About Me

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I am married to my loving husband for more than 45 years now. I am a mother to 3 beautiful children, until years ago when I lost my youngest son. Since then my life is forever altered but yet unbroken....

My Travel Journal

"There isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road and through it all there'd always be tomorrow's episode" - Elton John

I started traveling around the world since early 80s when I had the opportunity to combine business trips with vacations. Then later when my rezeki is in abundance, there were numerous other trips along the way for vacations, most of the time with hubby and the kids when the timing is right. I have also started to compile the journal and photo-pages covering almost more than 45 years of world wide travel. Some destinations I visited just once, others many times. Many of those places are the obvious famous places people would like to visit but some, the casual traveler doesn't even think to try. I have placed links to my travel at the side bar of my personal page, My Life Reflections, and will be updating them from time to time.

My wish is to continue my travel and complete circumnavigate the globe, insyaAllah…

Thursday, 3 July 2025

14 Mexico/Cuba: Monterrey City Tour...

 "I know that if I wasn't scared, something's wrong, because the thrill is what's scary..." - Richard Pryor




Day 14: 02/07/25 (Wednesday)
Activity: Monterrey City Tour
Flight:  VB642 MTY 1530/HAV 2015  (Viva Air)
Route: Monterrey, Mexico - Havana, Cuba
Hotel: Home In La Havana, Cuba

Very early in the morning we ordered our breakfast. Our room service breakfast was a set of pancakes and maple syrup and a set of eggs and beans with orange juice and coffee. All were delivered through the Breakfast Service Box. We had half a morning to spend in Monterrey city before our VB642 1530 hrs to Havana, Cuba.. Rain is predicted so we were prepared with jackets and umbrellas.

We booked an Uber to visit the attractions in Monterrey. The Palace Museum is located in Nuevo León, and is part of the Three Museums complex, along with the Museum of Mexican History and the Museum of the Northeast. It is also part of the Paseo Santa Lucía complex.

The Macroplaza or Gran Plaza is a square in the city of Monterrey in Nuevo León, It is the name given to the central part of Monterrey, which occupies 40 hectares.. It is the largest square in Mexico and the fifth largest square in the world..

Fero Del Commercio Monterrey, Mexico
Macroplaza, or the Lighthouse of Commerce is an emblematic monument of the city of Monterrey, located in the Macroplaza in front of the Monterrey Cathedral and behind the Municipal Offices.

The monument to Workers of Nuevo León is a tribute to all men and women workers who give life to this industrial city. It was designed by the sculptor Cuauhtémoc Zamudio.

Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín was born in Bahia del Espiritu Santo, then a Mexican territory in the state of Coahuila and Texas -today, Goliad, Texas, USA. The second of eight sons of Veracruz soldier Miguel Zaragoza Valdés and Texan María de Jesús Seguin Martínez, he was a distinguished and distinguished Mexican military man, Minister of War for President Benito Juárez in 1861, who defeated the French in the city of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Monterrey signage at the Macroplaza. The Macroplaza is a testament to Monterrey's twentieth century ambition.. This city block wide series of interconnected squares, also known as the Gran Plaza, was created in the 1980s by the demolition of a prime chunk of city-center real estate. A controversial but ultimately successful piece of redevelopment, its charm has increased over the years as the once bare urban space has been transformed into the largest public square in the world.. It has been softened by parks, trees and fountains..

The Santa Lucia riverwalk or Paseo Santa Lucía is an artificial canal located in Monterrey. Construction of the canal began in 1996, but for economic reasons was stopped for nine years. In 2005, construction continued and was finished in 2007. The man-made canal connects the Macroplaza and the Fundidora Park.

Fundidora Park is an urban park located in Monterrey, in what once were the grounds of the Monterrey Foundry, the first steel and iron foundry in Latin America. Fundidora Park is an industrial heritage museum and public park in the heart of Monterrey. Originally developed as the site of the Compañia Fundidora de Fierro y Acero de Monterrey, a steel foundry dating to 1900. The once-important industrial center now serves a recreational and educational purpose for the city and its visitors. The park contains several structures from the old foundry.ĺ

From the Fundidora Park we took an Uber back to the hotel to collect our luggage and check out.

The Monterrey International Airport is considered one of the most modern airports in North America with a design based on energy savings and sustainability, serving more than eleven million passengers per year. We already check-in online and were just in time to check-in our luggage. But before we could check in our luggage we were requested to apply for digital travellers Entry Form on-line.

Our VB642 flight to Cuba was delayed for almost an hour. We landed safely at José Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba. The airport is located in the municipality of Boyeros, twenty kilometres southwest of the centre of Havana, Cuba. It is Cuba's main international airport, and serves several million passengers each year.

After immigration checks and custom clearances which were very fast and efficient, we were met by a taxi driver who sent us to our rented apartment located in the Old Quarters in Villrgas Havana. Eventhough it was nearly midnight when we reached the area, the badly lighted neighbourhood was still full of youngsters playing loud musics, dancing and talking loudly.

The landlord Lisa was already waiting for us. Steep narrow staircases led us to the two rooms apartment on the 3rd floor. Lisa's friend helped us to carry our big bags upstairs for a small tip. This apartment will be our lodging for the next three nights.

Our first impression of Havana Veija neighbourhood was a bit scary!

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