Originally Posted by
travelmad478
.... on my way out of the country, I’d like to convert any unused currency back to CAD. Can I change CUP, or only CUC, for CAD? (I will be flying out of Varadero, so also not sure if VRA is as well equipped to do currency exchange as HAV).
As I said, the cadecas currently only trade in CUC. The official cadecas are all the same.
Varadero is very popular with Canadian package tourists, so I'm sure the cadeca there is well supplied with CAD.
Do the math before you convert USD to CAD. With fees, it may not be worth the time and effort for the small savings, particularly if you won't spend much. (Changing to Euros, then to CUC, the 'savings' is about $40 on $1000--not sure about CAD)
Originally Posted by
travelmad478
Re: the food issue, I’ve been traveling/living in emerging markets for 30+ years, so my stomach and I are quite used to local food in all its forms
Generally what’s good enough for the local population is good enough for me.
I find I don't have an appetite in the extreme heat and humidity, so I rarely bother with lunch, lunch places, or street food. A nice drink, on the other hand......
"Emerging markets" have little to do with the quality and variety of food in my experience. I have eaten tasty and very well at modest places in many developing countries. Best of luck with "local food in all its forms" in Cuba. If you've ever eaten Cuban food in the U.S., you're very likely to taste a big difference. Products are limited for locals. After living through the lacks of the Special Period in the 90s, they are happy to have full stomachs, no questions asked about what is filling them or where it came from. Cooking is often not very good, although the wife at my casa particular in Havana is pretty good with a few basics, and not very varied because of what locals can/cannot get. . But I myself am tired of returning home feeling faintly unhealthy from what I've consumed over a couple of weeks there. The restaurants that require advance reservations are popular with tourists for a reason, and even some of those haven't been very good. I have found a few good simple roast pork sandwiches and the like, though, at "local" lunch places. YMMV