Cuba 9: Saturday afternoon (Photo dump of sightseeing on our own)

We had four hours to ourselves! We took a cab from the Hotel Nacional to the Capitol to walk around. All along one of my goals was to show Don where I stayed last time. I also wanted a daiquiri at El Floridita, where Hemingway drank. It was a hot day, so having a cold drink in air conditioning was welcome.

But first, a stroll around the capitol.

I saw others taking this picture and
asked Don to take one, too.

Their capitol is a meter taller than ours
-- a fact we heard several times

This was the biggest surprise to me. The Havana race started in front of the historic buildings that were here at the time. I wonder what they plan to do with the space.

These buildings are still here. 

We walked through Capitol Plaza admiring the old theater. Other than Buena Vista Social Club, we did not see any shows on this trip. 

I was surprised how much I remembered from my 2015 trip. I took Don directly to the Plaza Hotel without making any mistakes. After walking around the lobby, I led him to El Floridita for a cold drink and people watching.

Theater

Hotel Plaza

Hemingway's bar

Live music wherever we went

For $9 (total) we each had a drink in a tourist trap.
I went with the Papa Hemingway Daquiri.
Don had the non-alcoholic limonade.

It was nice to spend part of the hot afternoon indoors. Our best move was changing to a table against the wall when someone freed the space. This gave us a protected space to watch as the room became more and more crowded. It seemed an American tour group walked through to see the famous place. They paused, but did not seem to stay long enough for a drink.

We probably could have lingered longer, but I was antsy to see Old Havana and take pictures.

Unfortunately, as we stood still to line up shots we were often asked for money. It made us realize how much we have and how little others have. At no point did we feel threatened. Something I realized the next night, we were only asked during daylight hours. Even an hour later when we were walking along the Prada, and the next time walking along the Malecon and into some neighborhoods, no one asked us for money.

The Bacardi Building is being renovated

The hotel where Hemingway stayed

By this point my camera was out of battery. 

Love the golden hour!

We met up with the group for dinner at 7:25 pm. They arrived a few minutes before us. Unfortunately they did not save two seats for us at a table, so we ended up sitting at a table for two near the group. They all looked so clean and refreshed, we were all sweaty. We enjoyed studying the decor.

We were ready to go back to the hotel and freshen up!