This morning we had breakfast (great views off the balcony!), packed up and then met our guide, Carlos. It turns out another Australian, Ben, also missed the meeting, so we didn’t feel too left out! Our guide and group seem really nice so I think it will be a great week.
On the bus, Carlos told us that Cuba has now been communist for 61 years (since 1959). At times, water and other supplies can be scarce due to the trade embargo the USA has placed on Cuba. Over the decades, things have been tense between the USA and Cuba. When Obama was president, he started to unravel some of the rules and regulations placed on Cuba, and Americans began to be allowed to travel here for tourism. However, since Trump was inaugurated nearly three years ago, all of this has gone back to the way it was. The US will not trade with Cuba, and they also penalise nations that do. They have also made it illegal for people from the USA to travel to Cuba for tourism. Carlos says it has put a big strain on the economy here, as many hotels and businesses created during Obama’s time as president are now struggling due to a loss of tourism once again.
Our first stop was at a supermarket. I had been told by friends here that some days, you will go to a shop and they will have literally nothing to sell as nothing has been sent in. Luckily for us, it was not one of those days. We were able to stock up on a few 5L bottles of water to see us through the week.
Then we were on our way to Fusterlandia. Carlos told us that in November 2019, Havana celebrated its 500th anniversary as a city. Apparently south of the city where we were driving used to be jungle, but when the USA became a protectorate of Cuba in 1902 they began to build here. We passed through a neighbourhood of Havana that Carlos told us has many large mansions. These used to belong to the rich of Havana, who fled to Miami in 1959 once the communists took over in fear of what would happen to them. Because they left their buildings, the government took over them and they are now headquarters for various government businesses. We also saw the US Embassy building, and some of its windows had been smashed in.
We arrived in Fusterlandia, which reminded me of many of the areas in Barcelona where Gaudi had left his influence. José Fusterland was born in Cuba in 1946. Inspired by Picasso and Gaudi, in the 70s he began to say that he wanted to decorate his house and neighbourhood with beautiful mosaics. By 1992, he and his artwork had become famous internationally, so he received funding to begin this project in Havana. Today, ‘Fusterlandia’ is full of sculptures and mosaics. We walked around and took in all the colours and details, it was very cool!
Our drive after this stop was about two hours, and I enjoyed gazing out the window looking at the farmers working in the Pinar del Rio region. After a quick stop at a viewpoint, we arrived in Viñales (pronounced Vin-yahl-es) and had a quick orientation walk. It was funny walking past the main square, as you could tell that there was a wifi hotspot here – everyone was on their phone!! Internet in Cuba is interesting. You have to queue up at Etecsa, the only telecommunications company in Cuba. Unfortunately, as it’s the only one, this is also where people pay bills (they can’t pay them electronically in Cuba), start phone plans and much more, so the queues are often very long. To access wifi, you have to queue to purchase a wifi card which you then use to login to the hotspot. It’s all very roundabout. Don’t take your internet at home for granted!!
We had lunch in the town and I had a delicious ham and cheese sandwich. American cheese is disgusting, it was nice to have some delicious cheese here! At lunch, Ben, Rob and I chatted to Carlos. He told us before he became a tour guide, he was a journalist. Apparently at that time he earned just 25 CUC per week (which is $25 USD, or about $37 Australian). Wages here are very low, on average about 40 CUC a month ($60 Australian). He also told us that Russia, China, Vietnam and Laos are their main allies, and that Cubans do not need a visa for Russia. The Russian visa application was the worst one I’ve ever done – very long! However, Cubans can’t get the ESTA we can get for the USA (easy application online that takes 2 minutes and costs about $12).
Next, we headed to the Cuevo del Indio, the Indian Caves. These caves were discovered in 1920 by the local people, and apparently had the remains of aboriginal people in them. It is thought that these people sought shelter after running away due to being slaves. At the caves, we walked through a section of the cave and then took a nice boat trip. I didn’t realise Cuba had caves, but apparently it has the highest density of caves in the world due to a largely limestone landscape.
Our final stop for the day was a tobacco farm, called Macondo Farm. Tobacco was first discovered in Cuba in 1510. The guide here showed us some tobacco seeds, which were like tiny grains of sand. He also took us out the back so we could see the tobacco crops growing. The whole process sounds really long, with the leaves being individually plucked and dried out over a period of time. They’re then cut down to size, rolled up and dried out for a few days. The guide took us upstairs and showed us how a cigar is rolled. He then offered for the group to try one. Rob and a few other people did, but I didn’t. I’ve been to Amsterdam, I’ve been to Cuba, I’ve been to many other places, and I can proudly say I have never even so much as held a cigarette. The whole habit revolts me. However, I understand why other people in the group tried it. I personally thought they smelled awful!!
We went back to the town, and Rob and I were shown to our Casa Particular which is a super cute little room with a WORKING air conditioner! We are very comfortable!!
Tonight the plan is to do a group dinner followed by some drinks and dancing at a bar. Having a great time here so far.
Love to all,
Claire
Xoxox
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