Kelsey and I landed in Havana on Saturday evening, and were greeted outside of baggage claim by Yudi, our driver, as well as a warm blanket of heat, humidity, energy and beauty. We had made it. Cuba.

The parking lot of the small airport hosted cars from decades past, used not as tourists attractions or decorative pieces, but simply as the family car. Driving from the airport we got our first glimpses of Cuba.

 

Havana has a very European feel to it, and the townhouse we pulled up to was not different. A narrow stairway brought us to our first hostel, and our wonderful hosts. After venturing into the city for dinner, our first Havana night was spent drinking cerveza and cuba libres on our host, Yoel’s, patio with his friend, whose name is Elso but his friends and family call him Papacho. From Yoel and Papacho we learned about family in Cuba, love for country, nicknames, business and so much more in a mixture of broken english and middle-school spanish (thanks Kelsey). From night one, we were in love.

Waking up day two, we enjoyed coffee on the patio and hopped in Yudi’s car heading for the bus station. Being the lucky little travelers we are, we snagged the last two seats on the Viazul bus heading for Cienfuegos. A few naps, a podcast or two, one bathroom break and some gorgeous sightseeing encapsulated our five hour journey to this quaint coastal town.

Upon arrival in Cienfuegos we pushed through a crowd of eager hosts and taxi drivers, grabbed our luggage, and pulled out the trusty old map. One wrong turn and about fifteen blocks later we arrived at the house of Louis. The only thing better about the gorgeous rooftop patio, was Louis’ pina-colada, and Louis himself. Amazingly friendly and welcoming, this retired psychiatrist and teacher gave us some amazing tips on the best rum and coffee in Cuba. We spent the evening wandering the streets of this historic town, listening to a Cuban street pop-artist, taking in the sunset over the water, and chatting with the locals. We would begin to find that many Cubans had family in the US, and were anxious to see US/Cuban relations normalize.

 

After a leisurely morning enjoying the beauty of Louis’ rooftop patio, we headed out for Trinidad. A UNESCO world heritage site, Trinidad offered a version of Cuba that we had yet to see. The European influence still apparent, Trinidad offered narrow, cobblestone streets and colorful buildings, of course topped with the vibrancy of the people. Everywhere we went in Cuba, and Trinidad was no different, people sit on their front porches chatting with friends and neighbors, and watching the kids play in the streets. More than perhaps any other influence, people sitting outside their homes created the energy that pervaded the country. It was nice to see that people still talk to each other.

Getting off the bus, we made our way across the cobblestones up a small hill to our casa particular (with some help from the local tour agency – another testament to the helpful and generous spirit of the Cuban people!). We were greeted by Raul, a man in his late-50s perhaps, shirtless to combat the Cuban heat, and were given a tour of our home for the next two days. We were shown our rooms, and the multitude of patios and nooks that the house offered. Saving the best for last, the rooftop opened into a 360 degree view of the town and the ocean. Stunning.

The next morning we were picked up by Louis #2, our guide for the day. Heading up into the hills behind Trinidad towards Guanayara National Park, we stopped at a hill-side overlook where we could see the ocean, the town of Trinidad, and the old sugar cane fields.

Leaving the gorgeous view, we headed to hike through the National Park. Neighboring the trailhead was a restaurant that Louis explained was owned and operated by the Cuban government, and he pointed out to us the main restaurant operator. From there we crossed a stream into a wooded forest, local farmers on horse-back passing on our side. As we continued under the trees, Louis pointed out plants and animals, gave us a sample of fallen mango (delicious!) and explained to us the manner in which farmers are allotted land from the government to grow coffee and other crops. His father was a coffee farmer, and therefore he knew that industry in Cuba well. It was a fascinating insight into the culture.

After perhaps an hour hike, we came to an area to swim. Small waterfalls skirted the rocky-bottomed pool. We jumped from the dock into the cold water, refreshing after a hike through the humid Cuban climate, and enjoyed time swimming under the waterfalls and enjoying the natural pool.

We then continued the hike to El Rocio waterfall, got to explore into a large cave, and finished our hike through an operating coffee and banana plantation (the two crops are often grown together).

 

On the way back we stopped for coffee. Kelsey had the opportunity to sharpen her machete, and we got to taste a Cuban coffee drink consisting of strong coffee, rum, and a little honey. Yep, those are coffee grounds around the rim.

 

We finished our evening in Trinidad, grabbing dinner in the town square, wandering through the town streets, and enjoying cerveza on the rooftop patio in the cool mountain Trinidad evening air. The next morning we woke early and it was off to Havana!

 

Just a note to anyone traveling to Cuba, do not take a shared taxi. You hear me? Just take the bus. Get your reservations ahead of time, and take the nice spacious, air conditioned bus. Unless you want to spend four plus hours cramped next to strangers with your legs squished in a little car, just take the bus. Yes, it will take you a few extra hours and yes, it will be worth it.

So we got to Havana, and were dropped off in front of our hostel (with just enough cash to spare, literally giving the taxi driver our last cuban cent). We headed inside and met Marta, our hostess, for our final days in Havana. She showed us into a spacious two bedroom apartment, complete with a patio overlooking the Centro Habana street. We were in a perfect, culturally Cuban neighborhood just walking distance from all the sites to see in Havana.

We set out on our journey to get money. We were out of water, hadn’t eaten all day, but were optimistic as we headed to the bank. Our optimism faltered when we realized that the gathering of Cubans outside the bank didn’t seem to be making any progress in the 20 minutes we waited, and the bank was closing only 20 minutes after that. Another tip, ask your accommodations if they exchange money and if so, which currency they will take. If you have to exchange money there, go to the Casa di Cambio. Do not go the the bank. I’m still not entirely sure how the banking system works, but it didn’t work well for us.

Always helpful, though, a manager inside the bank directed us to one of these exchange houses, and only kind of (maybe a lot) worried that we would sweat out every drop of water in our bodies and keel over from heat stroke we headed back out into the streets. Finding the Casa di Cambio, we exchanged our money, bought two or three liters of water, and set off to check out what Havana (Habana to the locals) had to offer.

 

The rest of our time in Havana past smoothly, getting mildly swindled only once. We visited Old Havana, the Rum Museum, and I took a ride in a 1953 Chevy down the Malecon. We met some amazing Cuban locals and visited some gorgeous and culturally interesting sites.

 

Our last afternoon we took the hop on hop off bus to the beach, and enjoyed a relaxing day in the sand and the perfect caribbean waters. We could not have asked for a more perfect way to end a perfect week in this wonderful country.

Cuba – Summer 2017