I've had the most eventful last 7 days. I've driven cross country, moved, become a homeowner (bless up!), and went Cuba all in a week. I didn't mean to plan to go to Cuba only a few days after I moved, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow. I'm glad I did, Cuba was fantastic. You had so many questions about Cuba, so I wanted to take a moment to answer them.
Getting there:
Getting to Cuba was simpler than I thought. You need two things: a passport and a visa. Now I flew Delta, and they allow you to get to get your visa the same day at the airport. The visa costs $50 and includes flying in and flying back. Now, I had another friend who went to Cuba on another airline and had to have her visa one week before she flew. If you are flying anyone, but Delta I would call and verify what you need to do to get that visa at least a few weeks before you leave. The only thing I will warn you about is that with Delta is if mess up filling out that visa you will have to pay to fill out another one and pay $50 more. I'm not saying it happened to me, but I'm just saying. LOL! From Atlanta, the flight was about 1 hour and 45 mins.
Get your money right:
Because I was moving, I had to do all of this at the airport. Cuba does not exchange American dollars, so I was advised to get Euros and then exchange them at the Havana airport for CUCs. Normally, I would have done it at my bank before hand, but if you get stuck in a bind you can do the exchange of your cash at the airport before you leave. When you get to Havana's airport the line to exchange your Euros into Pesos will be super long and you prepare to be in line for about an hour. I stayed 3 days and spent like $600. I bought some expensive souvenirs for family like cigars (they are expensive), but if I wasn't buying pricier souvenirs, you could get along for 3 days on $300 - $400 just fine. For those of us that generally don't carry cash, I would recommend a zipper pouch to hold your money in like the one here. You are pretty much not going to be able access any of your credit cards/debit cards while on the trip, so its super important you keep up with your cash.
Where to stay:
The big question is whether to Airbnb or whether to go the hotel route. The AirBnB I stayed at costing me $59 for three nights (not $59 a night). We went with a group of 5. You can find it here. I didn't pick the Airbnb; I was added in for a friend's birthday trip. The place was beautiful and clean. There was a lady who came and cleaned every day. For an additional $5 in the morning, she made breakfast and had it ready for you at your requested time. The hosts, Yoel & Jose, made themselves available 24 hours a day, they also helped book our classic car rides, gave us recommendations, and booked our travel back to the airport. They were always accessible. Yoel also told us that his place would have wifi this time next year (which is a luxury in Cuba). Now the big debate is whether to stay in a hotel or to stay in an Airbnb. For the authenticity of the experience, I liked the Airbnb; there are also Airbnb that are fancier and fully staffed that you can still get a good deal on if you if you are going in a large group.
I did sort of a AirBnb/Hotel hybrid. We did spend a lot time at the Iberostar. We went to their poolside, bar, restaurant, and sucked up their wifi as they had 1 hour wifi cards for $5 CUCs) and you can flush tissue. LOL You'll want to note if you stay in an AirBnb you won't be able to flush tissue --- I've experienced this at a few islands I've been too...so just note that. We were told that this hotel was $400 a night. The staff didn't seem to mind our presence as long as were spending money and we did. We ate meals, got drinks, and bought wifi all of which in my opinion were still cheaper than U.S. prices. We spent our morning here until about 12 or so and then ventured out.
Where to eat
Let me just say that I loved Cuba; the people were what made my trip so amazing. The food, on the other hand, was a little rough for me (and the group I was with). I hate to sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not, I just want you guys to be aware of how I managed my food situation. I honestly chocked up me not liking the food to me just being used to what I eat, so this is one reason we ate at the hotel a lot. The food was just more in line with my American taste buds. Additional we ate a couple of meals at Cafe Del Angel Habana Vieja. I liked their food even more than the hotels. They had pasta and seafood dishes, yummy desserts (try the brownie a la mode) and was one of the few places I could get sparkling water. These two locations were considered to be more expensive, but still cheaper by American standards. I had drinks, food, and dessert for under $25 CUCs.
Souvenirs
What to do
Classic Cars: The classic car tours are the thing to do in Havana. We paid $35 an hour for those tours for the entire group. Split between a group of 5 it was very inexpensive even with tip. We were advised that the classic cars are independently owned, so you are paying the fee directly to the driver. The drivers are super patient while everyone takes their pictures and will even help take shots for you.
Fabrica del Arte (Cuban Art Factory) - This was an art museum/club scene. There were a lot of tourists there. I was confused when I got there, but then quickly started feeling it. The Cuban art is so cool, there are some pieces I would love to have for my home. You can visit their website here. I'm not going to lie, I only went out one night. I was exhausted from our day excursions and just from everything that I had going on. LOL.
Cigar Shopping/Rum Tasting: I really don't smoke much of anything, but I wanted to bring back cuban cigars for my dad and my husband. I was kind of shocked about the sticker price of cigars in Cuba. I got 2 MonteCristo cigars (the owner told us it was the same cigar that Pres. Obama smoked) at $25 CUCs a piece. I had planned to buy a box, but the cheapest box was around 800 CUCs and the prices increased drastically from there. Now I understand why they are an items used as a status symbol. We visited this cigar shop, which also had complimentary rum tastings. We were warned about not buying cigars on the street, because you could be buying banana leaves instead of tobacco. (Please drink responsibly).
Why you should go to Cuba - If you are looking for a trip where you will be immersed in another culture, get a first-hand look at a different economic system, and get the chance to interact with some amazing people, then Cuba is for you. So if you are looking for a resort-esk experience, I don't think Cuba is for you. I'm sure in 3-5 years time this will change. Things I liked about Cuba were the fact that people interacted with other people. The internet is great for many things, but it is not good when it comes to human interaction. You can also tell that family is vital and get that home vibe even though it's not your own. I loved seeing the comparison between our economic system and theirs. If this were a political blog, I'd get into that, but I won't here. All in all, I had a great time. I would go back.
Things to note:
Where to eat
Let me just say that I loved Cuba; the people were what made my trip so amazing. The food, on the other hand, was a little rough for me (and the group I was with). I hate to sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not, I just want you guys to be aware of how I managed my food situation. I honestly chocked up me not liking the food to me just being used to what I eat, so this is one reason we ate at the hotel a lot. The food was just more in line with my American taste buds. Additional we ate a couple of meals at Cafe Del Angel Habana Vieja. I liked their food even more than the hotels. They had pasta and seafood dishes, yummy desserts (try the brownie a la mode) and was one of the few places I could get sparkling water. These two locations were considered to be more expensive, but still cheaper by American standards. I had drinks, food, and dessert for under $25 CUCs.
Souvenirs
What to do
Classic Cars: The classic car tours are the thing to do in Havana. We paid $35 an hour for those tours for the entire group. Split between a group of 5 it was very inexpensive even with tip. We were advised that the classic cars are independently owned, so you are paying the fee directly to the driver. The drivers are super patient while everyone takes their pictures and will even help take shots for you.
Fabrica del Arte (Cuban Art Factory) - This was an art museum/club scene. There were a lot of tourists there. I was confused when I got there, but then quickly started feeling it. The Cuban art is so cool, there are some pieces I would love to have for my home. You can visit their website here. I'm not going to lie, I only went out one night. I was exhausted from our day excursions and just from everything that I had going on. LOL.
Cigar Shopping/Rum Tasting: I really don't smoke much of anything, but I wanted to bring back cuban cigars for my dad and my husband. I was kind of shocked about the sticker price of cigars in Cuba. I got 2 MonteCristo cigars (the owner told us it was the same cigar that Pres. Obama smoked) at $25 CUCs a piece. I had planned to buy a box, but the cheapest box was around 800 CUCs and the prices increased drastically from there. Now I understand why they are an items used as a status symbol. We visited this cigar shop, which also had complimentary rum tastings. We were warned about not buying cigars on the street, because you could be buying banana leaves instead of tobacco. (Please drink responsibly).
Why you should go to Cuba - If you are looking for a trip where you will be immersed in another culture, get a first-hand look at a different economic system, and get the chance to interact with some amazing people, then Cuba is for you. So if you are looking for a resort-esk experience, I don't think Cuba is for you. I'm sure in 3-5 years time this will change. Things I liked about Cuba were the fact that people interacted with other people. The internet is great for many things, but it is not good when it comes to human interaction. You can also tell that family is vital and get that home vibe even though it's not your own. I loved seeing the comparison between our economic system and theirs. If this were a political blog, I'd get into that, but I won't here. All in all, I had a great time. I would go back.
Things to note:
- You are going to do a lot of walking. Bring walking shoes...the Cloudwalker sandals from Avenue were so comfortable and great for walking
- Bring all your toiletries/snacks/etc with you. I didn't see places where you could buy these things. There is hardly stores and I saw no supermarkets to be able to buy these things. Don't come expecting to find these things easily accessible.
- Prepare to change/shower a couple times a day. It's hot as Hades. LOL. I would plan to have two pairs of panties a day...just keeping it real. LOL
- Brush up on your Spanish and be prepared to use it. Even the people that know some English, their English is limited and they mostly work in the hotel and airport. I would suggest having that one friend who has decent Spanish. The people are really nice about it and will help you. Phrases I used a lot were: Como se' dice (How do you say) then insert English word. Por favor (please), words like la playa (beach), Picina (pool), escuela (school), coche classico (classic car), etc. If you don't have a friend then I would suggest bringing a mini translation book just so you can get what you need. I had Spanish 1 & 2 and struggled, but found myself getting better as the days went on. Spanish, for those of us that took it, is way easier to read then to understand as people speak it, but when you get your ears attuned then you can understand a little easier. Day 3 was easier to understand than Day 1.
- A lot of places are named the same thing, so you need to know cross streets. The places you choose to stay should have directions and cross streets for your driver. Learning landmarks is helpful when navigating back home.
Style Notes: With the cross country move and a car packed to the brim, let's just say there wasn't much room for a lot of clothes. I threw a couple things in my back and just made it work on what was in my suitcase. You can find my swimcover/dress with the tassels here. My pom pom sandals are here.
Thank you for helping us by providing the information that you had about this. Your efforts saved us time and helped us learn more about One Step and Five Airports Closer To Cuba. We appreciate the detail you give to us.
ReplyDeleteDR EMU YOU ARE REALLY GREAT. I WILL KEEP COMING TO YOU WHEN EVER I NEED YOUR HELP.
ReplyDeleteWEBSITE: HTTPS://EMUTEMPLE.WORDPRESS.COM
WHATS APP: +2347012841542
I want to thank DR EMU for the wonderful work he done for me and my family, i was having a serious breakup with my ex but when i contacted him for help he brought him back to me with his historical powers, and also helping me to get a job, since he cast his spell for me things has really be good to me and since i know him my husband has been faithful to me, well i will say that this man is a really great spell caster that every one must contact for help, if you are facing breakup or marriage problem just contact this man for help he will help you settle everything with his power, please contact him on his email: emutemple@gmail.com once you contact him all your problems will be solve.
Hi everyone I'm Wayne Desmond
ReplyDeleteHi everyone I'm Wayne Desmond and am here to share the wonderful work Dr Believe did for me. After 5 years in marriage with my husband with 2 kids, my husband started acting weird and going out with other ladies and showed me cold love, on several occasions he threatens to divorce me if I dare question him about his affair with other ladies, I was totally devastated and confused until a old friend of mine told me about a spell caster on the internet called Dr. Believe who help people with relationship and marriage problem by the powers of love spells, at first I doubted if such thing ever exists but decided to give it a try, when I contact him, he helped me cast a love spell and within 48hours my husband came back to me and started apologizing, now he has stopped going out with other ladies and his with me for good and for real. Contact this great love spell caster for your relationship or marriage problem to be solved today via email: believelovespelltemple@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +19713839183
Here is my personal email: waynedesmond22@gmail.com if you wish to ask me anything
LOTTO, lottery,jackpot.
ReplyDeleteHello all my viewers, I am very happy for sharing this great testimonies,The best thing that has ever happened in my life is how I win the lottery euro million mega jackpot. I am a Woman who believe that one day I will win the lottery. finally my dreams came through when I email believelovespelltemple@gmail.com and tell him I need the lottery numbers. I have spend so much money on ticket just to make sure I win. But I never know that winning was so easy until the day I meant the spell caster online which so many people has talked about that he is very great in casting lottery spell, . so I decide to give it a try.I contacted this great Dr Believe and he did a spell and he gave me the winning lottery numbers. But believe me when the draws were out I was among winners. I win 30,000 million Dollar. Dr Believe truly you are the best, all thanks to you forever
Online learning has grown ingrained in today's culture, particularly among students. Remote projects and services like write my thesis paper are becoming increasingly popular. which are focused at assisting students with their learning issues, assignment preparation, and educational content production. These are extremely useful resources in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteStunning site! Do you have any accommodating clues for trying essayists? I’m wanting to begin my own site soon yet I’m somewhat lost on everything. Would you prompt beginning with a free stage like or go for a yellowstone leather jacket paid alternative? There are such a large number of alternatives out there that I’m totally overpowered .. Any thoughts? Welcome it!
ReplyDeleteOur centre has all the best equipment and highly trained staff, which makes it a complete solution to your body spa and massage needs. Visit our spa today if you're looking for the best and most ideal spa in Bangalore.
ReplyDeleteVisit body to body spa near me
Spa69 Is known for safe and secure Body To Body Massage Service In Bangalore. Visit female to male spa near me 24 hours
ReplyDeleteSkin well being requires sustenance sometimes. Standard spa treatment prompts the shining and sound skin. That is most likely the motivation behind why body spa is so well known among ladies.Visit nuru massage near me
ReplyDeleteExcellent post it is full of knowledge and inspiring help with assignment writing content good work. Keep it up.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your precious time to create this post, it's so informative, and the content makes the post more interesting. really appreciated. Devil in Ohio Dani Jacket
Based on the phrase "cash for cars Dover," it appears to refer to a service that buys used cars in Dover in exchange for cash. This could be a useful option for individuals who are looking to sell their used car quickly and easily without having to go through the hassle of advertising and negotiating with potential buyers.
ReplyDeleteit's important to note that not all Scrap Car Buyer in Sydney are created equal, and it's important to do research and read reviews before choosing a company to work with. Additionally, individuals should make sure they have all the necessary paperwork and documentation for the car they're selling in order to ensure a smooth and legal transaction.
ReplyDeleteFor individuals who are looking to sell their used car quickly and easily, this service may be a viable option. It's always recommended to do your research and compare different options before making a decision, but "Best Used Car Buyer Brisbane" could be a potential solution for those looking to sell their car in the Brisbane area.
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking to sell truck Adelaide, there are a few options available to you. One of the most popular options is to advertise your truck online. There are several websites that specialize in buying and selling trucks, and many of these sites allow you to create a listing for your truck for free or for a small fee.
ReplyDeleteYou can also try advertising your car in local newspapers or magazines, or by placing a sign on the vehicle itself. Another option is to take your car to a local dealership or sell my car bardon Service, although this may not always offer the best price. Whatever option you choose, it's important to do your research and compare prices to ensure you're getting the best deal for your truck.
ReplyDeleteTop Unwanted car removal Brisbane is an important service in Brisbane, as it helps individuals get rid of old, damaged, or unwanted vehicles that are taking up valuable space. Brisbane residents can benefit from this service in many ways, such as getting cash for their unwanted cars, clearing up their driveways, and contributing to a cleaner environment.
ReplyDelete