The 16-hour flight from Saudi Arabia to Havana, Cuba is long, but the colorful, vibrant destination makes the trip worth anyone’s while.
Flying over Havana at night shows a flat city with few lights covering a skyline that has almost no high-rise buildings. It has the lowest population density in the Caribbean despite its 11 million inhabitants. Cuba is an island in the Caribbean with the shape of a gecko, bordering the US, the Bahamas, Mexico, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
When applying for a visa for Cuba, ask for it to be printed on a separate piece of paper, not stamped in the passport. Otherwise obtaining a US visa will become impossible. Also, do not forget travel insurance.
Passport controls at José Martí International Airport went smoothly and organized, even though the main language is Spanish, and most locals speak little English.
When taking a taxi you need to know that tourists have especially designated taxis. Unfortunately, the cool old 1960s cars are only for locals. Because they are cheaper, they are more affordable for Cubans. A drive from the airport to the city costs SR112. Tourists can pay using inconvertible pesos, which are different than the pesos available to the locals. Make sure you spend them all before you leave Cuba, because they are not accepted anywhere else in the world.
The drive from the airport took me through wide streets of poor areas, past simple colorful houses, mostly inhabited by black people, the working class in Cuba.
The weather around this time of year in Cuba, springtime, is quite pleasant, with mild wind and with Cuban music in the air — it made me dive into a different world. Moving into town the scenery changed slowly, with colored houses, a few shops in the form of kiosks on almost empty streets. The atmosphere was relaxed, people sitting on modest chairs, in cafes or verandas and music coming out of radios or old-fashioned music boxes.
My hotel is a huge 70s complex with pool, gym, and other facilities expected in five star hotels. The lobby was not completely full — and never would be — of international and a few locals with a business atmosphere. The audience sat entertained by live Cuban music, good food and cigars.
One should be prepared to bring lots of patience when dealing with Cubans. No, no, no — nothing like in the Arab world. It is more of a relaxed attitude with the Cubans, and the enjoyment of doing things in an easygoing way. It is also important to understand that people have no egos, no negative energy, so it may be difficult to complain about the extra breakfast on the bill. Rather just mention it in passing, without creating a fuss.
Opening the guidebook and trying to explore a tourist site by oneself is not a possibility as I found out on my first day. Taxis — for foreigners — are available at hotels and the airport only. Maybe if one is lucky a tourist-taxi passes by after waiting for an hour; renting a car is possible but the petrol supply is not guaranteed. The only viable option is taking a guide — believe me: not a luxury — or joining a tour group.
José, the concierge at my hotel, offered me Ricardo as my tour guide, who does not speak English. I was forced to activate my modest Spanish for the next few days.
We hit the road in his red open 4-wheel drive to start the day at the Plaza de la Revolución, located in the city’s main square. The square is dominated by the José Martí Memorial, which features a 108m tall tower. The National Library, many government ministries, and other buildings are located in and around the square. Opposite the memorial on the far side of the square is the famous Che Guevara image with his well-known slogan of “Hasta la Victoria, Siempre” (Until victory, always) that identifies the Ministry of Interior building. Guevara’s is the most depicted portrait in Cuba.
The museum displays the origins and development of the Cuban revolution; its early days with José Martí who started to spread his ideas in the 1870s and was forced into exile by the Spanish occupiers. Cuba gained its independence from Spain in 1902. Did you know that in 1762 Cuba was briefly occupied by Great Britain before being returned to Spain in exchange for Florida?
At this square, former President Fidel Castro, leader of the 1953-1959 Cuban Revolution, delivered his first speech to the nation after ousting dictator Fulgencio Batista. At the Museo de la Revolución and Presidential Palace more material on the revolution is shown in full detail. Pictures with allies, documents, and letters of the first years as well as manifestos, agreements, all are displayed keeping alive the memory of the past.
After two days of touring and driving around and visiting museums, I still have not got hold of a feeling of Havana. So I decided to be were people are. People, buildings, restaurants surrounded me but I did not pick up the Havana vibe. I wondered was if it was me or did I miss something else?
My first destination was Habana Vieja — the old town. A 7km ocean-side pedestrian walkway connects the Diplomatic Quarter in Miramar to Malecon. No trip to Havana is complete without some time spent strolling and lingering along the Malecon, which is the social center for some Cubans, where they sit on the long wall and talk and enjoy their evenings.
In Habana Vieja is more traffic and people than elsewhere, especially on the Calle Opiso. Many restaurants and shops are here and every segment has its own shop. There are shops for telecom appliances, shops for beauty articles and very few everything to wear shops.
After work people gather at homes, sit on their balcony, eat, drink and listen to music at home or in cafes. As Ricardo’s wife told me, in her 40 years she could not afford to visit Buena Vista Social Club (a famous restaurant for Cuban music) and it does not look with her salary that she would have — such sites are only affordable for tourists; locals with salaries up to SR 115 per month may never able to visit such places of entertainment.
It is well known that Cubans have excellent doctors and teachers; it ranks high in statistics of education and health. Yet professionals in these areas don’t earn more than anyone else.
Next day, I went to visit Museo Casa Ernest Hemingway on the Finca Vigia, 40 km north of Havana. Hemingway spent a few years here in the 1950s. After his death, his second wife Mary donated the estate to Havana and tourism; it receives about 200,000 tourists a year. The place covers huge areas of greenery, a pool and a house. The mansion is not to be entered but tourists can look inside the house through the windows. Rooms full of books and a collection of Hemingway’s hunting trophies are displayed.
Seeing people, beautiful faces, with different colors, sizes, and always a light smile on their face, it wasn’t hard to get in contact with Cubans. What turned out to be difficult was to talk about their dreams and hopes. Many don’t like to talk about such topics out of fear. The one big dream Cubans share is to own a house. Maria at the coffee shop in my hotel told me that she spent two years in Barcelona where she worked in a Lebanese restaurant. She enjoyed the food people and learning about other cultures, but she missed Havana. Cubans are kept isolated in their world, with almost no Internet access, no cable TV, far away from the world. Their access to the world was through tourists — tourism makes up 45 percent of their income.
I asked Ricardo, who works for a Cuban TV channel, if people seek change. He explained that it is not easy; most families would not move out of Cuba, and the changes in a new life would be too difficult to handle, because of the little knowledge Cubans have about the outside world.
One my last day, I visited the painter Salvador, whom I had found out about through a small boutique tourist book. Salvador has a community center in which he offers opportunities for young artists to display their art. Colorful paintings and writings cover the area. Young artists try to sell music and paintings to tourists. I got invited to a rumba performance in the afternoon — a deal Salvador has with the government, promoting the art and culture of Cuba.
Food in Havana is tasty, and one cannot avoid gaining weight. Beef, lamb, and rice are what most dishes are made of, but chicken and fish are also a must. Delicious dishes can be eaten in La Guardia, an old building of the 1950s with small rooms, all sorts of dishes, but no menu. One can put the meal together as one wants. Other, smaller restaurants also provide great food, always surrounded by live music.
There were other interesting places, such as the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, a fortress that protected Havana from pirates, Paseo de Martí, Capitolio Nacional — the much hated copy of the US Congress building, built at the time of President Machado and has been turned into a scientific center in the 60s. La Havana requires at least a week to have seen it all.
My highlight in Havana was the art supermarket. Thousands of artists sell their drawings and paintings on the life of Cuba. Breathtaking colors, amazing stories told from the pictures, it is the place to feel Havana.
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