In his 1999 documentary series “Hemingway Adventure,” Michael Palin, the Monty Python star turned traveler (no relation to Sarah, as far as we know), visits Cuba to see for himself the many places on the island that are associated with the famous writer. He even attempts to secure an interview with Fidel Castro himself; it’s too bad that Castro turned him down, as it would have been fascinating to hear The Bearded One’s memories of fishing and talking politics with his old equally bearded acquaintance. Palin did, however, visit some of Hemingway’s best known Cuban haunts.

Hemingway, Cuba and the Finca Vigia

Hemingway spent 20 years on and off the island of Cuba. He was a regular visitor during the 1920s and 30s, and moved permanently to the island in 1940 with his wife, buying Finca Vigia, a hilltop farmhouse 10 kilometers out of Havana. His house was something of a pet paradise, with 57 cats sharing the grounds with him and Martha.

The cats have long gone but Finca Vigia is now full of tourist visitors who come to see where Hemingway wrote some of his most famous works, including The Old Man and the Sea, which won him a Nobel Prize for Literature. The house is now a museum that displays Hemingway’s typewriter, his collection of around 9,000 books, and many trophy animal heads from his hunting days.

Old Havana Bars

Given his rep as a man who liked his drink, it’s fitting that two of the most popular stops on the Hemingway trail are bars in the old part of Havana. Across the road from his regular Havana hotel is La Bodeguita, once a seedy atmospheric bar (or so they say), but now full of foreign tourists with high prices to match. La Bodeguita serves an endless stream of mojitos, the drink that Hemingway would apparently always order when visiting.

Not far away is another famous Havana bar, La Floridita, where Papa, as he’s affectionately known on the island, would visit for his daiquiris. According to local legend Hemingway kept the place in business single-handedly, such was the regularity of his custom. He is now remembered by a bust that marks his favorite seat at the bar. Tourists flock to La Floridita to drink one of the many dairiqui variations on offer; at $6 a glass, the bar is out of the reach of most Habaneros.

Finding Hemingway in Cuba

There are many reasons to visit Cuba,* but whether or not you’re a Hemingway fan you are likely to cross paths with the old man’s story more than once on your visit. When you do you, might as well raise a mojito or a daiquiri to his memory. ¡Salud!

Photo | David Shankbone

*Assuming, if you’re an American citizen or otherwise subject to U.S. law, that you have permission from Uncle Sam to do so.

It’s not every day that you get a chance to walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs. This is especially true if we’re talking about dinosaurs that roamed the earth less than 20 years ago. It’s not surprising then that many visitors who are on vacation in the Dominican Republic take the opportunity to visit the place where the 1993 blockbuster movie Jurassic Park was filmed.

Chavon River

The Chavon River was chosen for filming as it is a wilderness area that shows little evidence of any human presence. In many places it really does look just like the landscape would have looked when the tyrannosaurus and stegosaurus were the masters of the land. River trips along the waterway are a very popular day tour from the busy La Romana and Punta Cana resorts and offer visitors the chance to let their imaginations run wild from the safety of their boat.

Altos de Chavon

Many trips combine a river excursion with a visit to the nearby Altos de Chavon village, created to resemble a 16th century Mediterranean village, but conceived and built in the 1980s and 90s. Stranger still, the construction of the whole complex is actually a (very) rich man’s gift to his daughter for her birthday (I wonder what she asked for the following year!)

Visitors often come to Altos de Chavon to see a performance at the 5000-seater European-style amphitheater. It has staged performances by famous artists such as Frank Sinatra, Phil Collins and Gloria Estefan, and remains one of the island’s main concert venues. The village is also home to a prestigious art gallery and the St. Estanislao Church, named after the patron saint of Poland in honor of Pope John Paul II.

Jurassic Park

But back to the river and the Jurassic Park world. Of course you won’t find any prehistoric critters frolicking on the riverbank on your journey along the Chavon; that’s probably just as well. But do look out for the many vultures that circle high above the river or the pelicans that might keep you company for a short while before flying on. Take in the sight of these powerful birds; if you then close your eyes and listen carefully you may just become aware of a velociraptor watching you from the riverbank.

Photo | puroticorico