Visting Cuba

So, I went to Cuba.  Cuba was never really on the forefront of my list of countries to visit until this past year or so when I heard of more and more Americans going.  I was intrigued.  What would it be like? I wanted to take a shorter trip (1 month) so I was trying to think of places to visit without venturing too far from the U.S.  I always heard that the Yucatan is filled with pretty great places so I chose to go there.  Then, where else should I go?  Well, Cuba would be cool and is only a quick flight away (literally.  Havana is less than an hour away from Cancun) So, Cuba it is!  Well, maybe.  I had less than 2 weeks to “plan” this trip.  I say “plan” because, let’s get real, I don’t plan much at all when I travel.  Sometimes that’s to my detriment. Getting clarity on necessary information on traveling to Cuba can be frustrating and complicated by all of the things that you find online and are told.  Here is my Cuba experience.  

 

 

Getting a Cuban Visa

I  knew that U.S passport holders need a visa to get into Cuba but, I wasn’t quite sure on how or how much.  I don’t have many people to reference from in regards to visiting Cuba.  At least not people from the U.S.  I learned of a website where you can buy a Cuban visa but, it would take around 15 days and cost $85.  I didn’t have that time and I didn’t want to spend that much for just a week in Cuba.  There must be another option!

You can find a cheap flight from Cancun to Havana, Cuba.  I got mine for $124 on Interjet from Skyscanner.com.  Before booking my flight though, I called the airline and asked about obtaining a visa. They said that you can just go to the airport 3 hours before your flight from Cancun to Havana and buy one quickly for $20.  It’s super easy and fast.  Just go to the Interjet counter area, ask someone for the person selling visas.  He will come to you with a side purse and ask for $20 and your passport.  He asks no questions, just fills out a visa form for you.  It’s much better than going online in the U.S and paying $85 and waiting over 2 weeks for yours in the mail.

12 Reasons that You Can Travel to Cuba For

When booking a flight to Cuba as a U.S passport holder, it will prompt a page that asks if you are going to Cuba for one of the 12 reasons.  Americans are not allowed to travel to Cuba for just tourism or a vacation.  Here is the list of the 12 qualifying reasons for a U.S citizen to visit Cuba:

Visiting family

Humanitarian projects or to provide support to the Cuban people

Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments and certain intergovernmental organizations

Journalistic activities

Professional research

Educational activities by persons at academic institutions

People-to-people travel

Religious activities

Public performance, clinics, workshops, athletic or other competitions and exhibitions

Authorization to provide travel services, carrier services and remittance forwarding services

Activities of private foundations, research or educational institutes

Exportation of certain Internet-based services

Say “yes” when you are booking.  “Support of the Cuban People” or “Education” (they say that if you are there to learn anything about Cuba, then it’s counts) are pretty vague so you’d be safe choosing either of those.  I wasn’t sure what kind of questions I would get when booking and arriving in Cuba so I was trying to play it safe and also find as much info as I could, which I didn’t really find.  Rather, I learned it as I went along.  I was actually never asked why I am traveling to Cuba as an American (I think it was only asked when I booked my flight on Interjet) when I got to Cuba.  I was waiting to give my volunteer information but was never asked for it.  I waited in the immigration line and when it was my turn, I was only asked for the flight info that I just arrive on. I wasn’t asked where I was staying, for how long, when I was leaving, why I was there, or anything.  It was quick and easy.  Therefore, I think that you can put just about any “reason” and be okay. 

Checking for Health Insurance

I read that Cuba checks for Americans to have health insurance otherwise they make you buy it there.  I was asked nothing about this when I got to Cuba.  I took my health insurance card just in case though.

 

Arriving at the Havana Airport

The Havana airport is really small so our plane landed and we walked off onto the tarmac to buses that drove us to the airport.  You will stand in line and go through immigration before getting your luggage.  Since the airport is so tiny, be sure to know whether your luggage is on the carousel to the left or to the right.  I thought that there was only one carousel so I went to where I saw most people walking to.  Since there are only 2 carousels, all of the arriving flights mean that there are lots of people waiting and a lot of luggage going around.  Try to put something on your luggage that makes it stand out.  Be ready to wait quite a while (usually up to an hour) to see your luggage.  After an hour passes and I still didn’t see my bag, I asked if there was another carrousel.  The person said yes, it’s on the other side.  I thought for sure it would be there waiting for me but no, I still waited another 30 minutes or so for it.  So, don’t panic right away if you don’t see your luggage.  Have patience, try to mark it to easily identify it, and be sure that you’re on the correct side.  After getting your luggage, you will pass customs.  Declare anything if you need to then, head outside.

Keep in mind, there are no entrance or exit fees or taxes in Cuba.

Currency Exchange

When exiting the Havana airport, there is a currency exchange place to the left and one to the right.  Stand in line and wait to exchange currency.  Whether you exchange all of your money there or just a little and then more later on at a bank in town, it won’t matter, the rates are terrible.  Someone in Mexico told me that it would be best to exchange U.S money to either Euros or Canadian dollars before going to Cuba do I did.  I exchanged only $100 to $60 euros.  In Cuba, they will charge you a 10%-15% penalty for exchanging U.S currency, so you’ll lose some money but, either way, you won’t get a great rate.  Therefore, just take U.S money.

When it comes to Cuban currency, it’s a bit complicated.  First off, Cuba has no relations to any U.S banks or credit cards, and therefore, you must take enough U.S cash for your entire stay.  You will not be able to use any ATMs or credit cards while in Cuba if you’re American.  I took $600 in cash for 1 week, I had no clue how much I’d be spending overall there but I sure didn’t want to run out of money.  I wound up using only around $350 of that.  That’s including paying for accommodations, taxi, food, etc.  I budgeted and didn’t spend money on going out, alcohol, expensive food, tours, traveling to other cities, etc, so if you plan to do any of this, count on spending far more than I did.

There are 2 currencies in Cuba.  Quite confusing.  Even locals get confused sometimes.  There are the Cuban pesos (the national currency) and the Pesos Convertibles (also known as “CUC” {pronounced “cook”}).  They both can be referred to as “pesos” so be careful.  1 CUC is roughly 25 Cuban pesos.  The CUC will say “Peso Convertibles” on it, it has brighter colors, and looks newer.  They can be used to pay for the majority of everything (especially if you’re a tourist), such as most restaurants, taxis, tours, accommodations, hotels, bottles of water, anything in a store or supermarket, etc.  Cuban pesos (currency national) are barely used to pay for anything except for fruits and vegetables at a small local stand, bread, some cheap local meals, the local bus (1 peso, roughly 5 cents), and that’s about it.  As for the currency rate, it’s strange and makes little sense.  Whether you exchange U.S currency, Canadian dollars, or Euros, 1 of any of those will get you 1 CUC.  Therefore, roughly 1 CUC is $1.  But, remember, you won’t get 100 CUC for $100 U.S  because of the “penalty fee”, so you’ll definitely be losing some money.  I exchanged $120 at a local bank in town and got 104 CUC.  At the airport, I exchanged my 60 euros and got 60 CUC.  You will always get CUC when exchanging any currency.  The only way that you will get Cuban pesos (currency national) is if you pay for something really cheap in CUC, you will get the change in pesos.  Some places will post a price in CUC and one in pesos.  If you have CUC but something costs only pesos, just ask how many CUC it will be (keep the coins in CUC that you get because these are what are small enough to pay for something in pesos). Be sure to always count your change because there are times that people will try to short-change you or rip you off.  Don’t be afraid to address them if you are short-changed.  I had to go back into a store and ask for the rest of my change.  Also, be sure to pay attention to the type of coins that you get.  There is a 1 CUC bill and a 1 CUC coin.  This coin looks just like the 3 Pesos coin.  I was once given a 3 Pesos coin back as change rather than a 1 CUC coin and didn’t realize it until later.  If this happens, you essentially are losing $1. 

Cost of Things in Cuba

Every bit of money counts while in Cuba.  Not only because you don’t have access to more money if your cash runs out but, also because things are quite pricy there.  It’s a very poor and underdeveloped country but, most things are quite expensive, especially if you’re a tourist.  A taxi from the airport to town is 20-30 CUC ($20-$30) (they’ll call it pesos but it’s CUC).  Make sure they do not try to charge you more than that! Always clarify the price before getting into a taxi.  Use the basic yellow taxis that are in the long line to the left when exiting the airport upon arrival.  People will try to hustle you for a taxi ride, especially when you’re waiting in line for the currency exchange, just ignore them.  I bought a big box of juice everyday which cost around 2-3 CUC ($2-$3) and a jar of instant coffee mix for 6 CUC ($6!).  A fresh coconut in Old Havana on the streets cost 2 CUC ($2 which actually turned to 3 CUC because I was given a 3 pesos coin among my change rather than a 1 CUC coin, which I didn’t realize until later on).  Save money by walking as much as you can rather than taking taxis and try to find small local places to eat (ask around). 

Buying a bottle of water in Cuba is always fun.  It’s much easier to find and buy alcohol, beer, cigarettes, and ice cream than it is to find and buy a bottle of water to drink.  The majority of things and places in Cuba are regulated by the government, making it quite tricky to find, buy, or do things.  There are very few “supermarkets” in Cuba, meaning a place where you can actually grab something from a shelf yourself.  When and if you do find one, they are pricy and hardly have anything to choose from other than water, juice, cooking oil, some sort of ice cream topping, alcohol, and something to snack on.  Restaurants are called “Cafeterias” and they too are regulated, making them not-so-cheap.  You are lucky to find one that sells a large bottle of water or juice.  When you come across water or something to drink, buy it.  I popped my head into a bakery one day and asked if they had water and they yelled “no!” to me.  When looking for a store or “supermarket”, ask around or look to see the bags in people’s hands because most places are in such run-down buildings or have tinted windows and doors and no signs, making them very hard to know where they are.  Other than “supermarkets”, you’ll more commonly find a “store” where people “shop”.  These too are regulated.   You have to look in counters and behind counters and push your way in among a crowd of people to try to buy something.  But, these too, hardly have anything for you to buy.  This is how most stores of any kind are.  Also, be prepared to check-in any bag that you carry into the store at the counter before entering.  They will give you a number that you must hold onto to get your belongings back.  Make sure that you do not leave any money or valuables in any bags that you check.  They will sometimes make sure that you don’t by asking you.

When going to Cuba, be sure to bring everything and anything that you may need because things are very hard to find and buy, and if you do find it, it’ll be really expensive. Sunscreen, chap stick, buy spray, first aid stuff, shampoo, toothpaste, medicines, etc.

Getting Internet

Among buying bottles of water, “supermarkets”, Cuban currencies, and other government regulated things in Cuba, trying to get WiFi is definitely among those.  People don’t have internet access in their homes or in restaurants.  There are basically two ways to (try) to get WiFi.  One way is this.  You find outdoor spots throughout town where you see people on their phones and devices.  These include parks, common areas, street corners, stairways, etc.  This is most likely a place to connect to Wifi.  Next, you find the person who is (illegally) selling a 1-hour internet card for 3 CUC.  These people vary.  They may call out to you as you walk by.  They may act really strange, quiet, secretive, tell you to sit down beside them on a bench. You may not find anyone at all at times.  If and when you do, you pay the 3 CUC, get a card (make sure the passcode isn’t already scratched off because this will indicate that it has already been used), turn on your WiFi on your device, connect to the name on the card (most likely “WIFI_ETECSA”), go to your internet browser, put in the sign-in number and the scratched-off passcode.  Although you have 1 hour on your card, you won’t get 1 hour worth of internet access.  Because there are quite a few people trying to log on, the internet is always really slow and will spend time on your card searching for internet.  I think I got about 35 minutes worth of internet out of my 1 hour card before it ran out.  Try to go early in the morning for better access.  The second way to buy an internet card (the legal way) is to find the stores that sells them for 1.5 CUC (people buy a bunch of them and sell them for double on the streets for 3 CUC but aren’t suppose to). But, these stores are very hard to find and if you do find one, you’ll have to wait a long time in line to buy a card.

Standing in Lines

Lines.  Cuba loves lines.  Be ready to stand in line for a lot of things in Cuba.  When going to a bank, you will stand in line outside and be told when you can come in.  Sometimes you’ll have to stand in line to even go in a store (a store that you walked right into times before).  When you see a line outside of something, just ask “que es la ultima persona?” (who is the last person?) People even did this for the local bus too.  But be careful.  You may be waiting even longer in line because people won’t mind cutting ahead of you.

Where to Stay

As for accommodations in Cuba, they say that you can’t stay in people’s homes, or something like that.  I stayed at a “hostel” that I found on either booking.com or hostelworld.com.  I say “hostel” because it was called a hostel but it was actually an older lady’s small home.  I stayed at Havana Hostel Iraida.  Iraida is the lady’s name.  She was very sweet and spoke little English.  It was a cute small home in a building.  It was like being at grandma’s house.  She only has one room with 2 bunk beds and a private room that fits two.  She was located away from Old Havana but I walked to town everyday on a long walk or you can take a local bus for cheap to town.  Her place has a great location.  Once you book her hostel online, she sends you a really informative email with great information.  She’ll tell you about getting a taxi to her place, how not to listen if the driver tries to convince you to stay elsewhere or that the road is closed, that you don’t have to pay anything at the airport to stay in a private home, and much more.  It only cost $12 a night to stay at Iraida’s.  Her email is casairaida@gmail.com If she is booked, there are some other affordable hostels and accommodations on those websites for Havana.  There are regular hotels to stay at in Cuba too. 

My favorite websites for budget accommodations are Booking.com and Hostelworld

Where to Go in Cuba

There isn’t a lot to do in Havana other than sightseeing around Old Havana and the surrounding “neighborhoods”, going to the beach that’s about 30 minutes away, enjoying dancing and the nightlife, and walking at the waterfront breakwall with the old forts.  A few days in Havana is good.  I did love the colors and the rusticity of the old buildings.  The old cars are definitely a huge hit in Cuba.  You can rent one or pay for a driver to tour you around in it. What walking around Havana, be aware of hustlers.  I noticed a lot of tourists being approached by locals who were trying to convince them to stay elsewhere or visit elsewhere (so that they earn commission for bringing people).  Cubans are very friendly but just be aware and don’t get hustled.  If you have more time, many people that I met along the way really liked the cities of Trinidad, Santa Clara, Santiago, Baracoa, and Vinales. Some are further way, such as Trinidad, and require more travel time  You can easily take day trips to cities like Vinales. 

 

I Volunteered at an Organic Farm

I wanted to play it safe on my reason for going to Cuba and I wanted to enrich my stay there, so I found a volunteer opportunity.  First, I found this farm through Give A Day Global , an organization that does not charge you for volunteering abroad.  Unfortunately they did not have any openings for my time frame in Cuba but, they provided me with the contact information for the farm.  So, I directly contacted the girl in charge of coordinating volunteers at the farm, which is what I usually do to find volunteer opportunities in other countries anyways.  It worked out!  She let me choose the day that I wanted and sent me all of the information that I needed regarding volunteering.  She sent me a list of items that the farm was in need of such as tools, gloves, boots, seeds, essential oils, and first-aid supplies, among others.  I bought gardening gloves and donated them when I left.  You don’t need boots if you don’t want but you can buy some, use them, and then just donate them when you go. I volunteered at Finca Tungasuk for a day and it my favorite day in Cuba.  It’s an organic farm that’s owned by an awesome family originally from Nicaragua.  It’s a stunning property with lots of greenery and beautiful views.  They coordinated their neighbor to pick me and other volunteers up in Havana.  We drove about 40 minutes outside of the city.  I love having opportunities like this because it enables me to see other parts of a town or country that I may not venture to on my own.  At one point, the fog was so dense as we drove to higher elevations that we weren’t sure if it were fog or smoke!  It was fairly chilly out that early in the morning but the sun came out and the fog subsided around noon.  I pulled the weeds from the rows of pepper and onion plants while the other two volunteers tied the leaves of the lima bean plants.  After lunch, we got a tour of the farm, climbing the hillside to get a view of Havana in the distance.  If you do volunteer there, you only need money for food and a taxi.  10 CUC for lunch (the family makes an amazing lunch from the food on the farm) and 30 CUC for a taxi (if there are other volunteers that day, you split the taxi among you all).  

 

  

Overall

Personally, Cuba was not one of my favorite countries that I’ve visited.  I met a lot of other travelers who loved Cuba but, not I.  I got bothered often on the streets so it took away from my enjoyment of touring around town.  Cuba definitely takes effort for things such as buying a reasonably priced meal, bottles of water, sending an email, not getting hustled, not being short-changed, etc. But, there are many great things to enjoy about Cuba, especially if you spend more time and travel around the country and venture outside of Havana. 

Find more answers to your Cuba questions HERE