NAME THAT COUNTRY

 

5 Sentidos in our mystery country’s capital city is one of our favorite paladares. A paladar is a privately owned and operated restaurant, usually in a restored house. Paladares, among other micro-businesses, have flourished in the country since reform to the state-run economy took effect in 2011. Finding a variety of interesting ingredients is a challenge in this country of shortages and rationing, but with the help of an extensive black market and native creativity, there is no shortage of world-class dining in the larger cities.

 

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading

NAME THAT COUNTRY

 

The Paseo del Prado in Cienfuegos is the longest pedestrian promenade in the country. It stretches about 2km across the city to the malecón, the waterfront promenade. Developed by French settlers in the 19th century, Cienfuegos is much younger than the Spanish colonial cities of the country and its abundant Neoclassical architecture gives it a distinctive feel. Many of the city’s beautiful buildings can be seen along the Paseo del Prado.

 

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading

NAME THAT COUNTRY

 

Angeles del Futuro is a community service project and labor of love created by Odelmis Hernández to teach young people the circus arts, such as dancing, acting, acrobatics and trapeze.

In the 1990s, Odelmis was a student at the National Circus School but was unable to finish his studies after the economic crisis brought on by the collapse of the Soviet Union, a major economic, military and political benefactor of this mystery country.

In 2006, Odelmis revived his dream with the Angeles del Futuro project and today trains more than 85 students ranging in age from 9 to 17 years.

 

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading

NAME THAT COUNTRY

 

Most Ya’lla tours to our mystery country include dinners and lunches at paladars, like Guitarra Mia. A paladar is a privately owned restaurant, usually family operated and located in a converted home. When we first started selling tours to this country in 2002, food was definitely not a selling point, mainly because of the scarcity of ingredients. Since 1993, the largely state-run economy has allowed the operation of small, private businesses. Relying on black market suppliers, paladars began to pop up gradually in major cities. With further economic reforms in 2010, the industry of small, private restaurants really took off. Today, hundreds of paladars operate across the country, mainly supported by tourists. While it’s not quite a culinary destination, yet, there’s enough variety and innovation here to satisfy the most refined palate.

 

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading

NAME THAT COUNTRY

 

This national capital building recently reopened after an 8-year renovation.

The Capitolio was built in 1929 as the home of the Congress. After the country’s leftist revolution in 1959, the building, which was loosely modeled after the U.S. Capital building, was neglected as a symbol of imperialism.

Restoration work continues in some areas but the building is open for guided tours. Inside and out, the building is an architectural treasure and not to be missed. The most famous feature inside is a 57-foot bronze Statue of the Republic.

 

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading

NAME THAT COUNTRY

The Pinar del Rio province in the far west of our mystery country is the country’s prime tobacco growing region. Tobacco has been a major segment of the country’s economy since it was first discovered by Spanish colonists in the 16th century. Prior to colonization, natives knew the plant well and used it for medicinal and ritual purposes. Today, most tobacco is produced on small private farms and exported in the form of premium cigars.

 

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading

NAME THAT CITY

The Malecón is the famous waterfront boulevard in this capital city of a large island nation. From the Malecón one looks out at the mingling waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Lovers love the Malecón at sunset. Fishers gather along the Malecón at dusk, not for recreation, but to put food on the table for their families. Tourists and locals alike enjoy a stroll on the long promenade that stretches five miles along the coast line from the harbor in the Old City to the Vedado neighborhood.

 

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading

NAME THAT COUNTRY

In the small, colonial city of Trinidad, the austere (yet pleasing, I think) Iglesia Parroquial de la Santísima, or Church of the Holy Trinity, surveys the main city square, Plaza Mayor. The church’s humble Neoclassical façade belies an exultant Neo-Gothic alter inside. Trinidad was a wealthy center of the sugar trade in the 18th and 19th centuries and its cobbled streets are lined with faded, grand villas and public buildings from that era. A few miles outside the city, over 50 sugar plantations operated in Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of the Sugar Mills), powered by the labor of tens of thousands of slaves. Trinidad and Valle de los Ingenios are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

 

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading

NAME THAT COUNTRY

Plaza de la Catedral is one of many public squares in the capital’s old city. The square was a swamp until drained in the 16th century. In a city known for Spanish colonial architecture, the 18th-century Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception is one of few examples of the local Baroque style. 

 

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading