Havana

Well from the moment we arrived in Cuba it was like taking a step back in time. The immigration hall was packed and nothing was moving very fast. Bags were deposited in a pile and the line for the currency exchange was exceptionally long. Thankfully the ATM decided to accept our cards and we avoided the currency queue, we were later told off by the taxi driver as no one has change for the notes given by the ATM. It is a strange world of two currencies in Cuba, with one the hard currency of the Convertible Peso used in established shops and all tourist facilities. The other the Cuban Peso is used by the locals. It creates two very separate worlds. These two separate worlds is evident in so much of Cuba. The cars driven by Cubans are the classics, the bars attended by Cubans are not by locals, the buses are separate and internet is not available for most Cubans. People wait in queues to do the most simple tasks. As the economy starts to open a little it is difficult to image how this country will change with time. Once Fidel and Raul pass away and another wave come through the rate at which things could change is mind blowing. It is difficult to image being young in Cuba at the moment with such limited opportunities and what people think of the tourists that come through. There isn’t any sense of threat to tourists though even though they represent such great wealth in comparison to the Cubans. The people are amazing and so willing to help.

Cuban food is quite bland with little fresh vegetables. There seems to be little industry and a great need especially outside of Havana for clothes. The communist regime doesn’t allow shops outside of government commissioned shops, so there is little available for purchase and what is, is too expensive for locals to buy. This leads to a strange experience of regularly being asked for the clothes off your back.

Havana is such a magic place to walk around. Everywhere you look are beautiful colonial buildings and photographic opportunities. We had two full days in which to explore what the city had to offer. The revolutionary museum proved an interesting place tracking the events in Cubas history and how the communist government came to power. The exhibits post 1961 were just propaganda about how great the government was but that is really to be expected. The revolutionary museum also proved another surprise benefit and that was refuge from an afternoon torrential downpour. The thunder and lightening rumbled through the sky and there was no way out of the building whist still staying dry.

We didn’t really have any plans of what we wanted to do in Cuba so we headed to the hotels and the  tourist agencies. Since there was no access to the internet we had to do everything the old way. Queue and ask questions, it took us a while but we had a plan and it incorporated the historic Cuba, natural Cuba and the picturesque white beaches and tourist resorts.