As the ship made its way into the Port of Havana, we knew we had arrived into Havana The Lost City. While some buildings were being left to fall apart, others were being brought back from the brink by only a handful of workers who would suddenly stop the moment they saw the ship come through. The first structure seen from afar was the Christ of Havana, which stood beautifully straight, either blessing the island, those who came to visit, or all the above.

Once we were allowed to disembark, we truly walked into a completely different world with soldiers checking your credentials to pointing you in the right direction. We were never disrespected or for that matter shown any aggression whatsoever. As we found our guides and walked out of the cruise port terminal to embark on our walking tour of Havana, we ran into street buskers (both women and men). The women were dressed in colorful Cuban dresses approaching men and women alike to take pictures for money. The men were mostly drawing your picture from a short distance drawing your face on paper in order to sell it to you. Other men would approach you with a musical  instrument and sing about the days of Che Guevara for money. Not once were we ever approached by someone with nefarious intentions. Everyone we came across were kind and if they were indigent, they'd paint, sing, or want to take a picture in order to earn their tip.

Two of the plazas or squares we visited were Plaza of San Francisco, which was right across the street from the port terminal and Plaza de Armas. We also visited the Catedral de San Cristobal where a wedding was finishing as we arrived... The bride and groom were walking out, bride in bright white and groom dressed in grey tuxedo along with the wedding party, who were tossing rice at the bride and groom as they walked out of the church.

On our walking tour of Havana, we sampled Cuban food, music, cigars, and rum.

A Few Need To Knows:

• First and foremost, you'll need your valid passport and Cuban Visa to step foot outside the terminal (No IFs, ANDs, or BUTs!)
  
  
• Second, there's the currency conversion you must go through upon stepping inside the port terminal... There will be a 13% fee right off the top as it pertains to converting USDs. Hand over 100 USDs and receive 77 CUCs.
  
  
• Third, beware of talking politics, beware of buskers, and beware of counterfeit Cuban Cigars. I learned as soon as I arrived that we're on an island ruled by Communism, not Democracy. I also learned that the moment one street busker sees you pay another, the dominoes will continue to fall from there. And lastly, there are counterfeit cigars... My suggestion, especially if you're on a cruise, there's an awesome little cigar store inside the terminal that sells all kinds of REAL Cuban Cigars like Montecristos, Partagas H.Upmanns, and Romeo y Julietas. Don't be afraid to inspect the cigar(s) prior to purchasing... If the cigar you're acquiring has white spots on it, don't confuse it with mold as white spots are good! It means the cigar is aging well. If you see green spots, green spots that are a part of the leaf as opposed to something growing on it, again no need to worry as its found in some Cuban cigars; these green spots are called Frog Eyes. But, if you do see something actually growing on the cigar itself, then put it back.
  
• Rum is also very popular in terms of purchasing and taking home... If rum is your cup of tea, then the rum to look out for in Cuba is Ron Santiago de Cuba Anejo.