Cienfuegos

Exactly at 9AM a delicious breakfast prepared by Alicia awaited us. After a meal we go for a walk. Many people miss Cienfuegos, as they go straight to Trinidad. It's a shame as it is a lovely, charming, and quite well kept town - perfect for a one day visit. Local architecture reminds me the French one wih its beautifully ornamented buildings.

On the main square - Plaza Jose Marti - there stands a big monument of Jose Marti. The square is beautiful, but I'm totally fascinated by the theatre. A beautiful building from the outside and from the inside with its stunning frescos on the ceiling (entrance 2 CUC).

We are also visiting the cathedral, ale later on we admire the art by local artists. There were actually a few galleries, and in one of them I buy two paintings.

Last point on our agenda was a beautiful cemetery - Cementerio la Reina - from the eighteenth century. The crypts and graves were outstanding and were showing the wealth of the people living once in Cienfuegos. Very interesting place to visit if you want to spend some time on reflecting in peace.

I spent afternoon on my own, just wandering on the streets of Cienfuegos and observing its people.

In the evening I had my dinner in Florida Blanca. Super delicious prawns, daiquiri and friendly staff. The lovely waitress in 33 years old and has one daughter. She would like to have more children, but she doesn't have money. She is shocked I'm her age and have no children. I learn that in Cuba people who are 40 years old are considered old.. Time to die ;-)

How to get to Cienfuegos?

Today, after a quick breakfast at Casa, I'm hitting the road. I decided to go to the easter part of the island, and my first destination will be Cienfuegos. Apparently a corro (taxi collectivo) costs 20 CUC, but I don't really know where to find it. The young boy working at Casa isnot very helpful either, so I have to find a way on how to get there. I'm going then for my last walk in Havana, hoping that I will learn something more. And indeed I did learn. In some travel agency a young lady informs me that I can get a corro near the Viazul station at the Avenida 26. I catch then a taxi for 5CUC.

At the station I discover that it's not very easy to find this taxi collectivo. Some taxi driver proposes  ride for 40 CUC, what is a very high price given that Cubans pay 10 CUC. Ok, I go inside the station building and I stand in a queue which is not moving forwrd. I come back to the taxi drivers, who are now calling somewhere. In the meantime the price was decreased to 25 CUC, what is acceptable for me. They keep in calling somewhere, but nevertheless it doesn't work. I think I came here too late, and most of the taxi collectivo left earlier on. I return to the station building and inside - behind the first small room, there's another one, where apparently the tickets for viazul can be bought. Apparently because it seems nobody knows anything. All the tourists are totally lost and desoriented,and Cuban staff not very helpful. A (apparent) ticket seller looking like a divaa informs me that she will sell tickets in one hour. I go then to eat something, and return one hour later, just to find out that the station is not full of people queuing to get a ticket. But the queue is not moving forward and the diva is eating, drinking, talking on the phone, but certainly not selling tickets or informing people what is happening. I feel like I moved in time to the communist Poland...

In the queue I'm meeting a nice couple from Poland, and two German girls - Chiara and Jana. Both are medicine students and did their stage in a hospital in Havana. Apparently Cuban medical services have a great reputation, but they told me not to believe it. The hospital where they worked was very old one, with old equipment and medical staff not being very hygienic. The one-use gloves and one-use syringes were used several times, and the staff does not wash their hands...

Finally, we all manage to get our tickets to Viazul, and with a half an hour delay we depart to Cienfuegos. Unfortunately our happiness doesn't last long, as after one hour our bus stops in the middle of nowhere. It's broken. The driver and some other men try to fix it with some old equipment and stones (!). It didn't work out, so we have to go out. Luckily there was some bar nearby, which had prices in CUP, so we can eat a cheap meal and chat with the rest of the bus. I talk to Chiara and Jana, who tell me more stories from the Cuban hospitals and Cuban life. I learn that since allthe cows belong to the state, killing them might mean 8 years in prison...

In the end, after a few hurs, another bus is arriving and it brings us to Cienfuegos. I join the German girls, and together we look for a Casa. A few minutes walk from the bus stop we found one - run by Alicia. I pay 20 CUC for my single room, and the girls pay 25 for the double.

We spend a very nice evening with our host. She is very talkative and tells us how great the medical service in Cuba is...

Te quiero Havana, the rhythm pumping in my heart...

Cuba was supposed to be Colombia. Or at least Columbia was my plan for the next trip. After several travels to my beloved Asia, I thought of changing the continent and Colombia was my top destination. But when in December 2014 U.S. and Cuba announced the secret deal they were negotiating for several months, and which was undoubtely a step toward ending their half a century of hostility, I thought that this country will change very soon, and it is now or never to feel the vibe of old Cuba.

So I bought my tickets with Jet Air Flight, which had "almost" direct flight to Varadero (almost, as instead of stopping in Cuba, we flew further to Mexico, waited a few hours for some tourists to leave the plane, and for some others to come).

The flight arrived to Varadero at 11PM. At 11:30PM I left the airport - the procedure was easy and smooth as already in Brussels I had my ...... I left the airport and was wondering where to go next ;-) I usually book accomodation for the first night, however I knew from the very beginning that staying overnight in Varadero will be last resort. My plan was to get to Havana the same night, and so I managed!! Fortunately I found two other tourists with whom I could share a taxi - we paid 70 CUC in total, what is quite high - however in the middle of the night we had not the best negotiating position...

Finding a transport was a small problem, but how to find accomodation in Havana at 3AM? Well, it turned out that it was not a problem either. I mentioned to my taxi driver that I did not book any casa particolare, he found some fellow taximen who made a few calls and found me accomodation. I knew that the price I would need to pay will be slightly higher, as it will include also commission for the taximan, however I was willing to pay it.

I woke up early - either I was still not adjusted to local time, or simply because I was so excited that I could not wait any longer with sightseeing!

Tania - the owner - prepared a delicious breakfast what is the standard thing in casas particolares. We talk on various topics, but obviously on Cuba. She is very nice and the flat is very pleasant, but I want to live somewhere closer to the centre. I don't want to break Tania's heart, so I'm telling her I'm going to Trinidad. I find a taxi - an old Chevrolet - and I'm heading towards the Habana Vieja. I'm finding a casa particolare near Hotel Telegraph (it's not difficult to find one, as they are indicated by a special blue sign). The room costs 25 CUC without breakfast. After I'm leaving the casa and start sightseeing, I become the victim of the first scam - one guy is showing me a photo of his daughter and is asking me to buy a milk for her. I do so, and only later I read in the Lonely Planet that this is the usual practice..

I'm the most fascinated with the old chevrolets. There are plenty of them near the Capitol, and I decide to go for a small sightseeing trip in Havana in a yellow chevrolet owned by Gerardo. The trip costs me 20 CUC, and I learn later that I overpayed ;-)

After the drive, I'm wandering on the streets of Habana Vieja. It looks like the time stopped here. Old cars, old buildings reminding of splendor of the old days. People are very nice and friendly, though I become a bit surprised as on the streets all the guys from age 6 until age 86 call after me: "hola", "guapa", "beautiful" etc. Later on I will realize it's a typical thing of Cuban males.

I don't have a specific plan for my first day in Havana. I visit the Cathedral, I wander and get lost on the old streets and I finish my day with Mojito on the roof bar of the hotel Ambos Mundos, where Ernest Hemingway wrote "For whom the bell tolls".

The next day I'm about to meet a Cuban girl - my friend's friend. Before that I'm having a breakfast in the famous bakery - Cafe Santo Domingo. We spent together half a day walking on the streets of Havana, enjoying a coffee on the Plaza Vieja and talking about life, boys and Cuba :)

Giselle is explaining me many interesting facts about Cuba, for instance why there is a huge queue on one of the streets. The reason is that people are waiting for the opening of a shop with mobile phones and possibility of buying a phone in better price (30 instead of 40 CUC, btw average salary in Cuba is 20 CUC).

Another advantage of visiting Havana with a local is that finally nobody is cheating on me with prices ;-) On previous day I paid in a few places much more than the actual price was. Cuba has two currencies: the Peso local currency and CUC Cuban Convertible Peso, which is only for trading with foreigners. Officially, as a tourist, I'm allowed to pay only in CUC, which is worth times more than CUP, in reality though I manage to obtain national Peso and in some shops I pay also with CUP.

After I said goodbye to Gisele, I met a young boy called Jovani, who wanted to accompany me. It also had a big advantage - finally local boys and men stopped shouting after me ;-)

I go for dinner to the restaurant San Cristobal in Centro Habana. The restaurant is fully booked, but since I came there relatively early and since I promise them I will eat quickly, I get a table. Beautiful interior, very friendly staff, but food is a bit disappointing...

On my third day in Havana I decided to look for a... wifi ;) Yes, it is possible for instance in the hotel Iberostar, however it is not cheap. I paid 4,25 CUC for half an hour, but I just felt that I had to go online ;-)

Afterwards I wanted to see some museums and I chose two the most attracting me - National Museum of Fine Arts and Museum of the Revolution - both are located next to each other. The first one contains a great collection of art - from collonialism until today. But I was obviously more interested in the second one. Actually I learned how the revolution really looked like only there. 

I'm having my lunch in the best (according to Trip Advisor) restaurant in Cuba - Dona Eutemia. I was trying to get here a table already earlier, but it was always fully booked. This time I'm lucky, and I'm also super lucky as the meail is delicious! Fish in a sauce, black bean and candied fruits with a cheese. Highly recommended!