La Habana Vieja (Old Havana), Baseball Game

I think I could spend weeks in La Habana Vieja just taking pictures of every single building there. They all sure have a story to tell. Of course there are hot spots and must sees for tourists like the Cathedral de San Cristóbal de La Havana, the Castillo de la Real Fuerza or the Camera Obscura at the corner
of „Plaza Vieja“ but it’s the little streets left and right of those landmarks that make Old Havana such a gem. Cuban music everywhere, hundreds of stray cats and dogs, streets filled with cars. It makes you feel like you are in a movie from the 50ties or early 60ties.

The night was reserved for Cubans favorite Sport: Pelota (Baseball). It was the play-off season of 2007 and one of the last games. We arrived at the crowded stadium and tried to buy a ticket, but the vendors kept sending us to different offices until we got to one where we were told that the game was sold out.

A little depressed we decided to hang around at one of the entrances. Out of the sudden we where waved through and where not even charged for the ticket. Unfortunately the security guard confiscated the rum we wanted to take to the game, but he only got it after one final big sip!

The game was amazing and the stadium full with fans of the two competing teams, Havana Industriales and Santiago de Cuba. The game lasted for about 3 hours, in the beginning the Industriales Team from Havana was the leading team, but in the second half the team of Santiago made a turn around and scored big time, taking the victory.