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Habana -> Playa Gerón -> Trinidad -> Santa Clara -> Habana -> Viñales -> Habana
I had always wanted to visit Cuba. But my Government didn't want me to go. So instead I visited through the "back door": from Mexico City. Totally legal, and hassle-free. I decided on a two week trip, beginning Mar 15, 2019, and sticking to the western side of the island: Habana, Viñales, Playa Gerón, Trinidad, and Santa Clara:
Habana 2. Trinidad 3. Viñales 4. Santa Clara 5. Playa Gerón
It turned out to be a wonderful trip - Cuba more than met my high expectations. Here are my notes of the trip:
Mar 15, 2019: Condo > Havana: Hostal Havana Mia 2
Started out with a really stupid move. I had booked a flight from Puerto Vallarta to Toluca instead of Mexico City. Don’t ask. Luckily there are plenty of flights from PVR to MEX, so I’m now sitting in an Aeroméxico plane, hoping to arrive in MEX with time to get on my Interjet MEX to HAV flight at 3:25 PM. Next fun stuff to do today: get medical insurance at airport; change pesos into CUCs; get met at airport by my driver; hope he knows how to get to my hotel, Hostal Havana Mia 2. I’m sure there will be no hang ups on the way.
I did manage to get my Visa when I checked into my Interjet flight to Habana: Interjet has a convenient office selling the visas ($35?) close to where you check in. And because you need to specify a category of travel, I chose “Support for the Cuban People.”
And I am into a chest cold for about 5 days now (although it seems to be waning). Went to my Doctor Rigo in Punta Mita yesterday and got a shot in the ass and some medicines: $75. Weighed myself: 160.
So here’s the overview:
Mar 15-16: Havana
Mar 17-18: Playa Girón
Mar 19-22: Trinidad
Mar 22-23: Santa Clara
Mar 24-26: Viñales
Mar 26-28: Havana
Applause from the passengers when the plane landed.
Long wait to get my visa stamped. Then long wait to have my carry on go through security. Then long wait to change some Mexican pesos into CUCs. But Carlos my driver waited patiently for me, and the drive to the hotel was wonderful: old lovely buildings, lots of early Chevys and Fords, big parks with lots of people (considering it had started to sprinkle).
Hotel a gas, up three flights of stairs and through three locked doors. Juan Carlos walked me to a nearby restaurant, which was ridiculously expensive and full of aging tourists participating in a dance show. I ordered a pizza to go, got a bit wet coming back, and the lights failed as I climbed the stairs to my room (they came on later). Room very nice, with hot water, fan, and air con (!). It’s almost midnight, but plenty of people huddled in groups, yakking away. Like no city I’ve ever been in.
Expenses (CUCs):
Taxi to hotel: 30 + 3 tip
Pizza: 14
Mar 16, 2019: Habana
Breakfast at hotel (5): Fruit, juice, coffee, toast & butter, eggs with ham & cheese. Huge.
Museo Nacional de Belles Artes (5). Some really nice revolutionary art. Must visit sister museum later.
Museo de la Revolución (8). U. S. not looking very good here. Tanks, jeeps, missiles, lots of photos of Che & Fidel. Boat that revolutionaries rode to Cuba from Mexico (?)
Helad’oro: guanábana & mojito flavors - yum (2).
Piña colada (3)
Photo of 3 traditionally dressed women (3)
Palacio Nacional ... (5)
Museo Federico Humboldt (2)
Women are Really good looking here. And music is so much better than in Mexico and Central America
Great city. Lots of little parks, old buildings, museums, plazas, vintage cars. One bad note: two cruise boats in town: giant crowds, tour groups with flag leaders, crowded streets. Hey, it is still an amazing place. Love the colors, the smiles, the friendliness of everyone I talk to. Really going hard with my Spanish, and loving it. But this day will be plenty for Habana.
Plaza Viejo
Havana Club: 2 mojitos (8) propina (3) for the terrific combo: 2 guitars, drums, and bass. So good. Should I go for Dos Hermanos next? It’s just around the corner. Oops, closed.
Everybody dressed casually. Shorts, sandals, caps, t-shirts. Streets clean, then boom big piles of construction shit and garbage. Habana has a ways to go to get clean. Lots of pedestrians. Not much traffic. Wow - nailed by two mojitos. Dogs with collar tags for specific locales. Lots of cats. Many people walking the streets. Pretty much only taxis. Many sitting on doorways, watching the scene.
Stopped at a local rum shop, hung out with the local for awhile, loved it, may return tomorrow at 5 for a repeat: grandma, couple, friend. Photos exchanged. Much rum consumed. Loved it. Now really loaded. Hope I can walk back. Oops, just checked: going to Playa Girón tomorrow.
Made it back by 7 - not easy, Roberto from the rum shop hung around until the last minute. Agreed to meet tomorrow around 5 at the same rum shop (1 for a big shot). Shower and rest, then worry about dinner. 10 hours hoofing around Habana.
Back to the hotel by 6, fell asleep until 8, decided to stay in bed and skip dinner plans.
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