I learned from an Aussie friend that nearly half of the Cubans living in Old Havana were staying in residences unfit for humans. On the last touring day we stepped off the main roads and saw a very different sight. The houses were so disgusting and broken down. I couldn’t believe people were actually living there. I instantly became grossed out and didn’t want to eat or drink anything from there. I’ve worked in restaurants before and could only imagine what the kitchens looked like. Gross. You can tell at one point the buildings were really beautiful but it’s been years since they’ve had new paint or work done. They’re all washed out and the concrete is crumbling. There are residences with very narrow staircases where the first floor is all dirty and inhabited then you look up and see laundry hanging out the second and third floor windows. We passed a block that looked abandoned and dirty then a couple doors down, a furnished house with working TV. A bunch of kids were playing volleyball in a square amongst more dilapidated buildings and half of them had no shoes on. It made me sad to see a place I though was so beautiful was really a shell of what it once was. So many stories and photos from differnt stuff. I’ve got cuban cars, food, style, travellers, music and more all written and I just need to post them. I would have taken week to do it there! I really enjoyed learning about life there.

I’m having a blast. Staying at a five star called Hotel Nacional de Cuba Not internetting very much cause it’s so freaking slow and painful. Figure I’m better to save myself the trouble and drink pina colada’s in the sun. Best pina’s here EVER! Old Havana is so neat. I took about 8,000 photos walking around. Saw a cool show last night with musica & dancing. That’s all for now…back outside to the sunshine! Have a great day, I am 🙂

We were going to take a tour around Havana with our driver and check out the sights. It’s our natural city way to want to do stuff. Instead, as we should we relaxed, stayed around the hotel and hung out. We walked throughout some residential streets looking at homes and cars. Honestly, coolest cars here, so many from the 40’s and 50’s I just had to ring Dad. We found this little restaurant called Bom Appetit. It wasn’t the easiest to find but when we did it was in the back of someone house. It had a really neat wood fireplace and the pizza I had may have been the best one ever. After, I had my first tanning session at the resport pool. The water was cold, the sun was hot and the mohito’s tasted like a dream. I love the sun! They were setting up a stage for a show the next night, Christmas eve. I’m constantly amazed at the smoking indoors. It’s totally foreign to me after all the strict smoking laws in Canada. I’d like to get up early tomorrow and go for a walk in the sun. I’m so excited to be here for Christmas. We’re thinking about traveling around to Santa Clara or Trinidad. Wooooooo hooooo!

There’s a Cuban hot shot on my plane sitting diagonally behind us in First Class. I’m not sure what exactly he does but judging by the dated yet very high tech HD camcorder and 21” Toshiba on his lap, I imagine its something to do with film or entertainment. He’s wearing Prada glasses and sitting beside a glamour lady with heaps of gold jewelery and makeup. She is clipping his cuticles in their seats while one of the attendants dotes on him. They are first to get drinks up here. I have some type of Cuban orange pop that is $2 (even first class!). She feeds him a mixed drink with a straw while chomping on chips. A male flight attendant watches the camcorder with ear plugs and continuously laughs his head off. I’m working on interview questions for features on Techvibes and Ad Girl. They’re gonna come out just before Toronto Life’s February issue containing my photo. I know it’s going to be a good year, 2010, I can feel it in my bones. I look over, the in-flight manicure continues. He was obnoxious and we tried to guess who he was. Before exiting the place in Havana I asked an attendant, turns out, he’s a famous Cuban comedian. How funny. Not. I’ve got so many photos to upload but I don’t know the internet situation there. I prey for free wi-fi everywhere [fingers crossed]. The air is warm, the sun is setting, and I’m in Cuba for Christmas. OMG.

Holy taxi cabs! I arrived last night at about 8. Took me just as long to fly here as it did to get through traffic to my hotel in Manhattan. I saw the Rockafeller Tree, it’s beauty! I’ve not done any exploring or hunting for style yet, that’s today. There’s a nasty storm on the way and we’re a little worried we wont make it out tomorrow. Stating tucked inside the hotel, insulated concrete forms to keep us safe from the nasty that mother nature is about to bring on. We’ve got a Monday afternoon flight to Cuba that CAN NOT be missed. I’m not too worried, actually, not at all. Ok, breakfast & shopping time. Have a great day!

This is me today… I’m heading to New York tomorrow and excited. I’m also a bit nervous and having anxiety. I’ve never been to NY and i’m flying porter there all by myself then I have to take a taxi to our hotel. I know everything will be fine but I can’t help but feel the nerves kicking in.  I’ve got two suitcases, one for NY and one packed for Cuba on Monday. I’m very lucky to be going but i’m feeling the pressure to get lots of stuff done for work and blog and pack and family/christmas stuff.  Plus, Blackberry emails are not coming through and twitter replies are slow, adding to the anxiousness. In other news, I’ve decided to sell the Bell Google Android phone.  If you want it, tell me, I posted it here. Take a deep breath…I’m so ready for the beach.

I’ve spent the last couple days at Caesars Casino. It’s quite a sight. The carpets in casino’s are a real piece of work. You may not have really thought about it or noticed before, but you should.  He who designs casino carpets must be out of this world or on some really good drugs. Windsor is a bit of a crummy looking place. It’s not nearly as shiny and bright as Toronto, however, they’ve got a nice bar of you like strippers. Babe alert, saw a few hotties. No photos, I wish. Sorry. Got hassled at the border as I’m using my new Zealand passport. Not fun. US Border Patrol now has my finger prints and nice smiley photo of me. I was shocked and kind of appalled of the huge fist in Detroit. What is the significance of it? PLEASE tell me. Oh thanks Internet…It’s a 24-foot bronze fist, which is poised as if to strike, honors legendary boxer (and Detroit native son) Joe Louis. [Dear God, please, please let me have a better statue that a big fist to remember me by if I ever have have one. Thank you.] The artist is really a comedian I think. I enjoy going  through tunnels. I always think about movies where people get trapped in them and it gets all dramatic and stuff. I said “oh, I’d hate to get trapped in here” and then the next day, coming back to Canada, we hit traffic in the tunnel. It wasn’t scary though. The nav system showed us as in the middle of the water, that was a little scary. haha. That’s all for now.