"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving."
I was over joyed to spend the day with two English speakers after primarily spending my days with people who only spoke Spanish. Lucas is 19 years, from Denmark and is traveling solo as well. We decided to travel together to Trinidad the following day by bus.
Ice cream is by far my all time favorite food. I had heard about this amazing ice cream place from one of the employees at my casa called Coppelia. Apparently for only 5 CUP, a little less than .25 cents you could get a huge bowl with 6 scoops of ice cream. A little side note, CUP is different from CUC. CUP are Cuban pesos, the national money that is to only be used by Cubans. There are roughly 24 CUP to 1 CUC. Tourists use CUC and generally pay more for things.
Well we all have to get sick at least once in a foreign country and I did…
I met up with my friend Tim to go to the beach and all the sudden my stomach started to ache with pains. Thank god we were close to a hotel so I could use their bathroom. Bathrooms are hard to come by in Cuba, they are always usually missing a toilet seat, toilet paper, soap and sometimes even running water. Make sure to always carry toilet paper on you and use hotel bathrooms because they’re sure to have the most amenities.
I thought I could walk it off but it just started to get worse and worse. My doctor had prescribed me some medicine in case this happens. I had left some items with my Couchsurfing host in Mexico City because I had too many things to carry and of course I stupidly I left those pills.
I met a new Cuban friend named Enzo who told me about an Afo-Cuban place that had free live music on Sundays, Callejón de Hamel. It’s located on San Lazero right by the Centro Habana hospital. I went during the middle of the day in the hot blazing sun to check it out.
I spent the first part of my day doing my favorite thing, wandering the streets until I get completely lost. However, this time I didn’t have the help of google maps.
Welcome to Cuba. Home of famous cigars, the best rum in the world, and the land of old cars. Welcome to the place that isn’t in a hurry to do anything – meeting times are more of a suggestion and nothing is done in a logical way. But for some reason – I love this place.
My last few days in Mexico City have been full of sightseeing and walking – lots and lots of walking.
I have been spending my days with a new friend named Cinthia. She contacted me before my trip through Couchsurfing. Cinthia has some experience traveling alone, so she reached out to offer her help.
I had mentioned to Cinthia that I wanted to go to a Mexican karaoke bar. I love karaoke back home and wanted to see what it was like here. Her friend Wen picked us up and took us to a swanky karaoke bar full of 20-something-year-olds all dressed to impress. I felt like a Grandma with how much clothing I was wearing and I wasn’t wearing that much.
I woke up starving – probably from all the walking we had done the day prior. I set out to find a delicious meal of street food for breakfast. My morning routine has been to get street food for breakfast from a different location each time and then wander around until I get lost. Thank god for Google maps.
I fell in love with travel at the age of 22. I impulsively purchased a ticket to Guatemala and signed up to volunteer at an orphanage. I went knowing nothing about the culture, what to expect, or who was picking me up from the airport. I left it all up to chance and the trip ended up being one the best months of my life. I realized two things about myself while in Guatemala – I love travel and I love Latin American culture.
When I returned home, I made a vow to myself that one day I would backpack from Belize to Brazil. Fast forward six countries over seven years, and my love for travel and Latin culture has not changed. However, I still have not accomplished the goal I set for myself those many years ago. The “right companion” or the “right time” always made for suitable excuses. Read More
Where is Lydia? 