Category: Travel

The U.S. government is desperately trying to discourage Americans from visiting Cuba. Cruise ships are prohibited from stopping in Cuba, tourists are no longer allowed to travel under the convenient People-to-People category, and the exchange rate for USD to CUC is hit with an extra 10%. But I’m begging you: Don’t let these deter you, because if you do, you’ll be missing out on one of the most vibrant countries we’ve ever visited, filled with some of the most well-informed, welcoming people I’ve ever met.

Anthony and I were nervous about visiting Cuba for obvious reasons. We knew we had to bring all the cash we’d need for the entire trip since American credit cards don’t work in Cuba. Also, we were traveling under the Support for the Cuban People category, which requires a “full-time schedule of activities that support the Cuban people” that we must document and retain for five years. We tend to travel this way anyway, staying at Airbnbs, eating at local restaurants, and filling our days with cultural activities — but still. It was a bit exhausting just feeling like we’d have to justify what we were doing.

Guess what? That law is complete bullshit because absolutely no one questioned us about Cuba.

In fact, for the most part, Cuba was a breeze. I booked our casa particular (private homestay) and majority of our activities through Airbnb. We stayed in a wonderful casa particular in Old Havana, where most tourists stay. Our charming room had huge French doors that opened up to a small balcony overlooking a lively street, WiFi (a rarity in Cuba!), and a large shower. We had a hefty breakfast each morning, and our host Laura was the first of many Cubans to openly share how she felt about living here.

Delicious mojito from La Paila

With our tour guides

After the tour, we took the long way home along Malecón, Havana’s iconic waterfront road that curves along the coast. You can find everyone here, from romantic couples to groups of rowdy teenagers to families, all getting splashed by waves that crash against the rock wall every few minutes.

The average salary in Cuba is $40/month, which no one can live on. Between the 1960s and 1980s, there were ration cards that were enough to supplement the low salaries, providing food and other necessities. People often forget that Cuba had been doing pretty well back then, up until the collapse of the Soviet Union. That changed everything. Now, it’s impossible to live on the salary and ration cards because the ration cards have covered less and less. Pretty much every Cuban has a “surge” (side hustle): Doctors take off work to do house calls, teachers cancel class to do private tutoring, and taxi drivers skip out on their last shift to sell the fuel. Cubans know how to hustle.

Very few people can completely retire because the pension is only $10/month. Unsurprisingly, the suicide rate for old men who cannot work is on the rise. Most retired people do things to supplement their pension, such as selling snacks or mending clothing. We passed by a house at which a retired man was sitting outside, selling roasted peanuts conveniently wrapped in a folded paper cone; Jorge purchased us a couple to snack on.

When Anthony wanted to buy a bottle of water, Jorge took us to a huge state-run mall, and we tried the food court. None of the shops had water! We eventually found it at a new private store a few blocks away. That is the difference between state-run stores and privately-owned stores. Jorge explained that when stores claim a product is “out of season”, Cubans just ask around because someone will know someone who has what you need, and this is where the “surge” comes in again. When Jorge needed a new mattress, none of the stores had it, so he asked around and eventually someone found one for him. Jorge ended up paying more than he would have at the store, but the mattress was delivered straight to him and, mostly importantly, it was available.

The crumbling buildings that tourists find so charming about Havana are dangerous and have collapsed onto children recently, killing them. However, the government can’t do anything about these buildings since they’re private property usually passed down through generations; meanwhile, homeowners can’t maintain them since their salaries are so low.

Unfortunately, Trump brought back the embargo against Cuba and increased sanctions, making it easier for the Cuban government to revert back to blaming America for the economy’s shortcomings. The embargo, which prevents American businesses from conducting trade with Cuba is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history. The U.S. has also threatened other countries if they conduct non-food trade with Cuba, which affects the fuel that they depend on from Venezuela. The embargo is cruel and illogical, serving only to undo anything that Obama previously did.

Our tour ended at Jorge’s abuela-in-law’s home, where she made us snacks and offered her opinions. She lived through the Cuban revolution and remembers everyone being excited about it, but she is not a supporter. “Batista never took anything from us. Castro took everything from everyone.” Because she was privileged and lived in Havana, her parents had jobs and owned a second house that they would rent out. After the revolution, the government took that house away and gave it to people who needed a place to live. Jorge clarified that hers is one perspective. His own family is from the countryside where everyone adores Castro because their lives improved after the Revolution. Before the Revolution, no one in the countryside had doctors, hospitals, enough schools, or utilities. Castro gave them all of that. In the countryside, the revolution is revered, while in the city, it’s much more mixed.

Tips for future travelers:

Download the maps.me app (and its Havana map) before you leave the U.S. It works offline and is a lot better than Google Maps.

The only really difficult thing about visiting Cuba is that credit cards and ATMs don’t work for Americans. So, you need to bring all the cash you’ll use for your entire trip. If you have any other currency besides USD (we lucked out and found some Euros in my wallet), you’ll get a much better exchange rate. There are currency exchanges at the airport, and I recommend you just exchange all of it there so you don’t have to waste any time standing in line at currency exchanges during your trip.

If you do need to exchange more money, we had more luck at cadecas (currency exchanges) than at banks, which have very limited hours. There are cadecas in every neighborhood, and while they may open a few minutes later than the sign says, the hours are still more generous than banks.

Don’t forget to bring your passport when you exchange money! Count the bills in front of the cashier before handing them your money (just like you should in any country). You should get 87 CUC for every 100 USD, since there is a 3% exchange fee plus a 10% US fee (fuck you, Trump).

U.S. citizens need to purchase a Tourist Card before arriving in Cuba. Sometimes the airline takes care of this (I think JetBlue includes it in their fee?), but if you’re like us, you can just purchase it at your departure airport, either at the check-in desk or the boarding gate. Since we had a layover in Panama, we purchased our Tourist Cards for $20 each, right before boarding the plane from Panama City to Havana. Easy!

Foreign health insurance doesn’t work in Cuba, and depending on who’s working at customs when you arrive, you may or may not be forced to purchase Cuban health insurance there. It’s not a big deal. We were directed to a booth where we purchased health insurance for a few dollars a day (they take USD). You’ll get a little packet of paperwork, and you should carry this around with you at all times.

Coordinate the airport pickup with your Airbnb. Just like at a lot of airports, there will be a swarm of taxi drivers trying to get your attention as soon as you exit. Avoid the chaos by having your Airbnb hire someone who is familiar with your destination.

While we loved our Airbnb in Old Havana, I would have preferred to stay in Vedado, which is slightly less touristy, has better restaurants, and would have been more convenient for all our tours. We ended up walking about 40 minutes almost every day to start a tour in Vedado.

Drink lots of coffee! Cuban coffee is as good as Italian coffee, so it’s no surprise that Cubans drink it like Italians (standing up at a bar, and often).

One of our favorite activities was just people-watching at our neighborhood park. We bought churros from a churro cart and laughed at the silly children running around.

Tip everyone, from your tour guides to your taxi drivers. We tipped our all-day tour guides between 5 and 10 CUC per person.

It’s always hot in Cuba, and basically anything goes when it comes to what to wear. Bring sneakers if you’re going to walk a lot because the streets aren’t always flat. I alternated between a tank top and shorts and summer dresses.

If you’re interested in Cuban history, check out the Museo de la Revolucion, which is a former presidential palace and houses a pretty impressive exhibit, as well as Fidel’s jacket and Che’s hat!

If you’re looking for a cheap local spot, we loved Donde Adrian, which we discovered through our salsa instructor. Portions are huge, and the total cost for both of our tasty meals was $5. In fact, half our dinners were just leftovers because our lunches were so large. You can eat really well in Cuba if you go to the local spots, just be aware that some of the menu may not be available because grocery stores are often sold out of produce.

If you’re looking for a memorable meal, La Guarida is a must. Every tourist eats here, and it is touristy and expensive by Cuban standards, but the food is phenomenal and the restaurant is gorgeous. La Guarida is one of the first paladars (private restaurants) in the city. It’s easy to pass it on the street, but a stunning marble staircase inside a seemingly vacant lobby leads to a warm, candlelit restaurant upstairs. Request a balcony table and order the rabo del toro with risotto.