On our first evening CM Dwight
Boykins hosted a dinner followed
by a heartfelt toast to Larry Green, a
friend and colleague to many on this
trip. We gathered at La Barraca Restau-
rant located in the garden of the Hotel
Nacional, an historic monument and
architectural beauty, and host to the
rich, powerful, and famous since it first
opened in 1930. The meal was authen-
tically Cuban and served a la carte style.
It was the perfect place to begin our
adventure in Havana.
The first day everyone was loving the
beautiful blue sky and ocean breeze as
we headed to Plaza Vieja in Old Ha-
vana. In Old Havana you will find
many museums and historic architec-
ture as well as fabulous restaurants and
entertainers of all media. There are
stores to buy cigars, rum, and coffee as
well as markets where fine art and old
books can be found. The largest mar-
ket is housed in an old train station by
the water. In that market is where I
purchased a small Jazz painting by
Maryenis Wilzon Lao, an artist whose
large scale pieces of women, too large
to carry home, caught my eye. I will
be collecting more of her work. After-
ward, I could not resist lunch at Hotel
Ambos Mundos with it’s hot pink ex-
terior. It was easy to find, and the view
on the top terrace restaurant is amaz-
ing on a beautiful day. Our evening was
spent revisiting Destino Restaurant, an
exclusive B&B and fine restaurant that
is owned by a veteran of the hospital-
ity business. He has truly thought of
every detail when creating the space.
Everyone quickly found their comfort-
able spot to smoke their cigars and sip
their rum. Chef Lozoro Tolov prepared
a fabulous epicurean delight for our
enjoyment, and the Ceviche was a fa-
vorite dish.
On Friday we visited the US Embassy
and the Cuban Chamber of Com-
merce. The US Embassy is located on
the Malecon overlooking the Gulf of
Mexico. The office building was once
topped by the ambassador’s office and
other areas containing consular offices,
a visa section, and public information
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