It’s no secret that I generally opt to visit cities with excellent restaurants, but this time, I plumped for something different: Cuba. I spent days immersed in all the dancing and music that Cuba has to offer, joining the locals who somehow manage to live happily despite everything they lack. Just don’t ask about the food.
I’ve been to many places in the world, some even more than once, but I had always put off going to Cuba. “Why?” you may ask. First, it’s a faraway place that’s really hard to reach with a direct flight. Second, I’ve always heard that the island’s food is nothing to write home about. With beautiful restaurants and good food, my main reason to travel; why would I go to Cuba when there are all these other countries and cities with wonderful restaurants? But my resistance to my friends’ entreaties finally cracked, and I decided to give it a go. The friends in question – one Italian, one Turkish – have visited Cuba every autumn for the past decade, typically staying there for a few weeks each time. They presented me with such a good itinerary that it was impossible to say “no” this time around. For one, they rented an apartment in the tallest privately owned building in Havana, hired a guide that spoke English, and provided a vehicle with a driver.
But before anything else, the most beautiful thing in Cuba is life itself. The people may not be rich, but they sure are happy. You hear wonderful music everywhere. Everybody’s either dancing or making music. Havana also boasts a pedestrianized street – one that runs for about two miles. The street is lined with numerous cafés and bars, all of which emit all manners of music – yet thankfully not to the degree that it drowns out the music of their neighbors. Whether it’s a double bass accompanied by a saxophone or a piano and a guitar, everyone makes lovely music. The historical buildings and natural charm of the city create a whole other atmosphere. It baffles you to see such happy people live such poverty-stricken lives. For instance, I visited a cigar factory where hundreds of people work, yet earn a mere 35 dollars a month. Nevertheless, some factory workers were singing while others kept the beat. But if I had 10 meals during my visit there, I couldn’t finish my dish at seven of them; such were the dishes’ unappealing nature. If I were to visit Cuba again, it would probably only be for the music, and the dancing – that is, for fun. However, it might be a great way to lose a few pounds again without pushing myself too hard.
FLORIDITA
One must-see place at the center of Cuba’s nightlife is the famous bar El Floridita. During his years in Havana, Ernest Hemingway would come here and write short stories while sipping a daiquiri. And in homage to the great writer, a bronze statue bearing his likeness now graces what was once his regular seat. El Floridita’s walls are covered with Hemingway’s photographs, as well as those of Fidel Castro. The bar serves a variety of aperitifs, including at least 20 kinds of daiquiri. Their specialty, however, is the appropriately named Floridita Daiquiri, which has very little sugar in it. During our week in Cuba, El Floridita was a place we made sure to visit every day. Naturally, it also has great music, with the orchestra changing several times a day.
WHERE TO STAY?
We stayed at a penthouse in a 25-story building called Atlantic Tower, which overlooks the ocean. The price was affordable enough for us, although it was obviously expensive by Cuban standards. In fact, the place (which also had a pool and a terrace) was so large that it could have comfortably hosted four couples. And when locals heard where we were staying, they all raised an eyebrow. To put it another way, we became the cool kids on the block, thanks to the apartment. But if you’re not interested in the penthouse, I can recommend four other hotels for accommodation.
KEMPINSKIKempinski is the newest and best hotel in central Havana, boasting a rooftop swimming pool and restaurant overlooking the city. It is just opposite Floridita too. It will cost you at least 509 dollars per night. But its top class.
NACIONAL
Hotel Nacional was a very nice hospital despite its somewhat disorderly appearance. The Nacional, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Istanbul’s Pera Palas, is situated among the trees in the middle of Havana. Even if you don’t stay there, come by at night to catch one of the live performances.
SARATOGA
Another nice hotel is Saratoga. Located in the city center, the place is convenient in that it’s within the aforementioned pedestrianized area, meaning you can experience all the vibrancy and color that the street has to offer. I’m not sure about the food at the foreign-owned hotel, but I did like the rooms I had the chance to see.
SANTA ISABEL
Santa Isabel is another hotel overlooking a central square. It has a terrace that gets the sun from a beautiful angle, especially after noon, making it the perfect spot to have a sandwich and a few drinks by the sea. The Santa Isabel also has high ceilings and well-maintained rooms. The prices are also reasonable.
DRINKS
Beer, daiquiris, piña coladas, and, of course, rum are all in abundance in Cuba. The national Cuban drink, however, is rum. Just don’t get your hopes up for the wine, though in terms of Havana’s understanding of entertainment, the fun starts every day at midday. And continues right on until midnight or later. But even a walk of a few hours during the day may turn into a great visual feast as you encounter acrobats, music bands dressed in carnival costumes, and many others. And then, of course, there are the cigar shops, which have become synonymous with the country. In some shops, you can watch how the cigars are made and buy some if you’d like. I don’t smoke myself, but a gift of some of Cuba’s finest did go well with friends back home who are into cigars. I had a great time drinking local beer since I couldn’t find any decent wine. While there, we even threw a party at our apartment. My friend said he knew a lot of people there and that we’d have great fun if we threw a party. We ended up being 14 people, including a dancing couple who sang and played percussion, famous singer Giselle, our driver, as well as his father, who had a lovely voice and played the guitar. The only non-Cubans at the party were my friend and me. Everyone sang songs accompanied by the guitar and percussion for about two hours!
TIPS
If you don’t mind parting with too much cash, you can always get about by one of Havana’s old classic taxis for about 30 dollars a trip. It takes about 20 minutes to get from one place to another. If you’re just traveling about town once or twice – and especially if you want to try out the old classic cars – these taxis are fine, although they’re not a good idea if you’re journeying beyond Havana, since they break down easily. Alternatively, another option is to hire a chauffeur for about 90 dollars a day. Typically, such drivers operate five- or six-year-old Japanese, Chinese or Korean cars. Ultimately, it’s much cheaper and advantageous to hire cars with chauffeurs, particularly ones with a smattering of English; it only takes about 50 words to take care of everything here. You should also carry your credit card and passport at all times, but be advised that they don’t accept American Express (probably because of the name). And though they do accept U.S. dollars, paying by credit card is more advantageous due to the exchange rate, and exchanging euros get a better rate than dollars.