Cuba felt like an incredible journey fifty years back in time. Fascinating to see the effect of communism and the embargo. Havana is like a first class European city stuck in time. Part of it has been restored, most of it is deeply decrepit. You can clearly see, its once upon a time, grandeur.
1950s cars EVERYWHERE in Cuba!! We had the immense pleasure in riding in them several time. Terry wants to get one now!!
Vinales Cuba. Can't miss the country part of Cuba. Wow! Beautiful and away from everything, guaranteed! Stayed in a Casa Particular with a family. Quite the experience. Absolutely no internet and almost no English. Perfecto Mundo!
Our Casa Particular, we had the room on the side! Wonderful people!! Casa Moraima on calle Salvador Cisneros Este #44, Vinales, Pinar Del Rio, Cuba CP:22400 www.triptovinales.com tel:52752090
They had a roof top 360 view of the valley. Gorgeous!!
Horseback riding in Vinales among tobacco fields. Everything was magical until my horse slipped in mud, fell on its knees and sent me flying in the air, down crashing on my nose and chin! Nothing broken but Ouch!! I went back on the horse like a trouper and continue the ride but I ended up with a blue face for a week. Thank god for good make up!!
Cuban people, simply the best! Their music everywhere is amazing!! Wish I could salsa like them!!
Terry with Ernest Hemingway and the Havana Rum poured two and three bottles at a time at the El Floridita Bar in Havana where Hemingway was a regular. A must stop. Way too much fun!!
Cuba's beaches are beautiful but especially Cayo Jutias and Varadero but Varadero does not offer much Cuban feel. Get out and see the real Cuba!
We stayed at the Royalton Hicacos. Highly recommended. Beautiful resort, fantastic service, large and fabulous rooms. The resort shows its age a little but you can see that they are working on it and care very much about their level of service. The food was ok, better then the rest of Cuba but still much improvement needed. That will certainly come with time. They have very little access to food staples.
Luis, our favorite waiter at the Royalton. The best Daquiris and Pina Coladas! We had way too many of those!!
Here are a few tips if you plan to go:
1. Bring Cash. We could not use our Visa card anywhere except the bank where Canadian dollar has to first be converter to US dollars and then to Cuban CUC. Go figure. You get dinged twice with exchange fees.
2. Bring lots of Cash. The Cubans are learning capitalism very fast. Cuba is not cheap.
3. Be prepared to tip, a lot. So bring $1 us bills or loonies or get $1 CUC as soon as you get there. They will take anything if it is cash.
4. Bring Spanish book. There is very little English outside of Varadero and tourist areas.
5. Bring magazine and books, there is no reading material there other than Castro and communism literature.
6. Bring lots of facial tissues. Paper is rare.
7. Say goodbye to Internet, there is very little and it is expensive if they offer it at all.
8. Ask for the price before taking a cab. The price vary widely.
9. Get the price of hotels or Casa Particulars in writing.
10. Bring a note book and a pen. They are hard to find.
11. Bring a few shopping bags there are rare, and forget about shopping. There is nothing to buy at all.
12. Bring a small bottle of hot sauce. The food is ok most times but very bland and very basic. This is NOT foodies paradise! EXCEPT for the authentic Cuban pork sandwich. Oh my!!! They can cook that!
Finally, make sure you go. It is so worth it! Cuba will sure be different when the embargo is lifted and the Americains will come back along with Starbucks, McDonald's, Victoria Secrets and the like!
2. Bring lots of Cash. The Cubans are learning capitalism very fast. Cuba is not cheap.
3. Be prepared to tip, a lot. So bring $1 us bills or loonies or get $1 CUC as soon as you get there. They will take anything if it is cash.
4. Bring Spanish book. There is very little English outside of Varadero and tourist areas.
5. Bring magazine and books, there is no reading material there other than Castro and communism literature.
6. Bring lots of facial tissues. Paper is rare.
7. Say goodbye to Internet, there is very little and it is expensive if they offer it at all.
8. Ask for the price before taking a cab. The price vary widely.
9. Get the price of hotels or Casa Particulars in writing.
10. Bring a note book and a pen. They are hard to find.
11. Bring a few shopping bags there are rare, and forget about shopping. There is nothing to buy at all.
12. Bring a small bottle of hot sauce. The food is ok most times but very bland and very basic. This is NOT foodies paradise! EXCEPT for the authentic Cuban pork sandwich. Oh my!!! They can cook that!
Finally, make sure you go. It is so worth it! Cuba will sure be different when the embargo is lifted and the Americains will come back along with Starbucks, McDonald's, Victoria Secrets and the like!
Happy to have experienced Cuba and happy to be back home to our great country where we live in abundance and are free to do, say and think what we want!
Hasta Luego Cuba! We will be back someday and visit Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba!!
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