Our Man In Havana

On most Mondays, in addition to coming up with photos for the daily newspaper and the Paradise section, I start sifting through two decades of Cuba photos, trying to find something to write about. This week, though, I’m doing this in reverse due to current events, and in keeping with tradition, I will do my[…]

Last week, I mentioned that as much as I enjoy finding things on my own, there is still at least one guide book close at hand whenever I’m off the tourist track, which is quite often. Of course, one must take with a grain of salt what is written, as things can change so quickly[…]

Like most people, I love stumbling upon or into cool things on my own, but that doesn’t mean I leave the guide books at home, particularly 15-20 years ago. Back then, long before cellphones and GPS, navigating Cuba, especially beyond the well-worn tourist loop, was quite the challenge. It seems crazy now, but armed with[…]

This week, I am introducing a disclaimer to my weekly “Our Man in Havana” column. I try very hard to be accurate and part of the often-times grueling, two to four hour process is cross-referencing facts. As most of us know, the internet, while amazing, can be not much more than an echo chamber. I[…]

Last week, I write somewhat negatively about the Cuban cities of Cienfuegos and Trinidad and was approached a few times on the street for clarification. The upshot was that Trinidad is beautiful, historic and all that, but such a drag when you have to “give the hand’” to street urchins every 10 feet, and there’s[…]

Not long after my first trip to Cuba in 1999, I knew I had found “my place,” and I had to see as much of this country as possible. Has it cost me a not-so-small fortune? Has it been worth every peso? Si, senor. And while anyone can have a great time in Havana, there’s[…]

I’ll use any excuse to print a “Mick in Cuba” photo on this page from time to time. The Rolling Stones have always been my favorite band and to see them in an historical setting on an island I love was nearly too good to be true. But this week, as we brace for more[…]

A few years ago, huge panels of sheet metal went up at the intersection of the Prado and the Malecon, and rumors swirled about a new, luxury hotel that would offer stunning ocean views just across the harbor from the Morro Castle. The construction has taken longer than expected, but the “SO/Havana Paseo del Prado”[…]