 Cuba has long been a source of fascination for me. I fell in love with the music years ago and the idea of visiting this most famous of Caribbean islands was something I simply had to do. After the small matter of four years learning Spanish I was finally ready to live my dream.The connecting flight between Paris and Havana took ten hours. On arrival I was pleasantly surprised to find the airport an altogether modern and quite spacious affair. But once outside those first impressions faded rather quickly. En route to the hotel the buildings and streets looked desperately neglected. I was amazed to see lots of vintage American cars plying the streets as taxis. Many of them seemed to be held together by faith alone, with more than one tyre in the grave. The air was thick with blue fumes, the result of countless geriatric engines labouring with great stoicism on low grade, imported petrol. | The view from Pete's Hotel came as a bit of a shock |
After checking into the Hotel Lido I went straight up to my room. Facilities were basic but comfortable, and within half an hour I was soundly asleep. The following day I took breakfast on the top floor of the hotel. The view before me came as something of a shock. Looking out on Old Havana, I was sadly reminded of Sarajevo mid conflict. Countless buildings were literally crumbling into the sea. The area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and is home to some remarkable and truly beautiful buildings, some dating as far back as the 16th Century. But the harsh reality is that only a handful of these will ever be restored to former glories. With breakfast out of the way I left the hotel, full of excitement. The dark, narrow streets were filled with people, loud music, dogs and endless balconies fluttering with freshly washed laundry. The first thing to hit me was the smell, Havana having a scent all of its own-somewhere between petrol, old refuse, cigar smoke and people. Funnily enough its not a bad smell; more of a quirky, endearing characteristic. They say Havana has two souls, the old that still believes in the revolution and a new soul, hungry for modernity and US dollars. As I walked I seemed to attract curious stares from many of the elderly residents who sat impassively, watching the world go by. Later I found myself being stopped here and there by many of Havanas infamous Jinteros (Street Hustlers). Young men  relentless in their quest to offer foreigners like me taxis, girls and guided tours. As the day continued the two souls theory began to make more sense. The views expressed on this page are those of the contributor and the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the BBC. | 
