Most of our friends and family know the Lewis' like to organize and travel. In our spare time, we work as ER doctors to make this happen. Thanks to Whitney, Mike & Elise, Berge, and Jesse for being our travel partners on the adventure to Cuba.
Marta - Blog organizer and personal travel agent. Drawback - you usually also have to travel with me and put up with the Lewis' if I plan your trip.
Drew - Photographer and coffee connoisseur. Cuban coffee really was phenomenal.
Final night in Havana with Whitney, Drew, Marta, Mike & Elise
Berge and Jesse taking in the sites of Havana Vieja. We wish you could have been there with us on the whole trip.
Tourism travel to Cuba remains illegal for US citizens. However, as of 2015, you no longer need to apply for a license to travel, but rather identify one of the US approved reasons for travel when you board your flight (i.e. journalism [including blogging], education, visiting a family member, etc). We took an Aeromexico flight from Cancun, as finding chartered flights from the US remains difficult. We bought a Cuban visa from the Aeromexico counter in Cancun and filled out a form with our documented reason for travel. Super easy.
Cubans welcome Americans to their country. The influx of US visitors has increased dramatically in recent years, although perhaps not quite as common as European visitors. Most people still guessed I was German.
You cannot use your American credit card. This is a cash economy. Bring as much cash, and more, that you expect to use while you are there. Convert it to CUC at the airport; if there is a long line downstairs, try departures upstairs for better luck. You will only get 0.87 CUC for 1 American dollar, although it is technically pinned to the dollar. It may be beneficial to take Euros as there is not a fee associated with it...but you have to gauge the exchange rate from your own bank in the US before this becomes worth it.
Use guides and stay at casa particulares. This is how I learned the most about Cuba. We stayed in people's homes and had guided tours based on what we were most interested in learning. We also ate a couple meals at our casa particulares, which turned out to be great food and super relaxing at the same time.
Plan your trip with pre-arranged reservations. I found using a guide in Cuba the most helpful - my transport, tours, lodging were all arranged for me prior to my arrival. We used Jorge (http://www.jorge-cubaholidays.com/) and he was on top of everything that we wanted prior to our arrival in Havana.
Cuba is not super expensive, but it is also not super cheap. Fuel is 2x the cost of US gasoline and transportation is not efficient or easy. We pre-arranged a private vehicle for our long distance travel, which was definitely worth the cost and time of waiting for limited bus travel.
Cuba is already pushed to its limits with its international popularity. The country is only going to be put under more stress as visitors pour in, wanting to see it before the "change." This is not going to happen over night, but yes, someday, Cuba will change. And the day US tourism becomes legal and domestic carriers add 10+ flights per day, of course Cuba is going to see a change. For now, basking in Caribbean sun, diving in the Bay of Pigs, and lounging by the pool is not legal. Now is the time to see it...but with a certain respect and understanding of its resources, history, and culture. It is most definitely a "trip" and not a "vacation." But also well worth the time and effort.
Final sunset view overlooking Havana and its port. There are plans to redo the port for cruise ships in expectation of American cruise ships returning to Cuba. This also happens to be where Drew's ship docked on Semester at Sea in 2002.
Traveling to Cuba is not as simple as you might think. This country is not equipped for the casual backpacker with no plan. Hotels and casa particulares are reserved in advance and quick, easy internet and good transportation is not the norm. We arranged our trip through an experienced Cuban travel agent prior to our arrival to maximize our time and education. The trip was perhaps a bit more hands on and pre-arranged than I would like, but we knew in advance, the purpose of our trip to Cuba was for education rather than relaxation. I would call this a "trip" rather than a "vacation." Here are my must sees from each stop.
Nights 1-3: Havana
Exploring the suburbs of Havana and drinking at the local bar that we nicknamed "neighbors." We very much enjoyed staying outside of the tourist hub of Havana Vieja, allowing us to see a different part of Havana. We stayed in Playa, near the wealthier neighborhood of Miramar. This area now hosts most of Havana's embassies, located in Cuban mansions that were abandoned during the revolution.
Guided tour of Central Havana, hitting the highlights of the main plaza and Hemingway's old haunts.
Casa de la Musica, Miramar. Cabaret, music, dancing and rum.
Fabrica de Arte Cubano - recently featured by Anthony Bourdain as one of the up and coming scenes in Cuba. A trendy rooftop bar/restaurant worth visiting.
La Fontana - my favorite Paladar in Havana, located in Miramar. However, the fried chicken from the neighborhood bar could rival this food!
The local fried chicken joint. Priced in pesos for Cuban Nationals, which was 10x cheaper than the paladar private restaurant CUC prices. Apparently new government rules has allowed for business in this family's garage.
"Neighbor's" bar. I do not know the real name, but this was the local neighborhood restaurant, also serving chicken and fried rice. I would much rather find the local bar than the hyped up touristy bar, although we did try Fabrica de Arte Cubano, which is the hip thing to do in Havana these days.
Old books and antiques for sale in Plaza de Armas, Havana Vieja.
Marta and Drew on a convertible tour of modern Havana. Key stops featured were the Che mural (below) and Hotel Nacional. Here we are stopped near the "bosque" or park near the river that runs through Havana.
Classic Che mural in Havana.
Old town Havana street view. Many of the homes are old and dilapidated, contrasted by some that have been updated and restored. Many of these buildings have such potential that hopefully Havana will be able to restore and conserve in the future.
View of Fabrica de Arte Cubano.
Nights 4-5: Vinales and Pinar del Rio
Visiting a tobacco farm and seeing the process of hand made cigars. All tobacco farmers are required to sell a majority of their tobacco to the government. They can then use the remaining tobacco to make their own cigars to sell. This is where the bulk of their profits come from.
A baseball game in Pinar del Rio. I don't think you can visit Cuba and not go to a baseball game?! This is a national pastime. Tickets were < 1 dollar. We were the only foreigners there. And you could buy all the popcorn and peanuts you wanted for insanely cheap prices. This was great.
Biking through the limestone hills of Vinales. Cuba has so much untouched and pristine landscape to experience (of course with caution, as development also often comes with unplanned growth and unintended destruction). Spectacular to finally get out of a vehicle and get some exercise.
The craft of hand rolled cigars.
Tobacco farm outside of Pinar del Rio.
Baseball, a national pastime.
Pinar del Rio's baseball stadium.
Biking through the tranquil Valle de Vinales
Night 6: Playa Larga
Playa Larga is located on the Bay of Pigs. Perhaps this town warranted some more time, but due to mechanical issues, we did not spend much time here except for a walk through town.
We visited the Museo de Playa Giron, which tells the story of the Bay of Pigs invasion from the Cuban perspective.
Tranquil fishing dock in Playa Larga. There was no shortage of fresh fish.
Playa Giron is the location of the Bay of Pigs invasion and holds a museum recounting Cuba's perspective on the failed US invasion.
Night 7: Cienfuegos
A bustling Cuban city, known for its French architecture and an UNESCO world heritage site since 2005. Worth an architectural tour and a stroll along the bay.
Cienfuegos boardwalk. Not unlike any other city, this is where you see your runners, teenagers hanging out, and couples watching the sunset.
Arco de Triunfo, Parque Jose Marti, Cienfuegos.
Catedral, Parque Jose Marti, Cienfuegos.
When was the last time you still saw a row of pay phones?
Nights 8-9: Trinidad
Stroll along the cobblestone streets, get off the beaten path and walk in Barrio de los Tres Cruces (to avoid large tour groups with microphones). Trinidad truly is picturesque.
Go to music - Casa de la Musica is set outside on a long stretch of stairs. Get a drink and relax during the day, music and salsa by night.
Eat ice cream, a stop both days for us...
Sol Anada - favorite restaurant in Cuba, hands down. This is the Cuban-Indian fusion restaurant set in an old colonial house on the plaza that I have already mentioned. Touristy, yes, but well worth it.
Visit Taller Alfarero, a local pottery production. Trinidad is known for its ceramic products.
Taller Alfarero - everything ceramic from bells, lights, pots, masks, etc.
The best ice cream stop, worth it in the blazing heat.
Plaza Mayor, surrounded by cobblestone streets and horse drawn carriages.
Horse drawn carriages are a main form of transportation in Trinidad.
Calle de los Tres Cruces. A snapshot of everyday life in Trinidad with horses on every corner.
Beautiful tiles are representative of Trinidad's architecture.
I love everything about this photo, particularly the nice DeWalt the gentleman is carrying.
Night 10: Havana
A capstone to our trip - walking the Malecon from Vedado all the way to Havana Vieja. Particularly refreshing in misty weather with the waves crashing against the seawall. I wondered why the street adjacent to the sea was often closed in bad weather or high seas and I realized when walking along treacherous parts of the Malecon that thin, slippery layers of algae also call this home. The Malecon was particularly quiet this day due to the weather, but we were able to find the dedicated fisherman.
Do not pass up a convertible ride of the city. For a final sunset, we went across the bay to the statue of Christ. Here you have a southwest view of Havana and the Malecon which is magnificent.
Fisherman on the Malecon in Havana during a misty January day.
One of our friends got sick while we were in Havana. Of course, your first though is acute gastroenteritis. You don't immediately think, this must be ruptured appendicitis?! I cannot comment completely on the situation as I was not personally sick. But here are some general observations of the Cuban medical system. Linked below is our friend's video on the experience. We are thankful that he is home and safe despite the physical and emotional trials that he sustained.
- When you think of Cuba, everyone says, they have good doctors and good training, right? Yes, they probably do have good education and experienced surgeons. What Cuba lacks, and not just in medical supplies, is general resources. Perhaps they have decently trained doctors, but they do not have enough IV fluids, antibiotics or even critical code drugs for their tourists, let alone Cuban nationals.
- There is no pain medication. For a price, there may be a single dose available, but in general there is no narcotic medication. It seems that Cuba does not suffer from the same narcotic addiction problem that the US has. However, in the acute setting, this is unfortunate for surgical and trauma patients. There probably should be a happy medium somewhere in between.
Of course you cannot go on a trip to Cuba and not be fascinated with the old American cars. The owners have quite a lot of pride in keeping these cars functional and pristine. Most have some sort of new radio installation. Some have new steering wheels. Others have the original interior or electronic convertible awning. Air conditioning is often by an installed fan. We had the luxury of riding in many of the cars; only a few are shown here.
I had to include a photo of "piña" our nicknamed mini van for our time outside of Havana. Unfortunately "piña" ran into some problems with flat tires and its transmission...but we made it back to Havana in the end.
An original interior juxtaposed by the American flag, Cuban flag, and a nice cell phone.
Convertible cruising.
Rows of convertibles in Havana. Of course we chose the bright pink one.
Eduardo with his convertible - purchased by his grandfather in the 50's and passed down through generations. Eduardo took us on a beautiful capstone trip through the streets of Havana on our last night in country.
Final views of the Malecon from the convertible windows.
Havana Vieja street view.
Cienfuegos main plaza.
Strolling down the colonial streets of Trinidad.
Horse drawn carriage vs vintage car in Trinidad. Both are used as taxis.
Modern lock?
Quinceañera on the streets of Havana.
1st of three stops for a flat tire - in route fromViñales to Playa Larga. Good thing our driver, Eddie, was a good sport.
Video riding through the streets of Central Havana.
