The country that is the anti-thesis of the city of Dubai

With heavy hearts, bidding goodbye to our CS mates Diana and Santiago at midnight, we made our way to the Chavez airport at Bogota, our last destination in the continent of South America; a continent that has been home to us for the last 5 months. The countries of Central America were beckoning us and we had heard that Central America, whilst still an integral part of Latin America would be a fairly different travel experience and that fact hit home as soon as we landed in what ranks as probably one of the most photographed cities in the world – the fascinating, intoxicating, classical city of La Habana, Cuba.

After passing through immigration, where it was a first for us to not have our passports stamped, we set off on our mission to try to travel this much raved about, talked about country in a smart cost effective manner as we’d heard that Cuba could be a fairly expensive place for backpackers. We bumped into an Aussie-Candian couple and had them sold on step 1 of our plan – share taxis whenever and wherever, in this case from the airpot to the city.

Now Couchsurfing in principle is illegal in Cuba as the locals are not permitted to host any foreigners in their homes unless they get approval from the government to do so, a lengthy and expensive process. Hence Cuba has what are called ‘Casa Particulares’ (Private homes), which have have been officially licensed to host travelers. These homes are like your regular family homes where a room is normally given out for rent to travelers. So thus began our travel around a country without our normal modus operandi of couchsurfing..

Chapter 1: Face to face with Che(s), jineteros and habanos

The first thing that caught my attention on the drive from the airpot to the city was an enormous hoarding with who else, but the legendary Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevera’s photo on it with the caption ‘Gracais para su ejemplo Che, queremos que sean como El Che (thank you for your example Che, we want that everyone be like you)’. Che divides public opinion like no one else and is probably on par with Mahatma Gandhi as one of the most timeless iconic figures that ever will be. His methods might be deemed as questionable amongst a few sections of society, but the causes he fought for are as righteous as they come. I thought of him as the Bhagat Singh of India (another revolutionary freedom fighter) as they both looked up to Gandhi as their idol, yet the means they used to fight for their cause, i.e. violence, was something he’d never condone. I would agree with Che when he said that, “To start a revolution and be successful, you need to hate something as powerfully as the thing you love most, as only then can a revolution have any chance at being successful and in this case that beast is Capitalism whose father is the powerful United States”. That hoarding apart, we came across a few million other hoardings and posters of Che plastered across the country with photos ranging from him smoking a cigar – a modern day style icon, to being arm in arm with Fidel Castro and Camillo Cienfuegos, and of course the famous Alberto Korda photo that is probably the most famous photo of our times.

Although we were not staying with CSers, we had found our Casa through CS as many Cubans are very much interested in meeting other travelers and use the CS website to recommend Casas. We were staying at ‘Casa de Julio’, a home belonging to 3 blokes – Julio, Jorge and George, friendly, carefree and always with smile on their faces offering rum or coffee at all times of the day.

We had arrived after a 12 hour flight from Colombia through Peru to Cuba, and hence were quite famished, so we headed out to explore the streets and to get some food. We got to a ‘peso comida rapida (Fast food in Local Cuban Pesos)’ and whilst ordering our food had a friendly Cuban couple chat us up asking the usual drill – where we were from, what bought to Cuba, what our plans were etc. Now, I had read a fair bit about the ‘jinetero’ culture in Cuba, i.e. local hustlers, both men and women, who in the guise of showing interest in foreigners, ultimately want to be bought a drink, some food or will just plainly ask you for money. I had a strong suspicision that they were ‘jineteros’ which was justified later, when on the pretext on showing us the Malecon, they insisted that we try the mojitos at the nearby bar. When I declined their offer stating that I was not up for one, I got a curt “Chao!”, their friendly smiles wiped off their faces and off they went scurrying away in search of the next tourist. Travelers – 1, Jineteros – 0.

My first to do item was to buy myself a box of Cuban cigars or ‘tabacas’ as they are popularly called here and I began my hunt around Centro Habana ony to come across more hustlers who promised me ‘Original Cohibas at good price’. I politely declined their offer and continued in what seemed to become an elusive search for a real cigar store. Then, I came across the ‘Casa Del Habanos’ in Habana Vieja (Old Habana), a vintage styled cigar store with photos of hollywood A-listers, and Cuban A-listers adorning the walls outside and inside the store. Within a few minutes Dee and I were transported back to the good ol’ times of the 50s, puffing away at our Romoe Juliets No.1 and 2 respectively, sipping on a glass of ‘Habana Club Reserva’ dark rum and enjoying the classical jazz music that oozed out of the tiny speakers in the surrealistically styled cigar room. The next hour and a bit was spent in the serene, ‘tranquillo (tranquil)’ environmen as we made a galiant attempt at stylishly smoking our cigars with measured success. Now Cohibas and the likes will be sold at their RRP in these official cigar stores whilst at the same time you have the street hustlers selling you their version of Cohibas for 1/50th the price. I bought cigars from both places and in my opinion, unless one is a cigar connessuir, it is pretty hard to tell the two apart.

We had been invited by a CSer to a short film festival being screened at one of the theaters and so off we went to enjoy a little slice of Cuban cinema which we found quite entertaining. The rest of the night was spent swaying our heads and hips to a great salsa band that played under the open skies at Plaza Rosado. The crowd offered a view of the upper class of Cuban society with well dressed people browsing their iPhones (sans internet, nevertheless), chatting away endlessly and the triple kisses on the (same) cheek providing constant background noise. I met Lily a beautiful Cuban girl who offered to do a photo shoot with me around the streets of Habana and as usual we received plenty of attention from the locals when you walk around with a light strobe that looks like a 1950s television set.

Chapter 2: The valley

After battling sentiments that were persuading me to stay longer in the ethereal city of La Habana, I finally managed to pack my bag and get on the ViaAzul bus to the Valley of Vinales located in the Pinar Del Rio province, about 3 hours from La Habana. Upon arrival, should we have not had our host pick us up, we ran the risk of being devoured by the hyenas like hustlers who were offering everything from horseback riding, to trips to underwater caves to fine dining all at once. Couldn’t be more grateful for our cafe coloured skin which at all times in Latin America is an asset.

We had our casa at Vinales booked through the casa at Habana as the network of Casas run throughout Cuba and always guarantees you a good price. We were paying $15 a night in all cities except at Varadero, for it being a tourist town, prices were sky high – $25 a night. Elisa of ‘Casa Elisa’, an adorable old lady welcomed us with a warm hug and some coffee to go with it. Given that we got there in the afternoon, we did little much except indulge in our favourite pre-planned activity for Cuba – Cigar&Rum. For sunset though we climbed up the hill to watch the sunset off the pool at Los Jasmines, a 5 star resort that serves the best view of the entire Vinales valley.

The following day, we decided to indulge in some horse riding through the valley, with stops at a local Finca (farm), and at an underwater river that flowed through a cave. Though we had plenty of rain playing ambient, the conditions were perfect for a ride and post the visit to the Finca, I had the opportunity to live out my cowboy fantasy – hat on top, cigar in mouth, egging my horse on.

The second day we made our way to Cayo Juitas, a key an hour away to the north western coast with white sands and blue coral enriched water. We chose Cayo Juitas over the more popular and touristy Cayo Levisa because it offered half the price and half the number tourists. Another magical setting where a cigar, a glass of Mojito and a Romeo Y Julieta cigar proved the perfect company

Chapter 3: Trinidad (& not Tobago) and the way back to Habana

We decided to take our chances with one of the hustlers and take a ride in a taxi from Vinales to the town of Trinidad as the bloke had offered to take us for $5 less than the price of a bus ticket. A little bit skeptical at first, we were comforted when we saw that the mode of transport would be a 8 seater Hyundai SUV. We had for company 5 other travelers, a couple from Canada and 3 girls from Norway. Before shooing us into our seats, Ron the hustler took each of us aside asking us not to disclose the price we were paying to the other passenger as each of one us had been given a ‘precio bueno’ (good price). Art.

Trinidad is a hot and sultry town that has a distinct colonial feel to it, and we were glad to be staying again for as cheap as $15 a night at Casa Mali’s place where we were fed sumptuous 3 course meals on a daily basis that comprised of boiled eggs, salad, fresh fruit juices, rice, chicken and flan for desert. Every night, we would head out to the Casa De Musica to catch the daily 10pm salsa show, but to get there we’d have to dodge the hordes of hustlers who at night would shout out ‘Restaurant Amigo!’; these same hustlers during the day would shout at ‘Taxi amigo!’. The different shades of a hustler by night and day. Whilst in Trinidad we also chanced upon an underground disco; yes literally 3 floors underground in a cave. It was an enormous setting, with flashy lights that would could have made the most sober of us dizzy, ‘jinetaras’ running amok and the DJ playing everything from Carly Rae Jepsen to Bob Marley to Guns & Roses. If there ever were to break out a fire….

One one of the days, we also rented a pair of bikes to head out to the nearby beach of Playa Ancon with need I say, more white sand and warm, light blue water. Such is life – tough bike rides under 36 degree heat to pristine beaches.

The last few days of our trip was all a haze as we rushed from place to the other to get back to Habana to catch our flight to Mexico. On our way we stopped at Playa Rancho Luna in Ciengfuegos for a dive, where we got to see a 30 metre shipwreck, sunk deliberately so as to attract coral growth. Post a night in Cienfuegos, we were off to see Che’s monument at Santa Clara and post a brief 2 hour stop over, we were on our way to the resort town of Varadero.

Post spending the day on playa Varadero, that matched right up to the Whitsunday Islands back in Australia in terms of beauty, we were on our way to the city that beckoned to us in a way no other city has – La Habana and it was Chapter 1 in repeat mode all over again

As our 2 magical weeks in Cuba draw to a close, I look back fondly at the hospitality showed to us in each and every one of the casas, the mouth wateringly delicious 4 course gourmet meals served there, the pristine beaches along the coasts and of course the surreal setting of the entire country, like it were frozen in time. In a country where internet is a rarity, flashy cars even rarer, where there is no class division between the rich and the poor, face to face conversations and daily time spent with family and friends stand out like a thing of beauty from the past, one of the many things that Cuba offers to teach the rest of the ‘modern and orderly’ world .

SNAPSHOT

General musing

A fascinating, beautiful and at times frustrating country that one wishes would stay preserved as it currently is. However with the lifting on the embargo not too far away, that could all change very quickly, so travel Cuba whilst it still retains its vintage charm.
Suggested travel routes

For those with 2 weeks, Habana, Vinales, Trinidad, El Nicho and Varadero would be a bare minimum. Those with a week should see La Habana, Vinales and Varadeo at minimum. A month will get you all around the country.

What not to miss

The keys on the north western coast – Cayo Levisa or Cayo Juitas. Varadero has one of the most beautiful beaches in the world but little else. Did I say little? Visit it.

You are not one of those who smoke cigars often, so give it a go in a cigar room at one of the Casa Del Habanos, NOT at a beach or a park. Cigars were always meant to be smoked indoors and I would personally recommend the Casa Del Habano on Calle Mercado for your cigar shopping and smoking. Vintage setting, music with professional, friendly and informative service – top marks.

Food & Drink – What to try?

Food at the Casa Particulares. Whilst a tad bit more expensive than a restaurant, you will not get an experience of finer cuisine that is more local than the food at the casas. Gourmet 4 course meals served with a bright smile from your host, they are worth every cent.

TravelSmart

Learn a bit of Spanish before getting to Cuba, at least the basic, commonly used phrases – it’s really not that hard and will take an investment of probably 4 hours on the plane. It will make your experience that much more distinctively enjoyable and save you more $$$ than you’d have thought.

As opposed to the popular ViaAzul and Transtur buses that carry truckloads of tourists around the country, get your own private taxi. Bargain it right and you’ll have a quick, comfortable, door to door rides to destinations of your choice at a price lesser than what the bus tickets would cost.

Whilst in cities like Vinales or Habana, take ‘taxi collectivo’ (shared taxi) for travel within the city- its travel in vintage cars at barely 10 Cubano Pesos

Stays at all ‘casas’ and, yes, AND hotels can be bargained. Plush casas with double beds, air conditioner, private bathroom, patio and fridge can be obtained for as little as $15 a night in all places except the resort town of Varadero. Here $25 is the minimum one would pay.

Next Stop: Mexico