The most common questions here in Havana...cracks me up!
First things first: congrats to the Golden State Warriors for winning the NBA Finals against LeBron and the Cavs in 6 games...glued to Sports Center at SFO watching the post game interviews!
Let's back track...Scored a round trip direct flight from SFO to MEX for $370..called Cubana Airlines which told me they didn't accept American credit cards but gave me a phone number of a guy who did. Ernesto from Toronto quoted me a price of $460 U.S. which included a $45 up charge. After having him checked out by my friend, Jacquie from Holland who works in tourism and whom I met on the night train in Vietnam, I faxed Ernesto my credit number and crossed my fingers.
Arrival at the airport in Habana was all sorts of unwelcomed fun. The immigration lady kept my passport had me step aside after checking it out. After being guided to an empty chair and waiting for about 20 minutes, I was interrogated by one of the women that worked at the airport. She started with "stay calm" ...I thought "thank goodness this will be in English!" Otherwise, it would have been a guessing game of should I answer "si" or "no"? After asking me a wide range of questions about my background multiple times, she ushered me back to the immigration lady and let me through. After having my luggage scanned, which weighed all of 7kgs including three magazines, I thought I was free to go except now this man in uniform comes over and grabs my passport and instructs me to wait. Now, I'm just annoyed as I mentally scrolled through plan B-D with my passport...I have an extra copy in my bag...a photo of it in my phone..pretty sure a scanned copy is in my email... etc. As I'm waiting for another endless eternity, I was joined by two other backpackers, I asked, "where are you two from?" "Oakland," Caroline and Levi responded. I excitedly responded with San Francisco. Levi sounding equally annoyed said this is the third time he has been interrogated since getting off the same flight. Finally, we were free to go after giving the same answers to the same questions I was asked earlier. The distance between the baggage claim and the exit door to freedom...so close yet so far!
We exit the airport and went for the money exchange (bring euro dollars--no resources for money once you're on the island) but not before we were greeted by a man named Carlos. Carlos is a jolly Cuban man trying to make a buck, common in Cuba. Carlos insisted he be our taxi driver to town so we agreed. We were denied at the airport money exchange but not to worry because Carlos knows another place so in his little blue old school car with a playboy bunny sticker on it we went. We would be denied at two more money exchange kiosks before arriving at a third one "this one is good..have police officer," said Carlos. "Carlos knows" became the theme of our adventure between the airport and town.
At last, arrival at the Casa Nena, the 3 bedroom apartment in Havana Vieja I scored last minute for $30/night! Nuides (apartment caretaker and breakfast cooker) greeted me at the door and showed me around.. beautiful with high ceilings and decorated with all sorts of oldies but goodies... Encyclopedia collection... National Geographics from the 1950s. Karolina, the owner of Polish descent, lives across the narrow street. I almost feel like a local whenever I'm communicating with her...me yelling up the balcony from the street and her yelling back down from the balcony.
I spent three days in Havana walking the streets, taking in the atmosphere and chatting it up with the locals. I didn't know this before but it's Habana in Spanish and Havana otherwise. Back to locals...Papa Noi was a standout of the bunch..he became my unofficial taxi driver to the bus station for tickets, to the National Hotel for 15 minutes of Internet service. After all, he has to find a way to feed his four kids from different baby mama's, glad I could contribute though after awhile, I had to tell him no more cash whenever I'd bump into him and he'd want to drive me somewhere. Havana is divided into three main parts: Vieja (old town), Central (not recommended as a place to stay) and Verdado (modern). It has two Chinatown gates, a Chinese cemetery and a Chinatown but when I asked Fernando (works at the hostel around the corner but offered to drive me somewhere to make an extra CUC10 ($10) during his work hours) where the Chinese folks were, he said there aren't any but they have very good relations with the Chinese government. Makes total sense to me! There is no shortage of medical clinics in this town and pharmacies are a bit of works of art..houses in beautiful buildings with hundreds of jars marked with the type of treatment it is. Internet is extremely scarce...Nuides giggled at me when I asked if there was wifi. There are a handful of luxury hotels and hostels (small hotels) in Havana but if you're going to stay here, the casa particulars (renting an apartment or room from a local) are the way to go!
Next up: a seven hour bus ride to Trinidad.
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