SJOGuy

Okay. Thank you. Speaking the local language (and speaking it well) does allow for two things. You've cited one of them here:

But the other one is in dealing with the how-to-get-around, how-to deal-with-problems logistics of the place. Where can I buy that bottle of water? How can I buy that bus ticket that seems to be unavailable? Where can I find that good music that everybody raves about? Don't get me wrong. I'm not timid, and I do travel to countries whose language I don't speak. It's a lot easier, though, to navigate a place and smooth over issues when you do know the language. I'm just wondering if that didn't contribute to some of the frustration.

Good for you for going on this adventure. No one says we have to like every place we visit. I have my places I'd never go back to.

smitty06

There is a 2 price system in place in Cuba. Many performances have a peso price for Cubans and a CUC price for tourists. This is so Cubans can enjoy these performances even though they dont make alot of money. In my limited experience, the government is very supportive of the arts. I feel fortunate to have gotten to see so many amazing vocal, dance and theater performances. Dont miss Habana Compas dance!

carpetbagger

Surprisingly most of the Cubans speak english but as well a lot of them speak italian, german or french.

By the way the literacy rate in Cuba is one of the highest in the world slightly higher then in the USA and definitely higher then in all other countries of America.

The education, the schools, colleges and universities are for free. Health care as well and surprisingly the health system is not as bad as many think and life expectancy is the same like in US. Most of the medication you know from western countries f. e. statins or hiv treatment is available as generics in Cuba.

But you have always to know that Cuba is a dictatorship run by the Castro family and some other elites and they call themselves socialist, communist or whatever.

LAX_Esq

You're both correct. I agree that speaking the local language does sometimes make the day-to-day smoother and less of a headache when you're traveling. And I also agree that Cubans had a relatively high level of English among the poorer countries to which I've been, especially among people connected with the tourism industry).

So, yeah, if I spoke great Spanish, I'd have been much more likely to have met a random person not in the tourist-scamming business who could have recommended a music venue or something. But the Viazul and Connectando bus people were able to explain their draconian and inefficient bus ticket processes in perfect English. And the guy at the convenience store in Vinales who was hoarding water spoke English well enough to explain that bottled water was hard to find, and that his bottles weren't for sale.

Speaking the local language and/or knowing a local in town who can show you around always makes for a better experience (aside from the adventure aspect), but tthe lack of language skills didn't really contribute to most of my negative experiences.

carpetbagger

A very close friend of ours, he is cuban but living already 15 years in London and having a well payed job there, had a similar experience with Viazul. The day before he wanted to travel from Havana to Varadero they told him it is no need to make a reservation there are plenty of seats. The day he wanted to catch the bus all seats were sold out - which was not true - but there was the possibility to buy some leftover tickets for an extra 20 CUC. A scam. This sort of scams happens to everyone, cubans, foreigners, native speakers and bloody tourists. It is part of the game.

At the moment I experience many scams in Thailand which never used to be so intense like nowadays. But the thais do the scams more charming. Maybe because of the thai smile I feel better.


It is a contradictio in adiecto.

rocketfodder

I agree with smitty completely. I went to Cuba in January, the week after the rule changed was published in the Federal Register to not require permits in advance of travel to the country. I had a shockingly positive experience.

For context, I've been to 73 countries. I got in and out via Grand Cayman. No trouble crossing the border, I presume because of Global Entry.

Details:
- the old cars are awesome, but the whole place seems like a time warp.

- I thought Cuba was particularly interesting, given the amount of history between it and the U.S. for the last 50-60 years.

- The architecture in Havana is quite beautiful, and the city itself is one of the most colorful I've seen, despite being very dilapidated.

- The vast majority of interactions with people were friendly. Many were quite shocked to see an American, when they are very used to European and Canadian tourists. I did not encounter any scammers or touts, with the exception of when I got close to some of the nicer classic cars for pictures.

- I didn't go to any clubs or bars for music, but I greatly enjoyed the Tropicana time machine. It was way overpriced, but I was entertained and well-sauced on Havana Club.

- I quite enjoyed the food. I had some great fresh fish dishes, with veggies and some enjoyable cocktails. One of the top places on TripAdvisor, O'Reilly's 304 (not Irish, it's the address) was $31 for 2 entrees, 1 appetizer, and 3-4 drinks. That's not cheap, but it seemed reasonable and was tasty.

- I was able to get water quite cheaply at the local markets that are everywhere in Havana. I think a 1.5L bottle was 1 CUC.

- I didn't go to many museums/activities, so I can't speak to their value. The Indian Cave in Viñales is 5 CUC. The tobacco farm I visited was 2 CUC.

- I also stayed at a mediocre casa particular, but the owners were very friendly and welcoming.

- I also did not have to purchase insurance.

Negatives/warnings:

- Cuban communism certainly has a lot of negatives. For one, you'll see a number of stores for bread, or stores for cell phones, or banks, with enormous lines stretching outside. There isn't a lot of evidence that anyone is in a hurry to get their job done. If you change money at a bank, you'll wait a very long time.

- Cuba doesn't change Cayman Island dollars. I guess I should have looked this up before going. It's my fault, but it was frustrating nonetheless.

- There are a LOT of tourists, but this is true of most destinations.

Conclusions

- Having been to a number of really poor countries, it seemed that the quality of life for poverty was much higher in Cuba than comparable countries. That said, the high end seemed much lower. On the whole, people seemed very happy.

- I actually ran out of money because I brought Cayman Dollars. I'm an idiot. After unsuccessfully spending half a day trying banks/cambios/the airport to exchange that cash, a tour guide ended up loaning me money so I could afford to eat and leave the country (25 CUC departure tax). He explained this situation to the people running the casa particular I stayed at, and even they offered to lend me money to help me on my journey. These were complete strangers, and I could have easily made off with the cash. Back in the US, I was able to pay the tour guide back and make him whole. I can't think of many countries where I would encounter such generosity.

I have pictures up at http://gowingnut.com/gallery/Cuba-and-Grand-Cayman for those interested of what the food looked like, etc.

carpetbagger

For the next time when you run out of money in Cuba because you do not have USD or EUR with you: In Havana all our visa cards were working at the atm. In tourist hotels like Habana Libre or Nacional you get cash from your credit card even when you are not staying at the hotel. They charge 5 CUC handling fee.

Living conditions in Cuba are poor. Very poor. But much better then for example in the Philippines were I am at the moment. I am really shocked what I see here in Manila. I have seen poor conditions in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam or Thailand but the Philippines are the worst. Only in some places in Africa I have seen something similar. After seeing the conditions in the Philippines I am honestly happy that Cuba was not dominated and used as a colony by the USA in the last
50 years. As you know after the spanish-american war in 1898 Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines came under the influence of the USA.

Very nice pictures by the way.

JDiver

Please remember this forum is for discussing travel to Cuba, Cuba travel experiences, etc.

Purely political discussions of Cuba belong in OMNI/PR.

¡Gracias! JDiver, Senior Moderator

carpetbagger

To travel to a foreign country is not only staying at an Intercontinental or Sheraton and claiming a BRG. In plus in Cuba are no IC or Sheraton.

To understand a little bit of Cuba you have to know that Cuba is a very special destination and you have to understand why it is like it is. If you think that it would be better not to mention this you should consider to stay in Las Vegas or Disneyworld.

LAX_Esq

I presume JDiver's message was not directed at you or anything else Cuba-related in this thread. Someone else who posted after you went on an irrelevant political rant about the Philippines, and it looks like that post was since deleted. Everything else seems intact.

SJOGuy

Were these cards issued in the U.S.? That's still a problem for us Yanks. Supposedly MasterCard goes live today. I haven't heard anything about Visa or American Express.

carpetbagger

Issued by european banks like HSBC or Deutsche Bank.

SJOGuy

Okay. So you had an advantage that the OP could not have made use of. Our ATM cards don't work in Cuba.

rocketfodder

Correct. I tried every card I have at a couple ATMs, but alas, it wasn't March 1 back in January.