My Trip to Cuba…..and a couple of tips for future travelers
*A quick note about this post; I wrote this up shortly after my trip to Cuba in August of 2016 with my buddy, Ahmad. Castro was still alive and both of our governments were working towards an improved relationship. Fast forward a couple years and things have obviously changed a bit and depending on your politics…… well, you know the rest.
August 2016; Havana, Cuba
Well, where do I start…..it’s certainly getting easier to obtain your Cuban Visa in the states before you go but we opted for the Mexico City route since the airlines from America weren’t flying into Havana yet. (word on the street was Jose Marti Int. airport wasn’t up to international code so most carriers wouldn’t/couldn’t fly in)
You can also stop in Cancun which isn’t a bad idea.
We purchased our visas through the AeroMexico counter for about $15 US dollars. If you plan on flying direct from the U.S. then I assume you have that figured out. Just remember, you only need to state which of the 12 categories of authorized travel you fall under when you purchase your ticket. We used the Educational Activities/People to People license so if you’ve done your research, then you already know what that is. You’ll want to document your schedule of activities as you’ll be expected to keep a full itinerary, juuuuust in case the State Department comes a knockin.
Did you feel safe in Cuba?
Extremely Safe. We walked the streets at all hours and found that most people didn’t even pay attention to us. This isn’t to say there aren’t bad neighborhoods but you’ll be fine if you use logic and some good old common sense. We found the Cuban people to be extremely friendly and you’ll notice right away that if you’re American, they may even open up to you about how life in Cuba really is for them. The youth of Cuba is quite anxious to leave as opportunity is scarce while the older generation seems to be very content with their lives. The differences were quite obvious.
An interesting tidbit, Cubans don’t call Castro by his name but rather, they grab their chin to represent the beard of Castro.
Tips for when you arrive into Jose Marti International Airport(Havana)
• Be aware that you might be asked why you’re there once you deplane. (This was happening in various areas of the airport BEFORE you reach customs). We weren’t asked but some people in our vicinity were. Your simple answer should be; “I’m here to support the Cuban people”. That’s it. They’re looking for Americans specifically as Cuba has been a tourist/vacation destination for other countries for years but still technically illegal for us. You’ll probably see a lot of Canadians and Europeans when you get to customs as well as when you’re out walking around in the city.
• Once you get to Customs they may ask if you want a stamp in your passport. This is okay so don’t worry about it. Ahmad wasn’t asked so when he found out I got a stamp, that clown went back and asked for his. (she obliged)
• After Customs you’ll go through another semi checkpoint where they may ask you for proof of Medical Insurance. It was stated in just about every blog article I read that it’s required and that they perform random checks. The lady asked if we were American and just let us pass through although we did buy insurance beforehand through RoamRight.com which was around $12 for 8 days. I would suggest getting it in case they ask you, plus it comes with general travel insurance for lost luggage, etc.
• Once you collect your bags you’ll want to head out to collect your transportation. If you’re going with Airbnb, your host will most likely offer to pick you up for a fee. Don’t pay anything more than $30 CUC for them to pick you up. There will be plenty of taxi’s outside also but just remember to stick with the $30 cap.
The Currency situation:
• By now you’ve heard that Cuba has two currencies, the CUC and the CUP. The CUC is the tourist dollar which is 1:1 to the US dollar. The CUP is the local currency and only Cubans are allowed/supposed to use it. The CUC is what you’ll be expected to use unless you think you can pass as Cuban. There is a 10% penalty for taking US dollars (which we did). It was suggested to get Canadian dollars or Euros before we left but exchanging twice didn’t make sense to me so I just took the hit on our dollars.(Our Airbnb host gave us .90:1) You’ll notice it’s around .87:1 when you use a hotel or bank to exchange.
The Taxi situation:
There are three types of Taxis you can take while in Cuba:
• The Government run Yellow Cabs DO NOT take these as they’re much more expensive and the other two options are better anyway
• Regular taxis which have a taxi sign on the dash somewhere.o These are perfectly okay and everywhere within Havana will only cost $5CUC. Hold firm on that rate. Cubans may not be dangerous but THEY ARE out to make a buck
• Collective Taxis/Rideshares.o This was much cheaper and also very interesting. If you feel like really getting to know some people, use this option and you can negotiate the price since other people are riding with you. You’ll need to be on the main streets to flag them down but you may not even know who is going to stop. Good luck if you go this route.
My suggestion…. take the regular taxis and remember, don’t pay more than $5CUC for anywhere within Havana. If you flag down a good looking 1950’s car it’ll probably be a tad more. You’ll see most of the nice cars around El Capitolio which is in Old Town/Habana Viejo.
If you plan on staying a week or longer you may want to venture out to another region. I instantly regretted not getting over to Vinales (google it) as it looks absolutely stunning. We did make it over to Varadero which is a beach town 3 hours east of Havana. The white sand beaches were amazing but honestly, I wouldn’t stay more than a day there. The town is small and its mostly tourists. The bus line is called “Viazul” and you can actually buy those tickets ahead of time online. It’s also recommended as you won’t be able to buy your tickets the day of because they do sell out.
Fun Fact: We missed our bus because we partied too late the night before and if Ahmad is reading this, he’ll blame me for sure.
This is in Varadero which is about three hours east of Havana by bus.
Additional suggestions:
• You should think about bringing some gifts from home. Stuff you don’t plan on using anymore just to give to people• Brush up on your Spanish. There are a ton of English speakers but Spanish will get you further along• Go to some of the Ernest Hemingway bars. They are fun and usually have live music going. El Floridita and El Bogedita De Media.• If you need a place to rest and to grab some Wi-Fi, get over to the Saratoga Hotel. The food was good and the bartenders were awesome. We must have stopped by 4-5 times to get Wi-Fi and to plan the day out. Cigars may have been involved as well.Side Note: The Wi-Fi was about $10CUC/hour which is obviously highway robbery but trust me, you’ll pay it. HAHAHA!!
Wi-Fi in general is not readily accessible like we know it to be in the states. They pay per hour there and it can become very expensive so plan on really being disconnected. I was lucky to find an Airbnb host who offered Wi-Fi and he only charged us $4/hour. (I know… I know) It’s also not that fast so you’ll need to be patient. I was able to login to social media so there weren’t any internet restrictions which I thought there could be. The government set up Wi-Fi in the parks around the city so you’ll see people at all hours of the day and night just hanging out.
Couple things about the video below:
First, PLEASE ignore the douchebag on the left of the screen smoking that cigar (He is NOT a role model).
Second, let me see if I can try and set the scene for you…….this was after a long day of walking around Havana. We got back to the Airbnb and decided to hang out on the balcony of Alejandro’s place which is also where his parents live (or is it the other way around?) Anyhow, I pulled my ipad out(in Ahmad’s hands) and my portable speaker to play some music. You’ll notice Alejandros dad is out there jamming along with us which was very cool. He also offered up homemade mojitos for the 2-3 hours we were out there which did not disappoint.
Now, what surprised me was how he knew most of the songs we were playing. When the video starts, you’ll notice right away that it’s “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynard Skynard. He starts telling us that song reminds him of a movie which initially left Ahmad and myself guessing for a moment as there are probably a few. The whole interaction was great and it just highlights one of several we had that night.
From what I have read and from what I saw with my own eyes, Cubans have to rely on flash drives to watch movies and listen to music from outside the country. I guess some things are still not allowed or accepted.
Visiting Cuba was an absolutely insane experience for me but it was these little moments that made it for me. The next night, the the family made dinner for us and we all sat down(including grandma), enjoyed some authentic Cuban cooking and conversation that i’ll never forget.
I will be going back……and if Hannah is reading this, YES…..you’re coming with me.
Take note of my impeccable Spanish at the end.