Jenny and I were a bit nervous about whether we'd have trouble coming back through U.S. immigration. We were both completely honest - we said on customs forms that we had been to Cuba. Neither of us had any problem getting through. They didn't ask any questions at all.
Leaving the Havana airport was a different story. Just as we had been questioned coming into the country, we were questioned going out (well, I was questioned on behalf of Jenny and me, which she took offense to). Where did we go? What addresses? You had three electronic devices when you entered the country... Do you still have them? Show me. Did you interview anybody?
I was wearing a Piggly Wiggly tshirt, so the last question was "what is piggly wiggly," with a smile.
The woman was just doing her job. She was very pleasant.
We had a bit of culture shock in Mexico. From the airport we took a new taxi, passed by a Vips and Walmart, and stayed at a very nice B and B (same one we stayed at a year ago). Mexico city's level of development is much higher than Havana's. It was very noticeable.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Day 13: Trinidad - Havana - Mexico DF
We are in a taxi on the 4-hour drive to Havana. Cost: 80 dollars. We're going to make a quick stop at Aymee's place (our Casa in Havana) to say goodbye. It's an overcast day, which is an appropriate transition back to SF. We are both ready to go home. We're thankful to be in a car with air conditioning, and it strikes me that I'm going back to a city with driverless cars being tested on the highway.
So what's my bottom line on this trip? I'm glad we went, and I'm glad we went now. Jenny and I came here (instead of going to Europe) because we wanted to see Cuba before it changes. Indeed, many things had already changed in the 5 years prior to our arrival. To come back here in the future - whether 2 years or 20 - would be fascinating.
And I hope, for the sake of Cubans, that things do change. Wal-Mart would blow these people's minds. They have access to the New York Times and Facebook, but can only access them at small Internet cafes (They can text and send email over cellular data, but nothing else). Their medical system, I have determined, is not what Michael Moore would have you believe in the movie Sicko (it was that movie when he chartered a boat to cuba to get their free healthcare for a couple veterans, right?). Dad, I'm sure you'll find that comment satisfying, but don't read too much into it. Would you rather have surgery in a place where they have to recycle latex gloves? I would not.
The country is clean relative to other developing countries, but it's infrastructure is poorly maintained.
It has a highly-literate population, but a common complaint is that if you graduate from university, there's a high chance you won't get the job you want, because "no jobs are available." A saying here is that "we pretend to work for the government, and the government pretends to pay us."
I'm sure you've eaten vaca frita in the States - it and ropa Vieja are the two "typical Cuban dishes" you'll find in the US. Well, we only found one restaurant with vaca frita. The son of our casa owner in Trinidad - 24 years old and very in touch - had never heard of it. "It's made of beef? Beef is like God in Cuba. It's so expensive."
The markets are what you'd expect of the Soviet Union - rows of the same products and long lines.
It seems that much of Cubans' time is spent fixing their old cars (a common sight in Havana and elsewhere). Yet, the old cars are beautiful and unique. This is just one of many paradoxes that abound in Cuba.
Cuba is a poor country. To a certain extent, Cubans know what they are missing. There is a general feeling that the end of the U.S. blockade will help things. I believe this to be true. As one Casa owner told us, "the only thing the blockade helps is the government. It hurts the regular people." I find it ridiculous that Marco Rubio and Robert Menendez would claim otherwise. This is bald faced political pandering. Let's call it what it is.
At the same time, many Cubans are cautious. Our casa owner in Havana waited two years to start her casa business because she wasn't sure if the government would honor its commitment to allow private businesses. The 24-year old in Trinidad lives "with his feet on the ground," meaning he doesn't get caught up in the hype of change. Cubans have so much history with one system and a government they don't trust - why start now?
I'm sure that corporations are licking their chops at opening new markets in Cuba. I bet development professionals are doing the same. I hope that whatever changes comes will be done responsibly. It would be a shame if companies extracted more than invested. We've seen this model too much in the world... Hopefully we've learned enough to do it right this time. Somehow I doubt that cuba will change as quickly as Myanmar has. There will be a leadership vacuum after Raul, and the word is that the congress (or whatever they call it) are old and sycophantic. If Raul stayed in power for another 20 years (which he obviously won't), I don't believe things would change quickly. A lot depends on the next leader, in my halfway-informed opinion.
As for the personal side of this trip, I can't say it was the easiest vacation. Food poisoning that lasted 6 days didn't help. Neither did hot weather during the day. After three trips together, Jenny and I know how to travel with one another. We're on the same page about most things. We still annoy each other (many times intentionally), but are overall good travel partners.
Before this trip I had illusions of doing a bike trip on the island. This would have been the worst idea in the world. I wasn't that impressed with the physical beauty of the island, with the exception of Vinales (which was pretty awesome). It's an island with a bunch of farmland and a couple small mountain ranges. Plus, the ability to stop at some quaint roadside hut with delicious fruit - I wouldn't count on it.
The best thing about our trip was meeting Cuban people. While we definitely encountered a few tricksters and a few times when we got the "I'm going to move really slowly and do so with a bored look on my face because this guy is a tourist," the vast majority were very kind and welcoming. All three of our casas were home runs. No surprise, people are the same in Cuba as they are in most places: they want to share their country with you, they want to help you, they want to learn from you. When we introduced ourselves as Americans, the response was one of happiness (that we are curious enough to come to their country), surprise (that we would), and curiosity (why we came). Most people don't talk politics. They'll say something like "our countries don't like each other but that's just between governments, not regular people." (They'll also ask things like "I heard that in the US you all have tinted windows on your cars"). We made some real connections, especially with our hosts. I hope we can host them in the States someday.
They say that Cuba is like going back in time. This is a good thing in that you feel a bit more human, being free from advertisements and a hectic pace of life. It's frustrating in that those modern conveniences (cellular Internet, Lyft, supermarkets) simply don't exist here. Life is more fundamental, but also more difficult.
Overall, it was a successful trip. We saw a strange anachronistic city (Havana), a beautiful and rural valley (Vinales), and a colonial and musical town (Trinidad). I feel much more informed about Cuba, a place that to many people is a mystery.
Next year... I'm thinking Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, or Norway.
Aymee, our wonderful casa owner in Havana
Argentine steakhouse in Mexico City (where we ate one year ago). We ate... a ton.
So what's my bottom line on this trip? I'm glad we went, and I'm glad we went now. Jenny and I came here (instead of going to Europe) because we wanted to see Cuba before it changes. Indeed, many things had already changed in the 5 years prior to our arrival. To come back here in the future - whether 2 years or 20 - would be fascinating.
And I hope, for the sake of Cubans, that things do change. Wal-Mart would blow these people's minds. They have access to the New York Times and Facebook, but can only access them at small Internet cafes (They can text and send email over cellular data, but nothing else). Their medical system, I have determined, is not what Michael Moore would have you believe in the movie Sicko (it was that movie when he chartered a boat to cuba to get their free healthcare for a couple veterans, right?). Dad, I'm sure you'll find that comment satisfying, but don't read too much into it. Would you rather have surgery in a place where they have to recycle latex gloves? I would not.
The country is clean relative to other developing countries, but it's infrastructure is poorly maintained.
It has a highly-literate population, but a common complaint is that if you graduate from university, there's a high chance you won't get the job you want, because "no jobs are available." A saying here is that "we pretend to work for the government, and the government pretends to pay us."
I'm sure you've eaten vaca frita in the States - it and ropa Vieja are the two "typical Cuban dishes" you'll find in the US. Well, we only found one restaurant with vaca frita. The son of our casa owner in Trinidad - 24 years old and very in touch - had never heard of it. "It's made of beef? Beef is like God in Cuba. It's so expensive."
The markets are what you'd expect of the Soviet Union - rows of the same products and long lines.
It seems that much of Cubans' time is spent fixing their old cars (a common sight in Havana and elsewhere). Yet, the old cars are beautiful and unique. This is just one of many paradoxes that abound in Cuba.
Cuba is a poor country. To a certain extent, Cubans know what they are missing. There is a general feeling that the end of the U.S. blockade will help things. I believe this to be true. As one Casa owner told us, "the only thing the blockade helps is the government. It hurts the regular people." I find it ridiculous that Marco Rubio and Robert Menendez would claim otherwise. This is bald faced political pandering. Let's call it what it is.
At the same time, many Cubans are cautious. Our casa owner in Havana waited two years to start her casa business because she wasn't sure if the government would honor its commitment to allow private businesses. The 24-year old in Trinidad lives "with his feet on the ground," meaning he doesn't get caught up in the hype of change. Cubans have so much history with one system and a government they don't trust - why start now?
I'm sure that corporations are licking their chops at opening new markets in Cuba. I bet development professionals are doing the same. I hope that whatever changes comes will be done responsibly. It would be a shame if companies extracted more than invested. We've seen this model too much in the world... Hopefully we've learned enough to do it right this time. Somehow I doubt that cuba will change as quickly as Myanmar has. There will be a leadership vacuum after Raul, and the word is that the congress (or whatever they call it) are old and sycophantic. If Raul stayed in power for another 20 years (which he obviously won't), I don't believe things would change quickly. A lot depends on the next leader, in my halfway-informed opinion.
As for the personal side of this trip, I can't say it was the easiest vacation. Food poisoning that lasted 6 days didn't help. Neither did hot weather during the day. After three trips together, Jenny and I know how to travel with one another. We're on the same page about most things. We still annoy each other (many times intentionally), but are overall good travel partners.
Before this trip I had illusions of doing a bike trip on the island. This would have been the worst idea in the world. I wasn't that impressed with the physical beauty of the island, with the exception of Vinales (which was pretty awesome). It's an island with a bunch of farmland and a couple small mountain ranges. Plus, the ability to stop at some quaint roadside hut with delicious fruit - I wouldn't count on it.
The best thing about our trip was meeting Cuban people. While we definitely encountered a few tricksters and a few times when we got the "I'm going to move really slowly and do so with a bored look on my face because this guy is a tourist," the vast majority were very kind and welcoming. All three of our casas were home runs. No surprise, people are the same in Cuba as they are in most places: they want to share their country with you, they want to help you, they want to learn from you. When we introduced ourselves as Americans, the response was one of happiness (that we are curious enough to come to their country), surprise (that we would), and curiosity (why we came). Most people don't talk politics. They'll say something like "our countries don't like each other but that's just between governments, not regular people." (They'll also ask things like "I heard that in the US you all have tinted windows on your cars"). We made some real connections, especially with our hosts. I hope we can host them in the States someday.
They say that Cuba is like going back in time. This is a good thing in that you feel a bit more human, being free from advertisements and a hectic pace of life. It's frustrating in that those modern conveniences (cellular Internet, Lyft, supermarkets) simply don't exist here. Life is more fundamental, but also more difficult.
Overall, it was a successful trip. We saw a strange anachronistic city (Havana), a beautiful and rural valley (Vinales), and a colonial and musical town (Trinidad). I feel much more informed about Cuba, a place that to many people is a mystery.
Next year... I'm thinking Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, or Norway.
Aymee, our wonderful casa owner in Havana
Argentine steakhouse in Mexico City (where we ate one year ago). We ate... a ton.
Day 12: Trinidad (third full day)
We're ready to come home, but with one last full day we decided to take a train ride around the Valle de Los Ingenios. Bless the folks who run the train, but the ride was underwhelming to say the least. (At this moment I really hope I don't sound like a snob. I don't think I am, and jenny and I always put on a good face for everyone: "the food was delicious! The train ride was fun!" But the reality is that the tourist infrastructure is not strong in Cuba. You have to appreciate what it is, and not what you want it to be).
It was basically a 6-hour open-air train ride into the country and back. I love trains, and quite enjoyed the breeze. We made two stops: one at a small town where you could walk up a tower where the overseer would observe slaves working in the sugar fields, and another at an old plantation house. The house was kind of interesting in that it revealed a hard life: living in the heat, far from town. Of course this is the case in many other parts of the world. We stayed at the house 30 minutes longer than scheduled while we waited for a few members of our group to eat lunch. Jenny and I chatted with a nice German couple while we waited. It was hot as hell.
Later, Jenny and i serendipitously found an international hotel that felt like an oasis. Very happy, we ate hamburger and croquettes.
That evening it rained again. I tasted some expensive-ish rum (delicious) back at the hotel and checked internet.
Retrofitted bus on train tracks
On the train ride
Jenny's sweaty back. It's hot in Cuba
Hotel!
Happy to be eating hamburgers
Our casa - built in the 1700s, I believe
Rain
Rum
Saul, our casa owner's son
It was basically a 6-hour open-air train ride into the country and back. I love trains, and quite enjoyed the breeze. We made two stops: one at a small town where you could walk up a tower where the overseer would observe slaves working in the sugar fields, and another at an old plantation house. The house was kind of interesting in that it revealed a hard life: living in the heat, far from town. Of course this is the case in many other parts of the world. We stayed at the house 30 minutes longer than scheduled while we waited for a few members of our group to eat lunch. Jenny and I chatted with a nice German couple while we waited. It was hot as hell.
Later, Jenny and i serendipitously found an international hotel that felt like an oasis. Very happy, we ate hamburger and croquettes.
That evening it rained again. I tasted some expensive-ish rum (delicious) back at the hotel and checked internet.
Retrofitted bus on train tracks
On the train ride
Jenny's sweaty back. It's hot in Cuba
Hotel!
Happy to be eating hamburgers
Our casa - built in the 1700s, I believe
Rain
Rum
Saul, our casa owner's son
Day 11: Trinidad (second full day)
We woke relatively early. After checking Internet we are both increasingly craving connection with the rest of the world), we rented bikes and ride to Playa Ancon, the best beach on the south side of the island. Lonely Planet said it was a leisurely 40-minute ride to Ancon, which was not the case at all. Maybe if we had sleek road bikes, but we had (as most everyone does) vines that rode more like tanks. Nevertheless, after 70 minutes of biking we arrived at our destination. We tried to get lunch at the first hotel (an awfully ugly Soviet style resort) - a large tourist buffet that didn't look too appealing. A woman led us to the front desk to get lunch tickets, but the front desk woman completely ignored our presence for 3-4 minutes (she was counting money), so we walked to the next hotel and ate at their buffet. Jenny didn't feel well, so she went to the beach while I stayed to eat and chat with one of the waiters - a very friendly guy about my age. We talked about the typical things - relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and his desire to leave the country, but his fatalism about not being able to do so ("if you are Cuban you will live here and die here."). I asked our host in Vinales why he didn't travel outside the U.S., since Raul Castro made it legal a few years ago. He said (and I hope I understood him correctly) that he'd worry that if he left for vacation, when he came back his money in the bank would be gone - apparently retribution from the government for leaving the country. I also can't imagine the typical Cuban family having enough money to go many places. We heard a couple stories of doctors becoming taxi drivers because it pays better.
The beach was nice. We sat there under an umbrella for a few hours then biked back to town. We switched bikes and I quickly realized I had the better of the two bikes on the way to the beach. Riding back, my bike's handlebar kept coming loose every 10 seconds, so I constantly had to readjust it.
That evening we ate dinner at a rooftop restaurant with a really cool sax-driven band (bought their CDs). On the way back I stopped to listen to some Trova.
Playa Ancon
This is how communists do beach resort
Our casa - very nice. I loved the patio.
The beach was nice. We sat there under an umbrella for a few hours then biked back to town. We switched bikes and I quickly realized I had the better of the two bikes on the way to the beach. Riding back, my bike's handlebar kept coming loose every 10 seconds, so I constantly had to readjust it.
That evening we ate dinner at a rooftop restaurant with a really cool sax-driven band (bought their CDs). On the way back I stopped to listen to some Trova.
Playa Ancon
This is how communists do beach resort
Our casa - very nice. I loved the patio.
Day 10: Trinidad (first full day)
We got a late start, and it was a pretty lazy day. After breakfast we went to get wifi -2.50 CUCs ($2.50) for half an hour. We googled what to say to immigration authorities when coming back to the US.
Later we went to the history museum (hot and small). That evening we went to Casa de la Trova, which is right around the corner from our casa. I came to love Trova music when I studied in Mexico, and was hoping for a guitar/troubadour performance. I turned out to be a salsa/son/rumba/bolero band. An old local guy asked jenny to dance twice. It was amazing how someone who doesn't know how to dance (jenny) can be made to look pretty good by a dance leader (the old guy). I was inspired to keep learning salsa dancing.
We did a lot of this:
And drank tons of water
Trinidad
Our casa
Dinner - stuffed peppers at our casa
Jenny dancing with the local guy
Later we went to the history museum (hot and small). That evening we went to Casa de la Trova, which is right around the corner from our casa. I came to love Trova music when I studied in Mexico, and was hoping for a guitar/troubadour performance. I turned out to be a salsa/son/rumba/bolero band. An old local guy asked jenny to dance twice. It was amazing how someone who doesn't know how to dance (jenny) can be made to look pretty good by a dance leader (the old guy). I was inspired to keep learning salsa dancing.
We did a lot of this:
And drank tons of water
Trinidad
Our casa
Dinner - stuffed peppers at our casa
Jenny dancing with the local guy
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