Go to Cuba! Check out 11 curiosities about Havana
1 - Havana has not always been situated where it is today. When the city was originally founded in the 16th century, it was originally in a marshy area off the south coast of Cuba, and was moved to its present location on the north coast of the island a few years later;
2 - Every evening at 9 am sharp, around 1, 000 people (including tourists and local residents) gather in front of La Forteleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña to watch el cañonazo - a ceremony that begins 20 minutes earlier with the parade of a military guard and culminates with the firing of a cannon;
3 - One of the most visited places in Havana is the San Cristóbal Cathedral. Located in the old town, the church was designed by Italian Francesco Borromini, has a baroque exterior and a classic interior, and was built by the Jesuits in the 18th century;
4 - Another popular place is the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. Built by two US companies, the 5-star establishment has influences from neoclassical, Art Deco, neo-colonial, Hispanic-Moorish, and Californian architectural styles, and maintains a collection of photos from famous guests such as Walt Disney, Frank Sinatra, Arnold. Schwarzenegger, Mohammed Ali and Steven Spielberg;
Speaking of distinguished guests, Ernest Hemingway actually stayed for seven years at the Hotel Both Worlds, more precisely in room number 511, where he wrote the novel "Whose Bells Bend" in the 1930s;
6 - Hemingway also had preferences with respect to the places where he sipped his drinks. A sign hanging on La Bodeguita Del Medio bears the phrase (supposedly written by him) My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita - or “My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita”, in free translation;
7 - In the old part of the city there is a bronze statue that pays homage to a man named José María Lledín who roamed the streets of Havana and became incredibly popular. He eventually became known as El Caballero of Paris - although he was Spanish, from Galicia - and today, it is believed that touching the figure can attract luck. By the way, they say that rubbing your beard brings prosperity and touching your finger guarantees the return to Cuba;
8 - In 1964, Fidel Castro banned Beatles songs in Cuba. But the heart of El Presidente must have softened, because in 2000 a park in honor of Lennon was opened in Havana, and there is even a statue of the British there. The glasses, of course, are real and used to be stolen all the time - until a retiree decided to take on the role of guardian of the accessory and only put them in place when tourists approach;
9 - Havana Club is not the name of a picturesque club in the city, but the most famous rum in Cuba. The drink even has a museum especially dedicated to it, which is in the old part of the Cuban capital in an 18th century colonial mansion. Visitors can see what the production is like, from the construction of oak barrels to the rum distillation process - entitled to tasting in the end!
10 - See the irony: There is a café in Havana called Museo del Chocolate that, as you can imagine, includes the delight in almost every menu item. The address of this place? Amargura Street - or Amargura Street;
Speaking of treats, one of the most popular places in Havana is the Coppelia ice cream shop. It was inaugurated by Fidel Castro himself after he tasted all the ice cream flavors that were sent to him - in 28 containers in Canada. El Presidente decided to set up a factory with machines brought from the Netherlands and Sweden, and in 1966, Fidel opened the ice cream shop and put his private secretary, Cecilia Sanchez, to run the business.
* Posted on 3/30/2016
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