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At left: Along the Malecon, Havana |
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Like many visitors to Cuba, our trip started and ended in Varadero, a beautiful white-sand beach lined with exotic, world class resorts. However, we immediately departed from the usual vacation schedule, heading immediately for Havana, the first stop on our extensive tour of the island. In the end, we did spend two days in Varadero before flying home and it is undoubtedly a superb beach on which to stretch out and relax at the end of a very busy three week trip. Nor is Varadero the only one; there are fine beaches all around the island. But, in between is the real stuff of Cuba, a country rich with music and dance, with great cities and architecture and diverse, always exotic landscapes. Perhaps the most intriguing-or perplexing- aspect that inevitably colours all these physical characteristics of the country is the Revolution of 1959. For example, the Sierra Maestra Mountains are both an inspiring tropical landscape and a shrine, this being the place where Castro and Che grouped at the start of the revolution. |
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| Or the splendid classical architecture which, after the revolution, was an immediate source of affordable housing but since then has been ill-maintained and, in some cases, is now collapsing. Or the Cuban people, with a level of education and health second to none but financially desperate due to the collapse of funding from Russia and the ongoing embargo by the United States. As significant as the 1959 revolution was, there is another one on the horizon. If the United States loosens its embargo on Cuba, you can expect the inevitable rush of American businesses seeking a new market to be exploited. The Che posters will be replaced with MacDonald's signs and, over the revolutionary slogans, GAP ads will appear. Right now is the best time to visit if you want to see the real Cuba. Photography in Cuba There is much to photograph in Cuba, not the least of which is the people who are very open to having their pictures taken. The country will be a delight for landscape, architectural and portrait photographers. There are no restrictions except around military installations (never came across any). In museums you will often be asked to pay a small fee to take pictures. Take all the film you think you will need and more. You will not find it there. Nor should you expect to get your film processed in Cuba. Make sure your cameras are in good working order and bring an ample supply of batteries. |
 My wife and two curious girls, at the beach at Marea del Portilla |
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| Travelling in Cuba This is not a definitive guide and is only intended to give you some general ideas of what worked for my wife and I on our trips. For the complete details, get one or more of the following guides: Cuba Handbook by Christopher P. Baker, Moon Travel Handbooks. Exhaustive, our primary resource. Cuba, Lonely Planet. The Rough Guide to Cuba by Fiona McAuslan and Matthew Norman. |
 Breakfast at our casa particulare in Santiago de Cuba |
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| Transportation We rented a car. This is the best way to get around the country. However it is fairly expensive. Havanautos and Transtur are two major companies (we used Transtur and rented a new Toyota compact).There are no restrictions and you will not be hassled by authorities. You will need a good road map since road signs can be scarce once you get off the main roads. Even with a map, you may occasionally get lost. The best solution is to ask for directions from the many people that line the roads, looking for lifts. Driving is a bit of a challenge; bicycles have the right of way (and this is a primary means of transportation in Cuba), buses will stop in the road to pick up people and you'll come across all sorts of road hazards, such as ox carts. There is a good tourist bus service, Viazul, which connects the major cities. We used Viazul between Varadero and Havana. These are very comfortable tour buses. |
 The south coast, approaching Santiago de Cuba |
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| Where to go Everywhere. You should definitely go to Havana, Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba but there are many, many smaller places such as Cienfuegos, Camaguey, the south coast between the Granma peninsula and Santiago de Cuba, the mountain drive between Guantanamo and Baracoa, Remedios to name a few. Accommodations There are various levels ranging from luxury all-inclusive beach resorts to Cuban-run hotels to private homes, known as Casa Particulares. We prefer the latter since they are very affordable (US$35.00 maximum) and you get to meet a Cuban family and stay in their house. |
 Baracoa |
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| Eating This can be an experience since the quality and quantity can be quite variable. Don't go expecting fine cuisine, although this can be found. Nor is the food as wretched as some travel books portray it. Chicken, pork and rice are the norm although you will come across grilled lobster and shrimp at many places. Paladares can be a reasonable place to eat and are unique because they are family-run out of their houses and the rooms are often exotic pre-colonial interiors. Cost is typically about US$7.00. If you stay at Casa Particulares, the family will often offer you breakfast (US$2-3.00) and dinner (US$7.00). We have had some fine meals this way. Entertainment Music is everywhere and always excellent. Most communities have a Casa de Culture or Casa de Trova, which are good places to catch quality groups. Baseball is the other major attraction. |
 Buying and selling garlic, Baracoa |
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Want to learn more about Cuba? Check the web resources under Links. |
