Havana is best explored on foot on riding in a 1950s American car.

Rolling works of art.

Waves slamming the Malecón on a winter’s day. On January 29th, the temperature ranged from 57 to 68. ( 14 to 20 C)

Rationed Food Store. All citizens are issued ration cards to buy a small amount of basic staples every month. Prices are low and subsidized. A limit of five eggs per person per month. Anything beyond that must be purchased in convertible CUC currency  at market price.

Cigarettes are about 20 cents a pack.

Vegetable shop.

Socialist inspiration in the shops.

Free fuel from Venezuela.

Ready to start the day learning the principles of Marx and Lenin, and of course, Fidel.

For current adventures in Cuba CLICK HERE.

On Sunday, January 31 TotalAdventure hired a late model Chinese car for the 180 mile, 320 km drive from Havana to the colonial city of Trinidad. As we can see in the video below, the modern four lane freeway is almost always empty. No traffic jams in Cuba !

KM 141 Rest Stop.

Along the shores of the Caribbean.

Propaganda, not advertising.

Only one still alive.

In late afternoon we arrived in Trinidad.

In keeping with our philosophy of helping local people wherever possible and having a more authentic experience, TotalAdventure stayed in a private compound – casita below.

Dinner – one of the better meals of the trip – baked Florida lobster – $ 10.

For current adventures in Cuba CLICK HERE.

After Cienfuegos the car returned me to Havana for the final two nights at the apartment in Ciudad Vieja.

TotalAdventure spent the final day exploring eastern Havana from the Malecon to Miramar – the diplomatic district. Above , is the newly recommissioned United States Embassy.

On Avenida 5, the Iranian Embassy.

The very retro Habana Riviera, untouched since the 1950’s. Scenes from the Russian propaganda movie Soy Cuba  were filmed here.

Closed since New Year’s Eve 1959. Not much chance to redeem.

Inside – the Copa Room – your Grandparents may have danced here.

The all-seeing Soviet Embassy. The Russian Embassy occupies a huge plot of oceanfront land.

Venezuela, a close ally.

On Thursday, February 4th TotalAdventure returned to Miami, once again, on the 45 minute Eastern Airlines flight. TotalAdventure will return later in 2016, hopefully on the overnight ferry service that is expected to launch from the Port of Miami. In the meantime, please enjoy the video below – “Cuba Road Trip 2016.”

For current adventures in Cuba CLICK HERE.

Today was a relatively light day with only 200 km on the road. First above the beautiful Arctic City of Akeryuri to Hliarfjall Ski . Though there is only 600m ( 1900 ft ) of vertical it looks delightful – fresh powder, no line ( there were only about 8 people on the whole mountain) . All for about $ 30 a day – far less than US ski prices – now over $ 100 a Day !

We then headed west to Hvanneyri, on the way to Westfjords. Once again we encountered wind and snow, though not the blizzard conditions of yesterday.

Typical house of Akeryuri.

An early Prime Minister of Modern Iceland immortalized in Akeryuri’s Lutheran Cathedral.

Oceanic Ice ! Not quite the Arctic Ocean, but the Greenland Sea, which leads from the Atlantic to the Arctic Ocean.

Evening snowfall in Hvanneyri.

For Adventures In Iceland CLICK HERE.

Crossing North Iceland from Egilsstaðir to Akureyri was slow going as a blizzard struck in the mountains. The landscape was literally torn apart by volcanoes and earthquakes over many millennia. We also crossed from Europe to North America, as this is where the Eurasian and North American plates meet on the MId Atlantic Ridge.

Courtesy BBC.

Cold beyond imagination.

Icy.

Country Church.

Whiteout.

City Church. Akureyri 65.68 North.

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After 48 hours in the Vatnajökull region , ArcticTropic traversed Route 1 into Northeast Iceland – now less than 100 miles from the Arctic Circle. Though days are getting longer by over 7 minutes each day – the weather is very wintry.

Black Tower Beach

Sturdy Viking Horses. Direct descendants from the Year 900.

High atop the cliffs.

Sea Harvest.

Snow 12 Months A Year.

Reindeer – It’s What’s For Dinner !

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Today ArcticTropic climbed Vatnajökull Glacier – the largest in Europe. Winds gusted as high as 65 mph ( 110 kph) but we held steady thanks to icepicks and crampons supplied by our guide.

Ice Cave.

Looking up into Springtime Arctic skies.

Corn surface – good for climbing.

In 1900 , when the current warming period began . the mountain behind us was covered in the glacier, it was not even visible The very elderly of the community remember that time. . While it snows more on the mountain tops, the weight pushes the ice faster down the moraines where it melts into the ocean. When the Vikings came in 900 to 1000 AD , it was a warm period and there was almost no ice. 1600 – 1900 was a mini Ice Age with rapid ice accumulation. Yesterday’s report on growing glaciers in the area was incorrect.

At day’s end -caviar – $ 3 per jar.

Sunset in Höfn,where we are spending the night.

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ArcticTropic drove East along Iceland Route 1 for about 200 km today. While only about 125 miles, it was long day because of the incredible amount of nature to experience.

Glaciers flow directly into the Atlantic Ocean.

Black Lava Sand Beach At Vik.

River of Ice. Recent winters have gotten colder and the glaciers are expanding.

Icy Iceland Beach.

On The Moon ?

During the 2 hour sunset.

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Courtesy Verne Global Data Centre Iceland.

ArcticTropic arrived to a long sub-Arctic sunrise this morning in Reykjavik. By 9:30 the sun had risen enough to project some warmth and melt ice. But by 10:30 it was dark and cold again, with the sun blocked out by 98%. Special filters are needed to photograph the eclipse, but we had the opportunity to view through safe lenses provided by townspeople.

Across Reykjavik Harbour during latter part of the eclipse. The temperature had dropped and the streets became icy again.

Proper viewing attire.

A seabird unsure whether it is time to go back to sleep.

For adventures in Iceland, CLICK HERE

Early this morning ( March 19 ) ArcticTropic departs Miami for Boston, spending the day there. At 2135 we depart Logan for Keflavik – arriving just in time for the Total Eclipse on the Equinox !

For adventures in Iceland, CLICK HERE