Half of my heart is in Havana

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Opportunities seem more valuable to us when their availability is limited

Dr. Robert B. Cialdini in his book “Influence”

Due to its turbulent history characterized by the trade embargo and travel restrictions imposed by the US, Cuba has been relatively under-developed and isolated from the travel-crazy contingent of the world. That changed in Obama’s second term when his administration permitted commercial flights between Cuba and the US to start operating for the first time in over fifty years! In his book “Influence”, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini said, “Opportunities seem more valuable to us when their availability is limited.” As such, ever since I started traveling for work, Cuba’s always been on my bucket list. Also, Camila Cabello’s catchy tune in the song Havana ft. Young Thug further raised my fascination with Cuba (it’s interesting how music can influence you). So, in mid-2018 when I booked flights to attend my employer’s all-hands meeting in Mexico that November, I added Cuba to my trip. I had no idea what to expect and I was just too excited!

A Cuban tourist visa can be expensive.

The first step in realizing my Cuba visit dream – being based in India – was applying for a tourist visa through an agent with a hefty commission, because I couldn’t directly apply online with the embassy in New Delhi, which was kind of a bummer. I suppose the Cuban government could streamline the process by enabling direct online applications like other embassies while reducing costs for tourists and potentially seeing an uptick in tourism. Or maybe there’s more than meets the eye. Anyway, after a few delays, I received my single-entry visa. November 18 to 20 were the dates of travel to Havana. I couldn’t keep calm!

Internet in Havana is a luxury…

I try to have a rule that when I travel, I must immerse myself in the culture and the vibe of the place. And yet, I had never immersed myself so much as I had when I was in Cuba. Mostly because Cuba had very limited internet, which forced me to disconnect and enjoy the sights and sounds around me, more than ever. Internet was a luxury in Cuba mainly due to tight government restrictions, with only select spots such as hotels offering it. Although, there were also some seemingly “unofficial” hotspots where you could access the internet for an hour by paying 1 CUC (or 1 Cuban Convertible Peso) to a guy who would give you the network name and password. You could then access the internet while staying near that hotspot. There was one such spot near my hostel – see the image below. But, the internet speed was like that of dial-up internet, and you could just about manage to access Whatsapp or open a lite website. The hostel didn’t have internet either – well it did but the router wasn’t working, and the host lady couldn’t speak English so it made communication difficult – so these hotspots were my only hope. I would be out sightseeing during the day and get online for an hour or two during the night. All of this made me feel what an inescapable part of our lives the internet has become, and how the lack of it creates strong FOMO. Nonetheless, it pushed me to rely more on my senses – use paper maps to get to my next destination, ask for directions in broken Spanish, and engage in conversations I normally wouldn’t have engaged in. This made my Cuba experience unique. Looking back, I don’t think I would have it the conventional way.

…but owning currencies is tricky.

Speaking of pesos, Cuba oddly has a two-currency system, the Cuban Peso (CUP) which is only meant for locals, and the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC), which is meant for foreign tourists. The CUC is pegged to the US Dollar and hence 1 USD = 1 CUC whereas the CUP is cheaper and equal to 1/25th of a dollar. The Cuban government prevents foreign tourists from benefiting from using the cheaper CUP and requires them to pay in CUCs, but this might be only for certain products and services if I remember correctly from my conversation with a local. As a tourist, you might be able to get your hands on CUPs, but I’m not sure what the law around that is.

The contrasts in Havana are remarkable…

Havana seemed to be a land of contrasts and in that sense, quite like Mumbai, my birthplace. Parts of it are Europe-like whereas other parts look ragged – see images below.

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The abundance of American muscle and vintage cars is probably one of the most intriguing sights in Cuba. Due to the US trade embargo, Cuba was stuck with cars they imported from the US prior to its institution. So, they were left with a range of vintages vrooming around. Although, contrary to the myth that vintages dominate Cuban roads, they actually make up just 40% of all cars. The remaining are modern cars – yes, Cuba does have them! Probably because Cuba continued to trade with the European Union while the US embargo was in place. In addition to vintages, they also have Coco taxis – taxis shaped like coconuts!

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…and the difference in food prices is puzzling.

I was baffled by the massive differences in the prices of food items across different parts of Havana. A fancy hotel restaurant was cheaper than an ordinary cafe! At the Opera Cafe, an upscale restaurant in a hotel in Parque Central, you could get a continental breakfast platter for 4.15 CUC, much less than the 10 CUC you would have to pay for a simple ham sandwich at La Esquinita, a cafe which was a 15-minute drive from the Central – see images below. I’m not sure if the prices were subsidized at the hotel restaurant or they varied with the time of day (although I remember seeing these varying prices an hour apart the same morning, so that can’t be it), but this was a very interesting phenomenon.

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The sight of fishermen is quite common…

Fishing is important to Cuba and it’s several hundred fishermen. It wasn’t uncommon to find fishermen lined up and fishing for a good catch any time during the day along “El Malecon”, a popular strip along the coast of Havana and close to the hostel I lived in.

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…and the food is really good.

Speaking of fish, fish and pork are commonly consumed in Cuba, along with rice and veggies. I had a chance to catch some really good Sea Bass for lunch one day – see image below – and from my conversation with the waiter which was difficult to understand as I didn’t know Spanish well, I understood that they grow a lot of fresh produce. Upon further research, once I was back home, I realized Cuba relies heavily on organic farming, primarily due to lack of access to fertilizers when it was under isolation. Necessity is truly the mother of invention and delicious and healthy food!

The history is intriguing…

If you like history, you will like visiting Cuba. Prior to landing, the one image I had in mind besides American muscle cars, was that of Che Guevera, who is known as much for his revolutionary efforts on the streets as his commercial appeal off the streets, and who became somewhat of a cult figure. For instance, it wasn’t uncommon to see people wearing shirts with Che Guevera’s image on the streets of Mumbai. I guess there’s just something about young revolutionaries that endears them to people, especially back in the day when raising your voice for a cause wasn’t easy. And with controversial issues cropping up more commonly, this is even more appreciable.

Havana has Plaza de la Revolución or a “Revolution Square” in the memory of Che Guevera and Fidel Castro, who Che supported during the revolution.

…however, the song-and-dance vibe is the best of all things in Cuba.

The defining moments of my Cuba trip did not involve any architecture, food, or luxury, but rather just the lively, song-and-dance vibe of the place. People around me seemed happy and joyful despite the poverty and lack of luxury, and that stuck with me. Dan and Chip Heath in their book “The Power of Moments” discuss a brilliant idea that to create a great experience, you don’t need all moments of that experience to be at their best. You just need one or two defining moments or “peaks” that people will never forget. And that’s so true as I look back at my Cuba experience. One such moment for me was a ball-against-the-wall game that a group of young folks was playing – see video below. At first glance, it seems boring, but isn’t it a simplified version of Squash and yet so enjoyable? The folks playing it certainly looked like they were enjoying it.

But I don’t want rapid uncontrolled growth for this country. I would rather have a slow, sustainable pace of growth. People already seem to be happy, enjoy great food, engage in music and dance, and socialize with each other (sometimes through caged doors of their homes – see images below – which wasn’t uncommon). Life in Cuba seems simple and enjoyable. I don’t want it to get complicated and unhappy.

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A visit to Cuba is totally worth it. Book your tickets and pack your bags once COVID has subsided, and spend a few days living a kind of experience you probably won’t find anywhere else.

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Hope you enjoyed this post. But before we end, I’d love to know your thoughts. Have you visited Cuba? If yes, what did you think of your experience? If not, would you visit Cuba? What else would you like to know about my Cuba experience? Feel free to drop a comment below or share this post with your family and friends.

#travel #serialtraveler #vacation #cuba #havana