TL;DR

Miami, Florida

• Stay
  • Hyatt Place Miami Airport-East, 3549 NW Le Jeune Rd, Miami, FL 33142
    • Comfortable and convenient to Miami Airport. I hadn’t hit globalist when I stayed here so there was nothing above and beyond, except for some very nice service from the front desk staff!
• Eat/Drink
  • Mamey Miami, 1350 S Dixie Hwy, Coral Gables, FL 33146
    • Let’s just focus on the food and drink – then you can be the judge if you want to come here:
    • A maracuyá spritz before my friend arrived
    • Guava mojito
    • Yellowfin tuna tostones with smoked soy, sesame and lime
    • Croquetas con caviar
    • Bahamian Conch fritters with cilantro aioli and  habanero
    • Mishima Ranch Churrasco with yucca, rainbow chard, and red pepper chimichurri
    • Lemongrass Glazed Grouper with Bok Choy, Heirloom Carrots, Bamboo rice, and this wonderful Thai curry
  • Café Versailles at Miami Airport
    • Get a sandwich to go before you board your flight so you have a snack! Or eat it for breakfast.
  • The Admirals Club at MIA
    • There are two in Concourse D. Our stay was brief – just enough time for a coffee (my dad and sister had arrived on a red eye, I had arrived the previous night and then arisen super early to meet them for our early flight), to use the restroom, and enjoy a light breakfast.
  • The Salty Donut (ordered through Uber Eats)
    • Dude. Order anything and it will be amazing.
  • Bandidos Taqueria (ordered through Uber Eats)
    • The quesadillas were amazing and the tacos were excellent. Order here for a good solid meal!
• See/Do
  • n/a

Havana/Viñales, Cuba

• Stay
  • Ocean View Penthouse (Airbnb), 111 Aguiar, La Habana, Cuba
    • A lovely view of the water, accessible by an elevator (with one small set of steps), and a lovely staff to help out. I would highly recommend staying here! Super close to a lot of things too.
• Eat/Drink
  • Café Dulceria La Peña, Avenida Belgica, Esquina Peña Pobre, Havana Cuba
    • Stopped in for a brief respite from the heat and humidity – a beer and water for Dad, a smoothie for Aimee, and a soda for me.
  • Paladar Doña Eutimia, #60-C, Callejon del Chorro, La Habana, Cuba
    • Charming restaurant at the end of a small alley. Go with any of the following dishes and you won’t be disappointed:
      • Pulpo: octopus with garlic sauce
      • Picadillo a la habanera: a ground beef dish
      • Ropa vieja: shredded beef, and possibly the most famous Cuban dish.
      • Arroz a la cubana: a popular dish of rice with a fried egg and plantains on the side.
      • Tostónes rellenos: stuffed plantains.
  • Buena Vista Curry Club, Calle Tejadillo #24, esq. Calle Cuba, La Habana, Cuba, 10100
    • If you need a change of pace and want live music and curry, come here. Not the greatest food but sufficed!
  • Esto no es un café, 58A Callejon del Chorro, La Habana, Cuba
    • The name of this café is “This is not a café.” Just based on cheekiness alone, we had to eat here.
  • La Vitrola, Calle San Ignacio num.402 entre Sol y Muralla, La Habana Vieja, Cuba
    • Skip this tourist trap.
  • Restaurante Ivan Justo, Aguacate 9, Esquina Chacon Habana Vieja, La Habana Cuba
    • Wow. This is the marquee meal of this trip. Don’t even bother reading this description. Make your reservation and go immediately to Day 4 (April 22, 2023) and read/watch the words while you salivate in jealousy.
  • El Café, #358 La Amargura, La Habana, Cuba
    • Super charming café with a high-quality menu – the pancakes won’t fill you up like American ones will, but the quality will surprise you. Try a sandwich too!
• See/Do
  • The Capitolio, 66 Cienfuegos, La Habana 10200, Cuba
    • The gorgeous capital building will evoke comparisons to the US Capitol but according to its wikipedia page, el Capitolio is “similar to that in Washington D.C, but a meter higher, a meter deeper and a meter longer, as well as much richer in detail.”
  • Barrio Chino
    • Don’t start thinking that Chinatown in Havana is going to have lots of souvenirs or even authentic restaurants. See this article amongst many that tell the story about how there really aren’t many Chinese left in Havana.
  • Malecón
    • See it and move on. It’s beautiful but there’s not a whole lot to *do* here besides watch the sunset and observe young Cubans hanging in pairs or in groups. 
  • Plaza de Armas
    • Not a lot to do here but still quite charming!
  • The Genuine Non Touristy Viñales Valley <also from Viñales>
    • This is really a MUST-DO for anyone coming to Cuba.
  • Hotel Nacional de Cuba
    • Tourist trap with a couple good stories, but if the tunnels out front are closed, most of the draw is not there.
  • Almacénes de San Jose, 110 Leonor Pérez, La Habana, Cuba
    • People will send you here to buy souvenirs, and if you’re looking for almost the same thing in every stall, then you should come here. We were disappointed – and even though I eventually bought some trivets and small items for the family, most of the stuff here felt mass-produced, cheap, and unbecoming of the Cuban people.
  • Plaza Vieja, 4MP2+C22 pollo Jul, San Ignacio, La Habana, Cuba
    • Not a lot to do here but still quite charming! A little touristy but not surprising.
  • Fototeca de Cuba, 307 Mercaderes, La Habana, Cuba
    • A charming gallery featuring a lovely photography exhibit.

Trip Background

One day last year (in 2022), my father was visiting and I half-jokingly asked him if he would want to accompany me to Cuba if I were to return. After all, my 2016 Cuba trip has remained the best trip of my life – and for the simple reasons that I was fully present, not on my technology all day, and had very little expectation of the enriching experience that was to come.

To my surprise, he said he would be interested.

Well, hot damn.

So on New Year’s Eve 2022, I bought three tickets from Miami to Havana around my father’s birthday (April 21) – one for me, one for my sister Aimee, and one for my father Frank. Therein followed several months of discussions about where to stay, what to see and do, and what to expect. We agreed to meet in Miami the morning of the flight and I decided to fly in the night before just in case there were delays.

Day 1 (April 19, 2023)

The adventure began like most trips in the Admirals Club at O’Hare, with a classy breakfast of eggs, gin+club soda, and a coffee. I didn’t really want to volunteer my seat as I had plans to see a friend for dinner but an $825 offer compelled me to raise my hand (I did not actually get selected).

My flight to Miami began with a delay of an hour due to some tire issues on the plane – during which I watched Cunk on Earth, took a quick nap, and reveled in my private time to not focus on other people.

I took an Uber straight to dinner at Mamey Miami with my dear friend Mabel (whom I used to work with at LinkedIn a few years ago). Now I know Miami is a foodie paradise, but recent trips had only been to places like Versailles, the self-anointed “world’s most famous Cuban restaurant.” Mabel recommended this place and seeing the menu made me very excited. The hostess directed me to the front desk to deposit my luggage, and then seated me at the bar while I waited for Mabel to arrive.

I decided to have a maracuyá (passion fruit) spritz while waiting, and it was excellent. You can always tell how fancy a place is (or how much thought has gone into a restaurant/bar) by the little touches. From the water cup being fancier than virtually all of my glassware to the embroidered cloth coaster that was placed my cocktail, I knew I was in for a fabulous meal.

Mabel arrived, we were seated, and then we set upon the menu and the food. This is what I had (some of which we split):

• Guava mojito: I will always opt for guava if it’s available (and ideally it’s fresh – and not the Kern’s variety which will give you type-2 diabetes). Lightly sweet and super refreshing, this cocktail is well worth a try.
• Yellowfin tuna tostones with smoked soy, sesame and lime: From far away, it looks like a cookie covered in sprinkles – and then you realize the tuna is crusted in sesame seeds and it goes amazingly with those tostones.
• Croquetas con caviar: Okay, now you’re just showing off. My wife is obsessed with croquettes and she would be disappointed if I didn’t try these. The caviar was a nice embellishment too.
• Bahamian Conch fritters with cilantro aioli and habanero: Tasty batter and an excellent sauce.
• Mishima Ranch Churrasco with yucca, rainbow chard, and red pepper chimichurri: I expected this to be the star. It was not. It wasn’t even close to the grouper – see next line down.
• Lemongrass Glazed Grouper with Bok Choy, Heirloom Carrots, Bamboo rice, and this wonderful Thai curry: This was the star of the meal. That curry was outstanding.

We declined dessert given how full we were, and I noticed Mamey filling up quickly for its evening service. This is definitely a place to see and be seen – so if that’s your jam, dress up nice and come on out. Or be like me in a polo and jeans and don’t give a damn what others think!

I took an Uber to the Hyatt Place Miami Airport-East to settle in for the night before I took off the next morning for Havana!

Day 2 (April 20, 2023)

Well, one can always count on the State of Florida to punish you unnecessarily.

This time it was a message sent to test the Emergency Alert System at 4:46 AM, which broke the silent mode on my phone to shriek at me. With my pulse racing, I tried to settle back down but it was quite challenging. So I arose slowly and packed my bags so I could get a little breakfast before going to the airport around 6:15 AM.

Arriving at the airport, I tried checking in at a normal check-in counter and was quickly redirected to zone 7 for the Cuba desk. This was a good lesson for anyone who’s heading to Cuba that there is a whole separate section with staff who understand what is needed for travel to Cuba. This is what I did and what you can do:

• There will likely be a big-ass line waiting to check people in. Get in it.
• Fill out the immigration form you will need to enter into Cuba: https://dviajeros.mitrans.gob.cu/inicio
• Make sure you take a screenshot of the final form or download the version they send you since cell service in Cuba is spotty
• Buy the visa from Cuba Travel Service if there’s no line (you can also buy near the gate – Aimee and Dad did this – but I recommend just getting it done as soon as you can)
• Go through security as you would normally

Once through security, I met up with my father and sister who had landed earlier from San Francisco.

We had Cuban sandwiches and café con leche at Café Versailles, giving both Aimee and Dad a change to try their famous sandwiches. We moved to the Admirals club to get checked in and to settle a bit before our flight.

As mentioned earlier, they bought their visas at the gate (there was an agent setting people up with their documents) and the actual flight was short. People forget that Havana is a mere 228 miles away from Miami.

Cuban immigration was pretty easy – just have your pdf for health inspection ready, show your visa and passport, and hopefully you will be through customs and security in less than ten minutes (like we were) – easy peasy lemon squeezy!

We had nothing to declare, and as soon as we walked outside, we met our driver, [name redacted just in case it ever gets back to him]. He walked us away from the terminal then having set us in a convenient place, went to get the car to pull it up alongside the curb. We loaded the bags and were off. I was especially grateful to our Airbnb hosts for arranging this – all we had to do was pay him in cash upon arrival (and in USD since people prefer that).

What followed was a delightful conversation (all in Spanish) between a Cuban national and a Chinese American seeking to understand the world a little better. We talked about what kind of society Cuba had become – Capitalist? Socialist? His response – “a disaster” (un desastre). He talked about how the Cuban government controls the media, and the ability of people to grow beyond their means (i.e. limiting a business to one or two restaurants, but certainly not twenty). I told him stories about how so many Americans are confused about the state of Cuban-American relations and he shared that the embargoes aren’t the problem (like the Cuban government suggests). It’s how they limit the people and artificially restrict so many things…like you can change USD and EUR into Cuban pesos, but not the reverse. The new MLC (moneda libremente convertible) (Cuba’s new digital currency) also cannot be bought with Cuban pesos either. Just fascinating.

We arrived at our Airbnb in Habana Vieja (old Havana) after about 40 minutes and we unloaded our baggage. We were welcomed by Mr. Lopez (who I think was the building manager) and Adonay, who also maintains the place. I knew we had found a nice place and people when my Dad offered both Mr. Lopez and Adonay a small red envelope (a Chinese tradition) with USD $5 in it. Most Americans might not bat an eye at $5, but both Mr. Lopez and Adonay looked at them as if they’d been given a fortune. At a minimum, it was a lovely gesture and I was proud of my Dad for thinking ahead like that.

We knew we needed a few things established first and foremost, which included:

• Money exchange: You need cash in Cuba regardless of where you stay and go. US Dollars may help in some places but exchange in your Airbnb if you can.
  • The official bank rate is 23.99 Cuban Pesos (CUP) to the US Dollar.
  • On the street, you might get 110 CUP’s for a dollar.
  • In our Airbnb, we got 175 CUP’s to the dollar.
  • Don’t ask me why this system exists. I was as baffled as my Dad and sister, even though I’d experienced the previous system in 2016, which featured a two-tiered system with one currency for residents and one for tourists.
• Nearest store: There were several small markets nearby where we could get snacks or water. Most Airbnbs will happily sell you drinks and snacks for a slightly higher rate than on the street so it’s up to you on where/how you want to buy. Convenience won out several times as Dad and I drank beers or Aimee took a soda from the Airbnb fridge (we would settle up at the end)
• Sunday airport: We asked Mr. Lopez, who would become our de facto guide, to set up a ride back to the airport for Sunday and he was happy to oblige.
• Breakfast tomorrow: Because we had to be on the road early, we asked Mr. Lopez and Adonay to prepare breakfast and bring it by at 6:30 AM. Knowing the kind of spread my Cuban host had prepared for me on my 2016 trip to Havana (see Day 3 of that write up),  I expected a lot of beautiful fruit, perhaps some bread and eggs – and the team delivered (see tomorrow for that detail).
• Internet: The world has changed immensely since 2016, and although the reason my previous trip was so amazing was the lack of connection to the internet, I knew we needed some access to data to stay in touch with our host and also to do some of our activities. The hosts provided a hotspot which gave us just enough access to data to stay in touch via WhatsApp and also get around easily.

After checking out the Airbnb a bit more, we set off to explore and began by wandering the streets leading up to the Capitolio. It is just as magnificent as I remembered it – even moreso perhaps because when I was here last in 2016, part of the building was covered in scaffolding (likely maintenance required to keep the building ship shape).

I took Aimee and Dad through the Barrio Chino (Chinatown) and naturally the hawkers by all of the Chinese restaurants tried to get us to go inside. In retrospect, I wish I’d taken them both into one of the restaurants. Not for the food quality (which frankly isn’t good) but because of the experience.

We looped back around and passed the Capitolio again, walking down the Paseo del Prado (the walkway on the Paseo de Marti) and at one point walking past a wedding celebration. We got to the Malecón, Havana’s famed seaside walkway, where Dad needed to sit down because his legs were cramping. I’d forgotten to bring more water (a mistake I wouldn’t make the rest of the trip!)

The highlight of this moment was the car that pulled up on the malecón that honked its horn – which was the Godfather theme. It wasn’t as over the top as this video, but it definitely made me laugh.

With the dehydration setting it, we stopped at Café Dulceria La Peña, a little shop off one of the main roads, for a brief respite from the head and humidity. A beer and a water for Dad, a smoothie for Aimee, and a soda for me.

From here, we decided to walk to the Plaza de Armas – but along the way, something grabbed our attention. The Ornithological Association of Cuba has a small little garden with several birds on display. I can’t find it on Google but if you search for “Homenaje a la Protección de la Flora y Fauna de Cuba,” you should find it on that block.

The Plaza de Armas is a lovely public square, full of life, song and energy. Not only was there a large crowd dancing but I also came across a trumpet player playing “La Vie en Rose,” which is one of my favorite songs in the world. That was a really cool way to end our walk.

After asking Mr. Lopez where to eat, he suggested we dine at Paladar Doña Eutimia (and escorted us there personlly!). This meal was a wonderful introduction to Cuban cuisine for Dad and Aimee. Aimee is a foody and likes trying new things – but Dad is hard to impress. So when they both started singing this restaurant’s praises, I knew we were good.

• Pulpo: octopus with garlic sauce
• Picadillo a la habanera: a ground beef dish
• Ropa vieja: shredded beef, and possibly the most famous Cuban dish.
• Arroz a la cubana: a popular dish of rice with a fried egg and plantains on the side.
• Tostónes rellenos: stuffed plantains.

Cynthia, our server, was super patient in explaining each dish (sometimes in English, which was quite good, other times in Spanish to me). This restaurant is right next to Esto no es un café (where we would eat breakfast on Day 4) and just off the Plaza de la Catedral, a lovely area that is usually humming during the day and was peacefully empty when we left to walk home.

When we returned to the Airbnb, the sun was setting on Havana, which gave me a perfect opportunity to use my new DLSR telephoto lens! The rooftop of the Airbnb was a lovely place to just sit and rest, take photos of the sunset, and relax in peace.

Day 3 (April 21, 2023)

We woke up a little after 6 AM to ensure we had time to eat some of the breakfast that Mr. Lopez and Adonay would be bringing in at 6:30 AM before our day-long excursion to Viñales.

Fruit in Cuba is really magnificent. Fresh, without pesticides or processing – it’s always vibrantly colorful and usually that perfect kind of sweet (not too sweet). I also took some awesome sunrise photos from the roof.

I had heard about The Genuine Non Touristy Viñales Valley <also from Viñales> from my former colleague Ebitie, who had been in Cuba a couple months prior and had recommended this tour. It did NOT disappoint, and if I can connect you to Ernesto and the team, please let me do so.

A van arrived at our Airbnb to pick us up and we proceeded to pick up 10-12 people in total from across Havana before setting off towards Viñales. Our tour guide was a young woman named Patricia, who proceeded to answer all of my Dad’s detailed questions on Cuban history, architecture, and the state of education in Cuba today. Did I mention my Dad is an architect? This is an example of a project he’s worked on.

Patricia revealed to us how strong and refined the Cuban higher education system was – “You have to score 4 or better of 5 to continue in your major” she told us, basically ensuring that those who do graduate in their major have done well and mastered their craft (relatively).

Our first stop was a lookout and a hotel that was under construction, which gave us some incredible views into the Viñales Valley.

After we re-boarded the bus, we passed by a prehistoric mural (which apparently was painted in 1960-64) and then finally disembarked at a little house surrounded by paddies and farmland, where we learned about guarapo (sugar juice), the community in the mountains, and the seba – a sacred tree for Afro Cuban religion.

The tried and true joke that they all operated on Vitamin R (short for rum) made the tourists laugh (including me) – and when they handed each of us a piña colada, made from pina (pineapple), miel (honey), cinnamon, coconut milk, water, and a little powdered milk – I was flabbergasted. It was one of the best things I’ve ever had.

We also learned about the legend of Antonica Izquierdo, a legendary Cuban woman who was said to have cured people with her water and powers.

From there, those of us who opted to ride by horseback (an additional cost which I think is well worth it) saddled up and started walking/riding over to a nearby tobacco farm where we learned about how cigars come to be (it’s one kind of tobacco and in the market, there are 27 brands with different compositions of the three parts of the plant), how the government takes its cut, and what farmers can do with the rest. The pieces of the cigar are la tripa (the filler), the binder, and the wrapper – and not only did we get to smoke our own, but we got to purchase extras for our own usage (my Dad is a smoker so we split a pack to smoke on the trip).

Moving right along, we met Papita and Rene who ran the rest of the tour. They have their own little farm (if I recall correctly, Ernesto – the guy who runs the tours – is related to Papita through marriage). They began with a refreshing citrus drink then they took us down into the caves on their land before bringing us back out for lunch at their home.

We had ropa vieja, vegetable soup, beans and rice, and to my and my Dad’s surprise, they brought out a special little cake with a candle since today was his 76th birthday. I wasn’t sure how they found out but I later learned that Ebitie had messaged Ernesto to let him know that we were celebrating Dad’s birthday – such a lovely gesture!!

We also bought coffee beans that they grew and roasted on-site before getting back in the van and heading back to Havana.

It was an almost 3-hour drive back to the city, and every so often I’d see cars waiting in long lines at gas stations off the main highway. When I asked Patricia, she told me that gas was in short supply and that these drivers could be waiting hours or days to fill up. If there was ever a place that could benefit from solar-powered cars, Cuba is it. A country with little petroleum and lots of sunshine? Sounds like a winner to me.

Upon arriving back home, we decided on a quick dinner and I suggested the Buena Vista Curry Club, an Indian restaurant. Who goes to Havana to eat Indian?

{this guy}

The food wasn’t great but I did enjoy the music and the novelty of eating naan in Cuba.

Day 4 (April 22, 2023)

Our last full day began with breakfast at Esto no es un café (This is not a café!). It’s important to recognize that Cuba doesn’t have a rich breakfast tradition like the French might. The coffee is good, there might be eggs and some light cheeses or meat, but it’s just different than someone from the United States might expect. There are likely no waffles or pancakes but there can be crepes. There might be vegetables. Also another pro tip – use your Cuban pesos to pay these kinds of bills.

2,782 CUP’s was the bill. Divide that by 175 = USD $15.90 vs. the $18.55 they quote you.

After breakfast, Mr. Lopez arranged a taxi to take us to the Hotel Nacional de Cuba (the National Hotel), they’d wait for us to finish, then take us onward to the Almacénes de San Jose (a tourist market). In retrospect, we could have just paid for the ride to the Hotel Nacional and then grabbed any one of the 20 taxis waiting outside and it would have been way cheaper.

The National Hotel is an architectural beauty (one of the rare buildings in Havana to have been well maintained over the years) and there was a conference full of Vietnamese visitors in the hotel when we visited. The history of this place is primarily in the tunnels that cut under the seaside of the building but sadly they were closed and locked when we came here. The only thing we could do was sit in this swinging chair for a bit before we decided to leave. Oh, and we availed ourselves of the resident peacocks, who strutted around beautifully like they owned the place.

We went into the cigar shop in the basement and the shopkeeper wouldn’t sell me a box unless I bought the complete set, which I found both annoying and frustrating (and in retrospect, I should have bought it – just not here).

We headed to the Almacénes de San Jose where we hoped to pick up some souvenirs and in retrospect, I wouldn’t come back here. I bought trivets and a small shoulder bag for my wife (and we had some ice cream) but this place was a tourist trap. Nearly everything in every stall was identical and mass-produced, and the one thing my Dad inquired about (a book) was wildly overpriced.

Our walk away from the market toward the Plaza Vieja did reveal more of Havana’s incredible public artwork and eventually led us to the Fototeca de Cuba, where we got to peruse some incredible photography.

It was now nearly 2 PM and Dad, Aimee and I were getting a little hangry. Seeing La Vitrola, Aimee suggested we stop here and let me be very clear: DO NOT COME HERE.

The Picadero vitrola and Shrimp Ceviche we ordered took forever. We sat down around 1:50 and I didn’t get my drink until 2:13 PM and the food until 2:25 PM. Hanger (hungry+anger) is a bad thing, compounded when you have to wait this long – and the service staff (bless their hearts) were nice but never gave us any updates. They did have really cool records for place settings, but that was pretty much the only highlight. Grouchy but with our hunger now satiated, we returned to the Airbnb for a much deserved nap before dinner.

Now before I begin describing this place (Restaurante Ivan Justo), let me give ALL credit to my sister Aimee for finding this place. Located a short walk from our flat, I did not know what to expect as I did no googling or research prior. My sister has become quite good at finding these kinds of places and in the run up to this trip, I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to plan and identify gems like this.

Arriving outside, the host let us in almost like a bouncer guarding the doors to a club. A walk up a tall set of stairs brought us to a gorgeous seating area (there was also a rooftop, but we’ll get to that):

The photos above are, in order:

1. Entrance
2. The stunning interior
3. We each ordered a cocktail – a Caipirisma (center) for me, the Havana special (left – pineapple juice, rum), and a Daiquiri saborizado (right) for Aimee. Like good bread is an indicator of a forthcoming good meal, good drinks similarly portend a good journey ahead – and boy were we in for an amazing meal.
4. Cream de calabasa (Pumpkin soup): Winner winner chicken dinner. But not chicken. Even Dad the critic (who rarely praises things) was heaping praise upon this item.
5. Ceviche de Pescado (Fish Ceviche): Fresh and tart, beautifully presented.
6. Dumpling de langosta (Prawn dumplings): Probably the only thing that didn’t blow us away – it reminded me of imitation Chinese dim sum.
7. Pollo a la barbacoa (chicken)
8. Lechoncito with purée of sweet potato, taro, potato, pumpkin: Tender pig with epic crispy skin. Our server helped us cut it up given its composition.
9. Us before we devoured the food
10. Four milk tart (made with condensed milk and almonds on top): Just an epic dessert that made my sister speechless.

Not pictured: Daiquiri de pina (pineapple daiquiri)

As we waddled out from the restaurant both full and very satisfied, we decided to wander a bit around our neighborhood and discovered this one block called Calle Peña Pobre, which is a diagonal block that cuts through many of the rectangular lots in the area. Full of bars, restaurants, and shops, I would have loved to have dined or drank here had we not just come from an excellent dinner!

To end the night, we three sat on the rooftop smoking cigars and drinking beers. What a nice relaxing end to our trip!

Day 5 (April 23, 2023)

We woke up and decided on one last breakfast before we headed to the airport. I found a place called El Café (quite a contrast to Esto no es un café) and I found this place to be idyllic. A beautiful old building and an interior to match with tall ceilings, columns, these gorgeous tiles on the floor and artwork on the walls – this is the kind of place I could have spent an entire day. There’s even a charming open air courtyard in the back which looks to be surrounded by apartments or units up above.

And now for the food.

We quickly returned to our apartment and met up with Mr. Lopez and Adonay to settle up on the drinks we’d taken from the house fridge (9 beers = $18, 1 tonic = $2, 1 Coke = $2, and 5 waters = $5) for a grand total of USD$27 and then settled up on the mobile broadband device ($5 + 1500 pesos). Honestly it was so reasonably priced that I cannot say enough about the conveniences of having the drinks in the unit and the portable wifi card. If you stay in our unit, feel free to do both.

As we packed up, we were treated to a beautiful sight of a large three-masted ship pulling out of the harbor. It was an incredible thing to watch in slow motion.

We brought our bags downstairs, said goodbye to the staff, and took a cab the 35 minutes from Havana Vieja to Jose Martí Airport. It only took us about 10 minutes to get checked in and through security. We bought a few items on the airside of security (coffee) a mere two hours later we were landing at Miami airport.

When I went through global entry, I was surprised to discover it is now paper free. The camera captures your face and then the agent calls you by name. He waved me through and I was on my way. Damn! I bid Dad and Aimee farewell as they headed to their connecting flight and I grabbed an Uber back to the Hyatt Place Miami Airport-East.

I took the one night of solo-cation to watch the last two episodes of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 (the ones in which all Star Trek fans were hooting and hollering) and to order in some junk food.

Specifically I got food from The Salty Donut and Bandidos Taqueria (both ordered through Uber Eats). Now did I *need* both donuts AND mexican food? No. But did I get it? Absolutely. The tacos and quesadilla were excellent and the donuts made for a sweet ending (plus a good breakfast the next day).

The views from the hotel also provided ample opportunity to watch flights taking off from Miami airport – and that was a really neat way to end the day.

Day 6 (April 24, 2023)

This is more like a half day or a quarter day. I’d arranged for an early Monday morning flight thinking I didn’t want to rush – but I also thought that I’d have a few hours at Miami airport with my dad and sister before they connected to San Francisco. Well two things happened – I didn’t have a ticket for Sunday so I wouldn’t have been able to connect as they did. And also even if I had, I wanted a night to decompress solo. Which is good as my wife left on a four day work trip almost the exact moment I got home – so the time to rest helped me take on that week.

I grabbed an Uber and arrived at Terminal E at Miami Airport, which is normally for international flights. Getting through security was a breeze as I have Clear and Pre-Check – but the information I found online about when security opens was wrong. I went through at 4:45 when everything online says 5 AM.

If you fly early through terminal E, just be aware that the nearest admirals club is a ten minute walk away and does not open til 5:30 AM. As a result, I spent the morning in the Turkish Airways lounge having a coffee before I boarded my flight. I was lucky enough to get upgraded to first class (which came with a nice breakfast) and upon landing, I Ubered home just in time to give my wife a kiss before she went on her business trip.

Final Thoughts

In Cuba, you don’t have any place to be. You’re not always reachable. The sun rises, the sun sets and everything in between is beautiful. The warm Caribbean salty sea air washes over you, like the tide laps against the shore. You see examples of people living a good life all around you. If there could be a song whose lyrics could be co-opted to represent the spirit of the Cuban people, it would be Hakuna Matata.

Now I am not naïve to think the Cuban people have no worries – that first conversation with the taxi driver made that very clear. I get that there are worries, and that people have difficult situations on the island, but there was a persistent positivity that I loved seeing and feeling from every person we met.

This was a trip in which I genuinely worried, “Will going back spoil it?” I had this impression of Cuba from my previous trip to Cuba in September 2016 – a time in which life was so wildly different. My then-girlfriend and I were soon to be married (a month later). We had no kids, no house, no cars, and different lives we lived in San Francisco (compared to our lives in the Chicago suburbs we have now).

But — spoiler — going back did not spoil anything. This trip was not better or worse. It was just different. Different participants (adding Dad and Aimee), different time in my life – but that soul and core of Cuba was still as lovely as ever. I look forward to returning again one of these days…perhaps with Caitlin and the kids.

P.s. I forgot to bring a lens holster or small backpack – if you plan on going and doing any photography, don’t forget to bring these! And if you want some ideas on what to bring with you, watch this video: