 Taxi Havana-style - Mar 2010 10 Day Cuba Trip March 2010 Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and is situated 90 miles south of Florida. A fascinating island with a great mix of cultural heritage, fascinating history, ecological wonders, fine weather and powder soft sandy beaches. Of course a holiday to Cuba would not be complete without spending some time in its famous capital city Havana, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. So in March 2010, Charlie and I decided to head there for 10 days: 3 days in Havana followed by 7 days in the beach resort of Varadero. Going to Cuba is like taking a trip around the world within the one country! You can discover the ruins of French coffee plantations, tour Spanish colonial cities dating back to the 16th century, admire the plentiful vintage American cars, relax in one of its all-inclusive beach-side resorts and European styled spas, hike through spectacular mountains and exotic lush rain-forests, dive on one of the world's greatest reefs or salsa the night away to Afro-Cuban and Latin rhythms while drinking Mojitos like they were meant to be drank!  Nighttime, Havana, Cuba We had been warned that with Cuba’s continued economic development it is not at the same level as we have in Europe and some aspects of life in Cuba are very different from what we experience here in Ireland so we went with an open mind. We arrived on a night-time flight via Paris and were immediately struck by the warm balmy air….and the huge number of locals walking along the roads (on our route from the airport to our hotel) in the pitch dark. We later learned that Havana had a big housing shortage issue with many generations from the same family living in very crowded conditions. To alleviate this, many people stay outdoors as much as possible, only using the house to sleep.  Our Hotel, Havana, Cuba That said, we were lucky to be staying in an excellent hotel, IBEROSTAR PARQUE CENTRAL, HAVANA. This is an elegant 5 star hotel located in the heart of Havana. We enjoyed our first Cuban cocktail in the foyer here; a Cuba Libre. This stunning hotel is known for its Spanish colonial style architecture. We had a really comfortable stay in beautiful surroundings. We were really blown away by the view of the city of Havana from the hotel’s rooftop pool. A huge amount has been done to renovate the dilapidated buildings in Havana with a lot yet to do….but it can be imagined what it must have looked like in its heyday in the 1950s.  Views of Havana from our Hotel Roof - Mar 2010 Where some tourists see shabby and rundown buildings, others (like ourselves) feel the quiet charm the unkempt architecture gives off. It’s this charm that really adds to the soul of the city – not that it needs more. But I’d say some visitors would be overwhelmed by the unkempt streets and lack of infrastructure. So it is a matter of personality and experience.  A Home in Havana - Mar 2010 Day 1 Havana – Walk through HavanaWe hired a local guide, Maria, to collect us from the hotel to do a walking tour of the city. Maria was a teacher but did tourist guiding on the side to earn hard currency. The peso or CUP, sometimes called the "national currency" is one of two official currencies in use in Cuba, the other being the “convertible peso” or CUC; often called the "dollar" in the spoken language. There are roughly 25 CUP per CUC. Most Cuban state workers such as teachers receive their wages in national pesos, but some receive a portion of their salary in convertible pesos. When we were there in 2010, some shops sold only in CUP and others only in CUC. The CUP shops seemed to be almost empty of goods. Therefore, the teacher wanted to earn CUC. She told us that Cuban parents were finding it difficult to advise their children to do “traditional” professional careers such as medicine as often they could earn more in tips in the tourist industry.  A "Mosaic" of Cuban Schoolchildren in Havana - Mar 2010 Whatever about the amazing architecture, what soon becomes apparent on our walk were the wonderful people. We learnt that the island’s early population consisted of European settlers, a few native “Indians” who had survived struggles (against the invaders, imported diseases and hard labour), and thousands of black slaves brought over from Africa. Up to the abolition of slavery in 1886, the dominant culture was that of the conquering Spanish, with some influence from the sailors and travellers who had stopped in Cuba. However, the African slaves managed to preserve their songs, musical instruments and dances, introduced new spices and tastes to the local cuisine, and continued to worship their Yoruba gods. The results of this cross-fertilisation is a surprising ethnic mosaic of whites, blacks, people of mixed race and Asians (a Chinese community grew in Havana in the 19th century). The same mosaic characterises Cuban culture too; the bringing together of vastly different traditions has produced a unique blend.  Me at the José Martà Memorial - Revolution Square, Havana - Mar 2010 Plaza de la Revolucion Everywhere in Cuba you are reminded of the Revolution. Billboards remind you that the Revolution is not over. Images of Fidel and Che abound. In case you didn’t know about it, in the late 1950s Cuba had a revolution, where they kicked out the right-wing authoritarian government of Fulgencio Batista. This blog is not intended as a political blog so I have not attempted to opine on the rights and wrongs of any ideology. Instead I have included links to Wikipedia (that fountain of knowledge 😜) where explanations may be needed.  Che Guevara Sculpture - Havana Mar 2010 Plaza de la Revolucion, or Revolution Square in English, is a famous memorial in Havana. It is known as the location where many political rallies take place and where important political figures address other Cubans. The square is dominated by the José Martí Memorial on one side, and the offices of the Ministries of the Interior and Communications, whose huge facades are decorated with the steel memorials of Che Guevara (above) and Camilo Cienfuegos (below), heroes of the Cuban Revolution.  Camilo Cienfuegos Sculpture - Havana Mar 2010 Moving on from the Plaza de la Revolucion we headed to the Mirador area of Havana where the scenery changed dramatically, to the Parque Almendares. We went from concrete buildings to lush, green woodland with a river running through it. There were many creepy, vine-covered trees with vultures flying overhead. There was even some voodoo dolls lying around and our guide explained that voodoo is practiced both for good and bad purposes in Cuba, to fix all things from broken hearts to broken bones!  Spooky Parque Almendares - Havana Mar 2010  Voodoo Doll seen in the Park - Havana Mar 2010 I was glad to leave there for the nearby Parque Miramar which was much more pleasant. This has a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. It was beautifully cool in the hot Havana sunshine. It also had a Romanesque temple!  Park Miramar - Havana Mar 2010 Old Havana Habana Vieja, or Old Havana in English is an area of Havana where historically the old town was located. Old Havana is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site for being one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the world. Depending on how much time you want to spend there you can walk around most of Old Havana in a couple hours, exploring the small side streets and admiring the beautiful colonial houses, museums and buildings. Many tourists choose to take the tourist jump-on-jump-off bus to cover the touristic sites. If you only have half-a-day to see Havana this is good enough to cover a lot in a short period of time. If you have more time you should spend at least one day exploring Old Havana and see the real deal with walking along the backstreets and see all the colourful houses along the way. In Habana Vieja is also located La Catedral de la Virgen María de la Concepción Inmaculada de La Habana (aka Catedral de San Cristobal) and Plaza de La Catedral which is a must in Old Havana and to get to know the history behind the Cathedral.  Havana Cathedral - Mar 2010 Dancing in the Streets Locals and foreign tourists alike can be seeing dancing salsa in the streets of central Havana. The footwork is amazing to watch and those hip movements are probably illegal in some countries 🤣. We came across several groups of musicians and dancers on our stroll. Here is a taste of what it looked and sounded like (courtesy of MrsSalsaDD): They start them young at this in Cuba (courtesy of Janelly): Monument of the Street Person Locals and foreign tourists alike routinely stop at the bronze statue by the San Francisco Church in colonial Havana seeking luck. Touch the gentleman's index finger for prosperity, some say; caress his beard to return one day to Havana.  Monument of The Street Person - Havana Mar 2010 This statue is dedicated to the memory of a colourful character that used to roam the streets of Old Havana: El Caballero De Paris (The Gentleman from Paris) and it is very dear to Habaneros; especially the older ones who can still remember him. There are many legends about this gentle soul; he was originally from the North of Spain some say, moved to Cuba as a teenager, worked as a waiter in some of the classiest hotels in Havana but apparently lost his mind after a spell in prison but was a very kind and courteous man. He died in the late eighties and was buried in a cemetery in Havana but was moved to the Convent of Saint Francis of Assisi. Cubans love to touch his beard or his hair when passing by and now tourists of every nationality love taking a photo with "him". We headed back to the hotel and paid and thanked our guide, Maria. She had given us a great introduction to Havana on our first day there!!  Just Some of the Classic Cars We Saw - Havana Mar 2010 Day 2 - HavanaCars, Buses, Scooters …and Shank’s Mare One of the coolest things about Cuba is the fleet of well-preserved American cars from the 1950s that are still in use, often as taxis. After the Revolution in 1959 embargoes were put in place and US cars could no longer be sent to Cuba. The Cubans have found ways to keep them clean, polished and running beautifully even if it means incorporating a sewing machine motor or whatever else can be made to work à la MacGyver 😊.  Metrobus - Havana Mar 2010 We saw many people hitching rides or walking. There were also many newer Chinese cars in evidence and the modern Metrobus was very popular and very crowded with people standing on-board. There were also bicycle taxis. Tourists mainly took modern taxis or the yellow cocotaxi, an unusual three-seater scooter which carried up to two passengers as well as the driver.  Cocotaxi - Havana Mar 2010 Sure enough, as we made our way from the hotel across the Central Park to the Partagás Factory we saw our first classic car. And many more after that (see my photo above).  Partagas Cigar Factory - Havana Mar 2010 The Partagás Cigar factory The Partagás Cigar factory was amazing…..an Irish Health & Safety Officer’s worst nightmare ….when you see all of the workers confined into such an old building. It is Cuba’s largest cigar factory with its neo-classical façade founded in 1845. Dozens of people work in the aroma-filled interior. Nowadays, there is no longer someone reading aloud to relieve the monotony of the work by entertaining and educating the workforce, as was the case in by-gone days. However, when we were there, they had a loudspeaker that alternated reading passages with music and news on the radio. It was fascinating to see the women rolling the tobacco leaves on their thighs. Connected to the factory was La Casa del Habana, an excellent shop with a back room that was used for sampling cigars.  Capitolio - Havana Mar 2010 El Capitolio We then walked around to El Capitolio building and started our tour there. It is on edge of Old Havana. This is the symbol of Havana and is similar to the Washington DC Capitol but is even taller. It was the home of the government until 1959 and we saw the former government chambers. The Dome is almost 300 feet high and was the highest point in the city until the 1950s.  Dome of Capitolio - Havana Mar 2010 The stunning Statue of the Republic there was cast in Rome, is covered with 22-carat gold leaf and stands 56 feet high, weighing 49 tons!! It was the third tallest statue in the world we were told. Just look at the size of it below compared to me!!  Lil' Ol' Me beneath the "Statue of The Republic" - Havana Mar 2010 Day 3 - HavanaMuseo de La Revolucion On our last day in Havana, we checked out the Museo de La Revolucion. The museum is in a remarkable building. It is fascinating to see the images and facts about what happened during the revolution from a Cuban perspective. This is packed with photos and objects of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, leaders and heroes of the revolution. It is extremely interesting to visit. The signs throughout the museum are both in Spanish and English, so can be easily understood. The museum has also an outdoor section with cars, tanks, planes and boats, amongst which is the Granma yacht; important relics of moments of the Cuban revolution.  Revolution Museum Exhibit - Havana Mar 2010 I would recommend reading up a little on the history before you visit; the museum isn’t entirely enlightening on the events of the revolution. The photos and objects all have tags that describe the importance of it or the moment in history they represent, but there isn’t really an outline or explanation of the revolution and the events that led up to it. If you’re only visiting Havana for three days the Revolution Museum is a must, just make sure you do some research and have some knowledge about it before visiting.  "Floridita" Bar Hemingway Bars Whether you’re just curious about Ernest Hemingway’s life, or you’ve read every single one of his works, including the Nobel-prize winning novel The Old Man and the Sea, set in the Cuban fishing town of Cojimar, there’s no doubt that Havana was the centre of Cuba’s cultural and intellectual scene of the 60s. Everywhere you go, you’ll stop by the restaurants, bars, and hotels the famous writer and journalist used to visit during his stays in Cuba, which have been preserved and have become an important part of the rich cultural heritage. So we decided to head to Old Havana for visits to the famous Floridita Bar, where Hemingway enjoyed his DAIQUIRIS. This bar has great fun and chill vibes, with live performers on almost every night. The daiquiris are indeed pretty awesome and they have different flavours from which you can choose.  Daiquiri All Gone - La Floridita - Havana Mar 2010 We also visited La Bodeguita del Medio bar, where apparently Hemingway enjoyed his MOJITOS. If you want to order a mojito, be warned that the prices here are a bit higher than elsewhere in the city (standard price for a mojito is 2 CUC, but here it is 4 CUC). However, the ambiance is worth the extra 2 CUC. The walls are lined with the names of people who have visited from all corners of the world. In fact, so many people have visited that there is no space left to sign on the walls, and people have resorted to signing on the street outside the bar. We enjoyed the Mojitos but had no marker/ pen to write our regard on the wall😊 .  La Bodequita del Medio - Havana Mar 2010 Museo del Ron Havana Club Museo del Ron Havana Club, which we visited last, gives visitors a great insight into the foundations of the Cuban rum industry. The museum has a terrific scale model of a rum factory complete with a model railway. At the end of the tour we tried a selection of Cuban rums and rum-based cocktails.  Me (with red bag) in Museo del Ron Havana Club - Mar 2010 Day 4 – VaraderoI was quite sad to leave Havana as it had been so amazing. We were headed to the Sandals Resort in Varadero for 4 days. This is an all-suite all-inclusive resort set on one of the finest locations on Varadero Beach. (Since our visit in 2010 it has been re-branded as Royalton Hicacos Resort.)  Sandals Resort - Varadero Mar 2010 The Sandals concept is for couples of 18 years and over. This hotel is very large with 404 suites. Most suites have a full size patio or balcony. There are 3 gourmet restaurants, international buffet plus beach grill, 5 bars including piano bar and swim up pool bar. 3 freshwater pools, 4 whirlpools, unlimited water sports including sailing, windsurfing, snorkelling, kayaks, paddle boats and banana boat rides. 3 floodlit tennis courts, squash, pool, table tennis and indoor games.  Our Hotel Grounds Blessed with clear and calm waters, the beach of Varadero is one of the best I’ve ever seen anywhere with 21km of fine white sand beach. The views are gob-smacking both by day:  Me on Varadero Beach - Mar 2010 And at Sunset:  Sunset on Varadero Beach - Mar 2010 Varadero is a peninsula that reaches far into the Atlantic Ocean’s waters with a yearly average sea temperature of approximately 25 degrees thanks to the Gulf Stream so perfect for sun worshippers and water sports enthusiasts alike with water sports on the beach; including diving, snorkelling, sailing and fishing. It is approximately a 3 hour drive from Havana. So all in all a perfect beach resort but to be honest we both found it a bit “generic” after Havana. It didn’t seem any different from any other beach resort anywhere else in the world. We also didn’t like that there were few locals allowed on the peninsula other than the resort workers who were bussed in and out every day. So, it is a beautiful, relaxing beach resort…but probably not the first choice if you want to experience the “real” Cuba.  Me in Hotel Gardens - Varadero, Mar 2010 Day 5 – Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba/ Guantanamo Bay, Trinidad de CubaWe took a guided bus tour out of Varadero heading to the East of the island. This full-day tour took us to three beautiful cities of the south-central and south-eastern part of Cuba and to the mountains of the Sierra Escambray. First stop was the city of Santa Clara where we visited the Memorial Monument and Mausoleum of Che Guevara, a national hero of the modern Cuban revolution. This was a fascinating experience, even if the statue outside was being cleaned while we were there. We had brought some colouring pencils and colouring books ...as advised by our guide, Maria in Havana.....and gave them to a beautiful little girl who was playing nearby while her mother washed clothes in a tin bath.  Me at Che Guevara Monument - Santa Clara Mar 2010 A spectacular bus ride through the lush mountains of eastern Cuban, along the coast, then past the region’s most controversial leasehold of Guantanamo Bay. In 1903, the US – the victors, together with the Cubans, in the war against Spain – obliged the Cubans to accept the Platt Amendment, whereby the latter had to grant the US Navy the right to install a naval base in the bay of Guantanamo. The US was granted a lease of a minimum of 99 years in 1934. For this occupancy, the American government pays $2,000 per year, though it is said that the Cuban government has returned this to the US since 1959. The US naval base is not open to the public. However it can be “spied” on from an unusual viewing point (mirador), purpose built above an existing military command post by the Cuban authorities who make the most of their view over the base. The Mirador Los Malones is situated on a hill off the Baracoa road about 15 miles east of Guantanamo. A telescope enables visitors to have a good look at the base.  Mirador los Malones - viewing Guantanamo We continued on to Cuba’s second largest city. Santiago de Cuba which is known as the “cradle of the Revolution” and is home to much of Cuba’s famed music, like the Son. There are also museums, colonial churches and buildings of more recent historical importance, such as the Moncada Barracks. Culturally, Santiago has a different feel to the rest of Cuba, undoubtedly coming from the mix of French speaking slaves from Haiti and its proximity to Jamaica. We saw the San Pedro de la Roca Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Trinidad-de-Cuba - Mar 2010 We then travelled on to Trinidad de Cuba. After lunch we did a city tour of Trinidad. Trinidad was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. The original cobblestone streets and pastel-coloured houses give the impression that time has scarcely moved since Colonial times. From the 1600s to 1800s, the city was a major centre for trade in sugar and slaves, and the buildings around the Plaza Mayor, the heart of Trinidad, bear witness to the wealth of the landowners of the time. A long period of isolation from the 1850s to the 1950s protected the city from any radical new building and the original town layout has been left unchanged.  Car in Trinidad-de-Cuba - Mar 2010 We then did Canchanchara tasting there (a traditional cocktail of the region). This was delicious (photo below). Then back on the road to admire the amazing views of the Escambray Mountain Range and the Caribbean Sea before heading back to Varadero.  Enjoying A Canchanchara - Mar 2010 Days 6 - 10 – VaraderoWe enjoyed the rest of our holiday by doing typical sun holiday things.....lazing by the hotel pool and drinking Rum cocktails. We had lovely walks in the hotel grounds and were entertained nightly by local dancers. There was even a fashion show one night.  Poolside - Varadero Mar 2010 On our last night Charlie and I got our portraits done by a local artist at the hotel. He did a great job! We still have them (see below):   Hasta la Vista, CubaSoon our trip to Cuba was over and we headed back to Dublin via Paris. The question remains “What does the future hold for Cuba?” Most people we spoke to there thought that change couldn’t come quick enough. They acknowledged that they have world-class education and health systems…but with the advent of social media they know that there is a whole world of opportunity and challenge out there for their children if not for themselves. On the flip side though, they don’t want to be overrun with hotel chains, fast food restaurants and tourists. Ideally they would like to keep the good aspects of life in Cuba while experiencing the financial benefits. I wish Cuba and the Cuban people the very best with that. Bucket List Items Ticked Off in the above Blog post Number 34 - Eat/ Drink Regional Foods/ Drinks
Other Blog Posts Blog 11 - Sydney, Australia Blog 12 - Hong Kong, China Blog 17 - Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai, China Blog 19 - California, USA Blog 27 - Scotland Blog 28 - Barbados Blog 29 - Canada Blog 30 - Alaska Blog 31 - Everglades, Florida Have you been to Cuba? Tell me about your experience in the comments section below. If you liked this post, please share. Sharing is caring 😊
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AuthorMy name is Mary and this is my bucket list blog ...having survived a near-death experience. I hope it encourages you to "live your best life". See how I'm completing my own bucket list items. And let me know how you're getting on with yours! Archives
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