Ready to step back in time?
Old dodges, buicks and cadilacs cruise by people queu to use the public pay phone, and the cash registers are at least 3 times as old as we are. We stay in casa particulares (people here are alergic to the word private, so there NOT private houses or private bussiness, but really they are) The prices are cheap but the service 5*, we eat in the house every night but can choose what we would like to eat like a restaurant. That night we discuss what we would like to see and so in Cuba with the owner Pepe. The next morning he has hand written out out itinerary and all the contact details of all the places and other casa's for us to stay in. He has also phoned ahead (using the pay phone) to make bookings for us and at each town some one will be waiting to collect us from the bus with a sign David y Sofia ( Here nobody can prononce the name Digby so they call hin David and me Sofia, so we will be David y Sofia in Cuba!. (there is no charge this is just how helpful the people are here) Our laundry comes back, they have even iorned and folded our socks.
We head out to explore Havana, staring at the Placa de Revolution and the Jose Marti memorial/ museaum. The giant murials of Che and Camilo look down on us. We haed to old Havana the smell of cigars hangs in the air, music comes out of many bars and cafe's. There is no advertising here but every shop seems to sell Havana Club, so around every corner your eyes fall on a bottle of rum.
We visit the museaum of the revolution, the Havana Club factory and museam. Digby undertakes some serious taste testing as he has a mojito with each different type of rum to taste test the difference.
The casa de tabaco is a chance to try a cohiba (the best Cuba has to offer, initialy created from the finest tabaco for Fidel Castro and as gifts to heads of state now limited numbers are sold in Cuba and for export) cigar. It is quite and exquisit cigar, Digby thinks he could get used to it!
We take a motorbike with side car taxi, motor bikes with side cars seem very popular here. There is government grafiti all over the place and images of Che in many prominent places.
This may according to statistic be a poor even 3rd world country with many people earning between 10-18 dollars a month, (doctors earn up to 40 dollars a month) but it doesnt feel poor. Sure every thing is old and the trade embargo is clearly still have big impact but when you look and talk to the people they seem very happy, laughing and joking. They are friendly and very talkative, although most shy away from discussing politics.
Perhaps its because tourism and tourist offer a great way to increase your earning, we make a point to always leave a tip when we eat out. Some one earning around $12 a month as a waiter is very grateful when you leave a $1 tip after your meal.
We take a 1944 dodge taxi home, Cuba so far seems to be the most genuine and interesting place we have been so far.
xx
David y Sofia
Old dodges, buicks and cadilacs cruise by people queu to use the public pay phone, and the cash registers are at least 3 times as old as we are. We stay in casa particulares (people here are alergic to the word private, so there NOT private houses or private bussiness, but really they are) The prices are cheap but the service 5*, we eat in the house every night but can choose what we would like to eat like a restaurant. That night we discuss what we would like to see and so in Cuba with the owner Pepe. The next morning he has hand written out out itinerary and all the contact details of all the places and other casa's for us to stay in. He has also phoned ahead (using the pay phone) to make bookings for us and at each town some one will be waiting to collect us from the bus with a sign David y Sofia ( Here nobody can prononce the name Digby so they call hin David and me Sofia, so we will be David y Sofia in Cuba!. (there is no charge this is just how helpful the people are here) Our laundry comes back, they have even iorned and folded our socks.
We head out to explore Havana, staring at the Placa de Revolution and the Jose Marti memorial/ museaum. The giant murials of Che and Camilo look down on us. We haed to old Havana the smell of cigars hangs in the air, music comes out of many bars and cafe's. There is no advertising here but every shop seems to sell Havana Club, so around every corner your eyes fall on a bottle of rum.
We visit the museaum of the revolution, the Havana Club factory and museam. Digby undertakes some serious taste testing as he has a mojito with each different type of rum to taste test the difference.
The casa de tabaco is a chance to try a cohiba (the best Cuba has to offer, initialy created from the finest tabaco for Fidel Castro and as gifts to heads of state now limited numbers are sold in Cuba and for export) cigar. It is quite and exquisit cigar, Digby thinks he could get used to it!
We take a motorbike with side car taxi, motor bikes with side cars seem very popular here. There is government grafiti all over the place and images of Che in many prominent places.
This may according to statistic be a poor even 3rd world country with many people earning between 10-18 dollars a month, (doctors earn up to 40 dollars a month) but it doesnt feel poor. Sure every thing is old and the trade embargo is clearly still have big impact but when you look and talk to the people they seem very happy, laughing and joking. They are friendly and very talkative, although most shy away from discussing politics.
Perhaps its because tourism and tourist offer a great way to increase your earning, we make a point to always leave a tip when we eat out. Some one earning around $12 a month as a waiter is very grateful when you leave a $1 tip after your meal.
We take a 1944 dodge taxi home, Cuba so far seems to be the most genuine and interesting place we have been so far.
xx
David y Sofia
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