Someone pressed the pause button in Cuba

Cuba: a unique, dreamy place.... like no other. Frozen in time. It makes you want to say, "Hey, who pushed the pause button?!"
It's really a pity that our government has put a travel restriction on such a fascinating country. However, if there was no embargo restriction, Cuba would lack the charm that makes people fall in love with it. 

 Cubans ride in style in their 1950's Chevy, looking like a mob of gangsters coming down the road. Their aviator sunglasses and bronzed skin top off the look. Throw a cigar in your mouth, and you're the coolest cat around. 
Ohhhhhh yeeeaaaah. 

too cool for school

This is normal to them. I don't think they realize just how cool they are. Walking through Havana is like walking through one ginormous old car show. My dad and aunt would love it here. 
I was mesmerized by the myriad of old cars barreling by, the driver with his tan arm hung out the window, smoking a Cuban cigar, black smoke billowing out the exhaust. 

Every car in Havana could use a tune up, judging by the amount of blue smoke polluting the streets. I had a thick, yellow productive cough the entire time I was in Cuba. I'm blaming it on the horrendous pollution. Emission laws are unheard of. Were there emission laws in the 1950's? Of course not, that's why there's not one in Cuba. Stuck in time. 
I spent most of my time in Cuba wandering through the endless streets of "old Havana". I can promise you that I walked at least 10 miles a day. The scenery blew my mind and kept me fully entertained. I didn't even notice my sore feet screaming at me to rest. 
To people watch, I would rest my bones at a cafe, sipping a delectable Cuban coffee, re-energizing myself. A word about Cuban coffee: It's amazing!!

 All the guidebooks said Cuba was expensive. Obviously, whoever wrote the book was not a savvy traveler like myself. I ate at local places, stayed at local places, and enjoyed local scenery. I got a much richer experience by just wandering the streets, witnessing the locals in daily life and interacting with them as much as possible. It's a very raw experience. The best part is: it's FREE!
I observed local men playing chess or dominoes on beat-up wooden tables. Not a worry in the world. Cubans don't seem to have much stress. 

The malecon

They are some of the friendliest people I've met. Perhaps their stress-free mentality is due to their lack of communication with the outside world. They are in their own bubble. They live on an island and are completely taken care of by their government. What's to worry about?

Not once did I see a Cuban walking down the street talking on a cell phone. I don't think they even exist here. I did, however, see the locals using the pay phones quite frequently. 
Cuba is so behind in times, it doesn't even have internet. That's right. NO internet. The locals even told me that it was illegal. 
The only internet you will find is at the very fancy, expensive hotels. 

I was sent on a wild goose chase trying to find wi-fi during my first night in Havana. I was utterly shocked by the fact that there was no internet in this country. As the tears of frustration started to well up, I fully acknowledged the fact that I was addicted to technology. But to be honest, after a few days without internet, I felt liberated. I had no obligation to the outside world. I'm in Cuba, I can't be bothered. I could see how Cubans were so carefree. 
Each hotel I went to told me that their internet wasn't working or that they didn't have it and that I could try so-and-so hotel. After scrambling across town to that hotel, I was greatly let down when they would tell me they don't have internet either. What gives??!!
It wasn't a big deal to them to have internet at their hotel. You can't miss what you've never had, right?

The only reason why I was totally freaking out about finding internet that first night was to alert my mom that I had arrived safely and to let her know that she probably wouldn't be hearing from me for the rest of the week. My mind ran wild as I thought about how my mom would react if I went MIA for a week straight. I was nervous she would call the embassy and blow my cover. Who knows what extremes a nervous mom would go to when her daughter was alone overseas and missing. When I finally found the only internet connection in Havana, I paid $8 for an hour and had such poor connection that I couldn't even send an email. 
I give up!!! 

No stress here

I was able to send an iMessage to Dinh and asked him to notify my mom about the crappy internet situation. 
I am still so perplexed to how a country can function without internet. I never read anything about this internet situation on the internet. So I'm warning you. Don't plan to use the internet while you're here. You will get grey hair just trying to find a place that has it. By the way, the hotel that has the internet is named Parque Central. It's a posh hotel in the middle of town. Comfy chairs. Clean bathrooms. Snobby rich people. The whole works. 

I've always wondered how it would feel to be alive in the 1950's. Now I know!!