Trump knew his plan to prevent the election of Biden was illegal, according to the commission of the assault on Capitol Hill »Cuba has always been a cryptic place for any foreigner.Long before the pandemic put a new point and aside in the history of the world, and also in that of this island, the traveler landed at the José Martí airport in Havana with his head full of questions about a country whose powerful imaginary, the philias, the phobias and the clichés generated around him, stun.Other destinations in any corner of the planet have the advantage that one begins the trip aware of the ignorance of it.But one of the many peculiarities of this place is that everyone has some opinion about it, about its history and its historical leaders, about its political system.Cuba confronts the traveler, sometimes slaps him, with his elusive and difficult to define reality and always, always leaves him with new unanswered questions.After the pandemic and a period of unprecedented civil protests in July 2021 against the Government, new political and human issues are added to the list of unknowns to be resolved in a journey that continues to be fascinating despite the forecasts of those who wanted to know Cuba before Fidel's death.Those who advocated that the disappearance of the leader of the revolution —a hero for some, a villain for many others— was going to strip the island of its aura and its charm were wrong.If anything, the changes, which are coming, make it even more intriguing.On November 25, five years have passed since the death of the person who exercised absolute command for 47 years.And it is true that everything has changed, except the sign of the government, which continues to be monopolized by the successors of the Castro brothers.Miguel Díaz-Canel replaced Raúl Castro as first secretary of the Communist Party in April 2021.Any guide published before the pandemic has been crushingly outdated: the country has gone from having two currencies to having only one: the so-called national currency or the Cuban peso (CUP).The price of life has increased exponentially as a result of this measure and the increase in the minimum wage, although it remains an affordable destination for the European pocket because, as a result of the weakness of the CUP, the value of the euro does not stop rising the informal market.While in the CADECA (the official exchange houses of Cuba) they sell the euro for 26 pesos, in the street it is obtained for between 100 and 110 pesos, according to information from the Cuban Government itself.Some of the most recommended businesses have temporarily or permanently closed.But also, and above all, society has changed, still immersed in the aftermath of the July protests and with more questions about its future than the tourist himself.Traditional neighborhoods, such as Havana's San Isidro, which gives its name to the movement that leads the recent political demands and where the poet José Martí was born, claim their place in the city's geography in terms of history, aesthetics and culture.Of course, despite being immersed in an intense process of change, this is still one of the safest countries in Latin America to travel.To understand what Havana is today, after its reopening to tourism last November (commercial and charter flights were suspended since April 2020 to stop the coronavrius), we must go back to the hardest months of the pandemic in which Havanans watched with amazement as they were deprived of one of their icons and meeting places under penalty of a fine: the Malecón.In those months in which the only foreigners who were in the city were some students and teachers from the emblematic International Film and Television School (EICTV), and some other clueless, both the Malecón and its beaches remained closed and no They reopened until last September 30.To that unusual image of the famous promenade without people was added another void hitherto unknown on the island: the sound.The pandemic deprived Cuba of its characteristic bustle and ubiquitous music.With the lifting of the restrictions, the loudspeakers in Havana sound again and the Malecón resumes its activity.What does this new Havana offer to the traveler?Before starting flip flops, as they say here, it is very practical to install a couple of applications on the phone to move comfortably.Although Cubans began to have a better Internet connection in December 2018, when the Government authorized access to data through mobile phone cards, the Wi-Fi network is still very scarce (and censored) for someone accustomed to constant connection.For this reason, it is advisable to download a map with which you can move around offline.Applications like Maps.me allow mobility with GPS navigation and without internet.Others like HabanaTrans give up-to-date information on bus routes (this one, yes, with connection) and the WhatsApp groups of taxi drivers popularly known as cuber save us from the maddening experience that can be getting on a bus at rush hour .Some accommodations offer Cuban data cards, which is a good idea if we want to have internet access wherever we go and be able to call restaurants and hotels at an affordable price.Armed with basic knowledge and a map that offers the crucial option to disobey this route and return to it (or not), we hit the road.For accommodation we chose the Al Alba accommodation on Airbnb, a beautiful private house in Old Havana with a patio and views of the Capitol.The hotel offer in the Cuban capital is wide and, in addition, has not stopped growing despite the pandemic break.At the moment several new hotels are being built in the city.Private houses are also still a good option, as long as we make sure beforehand that they are still open.The first route begins at the Embassy of Spain, in front of the Malecón and next to the equestrian statue of Máximo Gómez, the Dominican general in chief of the Cuban troops of the first of the wars for independence, precisely from Spain.We left the Caribbean behind to enter Old Havana along Cuba Street to O'Reilly Street.It's a good idea to take a short detour to see the famous La Bodeguita del Medio.It is worth seeing it for the first time and, if it is not the first time, perhaps take advantage of the fact that the capacity has not been full lately to appreciate the curious decoration of its walls.The path then continues through O'Reilly to El del Frente, a place specializing in cocktails where you can have a first daiquiri while we see the neighborhood from its cozy rooftop.Opposite you can see another of the neighborhood's emblematic bars: the tiny O'Reilly 304.Julio César Imperatori is the manager of these three establishments in Old Havana, owned by the same owner: O'Reilly 304, El del Frente (for Cuban food with a modern touch) and La Jama, a restaurant with a lot of swing that offers a Cubanized version of Asian food.He and his brother were among the first self-employed in the neighborhood.They went from working in state bars to having a private restaurant, the O'Reilly, and then expanded the business with two more locations.During the pandemic, the only one that managed to stay open doing home delivery was La Jama.One of the substantial changes that allow these businesses to survive and avoid the scarcity that affects the island is that large importers such as ITH, Cubaexport or Alimport are now allowed to buy.Before they had to buy in neighborhood stores;a change that allows private businesses and their clients to circumvent the shortcomings that Cubans on the street continue to suffer.Havanans, and Cubans in general, are open and great conversationalists, but venturing to talk about politics is something that, in principle, many guides discourage.Ideological persecution and a very strong culture of sneaking have made Cubans, in principle, reluctant to speak in confidence outside their narrow circles.But it is worth launching a subtle question in a taxi or in a bar to tempt the precious opportunity to hear a Cuban talk about Cuba.In the little inn without a name where we will also eat, one meets many Havanans with whom to strike up (or not) a conversation.It is the classic good, nice, cheap restaurant where the workers of the area go for lunch.You have to concentrate to find it because it's all so informal that it doesn't have a name or an internet presence;but it is part of its charm.In the Plaza del Cristo, between Lamparilla and Teniente Rey streets, there is a portal to the left of the El Patchanka cocktail bar that looks like the access to a residential building.Enter without fear.You may find on the landing the blackboard with the dishes and prices of home-cooked food that you will find up the rickety marble staircase on the left.For 360 Cuban pesos (about 13 euros at the official exchange rate) two people eat abundantly.Go up, eat and, probably, repeat.Within Old Havana, a second route could start in front of the train station, at the José Martí museum.If the previous one began next to the statue of the war hero Máximo Gómez, this one does so in the birthplace of the island's most acclaimed and omnipresent intellectual.He was a poet, journalist, philosopher and also the brain of the Second Cuban War of Independence.But, above all, he has the surprising virtue of being the only figure that every Cuban is proud of.He is for them the only untainted hero.Cubans are Martians.The house, in front of the main railway station of the city, is considered the oldest museum in Havana.Although it is humble, it is well cared for and the guards lovingly inform about the objects they guard: many photos, a straw hat from when Martí was little, handwritten letters or the objects he was carrying when he fell in combat on May 19, 1985. in the Cuban war.Nearby is the Egido market, where they sell meat, vegetables and greens.It is worth taking a walk and taking the opportunity to try the mamey, a fruit with red meat, sweet and a texture similar to mango, or taste the intensity of Caribbean mangoes or avocados.A ten-minute walk away, next to the emblematic Capitol with its gold dome, is the Gran Teatro de la Habana Alicia Alonso.This building was originally built by Galician immigration on the island to house the Galician Center.Today, in addition to being the headquarters of the National Ballet of Cuba, it houses the Opera restaurant.It is very cheap despite its stately appearance for being a State restaurant.They sell beer for 40 pesos (1.50 euros at the official exchange rate), coffee for 25 pesos (1 euro), mojitos for 85 pesos (3 euros) and a main course of duck ropa vieja for 300 pesos (11 euros), although In this place you drink better than you eat.On the last tour we went from the decadent and charming neighborhoods of Old Havana to one of the good areas of the city: Vedado.Strolling the Malecón between the castle of San Salvador de la Punta and the emblematic Hotel Nacional takes us to the Vedado neighborhood passing by the sculpture Primavera, by Rafael San Juan, and terraces with views of the sea, such as the Malecón 661 Art Gallery. Vedado is the area of ​​the cinemas, the Coppelia ice cream parlor and the Hotel Habana Libre.In addition to being a good option to stay, the corridors of this accommodation tell the living history of the city.It was built by the Hilton chain at the time of the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and, after the triumph of the Revolution, it was used as the headquarters of 'the bearded ones' and Fidel Castro lived for months in suite 2324. Currently, the State gives him his exploitation to the Spanish chain Meliá.Two good restaurants to eat and drink in this neighborhood are on Calle 21: El Caribeño and Club 21.Despite its shortcomings and needs, Havana retains its charm, dazzles and captivates because, when one leaves this place, one leaves this place fascinated and, without a doubt, more perplexed than when one arrived.San Isidro is the neighborhood of the rumba and the rumberos, the one with two of the most important churches in Havana: the Cristo and the Merced Church, where the first freed slaves and Santeria settled.It is also a traditionally problematic and impoverished area that has become a global trending topic.The historic protests of July 2021 put this Old Havana neighborhood back on the map.The movement, which took its name from the neighborhood, was created in 2018 and brings together young artists, independent journalists and academics who organized to oppose what they consider repressive measures by the island government.The media focus and the protests have brought some small improvements to the area such as paving, lighting and other superficial but much-needed facelifts.Parque de la Ceiba is the center of activity in this neighborhood that continues to live between precariousness and an incipient desire for modernization.The cultural epicenter is the Galería Taller Gorria of Jorge Perugorría, the most international Cuban actor, star of the movie Strawberry and Chocolate.The center organizes events in the neighborhood and is a place of pilgrimage for all the emerging art of Havana.The Titón and Mirta Ibarra Museum has also been recently inaugurated, in homage to two of the most important filmmakers on the island, a center that makes film projections for residents and their visitors.Some businesses, such as the Clandestine print shop and alternative t-shirts, are already a classic in the neighborhood that lives between the precariousness and the glamor of incipient gentrification.Find inspiration for your next trips on our Facebook and Twitter and Instagram or subscribe to the El Viajero Newsletter here.Receive the El Viajero newsletterAs part of the Perpetual Planet initiative, National Geographic and Rolex are leading an expedition to install the highest meteorological center in the world, vital for knowing the effect of global warming.