Wanderings onward: Cuba - Random sights around Havana

Well, it's taken me a bit longer than I anticipated to get around to posting again about Cuba. I know you've all been on tenter hooks awaiting the next post. Many distractions. It's hectic being on vacation.

My first days in Havana, in fact all my days, were spent browsing around the neighbourhoods, visiting the attractions and historic sights of this city of just over 2 million. Here are some photos and videos of some of what I saw.

La Catedral de la Virgen María de la Concepción Inmaculada de La Habana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDYOSkoxgoE

Turning a buck with the Dachsies

Enjoying the sights

Strong police presence in Havana. Generally helpful and friendly. And honest.

Architectural diversity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_de_la_Real_Fuerza

A great band. Wish I'd recorded more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG6H-yWhKh4

Among the major attractions in Havana are the forts on the hill across the bay from the old town at the mouth of the harbour, built to protect Havana from raids. The most well known one is Castillo De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morro_Castle_(fortress) The one I visited is the Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña known as La Cabaña, less well known and less touristy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Caba%C3%B1a I had my first experience of public transit to get there. Most locals seem to use the car share system: flag down a car, usually one of those old American beaters, and pile in with others going in the same direction. But there is also a bus system that uses big Chinese-made articulated buses. They cover a large part of the city in a big loop but there aren't many different routes. After a considerable wait, one arrived and it was like the Mexico City subway at rush hour: a packed bus arrives and you just push your way in. Fortunately it was a short ride through a tunnel that is the only route across the harbour. This is not the customary way for tourists to get to the forts, or anywhere for that matter. In fact, I never saw another foreigner use the bus and I sometimes got weird looks from the other riders.

There was no indication of how to get to the forts so I asked a woman who'd gotten off the same bus and she took me along with her and pointed out the way.