Cruising Through Havana With a Leaky Roof and a Dream

sunshine hits different when it’s 20 degrees and sweating through your shirt feels intentional. i’m writing this on a busted balcony overlooking *Havana, guzzling cafe con leche from a chipped mug while the neighbor’s rooster screams at nothing. it felt like 90% humidity the second i stepped off the plane, and someone in a taxi warned me that ‘the heat gets personal here.’ he wasn’t wrong.

so anyway…i've been crashing in Centro Habana for a week. more specifically, above a bakery that hasn’t opened since el boom turístico but still smells like burnt sugar every morning. my airbnb host said “todo está en proceso,” which i’ve learned means absolutely nothing works, good luck.

had this wild convo with a dude named Yoenis who fixes vintage cameras out of a suitcase on Obispo Street. his advice?

“do not eat at El Fogón de Agua unless you want to live like a ghost for three days.”

he wasn’t kidding. i tried it anyway because my stomach has the judgment of a backpacker on deadline. finish the stew and immediately regret becoming conscious.

“you should talk to Rosa in Plaza Vieja,” another local muttered. “she tells tourists things nobody else says.”

she did. apparently, the old hotel near Capitolio Nacional used to serve poisoned bread to Americans during the embargo. sounds fake till you see how fast the pigeons scatter when someone drops crumbs there now.

“also,” she added, “the toilets in Hotel Inglaterra sometimes flush backwards. an englishman paid $200 to see it happen.”

and that brings us to today - sweating buckets by day, napping under a leaky tin roof by afternoon, sketching palm shadows that fall across garbage bags and beretta posters from the revolution. if you're wondering whether Havana is worth visiting despite everything - absolutely, yes. just bring wet wipes, waterproof socks, and a playlist heavy enough to drown out electricity shortages.

oh yeah, i just checked and it's 20°C again tomorrow but feels like soup. cool if you hate sweating effortlessly.

for gear nerds wondering what even to pack:
- quick-dry tees (because muggy doesn't care)
- sunscreen that sticks to oily skin
- portable charger (power goes out like biweekly)
- electrolyte packets hidden in sock drawer

if you get tired of crumbling facades and slow internet, Matanzas and Cienfuegos* are decent bounces without flying out.

shoutout to these spots for real talk vibes:
- Hostal Casa Sol
- Café Gransantiago
finally, shoutout to this cheeky forum I found where expats roast each other over which street food gave them worms. honestly invaluable: The Havana Underground Forum

…anyway gotta change shirts before the ceiling drip gets ambitious.

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