Havana, or locally, Habana, is not your normal big city. With socialism/communism still very much in effect, the hustle and bustle of a busy big city is all but absent. This fact is more than clear from the time you deplane at Jose Marti International Airport and make your way to immigration. The lines at immigration move as slow as I’ve ever seen. Arriving in immigration the lines do not seem too bad, but being 30 feet back in line is equal to about 2 hours. Each person is asked a bunch of questions about where they have traveled regarding Ebola. “Have you traveled to Africa?” No. “Have you traveled to Dallas, Texas?” No. ( even though our plane traveled through). Snap a picture and off you go, but the problem is that the computers they are using are so slow that each person takes 2-4 minutes or more. Not the best welcome to the country, but a good preface for things to come. Waiting in line in Cuba is just a part of the culture.

Finally through immigration and we arrive on the street. In 10 seconds we have 25 offers for a taxi, and we retreat momentarily. We make eye contact with a couple other tourists who seem to be having the same issues, and after conversing for a second we decide to share a taxi to Habana Vieja near the Cathedral. Walking out of the airport there are two places to exchange money, though at rather poor rates, so it is best to only exchange a bit here and plan on more once in the city.
Outside it is pouring rain and “Nancy” who claims to be in charge of the taxis is wheeling and dealing, and forces us into a minivan for $5 CUC more than the smaller taxis. 30 minutes of bumpy streets and we found ourselves in la Plaza de Francisco de Asis. Not quite where we asked, but close enough. We run for cover under a big entry way and through one of the guards we manage to talk to a waiter at a nearby restaurant who offers up his home for $20 CUC per bed. At this point we take it and follow Jose up 6 flights of stairs to his home. It’s a modest home but plenty for the night. Our new found friends Edwin from Holland and Tina from South Korea break out the Skip-Bo cards and we play a few rounds before heading for bed.

The first night in a hot and humid climate is always a bit rough for me. Tonight was no exception as I tried to just relax and ignore the fact that I’m sweating just laying there. Jose is back in the morning and we settle our “hotel” bill and it’s off to exploring Habana Vieja. Elisabeth and I try to make a point of traveling light for just this reason. No need to be in a rush to find a hotel when you have less than 20 lbs on your back including all my camera gear. We say goodbye to Edwin and Tina as they head in search of a hotel with their luggage and we set out exploring the Plaza and the side streets of old Havana.

Havana is a big city but it doesn’t have the hustle that many outside of Cuba have. Say what you will about communism, but it is a tad bit enjoyable to be in a big city that isn’t in a constant rush. People have jobs, but outside of the taxi drivers most salesmen aren’t too pushy, and traffic jams are almost nonexistent. All of these things being the case, I don’t know how motivated I would be for $20 a month… the average salary in Cuba.

One thing you will notice rather quickly is the lack of regulation on exhaust for vehicles. Though there may not be many, the ones there are in dire need of a catalytic converter. After walking to the plaza Vieja and the Catedral Nacional and walking the seaside sidewalk we decide to head towards Havana Central in search of our intended beds for the night at Hamel Hostel.

Quite the routine.

Typical Old town Street.

Plaza Vieja

Having heard about this place from Don’t forget to Move, we understand that Magnolia, the owner, is part of a nationwide network of Casa Particulares, which is helpful for an American traveling in Cuba because it is rather hard to book ahead of time before you leave the USA. Magnolia is one of my favorite people who I’ve met traveling yet, she is eager to help but not pushy about it, and she is just plain funny. Her Hostel is just that with a couple of rooms filled with bunk beds, with a communal rooftop deck above and a living room downstairs so if you are looking for privacy, it’s not the place, but she is the best person to talk to about accommodations in the rest of the country, and offers an adequate place to crash for $5 a night and a filling $1 breakfast.

Leaving some of our stuff behind at the hostel we decide to use the rest of the day to explore the Plaza de Revolucion, and the monument next to it. On the way we pass the university and climb the hundreds of steps to the top of the hill it sits on. We meet more people who are excited to meet Americans. It’s interesting that in a lot of the world Americans are looked at with with an unfavorable opinion, but in Cuba of all places, they seem to understand that it isn’t just everyday Americans that are making the “Blockeo” happen, it’s people in power and realistically the companies giving them money. In fact in opinion polls, a majority of Americans think the embargo should be lifted all together. It’s just nice to know that the Cubans don’t hold it against you personally when you travel down there, even though in a lot of ways it would be fair if they did since we are the ones who elected the ones making the decisions.

La Catedral de la Virgen María de la Concepción Inmaculada de La Habana

The old and new coast line.

Leaving the hill of the university we head south towards the plaza de revolucion, not really knowing what to expect. All I can say is I expected more than a parking lot, which is all it really is, though right across the street is the Jose Marti memorial which stands as Havanas tallest structure at 138.5 meters. We paid our $1 CUC entrance fee for walking around the outside and spent some time staring out over the city. Too bad the lift was closed to the top, it would have been a truly inspiring view.

Leaving the steps of the University.

University Campus

Jose Marti Memorial

We contemplated getting a taxi back to the city center but the price was a bit too high and non negotiable with the little coco taxi driver, so we went ahead and just walked back towards the sea to see the Hotel Nacional. This hotel was built as an attempted copy of the Breakers hotel in Palm Beach in 1930 and once hosted a massive meeting of the North American Mafia. Still in business today, a stroll through was worth our time both from the outside and the inside.

Typical Cuban fare. I would say that the food in Cuba is not the reason to go.

Returning to the street we head for a restaurant on the street with live music emanating from inside. The music was good and the beer was cold, which made for a good wind down to a long day of walking. Our trusty guidebook sent us towards a restaurant for dinner called Castas y Tal, though the name may changed, the location is the same, built into a couples 11th floor apartment giving access to views of an incredible sunset over the city. The food was decent, and perhaps by Cuban standards it was pretty good, the views are the big sell here though. Leaving dinner we couldn’t help but be lulled into a locals hangout for a few beers, and what turned into a bottle of rum with a couple local young adults.

The view from Castas y Tal.

The conversation was both entertaining and enlightening to understand how it works to grow up in Cuba. It’s incredible to me that a teacher makes just $25 per month to teach Spanish, but his rent is $40 per month. It also seems rare to meet a Cuban who doesn’t have family in Miami, and anytime someone finds out we are from the states, they ask us if we live in Miami.

Having had enough rum for the night we opted to move on towards home and get ready for heading off to Vinales the following morning.