Some years ago I had the opportunity to visit a country that has been on my bucket-list for long: Cuba. It was due to the research for my book. All I could think and imagine were the interesting people with endless stories to tell, the classic cars around every corner and the loud and vibrant music. I love Latin music.

I did 3 trips to Cuba – 2 of them with my husband – and I spent in total about 9 weeks cruising around the island, one time with a rented car.

Our time in the different places was spent roaming around the neighborhoods, talking to locals, taking photos of cars, people, walls and buildings. The streets were filled with so much charm, at times I felt like certain streets told a story. It definitely felt like you were walking back into time. Almost every single wall was deteriorating, but I love how they showed character and history. We drove even to Baracoa, the most eastern edge of the island very close to Haiti. We learned a lot about Cuban way of life through the eyes of the inhabitants.And, of course, we had the best Mojitos at sunset and the best dances in the Casa de la Trova, places with live music groups all night long, which are in every town and almost every village. Cuba is truly charming and I hope it will stay like that. But – I am not sure.

In Viñales we stayed in a private guest house.

Sabine Ludwig: Unterwegs in Kuba. Reiseimpressionen, 124 Seiten, 10 Euro.