[travels] cuba: tobacco, rum, and sugar

Brian and I unknowingly eeked in a timely trip to Cuba, returning stateside the very week Trump announced he would be reinstating travel and commercial restrictions eased by the Obama administration.  While tourism was never an approved purpose for travel from US to Cuba, the 'Educational Activities' visa category afforded us great flexibility to see and explore under Obama-era rules.

We followed a fairly standard itinerary that allowed me to knock off a few more World Heritage Sites!  We flew into Havana, explored caves and biked in the beautiful Vinales Valley, and visited sugar plantations and hiked in the Trinidad area.

First a couple of notes about travelling in Cuba:

There are two currencies used in Cuba, the CUC (pegged to the USD and used by tourists) and the CUP (used by locals).  Though the 1 CUC is equivalent to 1 USD, there is a 10% exchange fee for USD, which is not levied on other currencies.  Do your math to determine whether you should change your USD to Euros or Pounds to change to the CUC.

Bring all the money that you plan on using in cash.  At least when we went, we could not use US Credit cards, ATM cards, checks, etc.  Worse comes to worse, we've been told that it is possible to receive wire transfers; HOWEVER, the recipient needs to be a Cuban national.  

We booked lodging using AirBNB before arriving in the country for all but our final three days, for on the order of $15-20/night.  I unfortunately did not do my homework and assumed my buying power in other categories (food, transportation, activities) would stack up comparably.  Dining out in Cuba was cheaper than dining out in Boston, but on the order of 50%.  Drinks, beers and cocktails, however, were very affordable!  Taxis in Havana were as expensive as taxis in Boston, we found the tricycle motorcabs to be cost-effective.  

We found taxi collectivos (shared taxis) to be a cost effective way to travel between cities.  For just a couple bucks per person less than the state operated buses, you can get door to door service on your schedule.

While we opted to plan our own trip instead of booking a tour, we did find that certain day tours stitched together related sites in a very sensible way at a reasonable cost.  We also found that tour drivers were willing to do the same tours off the books, once you found the right one.

Stumbled out of the restaurant after the waiter handed me a BOTTLE of Havana Club rum for my DIY pina colada.

Vinales by Bike

First we headed west by taxi collectivo, to Vinales Valley.  Vinales, surrounded by mountains, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The valley is known for its agricultural production, particularly that of tobacco.  We rented bikes from a friend of our AirBNB host for $15/day and biked through the countryside.  The first night we visited the more touristy Cueva del Indio, where the walking trail stops and you finish your tour by boat.

The next day we filled up on a breakfast of eggs and fresh fruit smoothie before starting out for the Prehistoric caves and Cuevas de Santo Tomas.  

We were outfitted with helmets and headlamps to explore Saint Thomas cave.  Our tourguide pointed out all sorts of wildlife, played musical stalactites, and we didn't lose anybody.  Great success.

While the beauty of the valley is striking, it was the beauty of the people that left the deepest impression.  Our most memorable experience was when I got a flat tire and we stopped by a residence offering up their vistas for all to enjoy.  Our new friend went above and beyond, pedaling back into town, during the hottest time of day, to fetch a pump.  While we waited, we chatted with his wife in broken Spanish, about why she loved her home and their pace of life.  

Beautiful vistas from the home of a friendly couple.

Trinidad by Taxi

Our second destination was also another UNESCO.  Trinidad, together with nearby Valle de los Ingenios, was built up around the wealth generated by the sugar trade in the 18th century.  We were able to visit the famous Manaca Iznaga plantation and the San Isidro de los Destiladeros on a taxi tour.  We enjoyed walking around the plantation, but seeing the slave quarters and learning about their living situations and culture left an impact.  We enjoyed conversing with our tour guide, teaching him idioms and chatting about politics.

View from Iznaga Tower, built to watch slaves during the sugar trade era.

The heart of Trinidad has a host of carefully restored buildings.  The meandering paths, lined with colorful houses, lead to a beautiful town square and the musical steps.  In the town center, you can also climb the tower for sweeping views of the city and the valley.

Back to Havana

No Trip to Cuba is complete without spending time in Old Havana.

Broken-down car in front of the Capital Building

Looking back on Old Havana from the western side of the Harbor.

Drinks with the Father of the Daquiri, Ernest Heminway, at the Floridita.

View of Havana from Castillo de la Real Fuerza- another World Heritage Site!

Other things we did

1. Rode a classic 1950's Chevrolet with red leather seats and an odometer registering 900,000+ miles from Trinidad to Cienfuegos.

2. Visited the historic center of Cienfuegos.

3. Personal salsa lessons in Vinales, followed by an evening of live music and dancing