Foreword – I have been writing, rewriting and editing this post for days now. I have to be honest and admit that I am struggling. There are so many great things about Havana, but at times it can be hard to see them. The attention from the men on the street is overwhelming. I feel like I can’t enjoy waking down the street without unwanted attention, kissing noises or men physically standing in front of you asking you to kiss them. Havana nearly convinced me to buy the first available ticket out of the country.
Havana (Habana) to the locals, is unlike any place I have ever seen before. It is a glimpse into a whole new world… Into a world time literally forgot.
Just like you imagine, the buildings are painted an assortment of bright colours with blue buildings beside pink buildings beside green buildings. But the effects of time can be seen in the peeling paint and growth of mildew. Some areas look like a war zone with buildings falling down or on the verge of it. But on other streets locals have taken much pride in mozaicing their front doorstep to brighten up their entrance.
The streets in the centre of town aren’t that wide and the locals like to walk in the middle of them, meaning that taxis are continuously avoiding pedestrian traffic. And if course, the old American cars are everywhere. Cars that you could only ever find at a car collectors museum anywhere else in the world. They too are painted bright colours and often act as taxis.
(No, not a car convention. The car park at the local swimming pool.)
So far in Havana the language doesn’t appear to be as much of a problem as Mexico, though the Spanish does sound different. The issue here is the lingering stares and cat calls from men on the street. It is quite normal for them to make kissing noises or hiss at you to get your attention as you walk past. Cars stop in the street to tell us we are beautiful. It gets old (and extremely annoying) very fast.
While Cuba is open to tourism, people in Habana don’t exactly appear to be embracing it. Walking into a restaurant often appears as an intrusion on their day, and saying hello doesn’t always result in a response. Yet, a tip is always expected. With basically no Internet in the city (we eventually found a posh hotel that charged us $10 an hour) booking accommodation can be a challenge. Desperate we ended up at the tourist desk of the posh hotel (again, almost the only travel agency in town) to book our next location. The helpful lady took out her pen and paper and wrote down our needs – no computer here. She then phoned – phoned! – the hotel to check availability.
(Shopping at the ‘supermarket’. You could walk into some stores, but they were mostly like this.)
(Selling cans of tomatoes on the street.)
(Payphone anyone?)
The town is incredible though, with big open European style plazas and colonial buildings with terraces looking down. Beautiful beautiful architecture. The sea wall is also a sight to behold, with an Esplanade spanning 8kms along the coast. Elsewhere in town you will find locals hanging out on their doorstep, talking to neighbours or just watching the passing parade. There are little hole-in-the-wall shops everywhere and grocery stores that are so scantily stocked you have to wonder why they bother opening. It’s probably for the local ‘Havana Club’ rum sold for $2.75/bottle.
Music. Music is everywhere. Most cafes have a little Cuban band playing while you eat. Kids gather for salsa lessons on pavements and quiet streets in after school and adults practice in groups in a local park – complete with a band of course.
While you can stay in hotels, it is much more common to stay in a ‘casa particular’ – someone’s home. Locals obtain authorisation to accommodate tourists in spare rooms meaning we got a glimpse into their homes. Our little room had a private bathroom, fridge and aircon and was accessed by going through the owner’s living room – interesting when they have guests or we have to many mojitos…
(In front of our casa)
In an effort to better understand the city we met up with other couch surfers to make friends. Interestingly, people who spoke Spanish were really enjoying the city, as we’re girls who were travelling with men, presumably because it meant they got less attention on the street. We had nights of dinner, drinks and local concerts with our new friends, making our time here much more enjoyable.
(Churros on the street – so good!)
(Fellow Couchsurfers)
(Our favourite mode of transport)
Hi Hayley,
Although I haven't been to Cuba, during the 14 years we lived in South Florida I met, worked with and made friends with many Cuban Americans who had left amidst very mixed feelings and, to this day, carry an odd mix of patriotism and disgust for the country. It's a very popular tourist destination for Canadians but I think most stick to the 'all-inclusives' and don't truly experience the country as you did.
I hope the rest of your travels are more enjoyable! Thanks for the ongoing glimpse into our globetrotting experiences and amazing photos 😉
Anne