A love letter to Cuba

monica_suma_102

As a sassy five year old, I remember my determination in putting red beads together, one-by-one, on a long, thin thread, for a very well thought out gift for my mother. It had been a few months since she had been away on an extended trip abroad and I missed her terribly. At the time, I was upset she hadn’t taken me with her. In reality, she was traveling to the United States for the first time, to visit her sister, which she hadn’t seen in … [Read more...]

Cuban cigars and how they came to be the world’s finest

Famous cigar rollers at the Partagas factory in Havana, Cuba

What comes to mind when you hear Cuba? Is it the tempestuous history, the legendary music or the old classic cars? Perhaps it’s a bit of everything, but most probably it’s the world-famous Cuban cigars. "If I cannot smoke in heaven, then I shall not go," Mark Twain famously once said. Cuba is far from being defined only by Havana’s bustling streets and cultural sights, for the country’s scenic lands of mountain vistas and vast tobacco … [Read more...]

Architecture in Cuba: the emblematic buildings of Havana

Colonial architectura Plaza Vieja Old Havana

This past September, I started an exciting project working with Insight Cuba - the leading provider of legal Cuba travel for Americans - as their freelance Social Media Manager, as well as a contributing writer. As I prepare to visit Cuba in the next few months, I am writing a series of posts on Cuba's emblematic culture. Given my passion for architecture, I was fascinated to learn about the diversity of architectural styles of Havana. Going past … [Read more...]