We are now heading to the final square on our Old Havana walking tour. As we walk through an alleyway, we pass by this mysterious looking face on the wall of Casa del Marqués de Arcos. Once a mansion, it was transformed into Havana’s main post office in the mid-19th century. You’ll spot a few faces along the wall used for mailboxes. Directly across from Casa del Marqués de Arcos is a mural done by a Cuban artist depicting 67 of Cuba’s historical…
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Our trip down yet another colonial style alleyway led us from Plaza Viejo to Plaza de Armas (Square of Arms or Weapons). Along the route, we passed by Hotel Ambos Mundos. This hotel once welcomed actors, actresses, writers and many American tourists. It is highlighted on the tour, as it was home to author Ernest Hemingway for seven years. That’s right; he rented a room on the fifth floor for $1.50 per night. Just think, if you were to visit Havana…
Our tour continued from San Francisco Square through the alleyway below to Plaza Vieja (Old Square). Before reaching the square, we passed by Havana’s oldest aqueduct, constructed in the 16th century. It was built to supply water to the city residents and harbor. We continued down the path to Plaza Vieja, which ironically is quite new due to a recent restoration bringing it back to its former glory. It was one of my favorite squares because of the vibrant colors and detailed…
As I began to write this blog post, I realized the wealth of information (and photos) I walked away with, so I decided to break up my Cuban adventure into various blog posts. I'll begin at square one, Plaza de San Francisco, the first of four historic squares we visited on our city tour.…