Totally Seduced By Cuba
A week ago today I left Cuba after spending two weeks travelling around the country. Cuba put it on me big time! I knew I'd have fun, I knew I'd drink plenty rum, dance every day, get drawn in by the vista but I still wasn't prepared for the way Cuba pulled me in and caressed me like an Italian lover.
Last year May I saved an advert to visit Cuba and knew I had to visit this year before it totally gets overrun by their next door neighbours. As the rainy/hurricane season is between May and November I had a limited time to make the trip. As soon as Chiny and I came back from our Scandi trip in December we decided on dates, by the beginning of March we agreed on the itinerary and everything was booked. April 16th I was on my way to Havana via Toronto. Landed 11 pm, left the airport 12:30 am, 2 am we stepped into La Cecilia to watch David Calzado & Charanga Habanera perform. As we stepped through the gate we just looked at each other and said "Nne, this is going to be the best two weeks ever" and that was the truth. If you are open minded, you will have the best time in Cuba. If you want an all out luxury vacation then this probably isn't the place for you.
We spent time in Havana, Vinales, Trinidad and Varadero, with day stops in Bay of Pigs and Santa Clara.
Havana
We stayed in Hostal D Robles on Escobar y Animes, a casa owned by Dayron Robles in Centro Habana and literally a block from the Malecon. Everything was within a walking distance for us, we only got the taxi to Miramar, Vedado and Tropicana. Staying in casas put money directly in the pockets of the locals and not the government, besides they take better care of you than hotels do.
Havana is a town that doesn't sleep. The Malecon is heaving with activities even at 3 am, that's the spot for young people, lovers, musicians, everybody really. There's a lot to do in Havana that you can stay 7 days and still not have done it all. My favourite though was going to Gymnasio de Rafael Trejo to watch young Cuba boys get trained in boxing. I also loved taking a walk at dawn to watch the locals get on with their day.
Vinales
After 3 days in Havana we made our way to Vinales, with new friends with made in our casa - Bebe and Patrick (very lovely couple), in a pimped out 1960 Chevy that had a video player. Sick! We stayed in Casa Tatiana y El Yiyi and Tatiana really took care of us. Her food was really tasty and plentiful, we could never finish it. Again we took early morning walks to watch people, went riding through the hills and tobacco farms in the village and this was the place where we slept non-stop. For Chiny and I work had been mad crazy so as much as we wanted to take in the country, we also needed to relax.
Trinidad
This was a very long ride from Vinales to Trinidad but we got to Hostal Marelis and Mama Marely had two glasses of cold mango juice waiting for us as we walked through the door. I have stayed in some fancy places, I even went on to stay at a resort in Varadero but none can match Marely and her services. She took us in like family, organised our taxis and tours, helped us make phone calls whenever we wanted, made fresh juice for us whenever we got back and she had such a lovely house set on 3 floors with a terrace and rooftop that has views of Trinidad and the sea. All this for $25 per night!
Trinidad breathes music! By sunset, you can hear music from every house and a short walk to Casa de la musica, you'll begin to understand why Cuba has one of the highest life expectancies in the world despite its status as a low-income country. This is the point where you'll reflect on your own life and what happiness truly means.
Trinidad was my favourite place. It won my heart, body and soul. We actually got to party in a real cave in what is probably the most interesting clubbing experience of our lives! If you ever go to Cuba, DO NOT MISS THIS TOWN
Varadero
This is a resort town 2 and half hours away from Havana, and the government's tourism cash cow. We stayed in Royalton Hiscacos Resort & Spa, a little splurge to wind down at the end of the trip. This felt like a Canadian beach town, the hotel even had the Canadian flag about. We went to Beatles bar and while the band was excellent, the crowd was so different from what we had gotten used to. The only Cubans we met were the ones serving us.
That said, the beach was amazing and all we did was just chill.
Bay of Pigs and Santa Clara
Bay of Pigs was the seaborne landing site for the foiled invasion of Cuba by CIA-sponsored Cuban exiles in an attempt to overthrow Castro's government in 1961. The invaders surrendered after 4 days and the CIA, never ones to give up made 638 attempts to assassinate Castro. On our journey from Vinales to Trinidad, we took a scenic ocean view route that went through the bay. Most of it is now resorts and a snorkelling spot.
Santa Clara was the site of the last battle in the Cuban Revolution in 1958 led by Ernesto Che Guavara, and also his finally resting place. The town is really like a Che shrine and as he is quite a good looking man, we didn't mind at all.
Even after spending 2 weeks I felt like I haven't even scratched the surface of the country. I want to come back here for a longer stay to learn Spanish, salsa and to train with Alberto. A lot is changing in the country and I am happy that the lives of the citizens will improve and those in exile can finally return. Cuba is an amazing place with an even more amazing people. It is also very very safe. At no point did I feel threatened, even walking through the streets with my camera over my neck. Where else will you have the best cocktails for $3 or eat the biggest lobsters ever for $15? I paid $6 for a meal of crab I saw being caught, with rice, peas and veggies at Playa Ancon. For breakfast one day we paid 25CUP which is $1 for 4 glasses of fresh lemon juice and 3 breakfast baps.
We booked out cases through www.bandbcuba.co.uk, long-distance taxis through Carlos at www.taxivinalescuba.com and resort through www.virginholidays.co.uk . They all provided excellent services and I recommend them.
I'll write more detailed posts of each town we visited and hopefully tempt you into making Cuba your next vacation spot.
xx
