Today was sightseeing day with Pedro, so we caught a taxi particular to Habana Vieja. (I also updated yesterday with what happened in the evening.)

We walked from the Capitolio to a catholic church, were Pedro bought me some mariposas (means butterfly). They are the national flower of Cuba, small white and they smell absolutely gorgeous. He told me that lovers used to hide messages inside the stem, and that it was also used in wartimes to hide information in.

The area we walked through was one of the poorer of the city, Pedro said, and they had added floors in the old stately homes to accomodate more people, but it was not very safe and sometimes the buildings collapsed.

We visited the Plaza Vieja, which for some mysterious reason has an Austrian brewery, and a Paul&Shark shop, which was a bit odd. There is also a viewpoint where you can see the city, and a camera obscura, which shows you pretty much the same but with lenses projecting the city on white canvas.

We looked inside many of the buildings, which all have beautiful patios (but after about ten of them, they start to blend into another).

Then we went to Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, where there is a convent (now a museum) and a small Greek orthodox church. The most popular religion is still catholicism in Cuba, though it often gets mixed up with elements from the old gods from the black slaves that came to Cuba. Saints in catholicism are often linked to the gods of Santería, and lots of Cubans actually pray to both.

There were a few girls in Cinderella gowns, celebrating their 15th birthday, and proud mums and dads taking photos. Also popular was the statue of the Beggar of Paris, who would roam the streets of Habana Vieja. He would not accept money, but would go to dinner with you if you invited him and would write you an official thank you note afterwards. He got a bit crazy towards the end of his life and thought he was some sort of nobleman.

We visited the Coche Mambí, an old train with the personal quarters of the first president of Cuba (I forgot his name) which was quite cool. We also drank ´Guarapo´which is juice from sugarcane, which is then pressed. Very sweet of course, but refreshing.

After that, there was no rest for the wicked. Salsa was good, but I felt a bit sorry for Yoyi as she was suffering from neck pains and she shouldn´t really have danced that much.

Jolanda and I went to have an ice cream at Coppelia (which is the most famous ice cream parlour in Cuba). It has a peso building and a dollar kiosk, but unfortunately the peso building was closed. A Cuban man and his wife were very disappointed as they came especially to taste Coppelia ice cream. Well, we had a dollar one and it tasted absolutely gorgeous.

On the way back I bumped into Frank (short for Francisco). He told me about a concert and would I like to come. He also asked me if I had just arrived as I was not red. I suppose he must see a lot of lobster red tourists around.