Havana, Cuba

All the information I looked up on Cuba before I left was contradictory at best. Some said there was no food, some said foreigners can’t shop at the grocery, some said you can. Some people had horrible experiences with money, others were better planners. I think that confusion about what to expect along with very different answers to seemingly simply questions has inadvertently given me a glimpse of how things are done in Cuba. Long lines, a confusing dual currency and an interesting culture that is difficult to navigate are just a few of the things that the foreign traveler is confronted with at the jump. Being an American I’m used to the comforts of home so, like when I have a question you just Google it and there you get an immediate answer. In Cuba that is not the case…

The first thing you notice in Cuba is the lines, if your anything like me the first order of business is securing some of the coveted WIFI cards. My first stop at Etecsa (the telephone Company) was a 2hr cue. More like a mob as locals are jostling to maintain their position while others are sneaking into the cue without any rebuke. After a painless transaction I left with my shiny new WIFI access card, my connection to the world. I was told to not expect much and that information was correct. The WIFI is slow and cuts off periodically due to the masses of people doing what they do on the internet.

Technology aside. Havana has proven to be quite the charmer. The Cuban people are very friendly and helpful. It was interesting to note that after 4 days in Cuba’s largest city I never saw drunks walking down the street, fights or even any car accidents. Now that’s not to say they don’t exist but I didn’t see them. What I did see in a very warm and helpful people that has a strong sense of community. Neighbors help neighbors, strangers help strangers. I also saw a very resourceful people that are able to do some amazing things with what us in the west might consider junk. It has giving me a new perspective on ingenuity, one I hope will follow me back home.

I could have stayed at the fancy hotel for $250 CUC (1:1 with the dollar) and had the traditional hotel experience. I opted for a Casa Particulares (Basically an AirBnB) at a whopping $18 CUC a night. Sra Fefita and Robert were very gracious and welcoming hosts quick to help with whatever I needed, directions, food, where to go, and even booking my next stop for me as well as giving a heads up to the 5 stops after. And to top it off when I needed a taxi at 3:30am to get me to my bus to Santiago de Cuba they not only arranged it but were there to see me off.

I will write more about specific topics, how-tos and the like some. But for now it is off on a 15 hr bus ride to Santiago de Cuba my starting point for my 700+ mile ride back to Havana.