Havana
Great Time in Cuba:
Doing
Havana Like a Cuban in Cuba
article and photos
by Al Dieste
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just returned from four weeks in Cuba, three of which were spent in Havana,
I would like to share with your readers the wonderful opportunity to enjoy
and discover a rich and diverse culture, at less-than-Motel 6 prices!
Consider an alternative title to this article as “Vacationing Like a King
in Havana for $50 a Day!”
One can spend less in Cuba, if the
old college hippie backpacker, sleep-on-the-floor days appeal to your sense
of nostalgia. One can certainly spend a lot more, if the days of
decadent Mafia-Tropicana-drinking-gambling-sin-and-sun-days appeal to your
bulging wallet. However, $50 a day in Havana can provide a very comfortable
vacation, in a style which will not only appeal to your needs for North
American creature comforts, but also allow you to get a taste of the true
Cuba of today.
Getting
There
Ah, that can be tricky. While
it is not illegal for Americans to visit Cuba, it is illegal to spend money
there, as that is a violation of the trade embargo. (Did you know
that John F. Kennedy stocked his humidor full of Havana cigars the day
before the embargo was to begin!?!) It certainly pays to plan ahead in
Camelot.
Going in the front door, I was able
to get to Cuba legally by obtaining a State Department authorization for
Cuban-born American citizens to visit family. Other legal avenues
include medical and missionary trips, sports and cultural exchanges, authorized
university classes, etc. All of these can be expensive, as much as
$2000 per week.
Going in the back door is cheaper,
but riskier. A $250 round trip flight from Cancun could end up with
a $5,000 fine from the feds. Caveat emptor! |
 Al
Dieste is a 48 year old native Cuban, living in Sonora, California.
A retired elementary school principal, he is currently employed as an at-risk
pupil classroom teacher, and an educational consultant. He is also
a very active part-time musician, playing horns, keyboards, and percussion
in several groups in the northern California area. He is married to his
beautiful wife Amy, who is also an educator. Their children are Isabel
Maria, 7 years old, and Alberto Joaquin (Beto), 4 years old. He says, "My
visit to Cuba in the summer of 2002 was the first since having left in
1956. I look forward to visiting again, perhaps as a tour guide for
visitors interested specifically in education and/or traditional Afro-Cuban
music in the Havana area.
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What To
Take
Advice abounds regarding what to
take to Cuba, so I’ll offer just tidbits of advice.
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Clean out your closets, medicine cabinets,
and desk drawers of the clutter, and take it to Cuba. Some things
can’t be found, while other things, even a 25 cent bar of soap, are very
expensive for the average Cuban.
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Take pictures of your family, friends,
home, etc. They make for great conversation, and the Cubans are starved
for any and all uncensored information about America and Americans.
They really do love us over there.
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The Swiss Army can always be called
upon to slice that ready to be eaten mango or avocado, and help fix that
perpetually broken down “whatever”.
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Pepto Bismol taken every day, whether
one needs it or not, is great insurance. Kaopektate will be needed,
regardless of how much Pepto one consumes.
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Along the same lines, bring moist baby
wipes. 99% of Cuban bathrooms have no toilet paper, and the wipes,
carried in a small zip lock bag, are compact, convenient, and oh so cool…
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Zip lock bags help keep the moisture
out of your expensive camera, CD player, etc.
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A bandana, soaked in water, helps you
cool down regularly. Also, many funky restaurants have no napkins!
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Good walking shoes, a good sense of
humor, and a good attitude, as things are very different in Cuba!
| The Value
of the Dollar
Currently, there are three types
of currency in circulation in Cuba: the Cuban peso, worth about 4 cents;
the “divisa,” a Cuban monetary equivalent to the dollar; and the US dollar
itself. No other currency, not even Euros, are accepted anywhere
on the island. The current exchange rate is 26 pesos to the dollar,
but for convenience sake, paying for peso items on the street will result
in a 25 peso per dollar rate. Despite many recommendations against
it, I think it wise to change about $1 per day into pesos, so that you
can pay the Cuban price of $1 MN (moneda nacional, or peso…4 cents), for
what tourists often have to pay $1 USD. Many examples to come, so
be patient! |
Restaurant Small Combo
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Where To
Sleep
Let’s start with rooming accommodations.
The Cuban government allows private individuals to rent bed and breakfast
rooms in their homes, for a considerable monthly fee. The going rate
in Havana is $20 to $30 per night, depending upon the season. Avoid
“casas particulares” (private homes) in Havana Vieja (old town) or central
Havana, as they are much older, probably lack air conditioning, and are
located in neighborhoods suffering from deteriorating conditions.
Miramar was, and continues to be, the Beverly Hills of Havana, but is located
inconveniently far from the heart of the city. I recommend El Vedado,
which was the upper middle class neighborhood in the pre-revolution days,
and today offers the best value for the dollar.
| While there are numerous good casas
in El Vedado, I give a five-star-plus recommendation to the $25 per night
Casa Antigua, the home of Horacio and Marta Santana (contact them via the
link in Additional Resources above), located just off 23rd street (the
main drag of Vedado), on 28th Street. I visited both the National
Hotel in El Vedado, the grand dame of pre-1960’s Havana, as well as the
elegant Conde de Villanueva Hotel in the pricey tourist section of Havana
Vieja. Casa Antigua offers 90 percent of the amenities
at 10 percent of the price!
Built in 1940, this house has two
floors, the top of which is Casa Antigua (see link in Additional Resources
above - look for an English version on their page). Your host Horacio,
a mechanical engineer, has completely renovated the home in eclectic styles,
and provided it with up-to-date conveniences. Completely furnished
in antiques, each room features a different period, be it Neo-classical,
Sheraton, Romantic, etc., yet is very Cuban in its unique way. Marta,
an economist with a masters degree in sociology, is the hostess, and shares
in the interior decorating, as well as the cooking and other household
chores. |
Typical Havana Street
Musicians
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Consider the following amenities
one receives for $25…
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An open air veranda with tropical plants
hanging from the archways, and wrought iron rocking chairs to enjoy a daiquiri
or mojito, a Cuban espresso coffee, or an authentic “Habano” cigar;
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Formal living/sitting room featuring
a fully mirrored wall, and a baby grand piano (Horacio is a classically
trained pianist, and when the mood strikes, will entertain you for hours
at a time!);
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Elegant stain glass windows, antique
furniture, paintings, prints, vases, and other collectibles throughout
the home;
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Formal dining room, for your breakfast
and/or dining pleasure;
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Full kitchen with modern western appliances,
such as a color TV, microwave oven, coffee machine, Sparkletts-type spring
water dispenser, etc. (a rarity in any home in Cuba);
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Bedrooms furnished in antiques, with
mini fridges, radio-tape-CD players, Panasonic air conditioners (not the
omnipresent and inefficient Russian models);
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Oversized fully tiled bathroom with
tub and shower…you Americans, enjoy experimenting with the bidet!
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Pretty outdoors sculpted, bird feeder-style
fountain with tropical gold fish;
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In-house laundry facilities (pay the
maid a couple of bucks to do all of your washing and ironing);
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Free phone service (only about 10% of
homes in Cuba even have a phone);
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Computer room with limited, but free,
internet email access (cost $5 per hour anywhere in Cuba);
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Complementary babysitting services,
along with Spielberg, the friendly non-biting, non-scratching cat;
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Free referral services for accommodations,
buses, taxis, tours, restaurants, night clubs, etc., anywhere in Cuba.
Always talk to Horacio before making any substantial purchases or reservations.
He can always help you get whatever you want for lots less money, and never
charges the buyer or seller a commission or bird-dog fee!
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A warm, friendly, intelligent, liberal,
educated family with whom to become friends (if one wishes to do so).
| I spent three weeks
with Horacio and Marta, and became intimate friends during my visit. Their
gracious hospitality, sense of humor, and eagerness to please cannot be
described in words. Moreover, their bedrooms alone would cost $150-$250
in an elegant Havana tourist hotel. Okay, so
you don’t get a swimming pool…
So we’ve spent $25, or 50% of our
budget at Casa Antigua. Can we survive on just $25 per day? Sure! |
Horacio & Marta
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Where to
Eat
Casa Antigua offers breakfast for
$3 per day. You can get it cheaper on the street, but the convenience
of rolling right out of bed into a formal dining room three steps from
your room is a bargain. Breakfast includes a fresh fruit plate of
bananas, mangos, guava, watermelon, and/or pineapple, eggs, ham, cheese,
bread with butter and guava marmalade, fresh mango or guava juice, coffee
and milk. Try getting that at you local
Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast for $2.99!
| You’ll be playing tourist, so lunch
on the street. Nothing fancy, just eat as do the Cubans…ham and cheese
sandwich (40 cents), small cheese pizza (20 cents) “Cristal” draft beer
(60 cents), ice cream cone (4-12 cents). By the way, every
evening, stop by the corner “bodega” (market) and buy a 60 cent 1.5 liter
bottle of water. Freeze it overnight, and you’re ready to hit the
hot streets the next day.
Dinner at any number of middle-of-the-road
restaurants anywhere in town costs $3-$6 for chicken, pork, or fish, usually
coming with rice and black beans, small salad or French fries. Every
once in a while, splurge for dinner at a nicer restaurant, with air conditioned
comfort, linen table cloths and napkins, and attentive waiters, for $10.
As you can see, without being overly
extravagant, one can eat for $10 per day. So, that leaves us with
$15. |
A Favorite Musician
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Where To
Party
There may be shortages of certain
items in Cuba, such as American cars built past 1959, but one thing of
which there is an abundant supply is music, dancing, beer and rum!
Just get out of your car anywhere in the city, and follow your ear to the
nearest restaurant or bar with music. As a musician, I brought along
my horn and sat in with a minimum of 60 Cuban bands, and didn’t even scratch
the surface of the city’s music scene. Cubans
love their music, and even if they can’t afford the $1 USD beer in the
club, they will dance and party outside, listening to the bands through
the open windows.
| “Cristal” beer is the national favorite,
along with “Tropical” and “Buccaneer”. Store bought beer is 75 cents,
pay $1 in most restaurants and bars, $1.50 in a more upscale restaurant,
and $2.50 for a Hotel Nacional splurge.
“Havana Club” is the national rum
of choice, a bottle selling for $3 in the store. As with beers, daiquiris
and mojitos start at $1, depending on the club’s atmosphere and clientele.
Anyway, $5 per person goes a long way if you are not a heavy drinker.
Even if you are, a store-bought bottle of rum, and a couple of Cokes at
the club go a long way!
Important note…musicians, bar tenders,
and waiters earn about $12 per month. Budget $5 per day for tips!!! |
Sitting in at the Hanoi
Restaurant
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Getting
Around
Taxis are everywhere in Havana, but
can be expensive for the average tourist. But
you are not the average tourist, so…
| Look for any American 1950’s classic
car on the street, as it is a “colectivo” (communal) taxi. While
they are not supposed to transport tourists, you will never be refused
a ride, unless the driver’s route does not coincide with your general destination.
Simply hold out your hand on the street, and practice saying one or two
words indicating your destination…“Capitolio” (the capitol building, 5-15
minute walk from everything) or “La Rampa” (hip Vedado area)…10 pesos.
If you pay $1, expect 15 pesos change. Share the ride with Cubans
who will be polite, yet wonder why you are riding with them! Chat
with the driver in your best broken Spanish, and he’ll tell you all about
his cousins living in Miami. Back and forth
around town for the day…2 bucks. |
"See the QBA in a Chevrolet"
'50s TV Jingle
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Late at night, when the bars close
down, “los colectivos” no longer run, so the price for a private cab back
to your Vedado casa is $3. They may quote you more, but when you
indicate that you know the price, they will gladly drive you home for that
amount.
For an occasional change of pace,
take a “bicitaxi” (rickshaw-like bicycle taxi for 10 pesos), or a cocotaxi
(tourist motorcycle-type coconut shaped contraption for a couple of bucks).
If you're a real "Ma and Pa Kettle"
type tourist with Bermuda shorts, black socks and sandles, wearing a Hawaiian
shirt with a camera slung around your neck muttering, "Toto, I don't think
we're in Kansas Anymore!" expect to pay 8-10 bucks for a horse and buggy
ride down through Habana Vieja or El Malecon. However,
beware of any drivers who look like Cosmo Cramer, as their horses may have
been fed “Beefarino”!
Average
Prices, Occasional Splurges, and Souvenir Ideas
Free:
Listen to music, dance to you heart’s
content, people watch, communicate with Habaneros in any way you can.
Take along small gifts for the poor people on the streets, such as motel
size soap, a small tin of aspirin, a pencil or a pen, photos of you and
your family back home, etc. The average Cuban simply cannot afford
what you and I take for granted, and they will instantly repay your kindness
with a warm and broad smile, and a broken English “thank you.” They
will also be thrilled to have their picture taken (except for the “professionally
picturesque”, who will expect a tip);
1 peso (4 cents):
authentic Cuban cigar (bought in
a locals-only bar), long thin cone of peanuts sold by street vendors, fresh
ripe avocado from a “pregonero” (street wandering merchant), Dairy Queen
style ice cream, general admission to a world class sporting event (baseball,
volleyball, etc.), rest room attendant tip;
2-5 pesos (8-20 cents):
personal size cheese pizza, a bag
full of fresh mangos, bananas, or guava pasteries, Cuban citizen price
to enter any national museum or attraction (The average price is $5 USD
for tourists. Offer to pay a Cuban’s entrance if they will buy your
ticket for you, and do all the talking. Keep your mouth shut, look
straight ahead, hide your camera so as not to look too conspicuous;
10 pesos (40 cents)
communal taxi ride, ham and cheese
sandwich, good tip at a funky restaurant or bar, cover charge to hear a
Cuban rock‘n’roll band at the National Arts Center (across from La Plaza
de la Revolucion); |
"A woman is just a woman,
but a cigar is a smoke!" Rudyard Kipling
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$1 USD
beer in restaurant, tip for the
band (they play up to 10 hours per day!), great tip in a funky restaurant
or bar;
$2-5 USD
hand-crafted wooden items, such
as figurines, ash trays (they travel well and generally will not break
in your luggage) authentic Cuban claves (hand-held percussion instrument…talk
a deal 2 for $5, learn the basic clave beat, and sit in with every band
you hear!), authentic Cuban cigar bought in a
| government store (prices are fixed,
and anything on the street is guaranteed to be counterfeit) There is no
such thing as a $1 Cohiba or Montecristo!, dinner at a “paladar” (private
home restaurant), one or two drinks at the Hotel Nacional (but hanging
out with the internationally rich and famous, in the comfort of luxurious
surroundings is an affordable splurge for a few afternoon or evening hours),
bottle of “Havana Club” rum (impossible to get in the US, and a bitter
corporate enemy of Puerto Rican-based Bacardi!);
$10 USD
Dinner at a nicer, air conditioned
and comfortable restaurant (possibly with drinks and tip included), buggy
ride through Habana Vieja (a really affordable splurge for a party of four),
bottle of “Havana Club Anejo” (seven year aged) rum, tour of the Partagas
tobacco factory (or avoid the camera-clicking tourists, and watch it being
done outside the tobacco shop of the Hotel Nacional for free), CD of your
favorite Cuban bar band; |
Amigos de Beny More at
the Cafe Taberna, Habana Vieja."
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$20 USD
dinner at a nicer, air conditioned
and comfortable restaurant (definitely with drinks included);
$25 USD
private car and driver for a full
day and night of personalized city touring to those hard to reach destinations;
$30 USD
concert ticket to hear Polo Montanez,
Compay Segundo, or any Buena Vista Social Club artist;
$40 USD
pair of professional level, authentic
Cuban bongos (talk a deal with any band’s bongo player);
$50 USD
guided day trip to famous Varadero
Beach in air conditioned van, lunch and changing room included;
$100 USD
round trip across Cuba, from Havana
to Santiago, in air conditioned Viazul Greyhound-style bus, stops along
the way are prorated proportionally – prices for sleeps and eats in the
provinces are always less than in Havana.
Well, are you convinced yet?
All things considered, you can experience “La Habana Real” for a fraction
of what you’d pay for the admittedly more comfortable and civilized, yet
North Americanized and homogenized Miami version of “Little Havana.”
Viva Cuba Libre!! |
Mas Cristal con "Ecos
de Siboney," a band made up of the grandsons of Buena Vista Social Club
artist Compay Segundo
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