My birthday is January 28th, and I discovered it is a holiday in Cuba. It is the same birthday as Jose Marti and when I was born, a group of Cubans blessed me for being the first baby born on this day so I felt like I had to celebrate my golden year here.
I went with a group of friends and we stood at a casa particular.
I wanted to stay close enough to walk to Habana Vieja, but far enough from all the noise and touristy stuff.
This casa was located on Campanario y Laguna…in the middle of the locals and where the tourist go. The casa is near La Guarida, a famous restaurant that I have been told is a must see. I enjoy people watching, so this was perfect. Every day we watched kids actually play outside …you know because there’s no WiFi so they actually PHYSICALLY PLAY GAMES!
We each wanted to have our own rooms and this place was perfect. It had 5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. There were balconies around the house, which allowed us to get fresh air and people watch. There also was a washer and dryer on premise, and most importantly the host were amazing!
The hospitality in Cuba is unreal. Cubans are so kind and humble. They just want you to enjoy life and have the best experience possible in Cuba.
Bertica was our maid who cleaned the house, she made our beds and made us a great breakfast for only $5 each. Breakfast included fresh fruit, eggs, toast, freshly squeezed juice, and a cafecito.
Because it was my birthday the main host, Lola bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She wanted to make sure I felt special for my birthday and I sure did. She was even trying to get her nephew to serenade me with a guitar but unfortunately there was a devastating tornado that struck the night before my birthday into the morning of the 28th.
Upon arrival to any air bnb in Cuba, you must present your I.D. If you have local guest staying with you, they too must provide ID. For safety precautions, in case anything goes wrong the air bnb host are responsible for you and they will get in trouble if something bad happens. In this sense, I feel super safe in Cuba. This is probably the only country I have been to as a solo female traveler where I feel safe to walk around at night, and I am not alone because I have met other solo female travelers in Cuba and they feel the same.
If you decide to visit Cuba with a group of friends I highly recommend staying here. Please tell them I referred you, and give them hugs from me!
I also recommend packing some extra clothes and toiletries to leave behind. It is extremely difficult for Cubans to obtain basic items that we take for granted. ADULTS ONLY GET 10 EGGS PER MONTH…just let that sink in.
I left some hair products for the host and I tipped Bertica. Cubans only make $25-35 a month, they rely on tourist for extra income. So while you are enjoying your $2 mojitos, be humble and grateful for everything you have. Cuba will be a harsh reality check for those who need to be humbled. Despite the lack of WiFi and the craziness attached to communism, I love it and I hope you do too.
