The Malecón, Havana

Yes, you have to go to the Bodeguita and have your Mojito and go to the Floridita to have your Daquiri (as Hemingway did). You can even get fancy and see a show at the Tropicana or some of the best salsa bands at the Casa de la Musica. But once you have done that just head to the Malecon, sit down with a bottle of Havana Club and enjoy the views and scenery of one of the most beautiful cities in the Americas. Soon enough. somebody will come by and sing a song for you if you like.

Night had fallen by the time I got back to my apartment in Miramar. Before returning in Quinta Avenida, I decided to stop by Malecon Habanero's famous seawall to get some fresh air, enjoy the night and discover it's night secrets.

From there, I started thinking about my first months in Cuba, thousands of miles away from my beloved family.

At about 11pm, outside the Yara cinema, in full view of Havana's tourist district, an odd crowd gathers. Handsome young men - some not yet even men - meet, kiss and exclaim over each other's shiny clothes.

Tonight the whole flock decamps to an illicit party held in someone's house , where rum, salsa music, and the tropical heat together create an atmosphere of a nightclub.

Back to the seawall, more than 200 brilliant creatures hang around blocking what little traffic there is, and nobody comes to move them or bash them up. It seems like paradise.

LOTS of activity along the malecón at night! From the legal to the illegal!!! Young people cruise on foot and in cars, jineteras look for customers, venders sell snacks and people float on the waves in truck tires. So much to see!