Cuba: Isla Bella

Going to Cuba has been a life-long dream of mine. Growing up my dad would tell me stories of his childhood in Habana and growing up in a communist country. As a boy he had no toys so he would tie string to plastic bottles and drag them around pretending they were cars. At 17 he was drafted to the Cuban military where he would perform military parachuting stunts as part of his training. Food was scarce, living conditions were dismal, but he would also tell me stories about how beautiful the island used to be, full of picturesque art-deco buildings, colorful classic cars, and the most stunning crystal-clear beaches.

In 1979, 12 cubans crashed a bus into a Venezuelan embassy in Habana to gain access onto the grounds seeking asylum. Many asylum-seekers began to flood into their and the Peruvian embassy, my grandparents and father included, who camped there for 2 weeks without any food or shelter; nothing, but the clothes on their backs. Cuban police had fired at the embassy and its workers which brought a lot of contention between the embassies and the Cuban government. By this point there were over 2,000 cuban citizens in various embassies around Habana and negotiations were made to allow them to leave to these countries if they would have them. That’s how my grandparents and my dad ended up on a small shrimp boat named Lady Sara and found their way to the Miami Harbor in 1980.

There’s always been a lot of tension whenever the topic of Fidel and communism is brought up in South FL. Seeing what the regime has done and leaving their beautiful island was such a painful memory for my family, that none of them have any desire to return. I, on the other hand, felt something pulling me there, something telling me to visit the land of my ancestors and experience it for myself. I’m so glad I did! I’ll be giving some tips at the end about travel to Cuba so if you’d like to skip ahead make sure you check that out!

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J A N 2 1

When I tell people I went to Cuba the first question I get is, How difficult is it to travel there? The process is as easy as flying to any other country in the world. We bought our tickets online, at the moment of filling out your personal information they ask you to fill out a Travel Affidavit disclosing your reason of travel, which ranges from business to humanitarian aid to visiting family. Since technically there is no “Tourism” option, we chose the “Educational purposes/ people to people exchanges” option, this is the most common one for tourists. Upon arriving to the gate for our departure to Habana, we showed the attendant our passports, she confirmed we had filled out the affidavit with our reason for travel and we paid $50 each for the visa which was stapled to our passport. So there’s no special application or waiting in line at an embassy, the whole process was extremely simple.

When we first arrived to the small Habana airport our taxi driver picked us up and took us to our airbnb. As we drive through the city with the windows down I was in awe of all the people walking around, the political art all over the buildings and walls, and an also comforting feeling of being surrounded by my people. It reminded me of Miami in an alternate reality! Our cab driver heard me speak and instantly asked if I was cuban, it was great meeting him because we’d need a ride to the outskirts of Habana at some point to visit the home where my dad grew up, but more on that later.

Our airbnb was on the 13th floor and right in front of the water. The views were absolutely spectacular and our hostess Dahlia lived just downstairs which was so helpful since there isn’t a lot of internet connection incase we’d have questions. We had lunch at a paladar (local eatery) she recommended down the street which was in front of the US embassy which also made me feel at ease.

Then we got a taxi and hit up our first sight-seeing trip to visit some of the incredible fortresses left behind by Spanish conquistadores in the 1800’s. It was incredible to see how these great structures were still standing solid after 100’s of years with the original cannons ready to protect the island. We also climbed up the lighthouse for the port of Habana and eventually made our way to the Cristo de la Habana, but not after having a refreshing glass of guarapo con piña first!

Fortaleza San Carlos de la Cabana

(Cristo de la Habana)

(largest tobacco in the world)

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J A N 2 2

Today we had an excursion reserved through Airbnb. Most things we either did ourselves or booked through Airbnb because it was really important to me that we support the local cuban community and not companies that are owned by the government. We took an old refurbished Willy military car out to a coastal city called Canasí. We stopped for some pan con lechón (Cuban porch sandwich) on the way and made it to a locals house where the tour began. We crossed a little inlet to an island just across the way, the boys walked while the ladies sat on styrofoam blocks that made a makeshift raft. Our tour guide, Gabriel, gave us a beautiful nature tour and talked to us about the native plants and wild life of Cuba. Something that was shocking for me to learn was that Gabriel was actually a civil rights lawyer (ironic considering it’s a communist country and people have limited rights). He said that in his profession he makes $35/ month! So for obvious reasons he’s not a practicing lawyer and gives tours through Airbnb to support his family.

After some hiking, we had lunch at a beautiful lookout point, a simple meal, but I could tell it was prepared with love. Back at the house, across the channel, we all played dominoes, listened to salsa, and others had cortaditos (cuban espresso) and smoked cigars, not our thing, but it was fun to socialize with the family and each other just as the locals do.

Later that night Travis and I had reservations at one of Cuba’s most popular fine-dinning restaurants, La Guarida. A lot of celebrities have dined here during their stay in Cuba, it’s situated inside of an old, worn-down, colonial home, and has a rooftop bar. We got an incredible table for two at the balcony with a stunning view of the city as the sun was setting. We ate some great seafood and eventually made our way to the rooftop for an even more stunning view of Habana at night. The city was starting to grow on me; the more I got to know the people and their struggles, (which they were not shy to speak about in taxi cab rides and the privacy of their homes) the more I understood the extraordinary sacrifices my family made to escape.

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J A N 2 3

First stop of the day was Plaza Catedral where the Catedral de la Habana is the star. I love visiting cathedrals, and like many of the ones I saw in Paris, this one was just as beautiful, with stained glass windows and incredible stone architecture. We were able to go up the bell tower, as well, and have a 360 view of the plaza and the city. That was one of the great things I discovered about Cuba, many of the museums had rooftop access open to the public which was fantastic!

After that we went to plaza de armas where they had La casa de los Capitanes Generales. An old estate which was taken over by the government and contained all sorts of military artifacts from the Spanish regime and their time in Cuba. Some of the artifacts were stunning and I never expected to see, like a sword from Tiffany & Co. engraved with the words “With Congratulations to Cuba Libre”. The building even held a throne for the Queen of Spain at the time, in case her highness was ever to visit the island. She never did make it, however.

We also went to several other museums located in the Plaza de Armas, including the Museo de Historia Nacional which spoke of Cuba’s history from music and the arts to trade and the Spanish inquisition. We also saw El Castillo del Principe, which contained more historical relics left behind by the Spanish, including treasured recovered from a sunken ship in the 70’s.

We also passed by an interesting building called El Templete, the only structure in Cuba that was inspired by classical greek architecture and contained beautiful painted murals inside of the Spaniard's influence on the island. This building was commissioned by the Spanish as well.

On our way to lunch, we passed by a street fair with performers, booths selling souvenirs and also antiques. These antique dealers had old books, postcards, portraits of people, jewelry, artwork and more! It was so fascinating to me so I asked where they’d get all these things from and they said from old abandoned homes after families had fled during the cuban revolution. It made me so sad to see all these personal belongings that families cherished and had to sacrifice and leave behind in order to gain their freedom. Although the streets are full of loud salsa music and vibrant artwork, there are always glimpses of the dark side of the island and its history.

We ate at an incredible lunch spot called Mas Habana, probably my favorite place out of all of the restaurants we went to. It had such a fun and eclectic vibe, and the food tasted incredible! Restaurants were hit or miss in Habana because food is controlled by the government. There are often shortages and not everything that’s on the menu is always available. But this place didn’t dissapoint!

After that we explored the streets a little and visited los Restos de la Muralla de la Habana, basically what’s left of the old city walls. It was another great day in the books!

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J A N 2 4

Our first stop today was el Museo de la Revolución. This is a place you can totally skip while in Habana because it tells the governments perspective of the Cuban revolution, praises Fidel Castro and is quite anti-American. But I was interested in their interpretation of the story, since all I’ve heard growing up are the anti-communist rants of every Cuban growing up in Miami. Besides all the one-sided “facts” and blame on the U.S. for every bad thing that happened during the revolution, the building itself was gorgeous. Murals and incredible artwork and architecture in every corner. The museum also contained original artifacts that belonged to Fidel Castro, Che Guevarra and other prominent leaders of the revolution, as well as, historical military vehicles and airplanes that were used during important attacks that made the revolution a success. There was even a yacht!

(If you look closely you’ll see bullet holes on the walls from the Cuban revolution)

(Stretcher that carried the body of Che Guevara when he was killed)

(A shirt belonging to Fidel Castro)

After a quick pizza break, we headed over to El Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, where the artwork of important Cuban artists are on display. I loved seeing how colorful and abstract some of the paintings were. Many of the installations were created out of recycled materials, something very common in general around Cuba as people have to learn to be resourceful and use ingenuity with the little resources that they have.

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J A N 2 5

Today we went estate hopping, starting with El Museo Napoleonico. This place was so interesting because although it’s considered a museum, it was actually the estate of an extremely wealthy family before the revolution. How wealthy you say? Well the estate had 3 stories and an elevator! Something like that would even be ostentatious in our day. The gentleman who owned the estate was obsessed with Napoleon Bonaparte and was a collector, collecting all sorts of relics and memorabilia related to Napoleon and the French Revolution. From battle armor, to weapons, napoleons personal belongings, and even his death mask; this guy had it all! He even had locks of Napoleon’s hair, maybe a tad obsessive, but very cool to see none the less. The estate was beautifully furnished and we were also able to go to the rooftop terrace where you had a nice view of la Universidad de la Habana.

(Jacket belonging to Napoleon)

(Napolean’s Death Mask & pocket watch)

We got caught in the rain taking a coco-taxi to our next destination, my leg got soaked which I try to hide with an informational pamphlet in the pictures (lol), but we never let inclement weather slow us down!

The next estate we visited was el Museo de Artes Decorativas. It belonged to a countess, Maria Luisa Gomez Mena Condesa de Revilla de Camargo, another fortunate soul who was able to flee Cuba during the revolution, but who sadly had to sacrifice all her possessions in order to get it. Her estate was lined with marble walls and marble flooring, you’d walk in to see a grand staircase leading you to the several upstair rooms. Downstairs was her parlor and dinning room which included a water fountain and that months set of china on the table that gets switched up seasonally to display all her collections. She even had an asian room with artwork from China and Japan. Upstairs were the bedrooms and bathrooms, very modern for it’s time, and more beautiful artwork that she collected from around the world. They also had on display original pictures from the lavish garden parties and get together’s she would have in the home.

(Living Room)

(Asian room)

(Dinning Room)

(Bathroom)

The rain finally stopped and we were able to go explore the city some more after a change of clothes. We went and saw Calle Hamel, a local art project where a street is decorated with recycled materials representing the afro-latino culture in Cuba. We also made pit stops at Barrio Chino (chinatown), El Capitolio and el Gran Teatro de la Habana. Next time I come to Cuba I’d be interested in checking out a ballet or something in the theater, it looked stunning form the outside!

(Barrio Chino)

(Gran Teatro de la Habana)

(El Capitolio)

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J A N 2 6

Our adventures of the day started bright and early at Plaza Vieja. There’s nothing crazy special about this area besides a water fountain and some nicely painted restaurants and hotels. I’m sure it was probably a bustling part of the city back when the Spaniards were in charge. One thing that is worth checking out there is La Camara Obscura. Cuba is the only country in all of Latin American and the Caribbean with a camara obscura, and 1 of 74 in the world today. It was gifted to them by Spain, and is essentially an archaic projector, that shows a live 360 image. The camera obscura was originally invented by Leonardo Da Vinci and works by having light reflect through two lenses and a mirror located on a periscope. The image that is captured by the periscope is projected on a concave canvas located inside a dark room. The daylight during the projection helps you see a sharp image, so it’s less effective on a cloudy day.

We weren’t sure what else to do in the area, I was looking for a restroom when we ran into a Greek Orthodox Church and after a giant warehouse building that turned out to be a giant mercado artesanal. It was perfect because we hadn’t gotten much souvenirs yet and I really wanted something special for myself from Cuba. We got some coco frio while we shopped and enjoyed the fresh salty air of the port, the warehouse was situated on.

Then at night we grabbed dinner at a very well-hidden restaurant called Otramanera. It looked like a house that had been converted into a restaurant, but it was beautifully decorated and we had the whole place to ourselves! The food was great, Cuban, but more gourmet.

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J A N 2 7

It was Sunday and what makes it comforting to know when were traveling during a Sunday is that no matter where we are in the world, we can find an LDS meetinghouse to attend church. Religious freedom is more widely accepted in Cuba since Raul Castro took over after Fidel’s death. Although the church doesn’t have an actual meetinghouse in Habana, they are able to use a space in El Consejo de Iglesias de Cuba. The sacrament was prepared on a small side table, wooden chairs were set up in rows throughout the room, and our universally recognizable green hymn books lined the chairs. There was a familiar feeling in the air as members began to take their seats and hymns played on a CD player. There were a lot of tourist present and after the meeting several others and I were able to approach the branch president and donate things like toys and clothing.

Afterwards, our trusty taxi driver, who picked us up from the airport, took us to a very special place I’d for sure been wanting to see during my trip to Habana and that was my dad’s home. Him and his parents lived in an apartment in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Habana called Lawton. On the way we passed by a beautiful forest that looked like something out of a fairytale. Once in Lawton, I’m sure some of the elements of the town and building have changed over time, but it was incredible to see that it was still standing and to find the door of apt. #4 where my father and grandparents lived. The door was cracked open and as I was taking a picture in front of the door a couple emerged greeting us with the largest smiles and warmest welcome like they’d known us their whole lives. They had only moved in a couple months prior, but when I explained to them that my dad grew up here, they insisted we come and get a little tour and take pictures if we wanted. They were the sweetest couple, and it was incredible to see the humble space where my father began his life.

Back at our airbnb, we decided to explore el Malecón, the famous street that goes all the way down the coast of Habana that our apartment was on. We talked to locals who were fishing, took pictures, and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Little did we know the crazy storm that would be rolling in later that night. We went back to our apartment after enjoying some ice cream and airbnb host Dahlia, who luckily lived downstairs, was able to warn us about the storm that was coming. She asked us to make sure we didn’t leave anything on the floor that could get wet, as the windows weren’t secure and were prone to leaks during rainy times and to make sure we had food for the next day just incase shops closed down. It all seemed very dramatic and intense, like if a hurricane were coming. I wasn’t worried, until I was looking out the window at our view of the city and half of it went black. A couple seconds later, our building went black, and all you could see outside were the headlights of taxi’s heading back from downtown Habana. Water started creeping in to the apartment, and soon enough Dahlia came up to check on us and give us a flashlight. Our apartment was attached to a larger apartment next door through the kitchen (they owned the whole floor) so they let us move in there since it was facing away from the ocean and wouldn’t get as flooded. I began to get scared as I stood looking out the window and could feel the building swaying with the wind. Travis was extremely worried, but there was virtually nothing we could do, but bunker down and wait out the storm. I used my extensive hurricane training and experience and did what I like to do best during a storm like this and just go to sleep.

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J A N 2 8

The next morning it was as if nothing had happened, cars were driving down the street, people were walking around and tourists were out and about on el Malecon taking photos. We had another excursion booked through airbnb early in the morning and Dahlia was so freaked out about us leaving before the sun came up after such a big storm. But it looked safe enough and there was no major flooding so off we went! And good thing because today was MY BIRTHDAY and we had special plans! Our excursion was to the countryside of Cuba called Viñales, known for its agriculture, specifically tobacco. On our way we passed by Pinar del Rio which is where my grandfather grew up. We made a breakfast stop at a little cafe where we saw on a tiny staticky TV that the storm last night had resulted in a tornado which killed about 7 people and injured over 200! We were all in shock and so grateful to be ok. Afterwards we made another bathroom stop at a rest stop that had some fun facts about the indigenous people of the area, the agriculture and plant life, such as cork trees and these palm trees that would have a a wide area of their trunk so they called them called Barrigonas (meaning fat belly) LOL.

We finally made it to the farm in Viñales where we got a tour of the tobacco crops, la vega where the tobacco leaves are dried out and learned how to prepare and roll a cigar. The farm also made its own liquor out of these teenie-tiny guava fruit, coffeee, and their own honey which was the one thing we sampled and bought to take home.

Then we rode horses through an area that was designated as a national park, my horse was named Principe (prince) and Travis’ was Canela (cinnamon). Riding horses always seems like such a fun idea, but is sooo hard on your body! My butt was sore for days, especially because Principe and Canela kept trying to race and get ahead of each other on the trail.

Afterwards we went to our tour guides’s family paladar for some lunch. Our tour guide was named Michel and he was actually an ophthalmologist by profession making $25/ month in that career, so of course like so many other doctors and lawyers in Cuba, they have side jobs or do something else to make a living. His families paladar had the best authentic cuban food of the trip, fish, rope vieja, yuca frita, arroz con frijoles negros and much more! As we sat down and waited for our meal, out of nowhere a guy with a guitar comes by and starts singing and playing happy birthday! It was such a sweet surprise that our guide had put together last minute. I’m such a sucker for live music, especially because I was spending my birthday in the land of my heritage and surrounded by some of the friendliest and kindest people I had ever met, I nearly teared up. He played a couple more songs as we enjoyed our meal and it made the day so much more memorable.

After re-fueling we went to la Cueva del Indio. A natural living cave and river system once inhabited by the indigenous people of the area. The cave was incredibly warm and damp inside and we went on a river boat tour where they pointed out several of the rock formations and features of the cave. You exited the cave on the other side of the mountain which was a luscious green jungle, I felt like I was in jurassic park!

We also visited el Mural de la Prehistoria, an art feature painted on a giant boulder which featured a timeline of the history of life on the planet from the first creatures to appear in the water, to dinosaurs and then humans. On the way we enjoyed the beautiful country-side of Viñales which included these incredible rock formations called mogotes. Viñales is the only place in Cuba which has these geological features.

Our last stop was el Mirador de los Jazmines, a jaw-dropping, breathe-taking look out point where you could see all the natural beauty Viñales has to offer. I honestly had NO IDEA, that Cuba was this beautiful. In that moment I saw the Cuba that my dad and family had described, cherished, and missed all these years. It was such an incredible trip, one I would re-live over and over again. To connect with the people, see their way of life, have them welcome us into their country and show us all the rich culture it has to offer. I felt totally reconnected to my past and it was such a beautiful thing. I have plans for future trips to Cuba now that we’ve seen the city, but until then, hasta luego Isla Bella.

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C U B A T R A V E L T I P S

- Bring as much money as you will need for your trip in CASH. Because of conflict with relations between the US govt. and Cuba, American Credit Cards do not work on the island, and that includes ATM machines. On the bright side, Cuba has two currencies, the most commonly used one us el CUC or the Cuban convertible Peso, where 1 CUC= $1 making conversions easy. You also tip people a lot in Cuba so bring more than you think you’ll need, just to be safe.

- Internet is very limited in Cuba. If you would like to use wifi make sure your airbnb specifically states it has its own wifi signal, if not, you will have to find a wifi park in the area to be able to connect. Wifi isn't free anywhere, you must purchase wifi cards (similar to calling cards) for $2/ 1 hr of wifi.

- Food you may be used to is scarce, finding items like cereal, milk, eggs and butter can be difficult so I would at least bring some breakfast foods you’d like to have for the mornings from home so you’re not forced to eat out for breakfast everyday. Most groceries we went to had a lot of canned and processed foods, it was hard to find anything fresh.

- Support locals by staying in and doing excursions through Airbnb. All hotels and travel agencies on the island are owned by the government. It was really important for me to not support the government as much as I could and to support the local people trying to make a living by doing everything through Airbnb.

- Bring donations. The citizens of Cuba are in need of so many things like personal hygiene products, food, toys, clothing, anything you can give.

- Find restaurants you’d like to eat at beforehand, I used trip advisor. Like I said, food in Cuba is scarce and many people on the street will try to lure you into their family paladar or restaurant to dine. I can’t speak for every paladar, the one we went to was incredible, but they can be hit or miss. Go to places locals, like your hosts and tour guides, recommend.