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Sunday, May 3, 2015

Email to Friends: Fun Filled Days in Havana

I worked a 12 hour night shift the before leaving and then hurried home to run last minute errands, get ready and pack. First flight was through LAX, where I was surprised to find out that the partner Delta booked me on, AeroMexico, made me leave the terminal I flew in to and go back through another TSA checkpoint... so ridiculous and almost missed my flight. The flight to Mexico City was full, cramped and full of turbulence. The Mexico City Airport was so confusing, not helped by the fact that I had to go through customs as an entry and then depart through customs again to get on a flight to Cuba. I was sent all over the airport and was getting pretty frustrated, but finally got some Mexican Pesos (only American dollars are penalized by an extra ten percent when switching to Cuban money), my Tourist Visa into Cuba for 350 Mexican Pesos, and my Cubana Air boarding pass. Rushed to the gate, only to find out there was a two hour delay (apparently common for Cubana Air). Even though it was 9am, I found a lunch counter that all the airport workers were eating and got salsa verde and cheese sauce chicken enchiladas with coffee (others were also eating it that early in the morning, but with a milkshake). Seemed kind of ridiculous that the time in the air to Cuba was only really 6.5 hours but it took about 18 hours with all the in and out of 5 different customs or TSA checkpoints.

Finally arrived in the Havana Airport, and customs was pretty easy. The customs agent in Mexico must have known what I was doing, because he stamped a page in my passport way in the back. The customs agent in Havana was also nice and asked if I wanted my passport stamped (but technically, she was already stamping it when she asked, so I said "sure, why not"). She also stamped it on a previously stamped page, so it was less prominent.

Met a nice guy at the baggage claim area from Singapore (we were actually sitting next to each other on the plane, but were both sleeping). We decided to split the taxi fare into the city, which is usually about 25 CUC (Cuban Convertible money for tourists). Our taxi driver was okay dropping us off in two different spots, and I got to see a little of the city to try and get my bearings.

My casa particular, Casa Blanca, is fabulous! It is located right on the Malecon in old Havana, which is the busy road right next to the sea. It is also centrally located halfway between the Hotel Nacional and the harbor across from the lighthouse of Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro. The owners seem very nice, but don't live in the house. The mom lives right down the street and the son also lives nearby. They rent out the three rooms, and must be doing well as they said they are building another a few blocks away. It is all decorated in white except for the pretty classic tile floor. My room is big with a beautiful chandelier, fresh flowers, and a lovely breeze and small balcony. It even has its own bathroom with a nice shower with hot water and a toilet with a toilet seat (sometimes a rarity in Cuba). There is a lovely sitting area and a great balcony to enjoy mojitos and watch the sunset as all the old cars go by and locals hang out on the sea wall across the street. All for only 30 CUC a night is quite a deal! Plus, it is easy to get lost in Old Havana, but the Malecon is easy to always find my way back.

After turning in early the first night, I woke up early to try to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately, it was very cloudy and soon turned to rain. I walked the city, checking out Old Havana and checking out all the buildings. Some brightly colored mixed with others that are dilapidated and crumbling. As the day went on, it got sunny and warm, and I enjoyed just watching everyone. It is frantic and fun, and everyone seems very friendly. Very little English is spoken, but they are kind and patient with me. Everyone wants to know where I am from. When I say the US, they ask if I am Chinese or Japanese. When I say Vietnamese, I often get an "ah, good friends with Cuba. Just like us! Ho Chi Minh was great!" Ha! I popped out to watch a bunch of guys fishing off the wall of the Malecon. Started walking towards the Hotel Nacional, but was sidetracked when a Cuban couple took me on a detour to see a few sights such as a graffiti and arts area, a boxing gym (sadly it was closed), and showed me the difference between the stores for local Cubans where they pick up their monthly rations and stores tourists could use. Both are pretty sparsely stocked, so I am glad I brought my own toilet paper (actually, I knew that was a good call when I saw a local pick up a big pack of toilet paper as his checked luggage at baggage claim).

After saying goodbye to the couple, I decided to head towards Hotel Nacional. It was very swanky, and I instantly feel out of place and want to get out of there. I much prefer my small, more familial accommodation. Grabbed lunch at a place with live Cuban music and then headed through the neighborhoods of Vedado. Havana is very big and each area has a different feel. Vedado is a nice suburb with what seems like nicer houses. A guy showed me where the Teatro Amadeo Roldan was, which is inscribed with various famous classical musicians names such as Bach and Mozart and where classical concerts are held. I also passed the National Ballet, which was closed to the public for practice but some guys I chatted with let me in and I got to see the downstairs practice space and heard all the thumps of the practice going on in the ballet studio upstairs.

It was hot, so I lined up with all the locals for ice cream at a place I had read about called Coppelia. I can't read the signs, but get in the longer line for the upstairs, instead of the downstairs counter seating. The menu is posted on the wall, but of course I can't read it. Someone comes out to change the flavor on a board and there are some sounds of approval and disappointment. It seems you are served in groups. Once one group clears out, they empty it and let the next group in. The couples in front of me and behind me make sure I don't get lost in the mad dash shuffle as we are herded upstairs and everyone runs to get a seat by the windows. The waitress asked me something, but I didn't know what she asked... Something about chocolate, so I just nodded my head and said "Si!" Turns out I get an ice cream sundae with three scoops, one strawberry and two vanilla with chocolate swirl. Looks like everyone gets the same (some people polished off two or three of the three scoop sundaes... My kind of people!) I tried to pay once I was done and unsure how much it was, so I held out 5 CUC. She rattled off something in Spanish, said "too much" and walked away. A sweet young kid who was there with his girlfriend had been behind me in line and he tried to help me, but nobody speaks English. Confused, I took all the coins I had and held it out for her to take whatever I owed. She took 25 cents. 3 scoops for 25 cents!!! I tried to tip her and the sweet young kid came running out with it and said "no, it's okay, too much" and gave it back to me, patting me on the arm.

On my walk back, a ran into an older gentleman named Tomas in Old Havana who was sitting in his doorstep playing guitar as his cats gathered around. He motioned for me to come join him, so I did. We chatted a bit and he played me some songs and wanted me to take a picture. I figured he would ask for some change, but instead, he asked me if I liked mango. When I answered Si, he handed me his guitar, told me to wait, and ran inside, bringing me a mango which he insisted I take. Walking home with my mango, I caught what appeared to be a house party with Afro-Cuban drumming (I later learned the was a Santeria celebration). I barely made it back in time to catch the beautiful sunset from the balcony of my casa. The sweet night security guard helped me cut my mango and made me coffee and later, other guests from Australia shared their Havana Club rum with me.

The next day, I got up again at sunrise. Had my coffee and then off to explore again. Wandered through morning produce markets only seen if you peak your head into doorways of old buildings that appear to be rubble. I also checked out a place in the middle of the city that held several old trains and the small Chinatown in Havana. Today's plan was to see the Guayasamin museum (one of my favorite artists from Ecuador who also lived in Cuba for a bit), then catch a ferry for a train ride through small towns to the old Hershey factory, and buy a bus ticket. I got all of none of those things done.

Around 9:30am, I accidentally ended up in a bar, talked about Cuba and Castro and all kinds of other things. Well, it started with me standing around chatting with some random dude on the sidewalk. After a bit, he opened a small opening through a rusty roll up door and told me to follow him in. Inside was this small, empty, closed bar. There was much more conversation about some of the difficulties of Cuba and the hope of change, a quick salsa lesson, and meeting more locals. Some were jineteros (the Cuban street hustlers) who seem to know the most English. Once they figured out I was not about to get hustled, they went and bought me a coffee instead. Finally, I said my goodbyes and headed towards museum but on my way, was greeted by a woman named Yolanda and we started talking. She invited me in to her home. We chatted for quite a while (especially with my limited Spanish and her non-existent English). She told me of her family living in Italy, her divorce with her husband and showed me pictures of her late daughter who died in an accident. I realized it was late and had now missed the ferry. I said my goodbyes and she wanted me to take pictures of us together. She seemed upset when I had to leave and I felt bad. She tried to give me a dress, but I declined, especially since such material things are difficult to come by here. I ended up getting lost in the touristy area after checking out some cathedrals. Got hungry, so headed to a cafeteria I saw earlier along the water and had a late lunch of fried fish, shrimp, rice, beans, and fried plantains plus a soda for 10 CUC. Finally arrived at the Guayasamin museum, but they were already closed. So, I sat on the street chatting with some guys about sports. One was an English teacher, so it was nice because I got to ask him a bunch of questions I had been building up with no one to ask. Learned more about the Santeria religion which is a religion brought from Africa during slave trades that occurred here and realized that was the area I had stumbled into the day before where the couple took me.

I had decided to leave Havana a day early, since my casa had a mix up in my booking so I would have had to switch to another one (plus, I was tired of some of the hassles one gets in a city as a solo female traveler). I wanted to catch one last sunset from the balcony, so I walked home along the Malecon. Watched guys cleaning the fish they had caught for the day, boys jumping off the wall into the water, and was asked to take a photo or two. It finally dawned on me that I get asked this so much because many don't have cameras or smartphones, so just want to see themselves. Caught another beautiful sunset, joined a party off the street in Havana, and then off to pack to head off to Vinales in the morning (if I can get a last minute bus ticket, since I didn't get around to that today, either).

Now, I have made it to Vinales, a small farming village amongst limestone mountains. I found the most fabulous place to stay, kind of by accident... But I will save that story for my next email, if I get to the internet again.

Love,
Betsy

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