January 27, 2005

• I'm not sure whether you're in the U.S., but I've heard the most common way to do it is to stage your trip from either Montreal or Mexico City. Also as a cigar aficionado I would recommend buying your cigars only from a top-notch source there... a lot of the Cubans sold even in Cuba are fake or inferior.
• Thanks, rolypolyman- I'm a Canadian nonsmoker, loking for tips on travel from Varadero to other Cuban spots. Good to know the inside dirt on Habanos!
• So, the unrelenting snow finally got to ye, eh? Of course, we all know what you're really after. Sorry, never been to Cuba so nothing of value to add. *envious*
• islander- I'm not that kind of hoser (but yeah, enough with the snow already).
• Have a warm time of it down there,tick. I will think of ye as I shovel snow and moan with envy.
• Avoid the Fidel Castro Fleece The Capitalist Bastards Hilton and you should be okay. I hear the elevators are slow. Have fun! I'm going to Baja, East Cape, next January.
• Cuba infodump commencing... Haven't been myself, but I've talked to a few acquaintances who have been and enjoyed themselves. Keep in mind that if a US citizen you don't want a Cuban stamp in your passport, but I believe the resorts avoid this. Not sure about whether independent travellers can avoid a stamp. Apparently the resorts are generally quite decent, if a touch low-rent compared to those in more major, less economicly restricted Carribean tourist zones, like Mexico or Turks and Cacos. Resort activitis are similarly slight more restricted, so there might be sailing but no jet-skis, for example. 'All you can drink' is the popular theme, and reportedly there was more than just rum drinks on the menu. Food was apparently quite decent, if a bit repetitive and bland. Economic restrictions limit ingredient choices at the kitchen, and of course the resorts are cooking for a crowd. Trips off the resort and interaction with the locals were not really encouraged, except in very limited, supervised ways. This reportedly wasn't heavy-handed, at least to the tourist side. Your choices were merely restricted. Locals who interacted with tourists in unapproved ways faced serious risks, and the resorts are apparently heavily monitored. Resort staff were apparently the highlight. Working at one of the resorts seems to the be Cuban equivalent of landing a job at Microsoft (with the positive and negative connotations), so you might easily discover your charming afternoon dance class instructor was a premier graduate from the national ballet. On the other hand, independent tourist travel in Cuba does not seem to be particularly restricted, as long as you make your own arrangements. Really getting to know the local culture seems to require a willingness to fly by the seat of your pants. I don't think there are many choices for getting around - lack of car rentals or substantive bus/train services due to economic restrictions. It's apparently relatively easy to catch a ride with a friendly local car-owner willing to act as a 'taxi'. Restaurants are reportedly relatively non-existent, because the economy won't support them. If you make sure to interact, it's seems that it's not hard to find a local who'll invite or direct you to a local house where they'll be willing to cook you a meal, for a small renumeration. In short, it sounds in ways like travelling in Eastern Europe before the curtain fell, but with the secret police ignoring or even encouraging tourists rather than intimidating them. Similarly, a gift in the vein of the famously lusted after 'Levis' of communist Russia can go a long way towards making friends. The sum of all this is that I'd probably recommend getting something like a Lonely Planet book if you want to get the most out of Cuba outside the resort. Seems like overkill for a resort holiday, but Cuba is a touch trickier than most.
• I have been to Cuba twice and taught a course about the place. Cuba is incredible, an island out of time and largely outside the currents of globalization. It is also a repressive dictatorship where the majority people live in miserable circumstances. Yet those same people are the most dynamic, friendly and beautiful folks I have ever met. And the Cuba that exists right now will be swept away in the blink of an eye when el jefe dies. You are so lucky to be going now. I would avoid the resorts all together, which were designed to keep Cubans and tourists from mingling. The standard sights in Havana are all worthwhile, I especially like the university and the big cemetery. You will be hassled a lot on the streets, low grade begging, nothing dangerous. The very best thing I did in Cuba was went to a baseball game. Cubans bring instruments to the game and play team songs in place of cheers! Get the Lonely Planet guidebook and visit their Cuba message board at Lonelyplanet.com. And email me for more info if you have questions. Pretty fish you can see anywhere, Cuba is unique.
• Nothing to add to the post unfortunately, but am heading to Cuba on honeymoon in April, so any tips will also be greatly recieved here.
• I'm heading to Varadero next week, so I've been looking at various sites myself. Debbies Across Cuba Cuba-Junky Virtual Tourist These seem to be the among the most useful. When are you heading down?
• Along the lines of what Nal said about Levis in the USSR, you could bring cheap car parts to give as tips (i.e., spark plugs). Cuban have kept plenty of classic cars running for decades now. Here's a good article on it from the guys at Car Talk.
• I spent two weeks in Cuba almost exactly a year ago. Great place, amazing people too. You'll find it near impossible not to be fleeced if you don't speak any Spanish (and pretty hard not to be even if you do) - most people who speak English are those who've learnt it to work with tourists. I didn't go to Varadero I'm afraid, so don't know about that. We went to Santiago de Cuba and Trinidad too - both stunning, but too far from Varadero. Getting from Varadero should be straightforward enough. There are two types of buses that run throughout Cuba, the dirt-cheap ones that are falling apart and stop at every roof they pass; and the more direct, fast and comfortable coaches with air con that cost in dollars but still not that much (eg. $60 for the whole length of the island). The fast ones sometimes leave from a different bus station, so look out for that. Cubans use both and I'm pretty sure both types go to Varadero. For me, Havana is a great place to walk around, especially down by the Malecón, watching the waves crash over the wall. Also entertaining is trying to take photos of the US unofficial embassy - and the man running out of his booth to stop you, "because they are watching". Take a look at the names on the pillars in the square in front: included are those few Americans considered by the Revolution as still being worthy of respect. Great, cheap things to do with locals: - Go to the state-subsidised Coppelia ice-cream parlour (you have to pay in pesos) where a dollar gets you 22 scoops (I recommend ordering fewer). Not bad ice cream too. - Go to the cemetary. No really. Really peaceful and some amazing stories there. If you speak spanish, talk to the bored security guards. They showed me the tomb shaped like a domino piece, the one surrounded by women who wanted to get pregnant, the pyramid tomb built for the professor of the school of architecture... - V touristy but a great thing to do: go drink mojitos at night in the garden bar at hotel nacional. And then leave the tourists and hang out with the kids dancing to Cuban and American hip hop at the big outdoor parties just down the hill to one side (not in the hotel grounds, natch) - take photos. They'll be the best you ever take, promise. - eat from street vendors. A cheese sandwich is a cheese sandwich and the only time my friend and I got food poisoning was when we went to a dollar restaurant instead of a peso one. - try to get a ride in a cadillac. But they'll probably throw you out as they aren't licensed cabs. - if you do take a cab, try to take one of the government ones. I can't remmeber what the visual difference is, but it's worth finding out - the price is a tenth of a private hire cab. - if you hook up with some locals, they may suggest going with you to a place that's really touristy, saying they like it. In fact it's because you'll be paying their cover charge and they'll collect their cut later. - eating in Paladares can be fun, if you find a good one it's excellent. But it's a risk and a tricky one without speaking any Spanish. Oh and Havana is amazing but really crappy and grey in the rain. Sad but true. But you'll have a great time.
• Oh and get yourself some peso normales (not peso convertibles) by changing dollars on the street. It was 25 to the dollar on the street when I was there. Just ask at any non-government bar/bus stop/mechanic, when there's no-one in a uniform around. Save any 3 peso coins as they have Che on and are really good souvenirs. And pay in pesos whenever you can - it's always cheaper. But don't change more than 2 or 3 dollars at a time, in case you don't spend them. You won't be able to change them back. Feel free to drop me a line with any more questions - or if you want to see my photos :-) Best I ever took, I tells ya.
• Cuban customs issue a tourist visa as a detached document, which they keep upon your departure, so your passport doesn't have anything that might give you problems, specially if you're north american. Still, better check this with travel agent and customs officers before hand. Even if you're not a smoker, check out one of the cigar workshops around for a hands-on view on the art of cigar making. There's a big one at the back of the Capitolio in Habana, which btw is a showcase of faded architectural splendour, complete with a giant Minerva bronze statue. I went to Juventud Island: great beach, nice waters, but completely isolated from population. Went with locals for some home-made arroz con puerco: yummy. I was warned by tour guide about being careful with any transactions (the fabled jeans and t-shirt exchange game) for sometimes local police use it as entrapment, but had no problems at all. Cubans are really friendly, open-hearted people. In Old Habana, you'll have to dodge a lot of peddlers hawking cigars and 'herbal aphrodysiacs" and whatnot, but they aren't that pushy if you politely don't show interest. Tourist traps? I went to the Tropicana, on a guided tour-show; expensive, but the show and the mojitos' quality was top-notch. And just the feeling of being on that fabled place was great...
• Gracias, all, for the great tips. I'll be sure to think of y'all as I gaze skyward into bunches of bananas. Northern Exposed: Feb 13. Please let me know how yours goes- gmail in profile. Thanks!