Back to Havana. Cuban chronicles. Day 15 (the last one).

It's time to get back to Havana, and I have this bittersweet sensation. I mean, I'm more than happy to go back, but I'm sad because this means our trip is ending, and I'm not a fan of goodbyes.

But before, as usual, it's time for the breakfast talk with our hostesses. This is one of my favorite moments of the day, in all of the places we've been. These moments of quality time and intimacy makes us know Cuba as much as walking its streets or even more. The everyday stories of common people are more precious to me than any monument.

Our daily hostesses are a retired social worker and a doctor, imagine all of the stories they have to tell. I could spend days listening to them, but the urge of getting to Havana is stronger.

Matanzas province is famous for having A LOT of bridges, and getting to the border with Mayabeque province, we ran into this vast landscape, one of those you can't make justice to with the camera. We made a stop there, it was Bacunayagua bridge and a good surprise.

Bacunayagua bridge in the inmense landscape.

After, we got lost in the way into Havana that didn't have good signaling and we also didn't know how we ended up in a huge roundabout we had never passed by when going to Santa María del Mar...taking the same road. Thankfully, this lady helped us getting out of the mess. I'm so thankfull for the locals and their good disposition to help, always. Well, we finally made it to the tunnel and Malecon Avenue and went to our house in Old Havana. We took a break while we waited to return the car and then ran to the crafts market. There, we went separate ways and arranged a meeting point and time, so each one of us could see and buy whatever we wanted. The real challenge was the luggage tetris we had to do after because we got so many stuff, even musical instruments I don't know how to play but I try anyway. But enough of getting things ready. It's our last night in Havana, it's time to live it to the fullest.

Back home. That's what apartment 301 of 113 Acosta St. feels like.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I got back to my notebook past midnight and after so many Cuba Libres. About 8pm we started our night. The plan was a classic, having drinks at La Bodeguita and after that we'd go to La Vitrola, our favorite restaurant, for dinner. However, we had just started walking when I heard it. It was her vocie, the one that drove me mad our first night in Havana and I hadn't found again. I ran (yes, I ran) the half a block between me and the restaurant to check if it was true, and it was. I was so happy, it was like a movie-like miracle. Well, with this unexpected turn of events, La Bodeguita had to wait for a while. I felt as if I was seeing the Stones, beacuse trust me, Yuni Goris' voice gives you goosebumps, my eyes even got wet while listening to Bachata Rosa (whaaaaat? yes, that voice is everything). Of course, today I did not only buy a cd, I bought the two they were selling. And, the good news is that you can find them on Spotify.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buno3vnCsls

My apologies for the poor video quality. Between the emotions and the rum I couldn't do much more.

When they took a break we headed off to La Bodeguita trying to get rid of restaurants' promoters we found on the way. More music, more rum, my father and his idea of me taking home with me a glass of the bar as I used to do in my home town -but I didn't-, dancing in the street there and outside other restaurant where Roberto Faz'orchestra was playing and where dad was a hit and many couples joined him in the street dancing.

This dancing was started by my dad, just so you know.

We finally made it back to La Vitrola for dinner, and to keep listening to Caracol de La Habana.

I'm told that there's a guy on my back that's watching me. Slowly, he got close and without saying a word he stole a chip from my plate. My instant reaction? Yelling "JOEY DOESN'T SHARE FOOD!". He laughed, he got the joke. See? once more I can say that there's a Friends'reference for every moment. The closure for a perfect night was wen I finished my last glass of Cuba Libre and found a heart in the bottom of it. Thinking about it, it must be the piece of mine that stayed in Havana.

The perfect goodbye with Havana. Poetic, isn't it?

*You can read the original version of this post in Spanish here.