This is a guest post by my friend Andi Perullo from My Beautiful Adventures.
I am an adrenalin junkie like no other! This trait was developed several years ago and must now be satiated constantly. So, if you add my fascination with Cuban history and politics, my crush on Che, my love for mojitos and all things Latin WITH being told that I am not allowed to legally enter the country; well, I could not have designed a better place to get my adrenaline fix in, nor to celebrate my 25th Birthday, than La Habana, Cuba.
The trip itself was a dream-come-true, but one of the most memorable parts of the whole trip was spending my Birthday at Playa del Este, or the East Beach in Spanish. It is only about a 20 minute and $5 taxi ride from downtown La Habana.
As I walked over the sand dunes and in the direction of the ocean the sight of the crystal blue waters took my breath away! I will never become jaded with the Caribbean. The beach is long and wide, with white soft sand and warm gentle water.
Throughout most of Cuba you will encounter a separation between tourists and locals. That type of segregation was really unsettling and bothered me the entire trip. And while the beach definitely had a clear distinction between the two, I chose to be amongst the locals on my visit there. I am so glad that I decided to “break the rules,” because it made the experience that much more unforgettable.
Surrounding the beach are numerous restaurants and bars, however my favorite place for a snack was the popular ice cream stand that always had a line.
I revisited Playa del Este once more on my last day in Cuba. It was the perfect place for me to reflect on my trip. The island was full of life and desperation at the same time. Surrounded by tropical heat, the beat of salsa music, dilapidated architecture, and the constant presence of political unease; in Cuba I had the constant feeling that something was just about to occur, because in a place so full of uncertainty the only thing that was for sure was that something inevitably would happen!
About the Author:
Andi is a Chinese Medicine Doctor/Travel Writer and Photographer who is exploring life and the world one beautiful adventure at a time. You can follow her around the world at My Beautiful Adventures or on Twitter @andiperullo.
I would love to go to Cuba… Perhaps one day it will be an option. Until then, we have Andi’s photos…
Fingers crossed you get there soon and don’t have to live vicariously through my so-so photos haha!
Maybe one day, we will get the chance to go to Cuba as well. Thanks for sharing our experiences Andi!
I hope you can get there too! Glad you enjoyed my guest post
I’m also looking forward to visit Cuba, especially since I love it’s colonial architecture and culture. Thanks Andi for giving us a peek of Cuba!
Great guest post, I really need to get to Cuba before to opens up to the States.
Ayng, I think you better hurry up, as some airports will be opening direct flights to Cuba in the next couple months. I do want to go there too before it gets flooded by tourists.
Yes, you MUST go!!! Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.
Hey Andi! Congrats on the guest post
That pink car is really retro. Lol. Is that a local’s car? The beach photos are stunning too:) I really miss hitting the beaches. Great write btw!
How cool is that car, eh?!
Thanks so much, I loved writing the post! Cuba is a lot of fun to write about! And yep that was a local’s car.
OMG! the beach are so beautiful.The clean water and the sand.It would be heaven to go to this place.Thanks for the info.