For travellers looking for a destination that is charming yet challenging in equal measure, let me tell you about Cuba.
Beautiful colonial architecture, colourful classic cars, swaying palm trees and free-flowing rum are all there, along with the sense that you’ve somehow woken up in a different era. On the flip side, Cuba’s economic situation is rather tenuous, and beyond the restored Old Town of Havana, life can be somewhat tough for the locals.
Despite this, the Cuban people are renowned for their warm, friendly nature, endlessly proud of their culture. Yes, they are enterprising, so will find ways to try and earn a little cash from visitors, but they are also genuinely interested in engaging with visitors and sharing their stories.
Old Havana is a gem. Crumbling colonial architecture built mostly between the mid 1800’s and the 1920’s includes some amazing large public buildings plus lots of terraced houses – naturally very Spanish in style. I highly recommend heading for a rooftop bar in the Old Town to get your bearings from the amazing views. Or perhaps head for the famous La Floridita Bar, where the Daiquiri was invented. La Floridita was the favoured watering hole of Ernest Hemingway, who now has a permanent position leaning against the bar in the form of a bronze statue. Great atmosphere!
Much restoration is going on with some of the major buildings around the city which is encouraging. Dining there recently revealed that things have improved since my previous visit many moons ago. There are now some very good new restaurants opening as free enterprise is creeping back in.
Thanks to the Revolution, Cuba is like a living museum for classic cars, as Castro banned the importation of American cars and parts after 1959.
Only ingenuity, crafty repair skills and spare parts from Russian cars have kept these beauties going, and they are an absolute highlight of any visit to Cuba.
You may be surprised at the number of old American cars on the road – both in Havana and elsewhere. Far from being solely for tourist interest, they are actually still in common everyday use. Lots of old Buicks, Chevs, De Sotos and Fords, with some stunning well-preserved convertibles about. A great way to venture further around the city is in one of these old cars and for me it was a trip down memory lane to ride in the big old front bench seats I remember from childhood.
A visit to a cigar factory is a must. It was fascinating to see how different parts of the tobacco plant are used for different sections of the cigar. Top workers can roll up to 140 cigars in an 8-hour shift. Each of the premium cigars is tested on a machine …too tight and they don’t ‘suck’…too loose and they burn too fast. Retailing at up to US$100 each for the very best cigars, quality control is vital. Workers get to take a few cigars home each day and these are sold on the black market to supplement their income. The better the roller, the more cigars they are permitted to take.
And where next but the Havana Club Rum Factory for a tot of rum before embarking on a walking tour of the Old Town. Much of this area is now pedestrianized, and great to wander around soaking up the atmosphere.
It’s very worthwhile taking in a salsa show in Havana, or you could venture out and enjoy Havana’s vibrant nightlife, with salsa and jazz clubs open until the wee hours. Enthusiastic dancing and rum drinking make for a great vibe!
Next door to one of Havana’s original Spanish forts is Che Guevara’s house, and further on there is a display of missiles that were at the centre of the 1962 ‘Missile Crisis’ when the world came to the brink of nuclear war.
Heading away from Havana towards Trinidad, you pass through lush and quite underdeveloped countryside – sugar cane, crops, and lots of horse and carts. We stopped at a country school and I gave them a box of exercise books I had brought from NZ, received with great glee by the kids. The kids sung us some songs and overall, it was a wonderful little interaction with locals.
Trinidad itself is a charming historic town with cobbled streets in its old centre. A much more low-key experience than Havana, with an interesting Museum and a small market.
Driving back from Trinidad to Havana we took a different route and visited a slave owner’s house (many workers were brought from West Africa to work the sugar fields) and at this house there was a 46-metre watchtower which you could climb for a great view. This tower was used in the old days to ensure no slaves escaped…a fascinating yet poignant visit.
Also between Trinidad and Havana is Santa Clara, home to a memorial to Che Guevara, still highly respected throughout the country. An interesting little museum to him there…I didn’t know he played rugby at University in Buenos Aires. He even edited their rugby magazine called Tackle, a copy of which is in the museum.
So there it is! OK, so the beds were a little hard at times, the roads less than perfect, and things don’t always run to clockwork, but this is more than made up for by the people, the amazing atmosphere, and the absolute gem that is Havana. I love Cuba. Bring a positive, ‘go with the flow’ attitude, and you will too.
Our favourite Cuban itinerary…
Classic Cuba – this tailor-made journey takes you through the absolute highlights of Cuba by private car with driver, and an English-speaking local guide who accompanies you throughout.
