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Hi everyone, I just returned from Cuba last night. I'd like to share some of my experiences with you and hope it might be of some help to future travelers.
I left for Havana from Miami on the 21st of June for a 3 week stay. My experience at the Miami airport was a good one and totally uneventful. Since we had stayed the night a the Miami airport hotel, it was easy to get to the check in counter on time. We literally walked 30 yards max from the hotel lobby to the counter. Since I was taking about 25 lbs in medicine I ended up paying for about 14lbs in weight. The charter company (C&T using American Eagle) combined all our bags together (3 plus one carryon and the medicine bag) and whatever was over the 88lbs was what we payed for as excess. I still don't know how we managed to pack so much stuff.
After landing in Havana we spent about 45 mins processing through immigration and customs. There was a flight ahead of ours and that's what took up the time. Customs was odd. We had decided to take everyone's advice and declare $30 in gifts, so we filled out the declaration card as such and proceeded toward the red lane. The green lane with all the other Cuban-Americans swearing they had nothing to declare was long and at a stand still. The lady waved us right out of the airport and didn't even look at the card. There were people in line at the red lane but she didn't want us there. I was almost disappointed that I didn’t get to argue. I got over it quickly.
We headed out for the central province of Sancti Spiritus where my family lives. Along the way we were hit with a torrential downpour including thunder and lightning. We could hardly see the road and I still don't know how the taxi driver managed to stay on the road!
The first week we spent with my family taking us around to meet all my cousins and great aunt, as well as telling stories of what it's been like for the last 34 years since my parents and I left Cuba. It was nothing I didn't already know about life under a communist regime, but somehow hearing it from the people who are living it made it much more real for me. I intend to publish some of that insight and observations, on my personal website along with the photos I took.
We left from there to Trinidad for 7 nights on the beach. After arriving there and looking at the casas, the oppressive heat in the town, and the hotels on the beach, we decided on the Breezes Trinidad del Mar. I know that I committed an unpardonable Lonely Planet sin by registering at an all inclusive, especially after criticizing them publicly. Quite frankly, after spending 1 week under the conditions that the people of the central provinces live under, I started to become depressed and needed a change. I wanted to have a shower that didn't require a bucket, and to sleep without a mosquito net. I wanted to be by the ocean and not have to take a taxi everyday. I was also craving for news and outside of the hotels you can't get CNN. At least I couldn't. It was Cnn en Espanol, btw. Just as trivial as the English version, imo.
The hotel was $130 a night and I found it quite reasonably. Most of the AI in Varadero are upwards of 180 a night. We easily ate and drank our share and in the end it was cheaper for us than the Ancon or the Costasur. The service was excellent and the food was great. In fact to this point we had no complaint about food. My family cooks just like I expected with lots of garlic, salt, onion, and lemon. Nothing bland about the hotel food either. But being Cuban I know that Cuban food isn't supposed to taste like Mexican or Indian food, so I wasn't expecting Tabasco flavored anything.
The beach was very relaxing and while the locals can't roam around the hotel, they do share the beach. It was nice to be able to hear Cuban music and see people other than the Germans and French tourists from the hotel. This hotel, by the way, does allow Cubans as guests. Specific Cubans that is. Military and Ministry workers get to stay there and enjoy all the benefits of a 4 star All Inclusive that the average Cuban is prohibited from.
Trinidad itself was oppressively hot. We barely spent a few hours walking around before we headed back to the beach. I went back into town a couple of times to the Internet Cafe named Las Gardenias. The cost was about $3.00USD per 20 mins. and the connection was pretty fast. No waiting either.
Be aware that a new law went into effect (according to Havanatur) last month which requires passengers aboard catamarans out to the islands to carry their passports. The Havanatur rep. who booked our day long trip to Cayo Iguana didn't know this and we were turned back at the marina. At first they only wanted our passport numbers. We went back to the hotel and told the rep who jotted down our numbers on the back of the voucher as she had been instructed. When we returned to the marina, the Border patrol was waiting for us. He was sure I spoke Spanish and got pissed when I only spoke English. He kept carrying on about passports and giving the boat crew a hard time. To make a long and tense story short I'll just end by saying that we never went to the island and I told the "guarda fronteras" guy to go...uhm...fu#$% himself and his mother too. I was pissed. Havanatur brought out their area supervisor to apologize personally and return our money. They were so embarrassed about what had happened that they were still apologizing the day we left. Apparently this new law (or whatever) went into effect and word never made it to the tour reps in Trinidad.
I cashed my American Express travelers checks at the Banco Financiero in the Ancon Hotel. The teller told me that they accept them with passport and as long as the signatures match exactly. You wouldn't believe the scrutiny they gave mine. It was hysterically funny to watch.
The transcard is a great alternative/addition as well. Highly recommend using it. Accepted out in the middle of nowhere in Sancti Spiritus as well as state run restaurants like the El Aljibe in Havana.We took the Viazul to Havana and left the insanity of Trinidad behind us. But not the heat.
Viazul was great. We showed up at around 7:00AM and I showed my voucher that I printed out after reserving online. No hassles and pretty quick. The drive was very pleasant and we never got cold. It was way too hot outside for that! The scenery was pleasant and we stopped about an hour outside Havana at a roadside stand for cafe and ham and cheese sandwiches (not included).
We arrived in Havana around 2:00 PM I think. Promptly took a taxi to our Casa (Casa Antigua) which turned out to be an even better place to stay than the Trinidad del Mar (minus the beach). The hosts, Horacio and Martha are the best. Their place is like stepping into a colonial home. You start to think that you are in the Cuba of yesterday. We plan to go back and stay with them again. I can't say enough for the level of comfort and safety that they provide. Highly recommended!
We decided not to rent a car long before going to Cuba. It was the right decision for us. Driving is insane, parking a hassle, gas a hassle, and taxis infinitely cheaper. The most we paid for a state taxi between the casa in Vedado and Old Havana was $5.00. The cheapest was walking which we did one morning before the sun got too hot. It's a great walk from Vedado along the Malecon all the way to Plaza de la Catedral. We walked leisurely and it took about 1 1/2 hours.
Havana:
I liked Old Havana immensely. We spent our days there. So much to see that 8 nights wasn't enough. There's a book fair every Saturday and Wednesday that is great. We spent the better part of 2 or 3 hours just browsing and buying old books. I recommend the horse and buggy ride. For $5.00 a person you get a pleasant ride around Old Havana all the way up to the capital and vicinity with a tour guide. Our guy stopped at a place for us to buy Guarapo. I can't remember the name of the place but they claim to be the only place with fresh guarapo in Old Havana. It was right near the St Francis convent, I think. Really good with Rum.
El Morro is a must see. The place is much bigger than I imagined. Stick around for the 9PM "canonazo". It's quick but a lot of fun and the view of Havana and the harbor at night is awesome fro there. There's music from a live band afterwards.
Make sure you ride in the old American cars that have the Taxi sign on them. They only cost $10 pesos or $1.00USD for 2 people. Pretty much anywhere in Havana.
Cocotaxis are a lot of fun. We took them all the time. One day we even took one during a huge downpour and ended up soaking wet! We had a blast and so did the coco driver who kept laughing at us laughing at being so wet.
Varadero:
We took a day trip to Varadero and don't regret it. Next time we will spend a few days out there. The ride out is beautiful. I'm in love with the town of Matanzas. You have to see it to understand.
Vinales:
This was another day trip. Beautiful scenery just like in the Sancti Spiritus except at a higher altitude and stunning valleys that date back to prehistoric times. The stops along the way with the tour bus where cheesy and tourist traps, but still worth the trip to the cigar factory. Where by the way, the workers are in much, much better conditions than the non-tourist factories we saw in my hometown and in Trinidad. Obviously designed for the outside world. Still, it was worth seeing. You can buy cigars there, including Cohibas, for a fraction of what they sell for in the cigar shops. All legal too.
Places we ate:
El Aljibe is the best place for chicken and their beans are the best that I've ever had! It costs about $12.00 per person plus drinks and dessert. Service charge included. I think we ate there 2 or 3 times.
El Palenque was good. Cheap food and pretty tasty. Way out in the middle of Miramar, though. I think we ended up paying around $15 for 2 of us. Everything is ala carte.
La Mina has a mean ropa vieja made with pork (since beef is practically outlawed). The peacocks and chickens roaming the place are entertaining and the band is the best we'd heard on the street.
El Hueco is a paladar a couple of blocks down from Casa Antigua. The house is very nice and the food is pretty decent and cheap. A meal with dessert for 2 people will run you about $15.
We ate at a couple of other paladares in Old Havana but I didn't catch the names. All were good and the average cost was about $15. Some of the cheapest food we have ever had. Here in Alaska a burger and a drink will cost you $10 per person in most places.
Entertainment:
Hotel Nacional has a 10:20 cabaret show that is well worth the cover charge of $35 per person
The best mojito I had was here!
Dos Gardenias in Vedado has a bolero room upstairs with live music.
Exiting Cuba was easier than entering. The guy at the immigration cubicle took my visa back, double checked that the guy who had gone ahead of me was my husband, asked me how I like Cuba. To which I hoestly responded with a smile by saying very much and that I plan to return. He wished me a safe trip and sent me on my way. Absolutely no hassle. My bags where never searched and nobody cared to check that the books we bought were ok to take out of the country (we had proper documents just in case), or if the cigars were legal, etc. I know the bags weren't searched because I checked them when we arrived in Miami and none of the strategically placed items were disturbed.
Immigration in the US took 2 hours. For some unknown reason the lines were barely moving. Once we got to the counter it was like all our other trips abroad. The bored to death immigration officer patiently took our passports out of their plastic case, scanned them, initialled the customs card and gave them back to us. In all our travels we have never had anyone look through the passport pages. The closest they ever come is flipping quickly looking for a blank square to stamp.
When you travel legally to Cuba there are no stamps involved. Not on the Cuban side and not the US side. Looking at mine you'd never know that I visited Cuba. It's all very ironic. I actually wanted a stamp as a souvenior.
Customs was the usual quick run through the x-ray machine at the agriculture station. They could care less about my cigars and rum. They were looking for agro stuff. Felt sorry for the poor slobs who where on the plane from Jamaica, though. Their bags were getting searched in another lane specifically designated for custom searches.
My husband loved Cuba and wants to go back. I share those feelings. It was great to see the country of my birth and my heritage and to meet all my cousins. The people are Extremely friendly and the island is very safe. My only hope is that some day the people of Cuba will be able to experience freedom again.
Irene
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