Cuba Libre: Travel observations and tips

by Brenda Yun on

Cuba is one of the most distinct places in the world. I can say this with complete certainty having traveled to nearly 50 countries on this globe and never encountered anything like it. During the brief two weeks I was there, I was able to enjoy the hospitality of a most vibrant people, as well as experience life with little to no American influence.

As I conclude my Cuba Libre series, there are just a few more observations and travel tips to share with you….

Food and Accommodations
If you really want to learn about the Cuban culture and interact with the locals, eat at a paladar instead of a restaurant. Most paladares are hard to find, so just ask the locals where to go and they’ll point you in the right direction. Along the same lines, stay at the casas particulares instead of the larger hotels. I learned a great deal about family life just by observing the interactions between members of my host families.

In both cases (paladares and casas particulares), the hosts are eager to please you, their customer, and they’re equally interested in understanding where you come from and what life is like off their Cuban rock. Most of these families will never see the world outside of their island, so share what you can – or better yet, leave a gift behind for them as a symbol of your appreciation.

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Solo and Female Travelers
Solo travelers should be aware that, though Cuba is one of the safest countries to travel in, it can be a lonely existence while you’re on the road. I was used to meeting people in hostels, but Cuban casas have a two guest room policy, meaning you have just one other person or couple staying in the same house as you. If you guys don’t hit it off, you’re really on your own. If you hit the music venues at night, though, you are bound to meet other travelers with the same predicament.

Also, female travelers will certainly get their fair share of attention by the men (in the form of whistling, shouting, or aggressive talking). If you don’t like the attention, ignore it. If that doesn’t work, just say “no” and they will get it.

Safety
Personally, I always felt very safe traveling in Cuba. When you’re walking around in a city (like Havana or Santiago) at night, you should walk on the street rather than the sidewalk, as the streets are better lit. I always felt safe walking around at night – even along darker streets in Havana. However, don’t be bold and stupid. Use common sense.

Propaganda
You will likely develop a tolerance or maybe even a fascination (as I did) for the onslaught of political billboards and slogans that are plastered on city walls or strewn along the countryside. The most common slogans portray images of Cuba’s colonial independence leaders José Martí and Antonio Maceo, the Revolutionary leaders Fidel and Raul Castro, Che Guevara, and Camilo Cienfuegos, or the five Cuban prisoners (often depicted in a star or with the word “Volverán” – “They will return”).

“Viva Cuba Libre” and the other popular slogan “Viva la Revolución” (which mean “Long Live Free Cuba/the Revolution” seem to me like desperate reminders for the Cuban people that Fidel’s victorious revolution that ended 50 years ago still lives on today. However, based on conversations with locals, I sense most Cubans wish it to be a distant memory and want to embrace change soon, before their already dire social, political, and economic situation worsens.

Transportation
Plan ahead for long distance trips across the island. During peak travel seasons (May-July; November-January) buses fill up quickly and flights to hotspots like Baracoa, Santiago, and Trinidad are booked weeks – if not months – in advance. You can reserve a seat on long distance buses. Bring a sweater or blanket with you, as these buses are air-conditioned and can get quite cold – especially at night when there’s no sun.

Communication
Don’t expect to use the phone or the internet while you’re in Cuba. Both are expensive. Your host should be able to make calls for you within Cuba, but international calls can only be made at ETECSA offices in major cities and are ridiculously overpriced. Using the internet for an hour costs $10, and you cannot connect to it using your own laptop. It’s best to just avoid communication with the outside world altogether. Heck, that’s the Cuban reality, so you might as well experience it like a local.

For a complete listing of my Cuba Libre posts, please click HERE or skip straight to the good stuff —

  • How Cuba survives with two currencies
  • Cuba: How to get in, where to stay, where to eat
  • My first impressions of Cuba
  • How to prepare for Cuba
  • My days in Havana, Part One
  • Being sick in Cuba
  • My days in Havana, Part Two
  • The vibrant nightlife in Trinidad
  • Salsa dancing in Santiago de Cuba
  • The eco-tourism potential of Baracoa

    • Talking Travel with Road Trip USA writer Jamie Jensen

    by Brenda Yun on

    Avalon travel writer Jamie Jensen, whose travel guidebook, Road Trip USA, hit book stands earlier this month, took time from his busy book tour to answer a few questions about travel, writing, and road tripping across the country.

    Don’t forget to enter the Gadling Giveaway of the latest edition HERE, or read my glowing Travel Read review of the book HERE.

    Enjoy the interview!

    BY: What is the most scenic/interesting/enjoyable stretch of road you’ve encountered?

    JJ: One lifelong favorite (well, 30 years and counting…) is the famous stretch of Hwy-1 along the central California coast, through Big Sur. This is an amazing engineering and construction feat – carved out of the cliffs beginning in the 1920s; it offers incredible views and takes drivers to places we couldn’t otherwise reach. The combination of the natural world and the manmade improvements (not just the roadway, but the many rustic lodges and historic sites) is simply amazing – just take it slow!

    The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina is another amazing road to drive, winding through the forests along the Appalachian crest, and for something very different I like to head down to Florida to drive the “Overseas Highway”, which is basically one long bridge over the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, from near Miami and the Everglades all the way to the tip of Key West.

    New England has tons of great two-lane country roads-and perhaps the country’s most beautiful stretch of Interstate Highway, I-93 thru Franconia Notch. And even higher up in the mountains, the Rockies have at least two unforgettable roads, the wonderfully named “Million Dollar Highway” in Colorado, and the sinuous “Going-to-the-Sun Road” through the heart of Glacier National Park.

    I could go on – but these are a good starter.


    BY: What compelled you to travel nearly half a million miles of asphalt?

    JJ: I don’t think I ever intended to spend so much time driving around – and certainly not to accumulate so many miles – but over the years I’ve kept looking at maps and wondering what these places really looked like, and then with Road Trip USA I’ve been going back again and again and keeping track of what’s new. So it has all added up. Then again, there is something like 6 million miles of paved roads across the country, so I’ve really barely scratched the surface.

    BY: How did you gather all of the information about the places you traveled?

    JJ: Because I’m interested in older roads, the ones that were main roads before the Interstate Highway system came thru in the 1960s, my first best source of ideas for places to travel was a series of 1930s and 1940s travel guides covering all the old US Highways-these were put together as a “New Deal” project for out-of-work writers, and were written by the likes of Saul Bellow, Ralph Ellison, and Jim Thompson.

    The WPA guides are great stuff – and full of insights that still resonate today.

    More practically, since I cover places to eat and sleep and have fun, as well as the history and culture of these different places, I used to write or call the sundry Chambers of Commerce and tourist promotion organizations for each state, region, city and town, and ask for their brochures and maps.

    Now of course, all of that information is on the Internet – but nothing is as valuable as actually visiting these places and seeing (and tasting!) them for myself.

    BY: What is the biggest advantage and disadvantage to traveling by car?

    JJ: The advantages of traveling by car – especially in a country as huge and car-dependent as the USA – are numerous and probably obvious. Cars offer freedom to go where you want when you want, in comfort and at your own pace. And because it costs about the same to travel with four or more people as it does to go alone, the economics of driving over buying airplane or train tickets is pretty compelling.

    That said, the downside of traveling by car is closely tied with the advantages – namely, what with sound systems and air conditioning, etc., cars are so comfortable that is sometimes means it can be hard to stop and actually experience the places you pass through.

    So, despite the inertia of buzzing along at 70 mph, for a memorable road trip it’s important to make every effort to stop and get out of the car, even for a few minutes, so the sights and sounds can sink in, and really leave an impression.

    BY: How did you score the gig to travel across the country and write this book – and what advice do you have for aspiring travel writers?

    JJ: Before I wrote Road Trip USA, I had already established myself as a travel guidebook author, writing and overseeing guidebooks to California and all of the USA for a number of “traditional” publishers (Rough Guides, Michelin Guides, Fodor’s, and those nicely illustrated “Eyewitness Guides” from Dorling Kindersley) so I had a pretty good track record. When I started working on what became Road Trip USA, I never thought I would find enough sights to make a 900-page book, but nowadays the challenge is to keep it from getting too big!

    My advice to aspiring travel writers is simply to write. Unfortunately, it is very hard to get paid very much for travel writing, but if you can combine it with other things, it may work out. Once you’ve written something, you’ll have it forever, but if you don’t write things down and tell your stories (even it’s just for yourself right now), the stories start to fade away. And who knows! Maybe tomorrow you’ll find a publisher who wants a whole book of your adventures. If you’ve written your stories along the way, you’ll be much better placed to take advantage of opportunities.

    On a more positive note, with the wonderful world of the Internet, it is a lot easier for people to be “published” and reach interested readers directly (through websites and blogs etc), though I don’t know of anyone who is making anything like real money doing this.

    BY: What will be your next project? More road tripping or are you growing roots in California?

    JJ: That’s a good question. Since I finished the last edition of Road Trip USA, I switched gears a little, and have taken a 6-month trip to Berlin, where the relationship between history and tourism are so much more complicated than they are compared to say, getting your kicks on Route 66. For me, growing up in southern California during the Space Age 1960s with all the fear of Commie infiltrations and imminent nuclear war, it’s been fascinating to spend a length of time where so much horrible stuff happened. Though I don’t think I’m going to do a “Guilt Trip” alternative of my “Road Trip” work, I’m more interested than ever at looking into the mechanics of how we (as individuals, communities and as countries) “remember” history, through monuments and parks and preservation of “historic” places.

    Gadling is currently accepting entries to a giveaway of Jamie’s Road Trip USA guidebooks. Entries are due by Friday, April 24 @ 5 p.m. EST!!!

    Check out my review of Road Trip USA while you’re at it.

    Talking Travel (and Cuba) with award-winning travel journalist Christopher P. Baker

    by Brenda Yun on

    Christopher Baker is the 2008 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year and has visited Cuba more than 30 times. He’s personally met with Fidel Castro, as well as leading members of the Cuban government and is personally acquainted with key figures within Cuba as well as key industry figures outside Cuba. Baker is not only a Cuba fanatic who is intensely interested in Castro’s family life and lovers, Cuban cigars, Che Guevara, and classic American cars, he happens to know a great deal about other parts of Central America, too. Baker has appeared on ABC, CNN, NBC, and NPR Public Radio.

    I had the privilege of corresponding with Baker about his contributions to his Moon Cuba handbook (for which he keeps a very informative blog) as well as his future endeavor in Colombia. As my Cuba Libre posts come to a close, I feel it may be most poignant for Gadling readers to get some perspective from Baker, whose insight on Cuba is not only enlightening, but also educational and inspiring.

    BY: How many times have you been to Cuba, and how much time did you spend them collectively?

    CB: More than 30. I shall be there for three months total this year over three trips. Most visits I fill my days and evenings researching for my guidebooks and magazine stories. I’m always looking for what’s new.

    BY: What is your favorite place in Cuba — and why?

    CB: No doubt about it. I have two. Habana Vieja (Old Havana) simply astounds with its wealth of historic buildings, and its heady atmosphere and endless this to see and do. But I am never happier than when simply rocking in a rocking chair, with a rum and cigar, watching the pretty Cubanas go by. Meanwhile, I always long for Trinidad, another UNESCO World Heritage site, for its intact colonial charm and sleepy pace of life.
    BY: What is one of your fondest memories in Cuba?

    CB: After 15 years of traveling to and reporting on Cuba, I never cease to be amazed by its surrealism tinged with sensuality. I often regale the tale of having gone to pick up my girlfriend Mercedes (a showgirl dancer at the Tropicana nightclub) after work. This night she had shaved her head entirely and was dressed all in white, from turban to white high-heeled shoes and bobby-socks. She wore many colorful collares (necklaces) and bangles. She had just been initiated as a santera, in the Afro-Cuban santeria religions and for a year henceforth would wear only white and follow specific proscriptions. We hailed a 1950s taxi and settled into the back seat. Passing through a narrow dark street in Centro Habana, a policeman jumped out and stopped the taxi. A man lay at the side of the road, bleeding profusely. The policeman was commandeering the taxi to take the man to the hospital. Mercedes wound down the rear window and poked her turbaned head out.
    “You can’t do that!” she said in Spanish. “I”m Santa Teresa!”
    The black policeman looked aghast, fingered his own collares, and shouted at the taxi driver to go. He waved us on and ran off to look for another vehicle.
    “What on earth did you tell him?” I asked her.
    “I told him I’m Santa Teresa, the patron saint of the dead. If he’d put that man in the car I might have killed him!”

    BY: Why did you pursue Cuba and not some other place in the world? What did Cuba have that piqued your interest more than any other country?

    CB: Cuba pursued me! When asked to author a guidebook in 1991, I instantly knew that this would be a unique adventure. Cuba seeped into my soul. More so back then, but still today. Its unique combination of socialism and sensuality, its unique history, combined with its Hollywood time-warp settings, twine to produce a haunting realm of eccentricity, eroticism, and enigma.

    BY: You wrote a book about motorcycling through Cuba. What was that like?

    CB: Well, it was one of my greatest adventures. The bike opened me up to the people, made me more accessible as well as more of a curiosity. It permitted me to go places I could never go in a car — the bike was a BMW GS adventure tourer. There was never room for males, but somehow I did managed to squeeze a few slender females behind, although not all at the same time (alas).

    BY: What is your take on the U.S.-Cuba trade embargo? How could a lift of the embargo affect Cuban life?

    CB: Here’s an extract from my op-ed piece, “Save Cuba first, ruin it later,” in today’s National Post newspaper (Canada)…

    Possibility hangs in the air like intoxicating aromas of añejo rum. After more than a decade of traveling to and reporting on Cuba, I’m suddenly feeling quite giddy.

    What this means for Cuba is another matter. An invasion of U.S. tourists should prove a godsend for the impoverished Cubans. Then again, as American influence spreads more, the isle may be spoiled. It doesn’t take great imagination to envision how Cuba could again become, in Somerset Maughan’s piquant phrase, “a sunny place for shady people.” The country’s demimonde bubbling beneath the surface is just waiting for someone to marshal it.

    That’s my biggest fear. That the yanks will ruin Cuba. But it’s a risk I’m prepared to accept in order to advance the long-overdue right of all U.S. citizens to smoke the finest cigars in the world, and hire a 1950s Caddy to explore this wonderful realm.

    BY: What is next for you? Will you return to Cuba, or do you have your heart set on another destination?

    CB: See my website for my travel schedule. Colombia is calling… but this year my time will be filled with Cuba!

    Gadling Giveaway: Road Trip USA

    by Brenda Yun on




    Gadling is teaming up with Avalon Travel to bring you a great giveaway! A few days ago, I reviewed Road Trip USA, Avalon’s latest guidebook written by road trip extraordinaire Jamie Jensen, who also was gracious enough to answer a few questions and Talk Travel with me. Believe me when I tell you: this is the Road Trip bible – 900 pages of travel tips and fun facts that cover the 48 contiguous states and even a little bit of Canada.

    Now, you can win a free copy of Jamie Jensen’s brand new Road Trip USA guidebook by leaving a comment in the bottom of this post by Friday, April 24, 2009 @ 5 p.m. EST. Your comment must provide a description of a place in the continental U.S. that you believe people need to see before they die. Please specify the city (if possible) and state where we can find this place. This comment shouldn’t be longer than five sentences, please.

    Three winners will be picked randomly. The first winner will receive his/her very own copy of Road Trip USA, and two others will receive one of Jamie’s regional guides to either the Pacific Coast Highway or Route 66.

  • The comment must be left before Friday, April 24 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • Road Trip USA is valued at $29.95. The regional guide books are valued at $9.95. (Sorry, but you don’t get to choose which of the regional guidebooks you receive.)
  • Click here for complete Official Rules.
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, including the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.

    • It’s that simple!

    Just so you get the idea, here’s my destination of choice. But don’t worry: I already have my copy. Now go and win yours.

    Brenda’s “entry”: Growing up in Hawaii, I didn’t understand the nation’s fascination with baseball. Why are grown men wearing tight pants and running around three bases? I didn’t get it because I’d never been to a baseball game and the most quintessential ballpark I have to say is Fenway in Boston, Massachusetts. From the Pesky Pole and the Green Monster to Yawkey Way and Landsdown Street, Fenway’s got it all. Plus going to a game at Fenway is absolutely electric.

    Look for a follow-up post and announcement on Gadling late next week!

    Amazing Race 14 recap 9: Guilin, China is a splendid place

    by Jamie Rhein on

    Watching the teams navigate Guilin, China was a splendid episode of reality TV. Whoever set up the tasks for Amazing Race, episode 9 nailed the best of what China offers in a series of aesthetic pleasures. It wasn’t the choreographed, technological feats of the Beijing, Olympics, but the classic architecture, early morning ballroom dancing in a city park, bamboo rafts, and art, all with craggy hills as a backdrop.

    Unfortunately, a bit of drama fueled by tension got in the way of two of the teams’ enjoyment of their surroundings and the warmth of the people that they encountered. While Luke and Jen were involved in shoving matches, I soaked in what I remembered about those details I loved about living in Taiwan.

    First there were the neon signs that took up every available space when Jen and Kisha dashed out of the airport in Guilen ‘s streets and into a taxi when it was still dark. By the time they arrived at the the first clue box outside a hair dresser’s shop, the morning’s buzz had begun.

    Since Luke and Margie arrived at the clue box at Qing Xiu Lu at the same time as Jen and Kisha, there was the first shove as Jen tried to reach around Luke to grab a clue first. In the heat of the moment, each thought the other was at fault, and Jen called Luke a “bitch” since it was a “bitch move.” After the first shove, steamed up, off they went to #24 Bridge on the banks of the Li River where Tammy & Victor and Cara & Jaime had already arrived because of better luck with directions.

    Victor & Tammy were happy as can be to be speaking Chinese and didn’t seem too bothered that the other teams globbed onto them whenever they could to take advantage of their language know-how. Listening to these siblings speak Chinese was a bonus of the episode since it offered a more personal perspective on a place. Plus, their relationship is a far cry from when Victor was almost weeping after getting them lost on a Romanian mountainside near the beginning of the race. Now, they are getting along well and seem to be having a blast.

    At the Li River, after the team members were poled out into the river in one boat, one member from each team had to sit on a narrow bamboo raft to train a cormorant bird to catch fish. This was a task reminiscent of a show at Sea World. After a team member tossed a fish into the river, the bird was to fetch it to bring the fish back in its mouth. This was repeated until the team member had 10 fish in the basket. If you are near a cormorant bird, don’t get it riled. They have a nasty bite that draws blood as Luke found out. Once the fish were in the basket, it was a matter of getting poled back to shore with the basket along for the ride.

    Then it was off to the Ancient South Gate for their next clue and task. The gate, built 1,000 years ago, is a feature common to many Chinese cities. Hsinchu, the town where I lived in Taiwan, had the East gate left of the four that once were important features of the city. The gate was a gorgeous structure that was my favorite spot to hang out.

    At the gate’s clue box–which meant another shoving match for Luke and Jen, the teams had to choose between how to do calligraphy or how to ballroom dance. The calligraphy, actually, was the easiest, although there were many steps as teams went from calligraphy person to calligraphy person copying characters until they got to the artist who gave them the painting of the real life scene–the Sun and Moon Pagodas at Banyan Lake that they were to look for which would lead them to the Pit Stop.

    Early morning ballroom dance classes or Tai chi are common features of parks in Taiwan as well. Other typical park features are the circular shaped doorways to other park sections and the curved bridges the teams crossed. Central Island was no different.

    While Margie & Luke, Jen & Kisha and Victor & Tammy did the calligraphy task, virtually at the same time, and Cara & Jaime were learning the dance routine which gave them a bit of trouble. Mark & Michael were having a blast washing two women’s hair at their Speed Bump. They followed that good time with a great time with the fishing task and ball room dancing. They weren’t quick enough to make up for their 4 hour time delay and Speed Bump penalty from last week’s episode, however, and were eliminated. Too bad. These two are really fun.

    Jen & Kisha were the first to dash to the Pit Stop across from the Sun and Moon Pagodas at Banyan Lake with Victor & Tammy and Luke & Margie a close second & third. This was the first time the sister duo won first place. For their better showing than last week, they won a trip to Barbados which includes swimming with sea turtles.

    After the win news, Phil tried to smooth over relationships between Luke & Margie and Jen & Kisha, but to no avail. Here’s my take. For Luke and Margie, the race has added stress because he can’t hear. There’s also the issue of him growing up feeling like he is often on the outside, and Margie needing to intercede more frequently than other parents. I have deaf relatives and have seen misunderstandings arise that usually take more work to smooth over than when all parties can hear. Hopefully, after the cameras stopped rolling, there was more conversation to clear up the misunderstanding once emotions calmed down. Tammy & Victor seemed to be allies of both of these teams and felt bad. Hopefully, their lawyer skills came in handy.

    As for Mark & Micheal, there were some terrific shots of their race that summed up what a wonderful time these two had. They epitomize the best of cross-cultural travel. Every time they interacted with the people they came in contact with, they smiled, took time to soak in their experiences, and exuded warmth. They might be smaller than the average man, but what great, big hearts. As Michael said, “This world is a wonderful place.”

    Oh, one more thing–I loved the sweet couple eating at the Pit Stop. They were such a pleasure to watch and so Chinese. They reminded me of so many people I came across in my own travels–very unpretentious and kind.