🌅💥 Sunset and Cannon Firing at Morro Castle

I hopped on a three-wheeled auto-rickshaw to the dock, squeezing in among a crowd of locals to cross to the other side. 💙🌊Then, pretending I didn’t understand Spanish, I tagged along behind two Madrileños up the hill, listening to their chatter while biting my lip to hold back laughter. When traveling, the best way to avoid conversation is to act like you don’t speak the language—though I still wondered how passersby managed to call me "China" with pinpoint accuracy every single time! 🏰😎 🚤💨The short walk from the dock to the castle featured an unexpected giant Jesus statue—clearly inspired by Rio’s, but with a different pose. Up close, the details were impressive; even the veins on his hands were carved with precision. 🗽✨ I arrived at the castle gates just before 8:00 PM, catching the grand opening announcement ceremony. ✨📸 It was basically a performance, with one side acting while the other side filmed everything on their phones. The perk of being in a small crowd? I scored a front-row spot to record the entire spectacle. 📱🎭 Around 8:45 PM, the prelude to the fire-lighting ceremony began, and by 9:00 PM sharp, the cannon blast startled me—even though I knew it was coming. After all, it was a real cannon! 💥😱 By the time it ended, the return ferry had stopped running, leaving taxis as the only option downhill. One driver quoted a "standard" $10 fare—ridiculous, considering it was just a short drive through a tunnel into the city. Then I spotted a shy local guy asking if anyone needed a taxi. 👀✨ After some haggling, I secured a ride for 1,000 pesos. His car, a rusty 1986 model, rattled like a tin can but had ice-cold AC. He lamented that tourists were scarce these days—this was his first fare in four days. 🚕💨 As beautiful as the sunset was, I hoped this would be my last night in Havana. Tomorrow, please grant me that visa! ✈️🙏 #solotravel 🌍✈️ #Cuba 🇨🇺 #TheWorldIsVastGoSeeIt 👀