Usually I try to write about my travel adventures day-by-day or right upon arriving back home, but this time things were a little crazy with starting my very first full-time salaried job (woohoo!) the day after getting back to DC. So here’s some highlights and thoughts from my trip to Havana, Cuba, a week upon return:
Setting the Stage
The idea for this trip stemmed from me wanting to do something for my dad to thank him for everything he has done for me always, but especially since starting grad school. Back in May, I began looking into places when I remembered that a few years ago my dad had mentioned he always wanted to go to Cuba. I researched the new visa process President Obama instituted last year and priced out some flights and the next thing I knew I had our flights and AirB&B booked for August. I had to get my dad’s time off cleared with his boss (Thanks Chris!), but other than that the planning process was pretty easy.
I ended up telling him about the trip when I went home for a weekend in July because I needed to see his reaction in person. My dad had never been to a country where he didn’t speak the language and I had never travelled internationally with him. He was extremely excited and then the countdown began. With all this background, we embarked on a five day trip to our neighbor 90 miles to the south.
City Feels
Havana, and Cuba at that, is very different from anywhere else I’ve travelled. Until now, my travels have been contained to the U.S. and Europe, so taking a trip to a Caribbean capital city was beyond my zone of normalcy, especially since we all know Cuba hasn’t had the best of relations with the States.
When we arrived at José Marti International Airport, I was overwhelmed. I was nervous about going through customs, but the only question we were asked was, “Are you from Africa?” Weird, I know. Then when you walk out of the airport doors there are taxi drivers vying for your business and a confusing terminal layout that didn’t lend well to easily finding the currency exchange office. Once we were able to get through this, I was able to take a deep breath and enjoy the taxi ride into the city.
On the drive into central Havana, there’s a lot to take in. There were billboards that appeared to be for different political parties (something I didn’t think existed in Cuba and I’m still not entirely sure what their status is), people walking and congregating along the major highway and various institutes of the government (healthcare centers, ration distribution stores, etc.). It was an interesting first glimpse at the country.
Our AirB&B was located in Old Havana, but not the part that has been redone for the cruise tourists. My dad was a little worried seeing the outside, but upon entering through the front door and being greeted by one of our wonderful hosts Tatiana, his opinions changed. We had a wonderful stay with Tatiana and José and I would recommend their place to anyone visiting Havana. Between their kindness, delicious breakfast and always lifesaving AC, their place was a great base for us to explore the city from.
There is a stark contrast between the different areas within Havana. Where we stayed, they were in the process of ripping up the streets to put natural gas lines in, homes were slowly being rebuilt and updated, and we saw a true glimpse at the Cuban way of life. Everyone was incredibly kind, always lending a helping hand to one another and enjoying the simplest of things that us Americans take for granted. Whether is was music on the radio or handball in the street, the people of Havana are happy with simple entertainment, which was refreshing to see when you compare it to our screen obsessed society.
The other part of Havana we became familiar with is the area I referenced to as where the “cruise tourists” are. This is probably the area most people imagine when they think of Havana because it is the most publicized. Things are in great condition here and catered to be a pleasant experience for those only seeing Havana as a stop on the cruise. You don’t see the homes in crumbles here or streets being torn up out of nowhere. Don’t get me wrong, I also enjoyed this part of town and it is where my dad felt the most comfortable, but it was interesting to see the dynamic between the Old Havana where tourists go and the Old Havana where Cubans live.
Alimentos y Bebidas
Everything I read and everyone I talked to told me that the food in Cuba was lackluster. My dad and I had a completely different experience. While we did run into places running out of items, that wasn’t an issue in my book because that meant everything was fresh.
Tatiana’s breakfast at our AirB&B was incredible every morning. She gave us an entire plate of fresh fruit, fresh coffee and fruit juices, eggs with avocado, a rotating array of breads and something sweet to top things off. It was a great start to the day and kept us going in the Caribbean heat.
For lunch we always ate small, enjoying a ham and cheese sandwich most everyday, except for when we went to Paladar La Guarida. This restaurant was better than I expected. It was recommended to me as the best food in Havana by several people, so we had to check it out. We began with the marlin tacos (I will dream of these often), then I had red snapper, my dad had the Tikka Masala and we split an order of fried plantains. It was delicious and the atmosphere of the old mansion that is now a multi-family home with the restaurant on the top floor, made for the perfect, high quality meal.
Our dinners were spent on the Malecón after taking in beautiful sunsets. We became regulars at La Abidia. This place was cheap, but had delightful seafood, chicken and rice, staples of most Cuban food.
In addition to the food, we of course enjoyed the drinks of Cuba. I stuck with mojitos and an occasional Cuba Libre or daiquiri. My dad found his favorite with the cerveza nacional, Cristal. Whenever we didn’t have a plan or wanted to take a break from the heat, a cold drink was always a great way to pass the time. Also, drinks are always accompanied with live music. The Cuban people are extremely talented and this is showcased often through the ever present live music throughout the city.
History & Time Travel
Being the history nerd that I am, I was really intrigued to learn about that of Havana. Since Cuba is a communist country, I couldn’t wait to see how they presented information and denoted historical areas.
We went to two museums, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and Museo de Revolución. The modern building of the art museum really shocked me because there were a lot of provocative and thought-provoking pieces. The art was some of the most interesting I’ve ever seen and that surprised me. I would learn throughout our trip that Cuba is a very artistic country, and the more I saw, the less the collection shocked me. The other art building was full of your classic Greek statues, Egyptian artifacts and Italian Renaissance paintings, with the exception of one special exhibit that showcased the work of an artist who represented his experience of being black. One of the works referenced the death of Trayvon Martin, which intrigued me because I was not expecting to see that subject matter in Cuba of all places. I wish I could find the artist’s name or remember the name of the piece, but it just proves that events that happen in the States transcend our borders and send ripples elsewhere.
The other museum we visited, Museo de Revolución, really opened my eyes. I admit to not knowing much Cuban history or the intricacies of our historical relationship with them, but it was fascinating to see how the government presents the story of the revolution and the actions of the United States. Housed in the old president’s palace, the various rooms walk you through the various players and the events that led to Fidel’s eventual leadership. It talked about all the great things that communism did for the country and how the past “oppressive regime” was punished for their actions. While all of this was new to me and deeply interesting, I found the part talking about the American CIA operations the most compelling. While I know we will never get the full true story from either side, it was really interesting to read about and see the different depictions of actions purported to be made by my own government. After visiting this museum, I am going to read into Cuban history more to wrap my head around the controversial past.
In addition to these two museums, the entirety of Havana tends to be a historical snapshot. From the cars, to the architecture, this city is truly a step back in time. My dad really enjoyed seeing all the old cars because most of them he had either owned or knew someone that owned them back in the day. I’ll never get over how it felt to catch a 1950s Chevy taxi to the Hotel Nacional. If you are at all interested in the days of the past, I highly recommend a trip to Cuba if you can. You won’t regret it.
El Fin
Overall, I had an incredible trip with my dad. I could go on and on about all the different experiences and thoughts I have, but I think this is a good snapshot of our time there and I’ll save you from an even longer post. While many Americans are intimidated or put off by the idea of going to a communist country, especially Cuba, I think many people would be shocked by how much they would enjoy it. As long as you keep an open mind and are willing to experience, learn and not judge, Cuba is there with open arms, much like any other place you would travel to. Hopefully I’ll get to go back and explore the country beyond Havana someday, but for now I am happy to have helped my dad check something off his Bucket List.
Cheers!
The Dust of Life 