Just Havana, Good Time! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Punta Cana

Punta Cana can't be found on the island nation of Cuba; you'd need to fly to the island of Hispaniola to find the resort region on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana is one of the most famous Caribbean vacation spots, but it's nowhere near Havana.

The other three spots are in Cuba, though! Varadero is one of the largest strips of resorts in the country. Found in the province of Matanzas, it's home to Hicacos Peninsula and the Playa Azul, a beautiful twenty-mile reach of white-sand beaches. It also marks the northernmost point of Cuba. Matanzas is the main city of the Matanzas province and it's about a hundred miles east of Havana. While not typically a resort town, it's quite the spectacular place. Holguín is much further southeast. This is the fourth-largest city in Cuba and home to a number of resorts.

As a note, the building pictured above was on the highway between Varadero and Havana (just past Matanzas) and it had the BEST Pina Coladas I've ever had.

Answer: Freedom

Made with alternating blue and white stripes, a red equilateral triangle, and a single white star, the Cuban flag has been flown from poles and balconies in Cuba since 1902 although it was made nearly fifty years earlier when Cuba began to liberate itself from its Spanish rule.

At one point, for three years, the American flag was flown overhead in most of Cuba because the States had seized Cuba during the war at the turn of the twentieth century. The only part of Cuba still retained by the U.S. is Guantánamo Bay's naval base on the southern tip of the country.

Answer: Baroque

Added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites listings in 1982, the Old Quarter of Havana (and its fortifications) is both the home of unique buildings and beautiful architecture, and a haven for history buffs. Due to the impact of the tourism industry on Cuba's economy, much of the Old Quarter is home to street performers, artists, and free museums (the last of which are usually sponsored by the government in an attempt to fuel visitor interest and cultural awareness). Because of Spanish influence in Cuba, much of the Old Quarter is built in a Neo-Classical style with Baroque influences.

The Grand Theater of Havana for example, was built in the latter style in the late 1830s and has remained the home of the country's most famous ballet company for more than a century. Because of years of damage, several restoration attempts have been made to preserve the spectacular buildings.

Answer: Hurricanes

While Havana's citizens typically enjoy warm, tropical weather all year, the odd hurricane will hit the city's shores. Because Havana is situated on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the waters rush over the fortified shores and into the city streets. Because of wind and water damage, many of the city's older buildings, especially outside the Old Quarter, are worn by the weather.
Usually it is Cuba's southern coast that takes a beating from the Caribbean hurricanes passing through but Havana has been hit by some major storms in the past. Before and after these, it's a race against time for the restoration efforts of the city to maintain the old ways and culture of the Havanan facade while moving into a modern, new era of architecture and style.
For those keeping track on our tour, the pink building on the left is the Hotel Ambos Mundos on Bishop Street.

Answer: This building was once the second-tallest cathedral in the world

Taking nearly thirty years to complete in the 19th century, the Cathedral of Havana was then the third-largest cathedral in the world (second to Saint Peter in Rome and St. Paul in London). It still retains one of the largest cathedral domes ever created. Built of stone and coral bits, the structure entirely fulfills the beautiful stylings of Baroque architecture save for its two asymmetrical towers, built that way to let flooding waters flow throughout the square and adjacent streets. Also known as Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana, the building contained Christopher Columbus' remains until they were taken to Seville at the turn of the century.

The building is found at one end of the popular Plaza de la Catedral, a Spanish-influenced square which is usually filled with sightseers and relaxed diners enjoying a meal in front of their restaurants.

Answer: Mojito

The Mojito is a sweet, alcoholic beverage known for its unique combination of white rum and sweet, fresh mint leaves. The drink is made in a highball glass with white rum (which is made in the Havana Club factories outside the city), fresh lime juice, mint sprigs, sugar, and soda water. Made famous by a particular writer who made his name writing some of the most famous Modernist works, La Bodeguita del Medio is a local landmark which has been frequented by countless patrons, many of whom are famous. The Mojito was first made in 1942, the first year of this major bar.

Although La Bodeguita has spread into other countries around the world (thanks in part to its popularity), the Havana location remains one of Cuba's most famous hotspots and one of the most significant bars worldwide.

Answer: Ernest Hemingway

According to local guides, Hemingway would begin his daily walk at the Hotel Ambos Mundos, the hotel at which he resided for seven years while writing "For Whom the Bell Tolls". He would visit La Bodeguita del Medio first to enjoy a Mojito before walking up Bishop Street to El Floridita, another bar, to drink a Daiquiri.

A Daiquiri is made with white rum, lime juice, and syrup. The statue of Hemingway was introduced to the bar's decor in 2003 along with the picture on the wall depicting the Nobel Prize winning novelist with Castro in the early 1960s. The El Floridita is located across the road from the magnificent building that is The National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana. El Floridita, now a tourist spot, serves impeccable seafood and delicious drinks.

Answer: True

Although the American Capitol Building and the Cuban Capitol Building share similarities in their neo-classical appearances, it is the Havana structure (which tops off at over 300ft) that beats the Washington D.C. version (which reaches 289ft) in this regard. El Capitolio is slightly north of the Old Quarter and it was built in 1929, at one point being the tallest building on the island.

Inside, one of the largest indoor statues in the world, La Estatua de la República, can be seen (though it is beaten by the Grand Buddha of Nara and Lincoln Memorial in height).

At the time of the revolution, the building became the home of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.

Answer: Train station

Villaneuva, which means 'New Town', was built as a station in the early-to-mid-19th century for steam-powered trains on the site that became El Capitolio. As time passed and the population of Havana grew, newer, modern stations cropped up elsewhere in the city. Just before the building of El Capitolio, the function of the Villanueva changed from train station to tram and trolley station as streetcar lines were introduced.

As these were phased out in the 1930s (during the Great Depression), the Villanueva became a bustling bus station and was relocated across the street to the building depicted. Further down, on the other side of the street, one can find a number of movie cinemas built during the cinema boom in Havana though many of these no longer have the luster they once possessed.

Answer: José Martí

Found in the neighbourhood of Havana known as Vedado, the Plaza de la Revolución is a 72,000 square foot public square at which Fidel Castro once held annual political events. Across from the José Martí Memorial, a structure reaching a total height of 109m, one would find the Ministry of the Interior upon which the image of Che Guevara can be found. José Martí was a significant figure in the Cuban fight for independence (from the Spanish) and the tower was built in 1958.

A statue of Martí sits in front of the tower; this was created by Matanzas native Juan José Sicre whose works can be seen throughout the city and around the world.