Cuba Day 3: ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

To review, when we booked our bus to Trinidad yesterday, the lady told us it would be a "large coach with AC & room for luggage." We got up early and headed downstairs, all excited to see our big comfy bus. A van taxicab, which already had 11 people inside, rolled up. We thought, "surely that can't be for us." The driver told us it was the "Trinidad Tour" and to "climb into the back row and take our luggage with us, because there was no cargo space." Ugh. We squished our suitcases up against the window, and I contorted my body to fit between them and Adam. We figured it would be uncomfortable, but manageable…. Then we stopped at another hotel. 2 more people climbed aboard. "Scoot over!," said the driver. We were stacked like sardines! Oh well, at least there would be AC for the five hour drive, right? Not so much. The rattling AC unit, right above our heads, barely worked and dripped on poor Adam for the entire trip. 

  

As it turns out, this "bus to Trinidad" was actually a tour, so we would get to stop at the Che museum in Santa Clara on our way and the front-seat passenger, named Tony, would narrate along the 5 hour drive in both English and Spanish. Yay. We were the only Americans on the "bus," but Tony assumed we were Canadian, so we rolled with it. About an hour down the road, we stopped at a rest area (a shack that had fresh guava juice and ham sandwiches for sale). Adam had a sandwich and pineapple juice. I had fresh guava juice and Pringles. Tony told us all to use the bathroom because it would be 2 hours until the next stop. A lady was sitting outside the bathroom selling squares of toilet paper. I bought mine, went pee, put my paper in the basket, and then tried to figure out how to flush the toilet because there was no handle. The lady walked in, with a bucket of water and threw it violently down the toilet to get it to flush. This is a job in Cuba. Seriously. Every place we went in rural Cuba (and even some places in Havana) had a toilet lady that has to flush for you with a bucket of water. I can't even…

Back in the van, Tony told us it is mandatory for every young Cuban male to serve 2 years military. He said that policy was put in place "after the US tried to invade Cuba and Cuba had to make a strong military to defend themselves." Adam said, "aww, that's cute." I said, "wait…the US technically never invaded Cuba." Adam told me not to fight with Tony, because this van was better than being stranded in the middle of Cuba.

Along the way, I could really only see out a sliver of window, and the back window if I twisted around. We saw a lady standing on her roof pulling in her laundry line, tons of horses/carts on the road, a guy milking a cow, a couple riding a scooter while the lady held a baby, and for some reason, scarecrows with corncob penises sticking out of their jeans. A lot of them too! Oh, Cuba. We also saw a full pig roasting over a fire and a huge side of raw meat hanging in somebody's front window. About that time, my stomach started rumbling. 

Che Guevara Memorial

By the time we got to the Che museum and memorial, my insides were doing cartwheels. Tony yelled at the group to stay together, so we walked through the small museum, and then into the crypt where Che's body is kept. Handsome tombstone or not, I couldn't wait a minute longer. I ran out to the bathroom, leaving my purse behind with Adam. The toilet lady would not let me in without money for toilet paper. So I had to run all the way back, get money, then run back to the bathroom. This is going to be TMI, but I barely made it in time for all of the government slop, grain alcohol and Pringles to come roaring out of my body. The toilet lady had only given me one square of paper. But fortunately, I had grabbed my purse this time, and had tissues inside. I used them all, and threw them all in the can, not the potty. I felt better. I turned around to flush, and realized there was no flushing. That toilet lady was going to have to come in and see what I had done.

I got back on the van, head hung in Cuban shame. I snacked on our provisions and silently sat in my one foot square space, watching sugar cane and tobacco fields go by. At one point Adam looked at me and said, "awww Babe, you have a sweat mustache." I wasn't amused.

About 2 hours later, we finally arrived in Trinidad. This is the Cuba I was looking for! It had charming colonial buildings and cobblestone streets. We had lunch with the group in a restaurant that was an once old prison, while musicians played for us. An adorable boy tapped me on the arm and held out his hand. I gave him an American dollar and he held it up and inspected it carefully, then walked away with such pride on his face. Adam said, "Babe, word is going to spread like wildfire that there's a big blonde lady handing out money and we are going to be mobbed. You have to stop. And don't start crying if you see a one eyed cat or something either!" I gave him my "whatever, shut up" look.

We decided to join Tony's walking tour, which included a stop in a cigar factory. We saw cigars being made and bought some.  Then we stopped in a bar to sit and cool down. Tony joined us. At that point, we told him we are Americans. He said we "must go back to the US and tell everyone we know to vote for Hillary!" He said, "if any of those Florida Republicans win, Cuba will suffer further." He was very adamant. If only I had that much power, Tony. 

At this point, we grabbed our luggage off the van, and said goodbye to Tony and the group. It should be noted that this tour group now had to drive BACK to Varadero, 5 hours away. I was so happy to be staying in Trinidad!  We went to to the Trinidad Cubatur office, and asked if they could get us to Havana tomorrow. They told us to go to the bus station. I sat while Adam went to the bus station. A huge guy walked outside, where about 30 people were waiting in line, and said, "We are closing. Come back in the morning," and closed the door.  So we were ride-less. Again.

With our luck, this will be our ride to Havana

We found the house in which we had reserved a room, Casa Colonial 1830. In Cuba, you can stay with families in casa particulares, which are like B&Bs. We got to pick our room, then asked for help with a ride to Havana. Gustavo, our host, said he would make some calls.

Our room in Casa Colonial

Breakfast room in Casa Colonial

We walked to the main square in town to have a drink & listen to live music. An adorable little dog adopted me by flopping down right onto my feet.

We walked back to the casa, and saw this sign on the wall, which may have literally brought tears of joy to my eyes:

We bought one hour of Wifi for $8 ($4 each). Gustavo walked out told us he found us a shared ride to Havana for $40 each. Sold! We asked if it was a modern car with AC and he promised that it was. We had heard THAT before!

Since it was New Year's Eve, we got cleaned up into nice outfits, then walked to eat dinner. Earlier in the day we had laughed about the sticker on the back window of this "Bad Ass Show Car:"

But this time we REALLY laughed because the same car was now parked in the living room! Adam said, "Well, you can't just leave a Bad Ass Show Car parked out on the street! You gotta put it in the living room!"

We ate in a historic paladar on the main square. For some reason, everything in Cuba is whatever it is, and ALSO a museum, so we ate next to a bed. We had stuffed bananas, salad and honey chicken. It was good! Things were looking up!  (Still no iced tea, though.)  The owner brought us an apple and said it was "on the house, for dessert."

We walked back to the main square and found a large crowd gathered and live music playing. On the way, we saw a leg bone, which we think was from a goat, with the hoof still attached, just laying in the street. Oh, Cuba. Some ladies on the square had turned their house into a bar and were selling drinks out of their front window, so we had a few, and settled in to ring in the new year. The same adorable dog from earlier found us again to wish us "Feliz Ano Nuevo!"

When it was midnight, there was no countdown at all. Everyone just started cheering and kissing.

We walked back to the casa and went to bed to a super loud party next door. We also found out that our bed had no top sheet or blanket — only the thin bedspread. Gross. But we were tired, so I hit the sack hoping that I wouldn't have nightmares about becoming a toilet lady. 

Tomorrow: The road to Havana

XOXO

Cuba Trip - Laying Some Groundwork

Wow. I am so overwhelmed by the experience that was Cuba that I’m not sure where to start.  I took this trip with my boyfriend Adam, since I assumed Cuba isn’t the best place for 12-year old girls. (In hindsight, Madelyn probably would have been fine there, but I am happy I had a strong man who speaks Spanish along.) 

Special Blog Guest Adam 

Since a lot of you have asked me why Cuba is so full of old American cars, I think we will start at the very beginning -- with a brief history lesson. It will be helpful for everyone to understand why Cuba is so cut off from the rest of the world before you read about our experiences there. Please bear with me for this post, so our incredible stories will be in context. I will break up our trip into 6 additional posts, one for each day, all full of amazing photos. I think you will want to read all 6, as Cuba is the most challenging, stunning, one-of-a-kind place I have ever been. OK, here is a quick overview of Cuban history as I understand it. All photos are my own.

Obviously, the Spanish colonized Cuba, way back in the day. That’s why they speak Spanish. In 1762, Havana was briefly occupied by England, before the English traded it to Spain in exchange for Florida. The Spanish American War resulted in Spain withdrawing from Cuba in 1898, and Cuba gained formal independence in 1902. In the early 1900s, a series of corrupt politicians oversaw a period of rapid growth and development.  Now here is where it gets interesting…

In 1952 Fulgencio Batista staged a coup and took control of Cuba.  More progressive Cubans, including students, protested right from the beginning. Batista responded by closing the universities.  His government was a violent dictatorship, with his primary goal being only to make himself rich.  He sold vast amounts of Cuban land to American firms, and pocketed the profits.  American tourists flocked to Cuba to experience nightlife and gambling at places like the famous Tropicana.  As casinos, prostitution and drug use flourished, the American mafia took over, using luxury hotels for money laundering – and paid Batista for the privilege.  Think of it as a Caribbean Vegas, led by a corrupt dictator.

The Malecon in Havana, once a glamorous nightlife destination

Meanwhile, a young Fidel Castro was infuriated by the illegitimate and corrupt government, and started building a rebel army in the mountains of Cuba. His army included farmers, students, women, and soldiers who had left Batista’s army. In 1955, he went went to Mexico to meet with 82 other exiled revolutionaries, to form a plan to overthrow Batista. There, he met Argentinean doctor Che Guevara, who joined the cause. The men loaded up on weapons, boarded a yacht, and invaded Cuba. They were brutally defeated by Batista’s Army. Only 12 men survived, including Fidel, his brother Raul, and Che, who all fled into the mountains. There, they reorganized, and gained the support of farmers and the working class, who helped them fight and take back Cuba, city by city. Batista’s army fought them with weapons supplied by the US.

In 1959, the revolution was won, and Fidel Castro became prime minister, replacing Batista’s government with a revolutionary socialist state.  (Batista fled to Spain and died one of the world’s richest men.)  Che served various key roles in the new government, including leading a campaign against illiteracy. Fidel made sure all citizens had free education and medical care. Still angry at the US for helping Batista, he seized lands that had sold to Americans – and didn’t pay back the land owners. This pissed off the United States, who in 1960 declared an economic boycott that blocked the export of petroleum to Cuba and the import of Cuban sugar.

This economic boycott left Cuba no choice but to closer align itself with the Soviet Union for economic support. Cubans were struggling, and only had one main source of income – sugar. If the US wasn’t going to buy it, they had to sell it to someone who would, so they turned to the Soviets.  The US wasn’t comfortable with Cuba’s new BFF, so during this time, the Eisenhower administration began plotting to oust Castro.

In 1961, the CIA trained 1400 ex-Cubans living in the US (mostly wealthy Cubans who had supported Batista, opposed the revolution, and fled Cuba after Castro took power) and had them invade the Bay of Pigs in Cuba. The US expected that Cuban civilians would rise up against Castro, but they were mistaken. The Cubans supported their new government and helped Castro’s army fight the invaders – who were defeated.

Eight days later, President Kennedy declared an official trade embargo and the end of diplomatic relations with Cuba. Now I love President Kennedy as much as the next girl, but to me this seems a bit like the actions of a petulant, pouty, foot-stomping child. And it certainly didn’t help relations.

Tensions between the two nations peaked again during the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviets weren’t thrilled that the US had placed ballistic missiles in Turkey, so they went to Cuba and said, “hey, in exchange for all the sugar money we give you, as well as this other huge pile of money we are willing to give you for economic aid, can we place some missiles there?” Cuba was all, “no problemo” and agreed to let the Soviets secretly place SS-4 Sandal and SS-5 Skean ballistic missiles on the island. Cubans began to write to family in the US about the freakishly large amounts of ice going to rural areas, which led to the discovery of the missiles, confirmed by US military satellite reconnaissance photos. The United States responded by sending naval ships to circle the island (international waters) to stop Soviet ships from bringing in more missiles. A blockade is illegal under international law, so the US said “it’s not a blockade, it’s a quarantine!”  Seriously, we said that.  But the Soviets called back their ships anyway, and agreed to remove the missiles already there, in exchange for an agreement that the United States would not invade Cuba and would remove all US missiles from Turkey.

Of course we just couldn’t let it go.  On 8 February 1963, the Kennedy administration took the ban even further, forbidding US citizens to travel to Cuba or conduct any financial or commercial transactions with the country – restrictions still in place to this day. 

At first, the embargo did not extend to other countries, and Cuba traded with most European, Asian and Latin American countries, and especially Canada. However, the United States later pressured other nations to restrict trade with Cuba.  Most complied. The US government also told foreign companies doing business with Cuba that they could not also do business in the United States, forcing them to choose between the two.  This effectively cut off Cuba from the rest of the world, and froze it in a time warp. All cars in Cuba are pre-1963 American automobiles (or Russian Ladas imported from the USSR in the ‘70s and ‘80s). They were never allowed to import anything else.

Typical Havana street scene

In November 1963, president Kennedy was assassinated, and some believe that the Cubans (or the mafia who was mad they lost their money laundering home base) were responsible.

In 1965, Casto decided he didn’t want to be a socialist anymore, and reformed the government along Communist lines. This would further strengthen ties with the Soviets, and ensure that the rubles kept flowing in. The Communist Party, now headed Raul Castro, continues to govern Cuba today.

Che Guevara didn’t agree with the communist shift, so he left Cuba in 1965 to seek new revolutions abroad, and continue his fight against imperialism. He was captured by CIA-assisted forces in Bolivia and executed without a trial in 1967. His face is seen on all those hipster t-shirts even today because so many leftists admire his desire to create the consciousness of a "new man driven by moral rather than material incentives.” It probably didn’t hurt that he also had a really nice face. Time magazine even named Che one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Che's handsome face, still seen painted on walls all over Cuba

Cuba struggled economically, but still received massive amounts of money from the USSR, until it fell in 1991. Since then, aid has been mostly cut off, and the country has been crippled by poverty. Once rich from sugar exports and foreign aid, now its primary source of income is exporting labor (some Cuban military members are even helping Russia fight ISIS in Syria) and limited tourism from countries other than the US.

The huge economic downturn, and the establishment of a socialist system in Cuba, led to the fleeing of many hundreds of thousands of upper- and middle-class Cubans to the United States. 1.2 million Cubans have illegally left the island for the United States, often by sea in small boats and fragile rafts.  Approximately 80,000 Cubans have died trying flee. In 2012, Cuba finally agreed to allow Cuban citizens travel to foreign countries.

However, Americans are still not allowed to travel to Cuba, unless they fall under one of 12 categories (such as professional research, journalism, missionaries, etc.). The embargo is still in place, and Americans can be fined up to $15,000 for spending money in Cuba. Thankfully though, the Obama administration has pretty much stopped enforcing the embargo, and re-opened the US Embassy there last year, resuming diplomatic relations.

So keep that all in mind as you read about our travels, because it colors everything we experienced. Until tomorrow,

XOXO