Some Notes from Cuba

Drying tobacco leaves in Vinales

Here are a few notes and places to I went in Cuba.

My notes on traveling to Cuba:

How to Travel to Cuba

On the cities side — I went to Havana and Vinales. I could have spent more time in either city. Other people I met were also traveling to Santa Clara and Trinidad.

Some things in Havana:

• Walk around Old Town — Havana Viejo — very touristy but still pretty cool
• Museo de la Revolucion — Museum of the Revolution. Really a big Che + Fidel museum.
• Malecon — road along the water, nice to walk on and leads to a small museum
• Fabrica de Arte Cubano — FAC — seems to have been the most popular spot in Havana. A very interesting bar/ art gallery with lots of different rooms and vibes. The art is interesting on its own.
• Che Guevara House — can drive or we took a ferry there for 1 CUC
• La Cabana (fortress) — right near the Che house — also a nice view up there by the statues around sunset
• Wifi Parks — They sell Wifi cards for 1CUC with your passport at the ETECSA booths

Wifi Card — 1 CUC for 1 Hour

Random food and drinks

• Sugar Cane Juice — something I tried that I had not tried before
• Rice and Beans — seems to be everywhere
• Pizza — when they say pizza it is really not the same as the pizza I would imagine.
• Many of the casual food spots have the same small menu of pizza, sandwiches (cheese sandwiches or ham and cheese sandwiches), and pasta
• Ropa vieja — Shredded beef with rice

Some things in Vinales:

• Small town about 2–3 hours from Havana — I got there in a “taxi colectivo” — shared taxi. Like the original Lyft Line/Uber Pool
• Really nice views when you drive in and very winding roads
• Stayed in a Casa Particular — guest house or private house — really it seems almost every house is a “casa.” They all have names.
• There are a handful of tours — I went on the horse riding tour via the tobacco fields — they roll cigars and also stop and talk about local rum and coffee. Honestly, really touristy but still I enjoyed it a lot. I would never do either of those things normally. There are many others that seemed interesting, though I did not have time.
• There is a small center in the town with a number of restaurants — I ate at the casa particular.