter of the precolumbian cuisine with |
| North American writer that lived in the island from the | | | | the African, French, Spanish, English, and the Hindu and |
| 1939 to the 1961 and where he wrote some of his | | | | indonesa. |
| romances. | | | | The result of this is a miracle of the balance. There are |
| GEOGRAPHICAL DATA | | | | fruits very often so as (mango, papaya, avocado,) |
| Located in the Caribbean Sea, Cuba, with a longitude | | | | mainly to accompany salted plates and to form part of |
| of about 1.200 kms and a surface of 110.860 Km., is | | | | the base of cocktails and drinks.It is used a lot the pig |
| the biggest island in the biggest Antilla. It is at about 200 | | | | meat, lots of chicken, mainly in the inside of the country, |
| Km. from the island of Keys and it is close to The | | | | while in the coastal restaurants are intend exquisite |
| Mexican peninsula of Yucatan in and the island of | | | | sea plates: fish, crustaceans cooked in several ways. |
| Hispaniola. More than the main island, The Cuban | | | | The national plate is the "ajiaco" a soup with the help |
| Republic gathers all the isles and islands that surround | | | | of potato, banana, corn, calf meat, Chicken, and dry |
| it. Great part of the Cuban coast is low and sandy, | | | | meat. |
| with numerous bays and areas of lagoons and | | | | Another typical food is the "congri", made with black |
| paludose. Its interior is of plains, interrupted by the | | | | beans and rice cooked all together , accompanied by |
| Sierra de los Organos to the west, the Sierra del | | | | "pig pork cracklings". The "fufú" is on the other |
| Escambray to the center and the Sierra Maestra to | | | | hand a banana puree seasoned with "mojo", a fried |
| the east. Its population is of about 11 million inhabitants. | | | | lightly of oil garlic and cumin. Do not loose teh oportunity |
| Time Zone: -6.0 (summer); -6.0 (winter) | | | | to taste the "Creole lobster" that is nothing else but a |
| Duration of the days 13.5 hours (June); minimum 11.0 | | | | fried lobster with tomato, onions, peppers, spicy pepper |
| hours (December) | | | | and sour orange juice. Among the candies the |
| WHEN TO GO | | | | "boniatillo", made of sweet potato and sugar and the |
| Period better: February, March | | | | "coquito acaramelado" also "la mala rabia" also made |
| Good period: January, April, December | | | | of sweet potato sugra cane sirope, cinnamon and |
| Worse Period: September, October | | | | sweet orange shell. |
| WEATHER | | | | The diffused drink is the coffee, served to the |
| The dry station which is naturally the best period to go, | | | | American way, that is to say not few, and the rum is |
| begins at the end of October and finishes in April. The | | | | pure that serve as base to any prepared swig or the |
| rains station is from April to October, but in these | | | | numerous cocktails so as Cuba Libre, the Rum punk or |
| months precipitations, although are abundant always | | | | Piña Colada. Cuba also produces an excellent |
| occurs in the half-day and for a short period. | | | | beer. The diffused national marks are the Mayabe and |
| What to take | | | | The Lagarto. |
| Without doubts the bathing suit. And then summer | | | | FUN/SHOPPING |
| clothes, shirts and cotton pullouvers, short and long | | | | Who doesn't know the Cuban rum and tobacco, |
| pants. And do not forget besides, the shoes for | | | | known for everyone as best in the world? In the island |
| walking in the afternoons, to take also a pair of | | | | there are lots of opportunities to return home with |
| sandals. | | | | some good music, revolutionary souvenir and why not |
| CULTURE/MUSEUMS | | | | an automobile of the fifty years. |
| City Museum | | | | Tobaccos |
| Address: Plaza de Armas, Havana | | | | The tobaccos or cigarettes are of different sizes, they |
| Schedule: 9.30-18.30 | | | | are sold loose or in elegant wooden boxes. Just to |
| Entrance is paid | | | | see them makes yoy buy them although you are not |
| One of the main museums of histoty and culture of | | | | a smoker, maybe for a beautiful gift. The prices are |
| the isle. It offers a rich exposition ofartistic testimonies | | | | almost half of the prices in Italy. For example a box |
| bengining from the colonial period up to firts years of | | | | with three Montecristo Sigars N.4 costs at about 10 |
| the republic. | | | | American dollars. They can be bought in the stores. At |
| Revolution Museum | | | | Havana in the House of 5a and 16 (5a Ave y 16). In |
| Address: Palacio Presidencial, Calle Refugio, Havana | | | | Santiago in Casa del Tabaco (Ave. Jesus |
| Schedule: 10-17; Saturday up to 18 | | | | Menéndez 730). Pay attention to the |
| Entrance is paid | | | | conservation of the tobacco. An adequate humidity is |
| All that is wanted to know about the myth of the | | | | needed for them. |
| Cuban revolution is exposed in this place, in the | | | | Craft |
| ex-presidential building that housed as last tenant, the | | | | Cuban craft reflex the influence of diverse cultures, |
| dictator Batista up to 1959,documents, registrations and | | | | mainly the African. Many objects are related with the |
| movies on the revolutionary epic poem. | | | | santería, the Afro-Cuban religion diffused per |
| National Museum | | | | excellency in the island. There can be dolls of pieces |
| Address: Calle Trocadero, Havana | | | | and ceramic, masks made of paper maché |
| Schedule: 10-17; closed Tuesday and Wednesday | | | | and wooden sculptures. Puppets of tamarind seeds |
| Entrance is paid | | | | are also made. Pretty hats palm feathers fibers or of |
| The exhibition is divided in several sections. The | | | | knitted coconut. Baskets and bags are also made. In |
| pinacoteca, with linens from Spanish, Englishmen, | | | | old Havana there is the Craft Palace (Calle Cuba 64). |
| Danish teachers, among them stand out | | | | In Santiago in the Craft House (Cathedral Plaza). |
| Velásquez, Murillo, Goya and Turner; the | | | | Foods |
| Egyptian old art collection, grecian and Roman, | | | | The rum is bought obligatorily and the most famous |
| considered the most important in Latin America, the | | | | mark is The Havana Club in several versions: Liquor, |
| gallery dedicated to the Cuban painting from the XVII | | | | the most economic; Carta Blanca 3 years and |
| century to our days, the ceramic collection, and a | | | | particularly used for the cocktails. Carta Oro, 5 years, |
| space for the contemporary exhibitions. | | | | and the most refined matured during 7 years. The |
| Hemingway Museum | | | | precise goes from 4 to 7 American dollars each bottle. |
| Address: San Francisco de Paula, San Miguel del | | | | For adventurers the most valuable rum in Cuba is the |
| Padrón, 12 km from Havana | | | | retained Matusalem, product from Santiago de Cuba |
| Schedule: 9-16; Sundays 9-12.30 | | | | matured during 25 years, it can be around the 15 |
| Entrance is paid | | | | dollars the bottle in Casa del Ron de Obispo y |
| Dedicated to the enthusiasts of North American writer | | | | Bernaza in Old Havana. |