Cuba... what an interesting past two weeks we have spent in this unique country. Cuba was a very spontaneous decision for us, only booking flights two days before departure, and only really deciding on it moments beforehand. The morning before we left México we heard on the news that there was another push to lift trade bans between the US and Cuba, and this convinced us even more that if we didn't go now, we would really regret it later on.
The most convenient and cheapest accommodation options in Cuba are called "Casa Particulars". Basically what they are are spare bedrooms in people's homes, they also usually provide meals and are a useful local contact for getting around town. The meals part is especially appreciated, particularly because shops in Cuba are difficult to find - and we found that the casa's had way better meals then the restaurants anyway. Seriously - we were served lobster on two nights! Staying in these Casa Particulars meant we had the opportunity to stay in some truly unique old buildings, and get a better feel for how Cubans live.
We spent the first four nights of our stay in La Habana Vieja, the old district of Havana. Most of our time was walking through the old streets, amazed by the old building facades and gutted interiors. Needless to say there were an abundance of old American and Russian cars on every street. We attended the Museum of the Revolution, and learnt a lot about the workings of Fidel and Raul Castro, and of course Ernesto Che Guevara. It's not exactly an impartial museum - especially some not-too-flattering murals of American presidents! Cuba's full of propoganda - throughout the whole country there are huge signs quoting Fidel and Che.
We had an interesting experience at a baseball game on one of our first nights in Havana, when we apparently didn't tip enough (100% isn't enough?) to somebody that delivered us drinks. The locals sitting near us were originally warm and friendly to us, but as soon as the tipping incident occurred the atmosphere turned completely cold, and we started fearing for our safety. We decided to leave the game at half time, but due to the remote location of the baseball field we were left standing on a street corner at midnight trying to find a taxi. Maybe an hour later a dodgy one pulled up, but we had to take our chances and get in. Thankfully we arrived back to our Casa Particular in one piece!
This feeling left us feeling very insecure, the most unsafe we have felt on our international travels so far. We decided it was probably best from now on to stick to more frequented tourist areas. Throughout Cuba we learnt that most Cubans aren't particularly accomodating to tourists, and we are interested to see how this may change in the coming months and years with the trade bans being lifted from the US.
After Havana, we travelled via bus to the beautiful town of Trinidad. Here we went on a snorkeling trip to a nearby island (apparently locals aren't allowed to go there due to it being seen as the first sign of trying to escape Cuba), we attended the huge Easter parade/celebrations, and again wandered through the unique colonial streets. Trinidad was our favourite town in Cuba, and magnificent food cooked by our Casa Particular (Carmelina de la Paz) definitely made the stay even more enjoyable.
From Trinidad we traveled to Santa Clara, famous for it's memorial to Che Guevara. Che and his compañeros interrupted a train in Santa Clara filled with militiary equipment in the final days of the Revolution of Cuba, consolidating their victory. The town is totally littered with Che paraphernalia, but we didn't mind too much as we are both currently engrossed in his books.
Due to flights, we concluded our round trip of Cuba back in it's capital, Havana. We weren't too excited to return to Havana, as the streets are littered with rubbish, and almost everybody we came across was eager to rip us off or gain dollars from us in some form or another. Generally we aren't too fond of cities, and Havana was no exception. Some people we met along our journey told us that Havana was their most favourite place in Cuba, but we have a different opinion. Maybe this is because we have been homesick lately and are wanting a place more comfortable and familiar.
Cuba was incredibly interesting, and it was certainly worth the detour to visit it. Although we didn't feel comfortable there, and we were looking forward to leaving in the last few days, we wouldn't swap the two weeks we spent there for any other place. We have learnt so much about a socialist society, and it has really challenged us to think and appreciate life in Australia. We also now know what a city would like if it was neglected for 50 years, and have a new appreciation of being allowed to travel internationally and freely communicate with those outside our own country.
We are so grateful that we were able to visit Cuba while it still has it's unique flavour, but are also glad to now be in Guatemala- a place that feels a little more familiar to us.
0 comments:
Post a Comment