We decided to walk to our hotel from the cruise port as it was only a couple of blocks. What we didn't anticipate was the cobble stone streets to pull my luggage along but walking straight past our hotel on the first try we doubled back and finally made it. The hotel is a 18th century State run Spanish colonial mansion that has since been converted. The entry doorway to our hotel was easily 12 feet high and as we entered we were welcomed by friendly faces and an open atrium were guests and staff could be seen from the balconies above. We had definitely stepped back through time. As we were 5 hours early for check in, and the heat was only rising outside, we retreated to the bar, the only air conditioned space in the lobby for a round of Mojitos. As Caleb's drinks got progressively stronger by the checky bartender we made conversation with an older couple who funnily enough traveled over from Adelaide (the same town we live in). Eventually the front desk let us know that our room was ready and we found we had been upgraded to a suite. Our room had the same Spanish colonial charm as the lobby with high ceilings and our own private courtyard.
We slept the rum off and the following morning we were greeted by the local travel agency rep and our tour guide for the next 2 days. It was an extremely personal touch and made us feel very welcome. As we knew before we arrived, Cuba does not have readily available internet as part of their mobile packages like we do in Australia. The only way to get internet is to buy a pre paid 1 or 5 hour card and tap into the general wifi offered in most hotel lobbies and in some public areas around town. Honestly if you come to Cuba it's just easier to reconcile with the idea of being 'off the grid' because it can take some effort to connect let alone the cost of doing so depending on where you are. So because of the lack of mobile data, Cuban's have latched onto an app called MapsMe. It's a genius way to have google maps without the internet. Only works on Android phones so my Iphone pretty much became obsolete and Caleb's phone finally came in handy. After a quick file transfer the agent had installed the app on Caleb's phone and we were good to go.
We spent the first part of the day with our guide walking through Old Havana. We had a private tour so we got to really engage with her and learn all about her life in Cuba. She was a 30 something local tour guide who is happy and proud to work in one of the main industries that earn a decent wage. As we walked past dilapidated buildings and construction zones we learnt how the average wage in Cuba is approx 40 USD a month. It didn't matter if you were a doctor or a government employee the wage was virtually the same. Even though education including university is free, there is a great movement of people forfeiting this free education for jobs in restaurants and tourism where tourists tips can mean you could up to triple your monthly salary in a couple of days. As almost every business is State run, the Cuban people have no say over their wages. To the point where every citizen is given ration stamps each month to cash in at a ration store (picture featured) to pick up specific goods that equate to one meal a month. They can then buy additional meat & perishables of course which can deplete their salaries faster than we at home buy a smashed avo on toast.
As we walked down the narrow streets that were once used for horse and carriages, we visited various churches and Spanish forts in Old Havana. In addition to the ration store, our guide also took us to the local 'farmers market'. Here farmers from outside Havana would illegally pay for drivers to transport their goods to the city market to be sold by State run operators. If they didn't transport it through back channels they would also have to pay the State transportation which would inflate the already crazy prices of fruit but also cut into whatever money they are set to make. Most of the fruit we saw was paid per piece not by the weight. Every story or situation we were told always came back to the same struggle - how the Cuban people could work around having to pay the government to do this or to do that. Although every Cuban we encountered was very friendly and seemed to accept their way of life it made you wonder how a dictatorship like this still stands today.
We finished our walking tour off at a cigar bar where we watched a cigar being rolled and then of course had a taste test along with a shot of run and a coffee. After sometime our guide left us for the day and we stayed on soaking up the Cuban experience before buying some cigars ourselves and heading back to the hotel. The following day we met with our guide again as well as our driver. Today we were driving in style in a pink La Machina - a 1950's American convertible. When you think Cuba you think of these cars. And Havana did not disappoint. For a long time these style cars were the only type available to the general public, however now 'newer' ex-state cars are steadily filling the streets once the government is done with them. Owning a car for tours & transfers is one of the best ways to make a decent living and can see Cubans earn double and sometimes triple what a doctor makes in one day! As a result these cars are the most expensive in the country.
Almost everything needs to be imported into Cuba. The government have a tight hold on what the people can access and as a result they must look overseas for most things. One favorable action the State implemented was a 125kg import allowance per person per year. This means any Cuban can travel overseas (getting a visa is a whole other issue) and bring back a max of 125kg of whatever they want once a year. So you'll hear of people bringing anything from tires to washing machines to TVs. Whatever they can sell on the black market. It's common for people to buy other peoples 125kg allowance to keep up with the market's demand. Our guide was very open about the fact that in each neighborhood people knew which door to knock on in order to get what you need. It seems as long as the State collects their import taxes on the goods (which equates to about $6 USD) they aren't too worried about what these goods are then used for.
During our half day tour we drove all over Havana and visited the Capitol Building, Revolution Square, the original Bacardi building where the family lived before they fled to Peurto Rico and the US embassy which is basically a ghost town after Trump removed 90% of the staff. Speaking of Trump we asked our guide what the people think of America. The easy answer - they love America. You will often find USA flags hung up in peoples homes or in their doorways. They love to watch USA TV shows. But how? Apparently the State has access to an 'illegal' satellite that for a subscription fee per month you can get the Cuban version of cable TV. After spending 2 days with our guide I'd say we got much more information than we bargained for and am forever thankful for that. We were really curious what the way of life was like in Cuba and after listening to all of her stories and explanations it's clear that the State hold tight reigns on it's people but anything can be paid for so they have some liberties like cable TV. On the other hand they are a nation stuck on an island with more restrictions every year on being able to visit overseas.
On our last full day in Havana we took a bus tour out to a town called Vinales. We visited a local tobacco farm that make organic cigars. We were given a tour of the farm to see the seedlings planted just that morning, the dry house (where the women hang the tocacco plant leaves from the ceiling to the ground to dry for months at a time) and of course a first hand look at how a cigar like Montecristo #4 is made. It was very interesting to see as I never knew cigars were made simply from the tobacco leaves. What makes these organic is the farm using a type of honey to seal the ends whereas in the factories a chemical mixture is used. After each having our own cigar we left the farm and visited local caves and took a ride on the underground river. After lunch we stopped to view the 90m mural painted on a sheer cliff before starting the 3hr jouney back to Havana.
As our history lesson came to an end we checked out of our hotel to meet up with our next tour group. We were about to go sailing around the Cuban Cays for the next 7 days. As we got to the meeting point we found 6 out of the 16 of us were Aussie. Add in one Kiwi and we almost had the majority. Most Aussies were from the east coast however one lovely girl lived a couple of suburbs over from were we live in Adelaide. Such a small world. Today we were traveling to Cienfuegos to board our sailboat. This was about a 4hr drive from Havana so we piled into a couple of vans and off we went. We had one rest stop along the way to stretch our legs and found we were 1 km from Australia! As the sun went down we made it to the dock and met our guide who would be looking after us for the next week. We boarded our catamaran, had our first onboard feast cooked by the First Mate and as we settled into bed the Captain sailed us out through the harbor where we would wake up to paradise.
During the next week we sailed through different Cays off the coast of Cuba and it was magical. Cayo Largo was the biggest Cay we visited and as we woke up from our overnight sail we spent the afternoon moored to a secluded part of the beach where the sand was powder thin, the ocean majestic colors of blue and the drinks were cold. While the girls waded in the water and the boys played some volleyball we all watched the sun set on our first day on the water.
The following day we visited a turtle hatchery on Cayo Largo before sailing out to sea, snorkeling on the reef while watching the Captain and First Mate catch our dinner. Over the next couple of days our time consisted of snorkeling, sunbathing, drinking, swimming and eating. Then simply repeat. On day 4 at sea we visited Cayo Estopa Reef in the morning. This reef was full of wildlife and the scuba diver in me searched for anything of interest and we were not disappointed. We found lion fish, eagle rays, stingrays, turtles and some even saw a reef shark. In the afternoon just before the sun went down our Captain took us to an isolated island filled with tiny dinosaurs. Locally known as Iguana beach, we took the dingy ashore and even before we got off the boat the shoreline was filled with these prehistoric animals running to the water line. After awhile I didn't feel the need to jump or run every time one moved in my direction but remained on high alert just in case. Without any incident we said goodbye to these amazing creatures and returned to our catamaran.
On day 5 we arrived at the deserted island of Cayo Rico where we spent the day on the beach before enjoying an amazing seafood lunch. Iguanas were free and wild to roam here as well and they could regularly be found under the lunch tables waiting for food. The restaurant/bar is the only building on the island run by staff living on another Cay that boat in and out when the restaurant is open. Mid afternoon we were sailing again with one last stop for the day for another swim and some fun before watching the sun go down.
Our Captain left the best for our last full day at sea. On day 6 we spent our day on Playa Paraiso. Ranked as a top 10 beach in the world by Lonely Planet it's very easy to see why. Here we spent more time in the sun under a cabana, pina coladas were following and with one last dip in the crystal clear water we started to wrap up our time in this Cuban paradise. As we got back on board reality started to set in that we were headed back to the real world. With our final dinner at sea we enjoyed the night with friends before starting our journey back to port in the morning.
Day 7 was a rough start. High winds meant sea swell which meant upset tummies and seasickness. Caleb got so bad that one of our Aussie friends who was a paramedic was able to give him an injection and a tablet that allowed him to sleep his way through the rough seas. We sailed through this for about 6 hours before finally reaching the port of Cienfuegos where immediately the water was calm and we could walk in a straight line again. Once we docked we spent the afternoon exploring the lovely town of Cienfuegos, the birthplace of musician Benny More. It's a very pretty French colonial city and was a beautiful way to end the trip and our time in Cuba with our new friends.
For more photos of this amazing place follow us on Instagram!
Travelers tip - Avoid using ATMs where possible. The Euro is the best form of cash to bring that can easily be converted to the CUC (Cuban tourist currency). Do not convert to the Cuban Peso as this is valued at approx 25 times less than the CUC.
Travelers tip - When arriving at the airport for a flight you can not enter the airport until your flight is open for check in. There are staff monitoring the doors. Just be aware and remain patient until you are allowed to enter.
Travelers tip - If you're thinking of doing a sailing trip like us we highly recommend taking a GoPro for underwater footage
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