Cuba is a magical place that transports you to a time of the past. A time where culture thrives, music plays, and the revolution is alive and well. A gentleman we met from Boston said it best as we gazed out across the Viñales Valley, “Wow. This is incredible. We are missing so much by not traveling.”
Our short journey began with checking in to the historical 1930’s Hotel Nacional de Cuba and two complimentary mojitos, freshly made. The hotel looks like a castle, set on the water with picturesque sunsets waiting for your eyes and your camera. The grounds are lush with greenery, flowers, old canons, and plenty of peacocks roaming about. After getting settled in our room, we caught an evening show at the Parisian Cabaret where the history and culture is infused with glitz, glam, singing, and dancing – known as “Cuban, Cubano”. We must say we were slightly disappointed they didn’t invite the crowd to get up and boogie because we are always ready to throw on our dancing shoes, but the show was so much fun regardless.
Our first full day was spent fully immersed in the Cuban culture that is Havana. Roaming the streets of Old and Modern Havana, marveling at its architecture. The people are amazingly nice and willing to help you get around, not necessarily expecting a tip, but seemingly hoping for one. Understandably so since the average salary for middle class is 25 CUC per month. The energy is vibrant and joyous, but you can tell the oppression and control still lives in the forefront of their minds. Our Spanglish speaking guide, Chabeli, takes us in and out of alley ways, squares, art galleries, and even Hemingway’s bar where he used to sit and write. The drinks and music flow as if he were still sitting there today. Chabeli pointed out the top museums, however most are closed on Mondays, so plan accordingly. She also advised us not to drink the water or buy anything from street vendors – guess those street chips the night before could have been a bad idea…
We stayed behind from the city tour as it ended and went off to explore Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña (or La Cabaña), an 18th-century fortress complex, and Castillo De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro (or Morro Castle), a fortress guarding the entrance to Havana Bay. We found ourselves imagining what it would’ve been like back then – the mind tends to wonder when you are around such rich history. You may get caught in a rain storm, but the views of Havana from here are some of the best and will leave you in awe.
Our second day was spent in the Viñales Valley, learning about how to distill rum, tobacco farming, rolling cigars, the Mural de la Prehistoria painted on a 200-foot tall mountain side, and a boat ride through a cave. The Pinar de Rio province is truly a magnificent area of Cuba with the best conditions for farming tobacco, which makes for the best cigars – find a tobacco barn with a 4th generation farmer and light one up. Highly recommend Cubatur for this trip. Hotel Horizontes, Los Jazmines sits at the top of the look out and has a refreshing pool with great views of the valley… worth staying a night or two.
Advice and Lessons Learned
- The Euro has a much better exchange rate than the US dollar so exchanging your money to Euro prior to heading to Cuba is a good idea. No credit cards accepted.
- Rice and beans are a staple at every meal – the best we encountered were at El Cañonazo, a small backyard tiki style restaurant.
- Quench your thirst and caffeine addiction with a TuKola, Cuba’s version of Coca-Cola. So delicious!
- Every musician has “the best music in Cuba” and they will all but force you to purchase their CD off the street. We ended up with 5 CDs.
- There are several places that go a day or 3 without getting their water supply replenished, A/C is like wifi… hard to come by, and there’s a good chance you will have to see a bathroom attendant before getting toilet paper.
- The classic 50’s taxis are abundant and one of the few things privatized under the new government. They are totally worth the fee to take a ride. The Cuban drivers will show you some really amazing places that other tours don’t. We paid $60 CUC for one hour.
- The Hotel Nacional de Cuba allows guests not staying at the hotel to use their facilities for $25 CUC per day. You can use 20 of that toward food and beverages. Good deal for a pool, good food, drinks, views, spa, etc.
- If you’re an animal lover, you will love all the stray cats, dogs, chickens, and goats. If not, then just know you’ll be dining with at least one of them each time you sit down to eat.
- The Cuba Travel Guide app is great for seeing maps of your location and what there is do at those locations. Best news is it works offline.
Enjoy The Ride,
Justin & Lindsay
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