Cuba

Most Americans don’t think we are allowed to come to Cuba….and while not true, there is some truth in the reasoning.  Americans can’t come to Cuba and be on their own and just wander around independently.  In order to get a visa to come to Cuba, you have to be coming for one of the approved reasons-----in most cases that is in support of the Cuban people.  By traveling to Cuba, that is in fact exactly what I’ve done….it isn’t just to tick a box on the visa application, it is a true meaning behind the travel.  

Americans have had restrictions on travel to Cuba since 1962.   Travel was made easier during the Obama administration, but even then, some restrictions were in place.  As of now, Americans can travel, but it is essential to have a professional plan your trip or to be very well educated on the rules.  My partnerships with companies in Cuba allows me to plan trips for my clients that are both legal and amazing. 

My trip to Cuba began with VIP service upon arrival.  The lines can be long at immigration (like many countries) and this service allows you to skip the line.  You also have someone helping you navigate the process.  Immigration took a matter of minutes and then I was on my way.   I had a driver in a classic car for the drive to my hotel.  The drive to Havana takes about 20-30 minutes depending on where you stay.  

My first impressions of the city were better than I was expecting.  I had heard that the roads are bad, the city is overflowing with trash and that all the buildings are in disrepair. The highway was in pretty good condition and once we were in the city center, the roads continued to be in pretty good condition with a few large potholes from time to time.  In the city, there are areas that have garbage on the street---the salary for the government owned trash company is quite low and so it is hard to keep workers and there is a fuel shortage at the moment, so trash pick up is no longer on a regular schedule.  There are buildings in disrepair, but there are also many buildings that have been maintained or renovated. 

The first night we had a city tour in the UNESO World Heritage Old Town.  Our guide spoke very proficient English and gave us lots of details….including one time when we were standing on a road made of wood---it looked like cobblestone, but hundreds of years ago they were experimenting with different materials and wanted to see if wood would work (spoiler alert: it did not).  The colonial part of the city is well maintained and quite clean. It was a great first impression. After the tour we headed to dinner and were served family style---the first of many times that we had leftover food that we gave to our guide and driver.

The next day we headed to the national ballet to watch them practice.  We learned they make about $50 a month---this is a fairly typical government salary.  Most dancers treat the job like a university and once they are good, scouts see them perform when they travel internationally and are offered jobs in other ballet companies outside of Cuba.  Our guide mentioned that this is also true for baseball and soccer players.  
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We then headed about 45 minutes outside the city to an organic farm. They mostly grow tropical fruits and vegetables and the surrounding area was beautiful.  We learned how they gather honey---it was a type of bee I hadn’t seen before.  The bees don’t have stingers and are called earth bees because they typically nest in the ground or in hollow tree trunks.  They explained how the hive boxes work with an example and then opened one with active bees.  It was crazy to have bees flying around and not get scared.  The honeycombs were like space looking bubbles instead of the flat hives I’ve seen before.  We could drink the honey directly from the hive.

Now is a good moment to start to talk about the food.....which was amazing.  Many Cuban chefs that have been living outside of the country are coming back to open their own restaurants (which is now allowed).   There was a variety of food options and the quality was quite high.  Unfortunately, this isn't the case for Cubans---most Cubans can't afford to eat in the restaurants that cater to tourists.  The markets have fresh produce and that is available as part of a ration card, but in limited quantities.  I was shocked to hear that if a person has no money for food outside of the ration card, they are allowed 5 eggs per month, for example. Like many destinations that have a large disparity between the poorest and richest citizens, it can feel a bit uncomfortable to eat well when locals may be going without food.  I think spending your travel dollars in destinations and with businesses that share the profits with the local community is one way of helping while traveling. 

To complete the busy day, we learned how to salsa dance and make 3 of the iconic Cuban drinks….Mojito, Daiquiri (pronounced DA-keeri in Cuba) and a Canchanchara.

Next day we left in a convertible classic car headed to Hemingway’s house about an hour outside of the city.  This was my first exposure to the main highway where under the current economic crisis, the highway is used for pedal bikes, walking, horse drawn carriages……any way to get from point A to B.    You can’t go inside Hemmingway’s house, but they open the doors so you can peek inside.  The house was left as is when Hemmingway left Cuba---he expected to come back but fell ill and never returned.  The typewriter he used to write is still there and to see it now, it is crazy to think how many hours he typed away writing all of his books.
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We then headed to Cojimar, the fishing village made famous by Hemmingway and where in tribute, the fisherman melted down propellers to make a bust of Hemingway’s head in memorial.  The table where Hemmingway sat is still reserved at the bar--- the majority of the visitors to the town come as part of the Hemmingway experience. 

Havana has quite a bit of night life---from jazz clubs to bars to Fabrica de Arte….an old factory turned into a place to present art from theater to dance to music to paintings….which was named as one of Time Magazine’s top 100 World’s Greatest Places (in 2019).  The city also has a lot of history and interesting parts---like a forest within the city, the largest cemetery in Cuba and Revolutionary Square where Fidel Castro and other politicians have given all of their famous speeches. 

​The last day in Cuba, I went about 1.5 hours out of the city to Las Terrazas.    This area was historically known for making charcoal to help Cubans cook their food----we are talking in the 1950’s and earlier, as well as grow coffee beans since there is a slight elevation here (think hills, not mountains).  The forest slowly wasted away to nothing until a government initiative started to plant trees to re-forest the area and terraced planting was used to help prevent erosion.  Now this is a lush, green forest.  I also visited the Soroa Orchid Botanical Garden---this was a private residence turned botanical garden and classroom for students learning about orchids and other tropical plants.  The original owner imported orchids from all over the world.​

You can’t visit Cuba without having some sort of cigar activity---I chose not to do a cigar smoking experience as I don’t smoke, but I enjoyed learning how to roll one of the famous cigars.  The Cubans have a strict protocol of the leaves they use in each cigar and there is an order to how the leaves are added.   Other cigars around the world don’t have as strict of protocol and most are not hand rolled.  

There are also now some shopping areas with local artisans making high quality items.  These boutiques would not be out of place in the States or other more affluent areas of the Caribbean. 

​As you can see in a relatively short 5 night stay, I was able to see and experience many things that Havana and the surrounding area has to offer.  There are several international airports in Cuba, so you aren’t limited to the Havana area.  Please contact me if you would like to learn more about planning a trip to Cuba.