cuba slideshow

The plaza is wide and expansive. It is where Fidel Castro has given many of his 4-6 hour speeches to thousands before leading marches down the Malecon.

On the other end of the plaza is the image of Cuban hero Che Guevara on the wall of the interior department building. This is one of the most famous images in Cuba.

We went to the top of the plaza monument for a breathtaking view of the City of Havana, population 2.5 million people. Havana was very clean and the incidents you might see of homeless people and children begging around every corner in other countries do not exist here. It is said that in Cuba everyone is hungry, but no one is starving.

Next was the Museum of the Revolution. Before 1959, it served as the Presidential Palace. When Castro took over it was converted into a museum. Outside is a tank that Castro fought in during the Bay of Pigs (more on that later).

There is a famous picture of Castro jumping off this tank during the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. In 2006 we attempted to recreate the same jump.