Cuba
Cuba has a magical energy and it will always have a piece of my heart. If you’re the kind of person that NEEDS to be connected to WiFi at all times then maybe you need to disconnect and visit Cuba. It’s amazing how only a flight away can take you to a whole new world. The minute I stepped off the plane in Havana, there was this energy in the air I can’t explain. Everything is as if it hasn’t been touched in decades. It was nostalgic to walk around and figure out how to do everything without a phone. It felt great to disconnect with everyone and reconnect with myself.
I met up with a taxi driver the air bnb helped me reserve. He had a little sign with my name on it , gave me a hug, then took me to exchange money right away at the airport. FYI Americans get taxed only 10% at the airport vs 18% outside of the airport. I do recommend to exchange Dollars to Euros, even though you loose some money exchanging it to Euros, you get your money back when you change it to Pesos . For example, If you exchange $100 American dollars, you’ll get $90 CUC, but when I exchanged 100 Euros, I received $116 CUC back. #winning
Okay so back to Habana...
After exchanging money, off we went in a 1949 classic car. As my driver was turning into Viejo Habana , I was in awe at how colorful and beautiful the buildings were. Children were happily running around and playing everywhere, people were sitting outside listening to music, smoking and talking. The energy was live and I couldn’t wait to explore.
I stayed on the corner of Villegas and San Juan De Dios, which felt like it was a perfect location. We stayed in a casa particular, and I would recommend that v.s staying at a hotel-especially if you want more of a cultural experience. It was a cute little hostal that had a balcony, and a fun view for people watching and absorbing Habana. All of the workers of the hostel were extremely warm and welcoming, the hospitality was amazing.
Here are some places that were recommended
for
food & drinks:
Now, I have traveled enough to know what to expect in other countries. However, I went on this trip with my mom and 10 year old sister and it was their first time ever leaving the U.S.
So here are some tips we discovered in Cuba:
1: Food is limited. Don’t be surprised when you go somewhere and what’s on the menu isn’t available. There is amazing food, but remember this is Cuba ...so you’re going to get limited food options sometimes . When there is food and you have options, they are quite limited. Options are usually just chicken with rice and vegetables. Meat is not always available. The Puerto Rican/ Peruvian in me truly wished I had Adobo or garlic powder with me...and some aji sauce so if you can remember to bring it, do it! Resources are limited there. Maybe bring some extra to leave behind for your host. Luckily, the host of the casa recommended some yummy restaurants which I will list at the end of this.
2: WiFi is limited. It is only available in certain areas like a WiFi Park, or if your casa has a hotspot. You must purchase a calling card for $2 per hour or $5 for 5 hours. Once you are in a WiFi area, then you can connect. Make sure to not scratch the code too hard or the numbers won’t show, then you will have to buy a new card which is kind of annoying, but at the same time it was liberating to not be attached to my phone. It was the first time I ever went out without my phone and I had the best night.
3: If you are staying in a casa, the water pressure is not strong, and you might run out of hot water...but after a long day of walking and sweating, it’s refreshing to take a cool shower-plus it’s good for your skin. Appreciate that you have clean water.
4: Watch your step and wear comfy shoes. Also watch out for dead pig and chicken heads on the floor! So we discovered Cuba has a lot of Santeria. Apparently the sacrificing of the animal is for an offering like food. It’s bad luck to touch it, and I think kind gross if you did touch it, so just watch where you’re walking.
5: Do not be ignorant, do your research before visiting. I recommend watching the Cuba and the Camera Man documentary on Netflix. We all have different values. As far as money, Cuba is not a wealthy country and this was a very a humbling experience. It is amazing and heart warming to see that Cubans still try to live their best life, despite poverty because money does not buy happiness. I feel like Cubans are the most optimistic people I have encountered while traveling.
6: Do not pay more than $25-$30 for a taxi from the airport to Viejo Habana because like anywhere else in the world, most taxi drivers at the airport and tourist areas inflate the prices.
7: Ladies keep tissues with you, toilet paper is a luxury… a lot of public bathrooms do not have toilet paper. And we don’t want to be that kind of wet 🙂 plus they charge you like .25 cents for a tiny piece of paper that is very thin and absorbent.
8: Wear comfy shoes! You’re going to do a lot of walking and I highly suggest to make sure you have comfy shoes, especially because the streets are cobble stone.
So now that we have that all out of the way here’s what I recommend to do!
Drink a mojito! Or two, or three...they were so good!
Try the icecream! My favorite was the Guyaba, which I never tried before. Sadly I think I can only have that in Cuba...
Disfrutan con los locales! (Party with the locals!) Cubans are great people and they know how to have a great time. I danced some Afro-Cubano musica. I had a great time and the best part about it was that I didn't have my phone! It was amazing to go out and not worry about it. I also had a few mojitos, because rum makes it more fun.
Take a walk and explore Viejo Habana at night ! During the day it’s hot as balls and you will be a sweaty hamster, but at night there’s a nice breeze from the water and it’s not as crowded, it actually felt safe. The crime rate is low in Cuba so it was refreshing to know that I wasn’t going to get kidnapped or robbed. As a female who travels alone sometimes that’s important to know, ya know?
Visit Playa Santa Maria...it’s only 30 minutes away from Havana and it’s beautiful! It is a beach where the locals hang and drink all day in. I had the honor of running into an old man who gave me shots of rum in the water. FYI There’s no bathrooms there so change your clothes and poop before you go 💩
Smoke a Cuban cigar...I was recommended to try it at La Concordia, but I did not have time. Luckily the host of the casa took me somewhere to buy a cigar and we smoked before I left. It was my first time trying a cigar and it kind of reminded me of ganja. It was nice and relaxing, and it gave me a light buzz similar to hookah.
If you're a cigarrette smoker, Cuba has cigarettes without all those extra chemicals in it, and they're only .70cents a pack!
Try to visit Viñales , Varadero, Cien Fuegos, or Trinidad if you can! I only stayed in Cuba for 5 days and that was just enough to explore Havana, let alone the rest of Cuba. Next time I’m going to book more time to see what other magic Cuba has.
Do tip all of your servers, drivers, and anyone who helps you!
Thank you Cuba for helping me disconnect with the world, and connect with myself.
