Havana’s colorful soundwave

Sitting on the wide wall beside the Malecón watching a fisherman hand cast his line off the rocks and into the Caribbean, a pink 1950’s convertible speeds down the seven kilometre stretch that divides the city from the sea and the air seems to wave with the heat.
Running on our final twenty peso note we decide to splurge four pesos on jamon y queso sandwiches wrapped in typewriter paper and a couple of street-side espressos. Sixteen pesos left to bargain our way to Havana International, and the reality of a sub-zero New York temperatures.
Embarking on this trip I wanted to experience Cuba before the influence of a sanction-free relationship with the United States became widely apparent. I feel as though I’ve only just begun to discover what’s beneath the surface and experience a Cuba beyond vintage cars and cigars.
We visited Havana, Trindad and Viñales which I’ll share over the next couple of days…

We touch down in Havana and breeze through a refreshingly lax customs system, shed our winter coats and negotiate a ride into the city in our own vintage taxi. Shakira blasts from a modern stereo retrofitted into a 1950’s dashboard. Rickety windows barely roll down, letting in a warm air that is a heavy mix of leaded petrol, burning leaves and hints of tropical flora.
Our taxi weaves through a myriad of narrow streets flanked by coloured walls of peeling paint. People throw pots of water, children play football, and tiny Russian taxis share the pavement with the neighbourhood goat. We are dropped off near our first casa in Centro Habana. Before we have time to register the situation Anita, our casa owner, peeks over a balcony. Seconds later her door swung open to reveal a tiled corridor exposing homes that are built within and onto one another, so that you can’t quite tell where one ends and another begins.
Introductions are haphazardly made (thankfully a hug still functions as a universal warm welcome) and we have a chance to relax over a glass of mango juice. Anita’s husband Wilfred pops up a ladder over the roof terrace with a tray of delicious fruity desayunos. Somehow we manage to communicate our plan and receive suggestions via a mix of Spanglish and gestures. Never in my life have I wanted to learn and understand a language more than this moment.

Unless you are here to stay in a resort, casas particulares (rooms or houses rented out privately by Cubans) and unique paladares (private restaurants, often in locals’ homes) are the norm. You can’t walk far without seeing a doorway sporting the ubiquitous casa rental symbol, so much so that Cuba is currently one of Airbnb’s largest area of growth, with new listings opening up as fast as the internet coverage allows. The energy being poured into these independent initiatives allows families to make additional income and at 24-30CUC (25-30USD) a night for a double room it’s a cost effective way to immerse yourself Cuban culture.

We hit the streets immediately. My flimsy sandals and I underestimate the size of Havana; a common issue caused by lax Google Map planning. However, it is not impossible to explore good portions of Habana Vieja, Centro Habana and El Barrio Chino by foot which is where you truly get a feel for the city through it’s less-travelled paths.

Havana is a diverse juxtaposition of history and ideology; Spanish colonial architecture speaks of prosperity during Cuba’s time as the epicentre of Caribbean trade while murals of Fidel and Che remind you revolution is not dead. 1950’s era Cadillacs, Chevys and Ladas park in front of bollards made from repurposed cannons and the latest Afro-Cuban tunes blasts through the street under the dutiful eye of a marble Lenin statue. Painted artwork, pastel walls, pop-up home nail salons, stray dogs, men smoke fat cigars on crates outside the carnicerías, panaderías, fruiterías abundant in bananas.

The climate and shortage of building materials or glass windows means that living is outward, not inward, where the sidewalks become living spaces. You are invited in, to hear every tune, see all the layers of life.

Onward to Viñales (coming soon).

 

TRAVEL TIPS :

Food: Not necessarily known for its food as many ingredients are still not readily available in Cuba. Try La Ropa Veija (A well-known lamb dish which translates to “Women’s Clothes”) Say Yes to Desayunos (Breakfast) at your Casa. At 5CUC, the variations of eggs, fresh papaya, pineapple and banana, strong coffee and bread are worth it for a day of exploring.

Money: Taking cash is the easiest method of payment by far, but you will need to prepare with a denomination that is accepted. At the airport in Havana the best exchange rates came from taking Euros or Pounds. There are two currencies – CUC and CUP, as a visitor you’re required to use CUC. Don’t forget to bargain!

Accommodation: Stay your way around Cuba in Casa Particulares and support the locals, prices are around 25-30CUC per double room. Find these online direct, alternatively Airbnb offers an ever-increasing number online. Taking a couple of small gifts is not essential, but a nice idea. A flag from your country, some nice chocolate, special soaps.

Transport: Taxi Collectivos are the best way to travel and meet people. These can be bartered for – for example Havana to Trinidad was 20CUC pp. Viazul buses are decent and reasonably comfortable, but definitely have more of a tourist vibe.
Note that while pretty, the classic cars do go much slower.

Visas: Look into the visa required for travel. This can be based on your country of departure, more-so than your nationality. For example, exiting the US requires purchasing a visa at the departure gate, nothing more.

Handy aps: That work without Internet! We only used these two things: Span!shd!ct (translation app) and Galileo (map app).