We are Jasper and Barbara and we created this website as a means to inspire anyone who likes to travel the same way we do. We prefer to travel low budget, staying in guesthouses and taking public transport.

While we love nature and mountains a city with a good antique market, book shops, brutalist architecture and local food is just as high on our list.

The images you see are our view on the places we have seen and the people we have met.

about

1 week

21.05.2023 ---- 27.05.2023

CUBA IS IN an economic low when we are there. Our breakfast is stale bread with a tiny piece of tasteless butter, the markets are half-empty and there were hardly any cars on the way to Valle de Viñales. Bicycles and horse drawn carriages occupy the highway instead. But still, the people are warm, the breezy streets of Havana remain an architectural treasure trove and the Caribbean charm remains.

cuba

2+2 days

Havana

2 days

Valle de Viñales

itinerary

01

Capital

Havana

02

Population

11.2 million

03

Location

Caribbean

04

Area

110 thousand km²

highlights

Havana's architecture

Havana is a colourful mix of imported architectural styles from Spanish-colonial to Soviet. I did not find an architectural tour of offer but if you come prepared, a taxi-driver will happily drive you to Havana's gems. And if he's chatty, you will discover what university diploma he obtained and discuss how the country has changed over the years

Hike in Valle de Viñales

Hiking the Valle de Viñales gives a wonderful insight in rural Cuba. The valley is dotted with mogotes and white wooden farms. The occasional cowboy accompanied by a cute dog passes you by while oxen draw ploughs make their way through the red earth. In May our snack was the abundantly mango "chupeta" that you squeeze and suck.

Cayo Jutías

A 2-hour drive from Viñales, this mangrove beach is an ideal daytrip. Our lunch was a delicious grilled lobster, freshly caught by hand by locals who approached us while we walked along the turquoise waters.

Walking Havana

There is no better way to experience Havana than to walk its streets. While a gentle breeze fills the city's grid design you might see a shoemaker read highbrow literature, a chess tournament or locals standing in line waiting for their rations. During sunset walk along the Malecón and it's crumbling colonial buildings, endlessly fighting the elements. Here People gather to socialize or to catch fish to feed their families. At night people dance on the streets and open their doors and windows so you can follow whatever telenovella is on tv.