After 6 weeks on the largest island in the Caribbean, I can talk a few particularities. There are many more, we guess or feel, but without really being able to touch the finger as a tourist, both the weight of the past is sometimes present.
must surely begin by noting that the tourist in Cuba is an endangered species of strong development. The Cuban government has understood this and made it his primary source of income. For this he has made available to the tourist a currency different from the Cuban convertible peso (CUC or). The tourist must think of them bring a good amount because contrary to what one might imagine a trip to Cuba is expensive. So there on the island two parallel economies, one in CUC and peso national currency of Cuba. To simplify a bit, 1 CUC = 25 pesos, and when the tourist pays 1 CUC Cuban Peso pays 1. There are shops, restaurants, bars where you pay in CUC (for tourists and Cubans "rich"), and others where you pay in pesos (for Cubans only). In principle, the tourist can not hold national pesos, but he often receives some Cuban CUC in addition to their wages. So everyone tries to improve life by getting a few CUC for tourists, eg. by selling cigars on the street (original course as the uncle of all dealers working at the factory or Cohiba Romeo and Juliet and indeed sneak out), or knows the best restaurant in town (legal or not) and more by chance is less expensive.
For housing, the tourist has to his disposal is kind of big hotels often ski resort and the 80 formula "all inclusive" (count between 100 and 300 CUC per night), and then casas particulares , which is more fun when you sleep Homestay pout twenty CUC night. For all its tourist visits is well supported, transported in buses Chinese art and finds himself with fellow tourists in a cigar factory, the Museum of the Revolution or during a boat ride.
If you're not a fan of tours and travel in flocks of tourists you can try to take another path. Start by changing some currency in UCC. Banned but tolerated, in fact, this practice will go to the market, take the bus into town or eat lunch on Bocaditos de jamon con queso pizza or bought from street stalls or in the recess of a doorway. Note that this will not allow you access to stores reserved for Cubans. For them it would take you a booklet, or ration book, which can be food base for a ridiculous price. Eg., Monthly, a Cuban is entitled to 5 pounds of rice, 5 eggs, a toothbrush .... If he wants more he needed to go to a CUC and CUC store (where there is not rationing but everything is much more expensive), or fend for themselves. Continue
by getting lost in the streets of Havana, Trinidad or Santiago, old towns steeped in history, the atmosphere quiet and alive at the time. Go listen to music at the Casa de la musica, sipping a mojito or cuba libre, then eat in a restaurant for lobster or chicken (same price) and enjoy the balmy night.
Nous qui avons la chance de posséder un moyen de locomotion peu commun pour les cubains, nous avons aussi pu découvrir la nature extraordinaire des jardins de la reine, archipel aux centaines d’îlots étalé sur 300 km entre Trinidad et Cabo Cruz, et dont les cubains (à part les pécheurs locaux), ignorent l’existence. On y croise beaucoup de langoustes (miam miam) et de barracudas et on plonge dans moins de deux mètres d’eau sur des barrières de corail magnifiques. Sur les îles on « barbecute » les dites langoustes, on regarde les iguanes et de gros rongeurs se régaler de nos restes, on se fait dévorer par de minuscules moustiques à dusk (a sign it's time to return to the boat drinking cocktails). It does not cross a single human, except on one or two islands that receive tourists for the day of the big hotels.
How you talk about you talk about Cuba without Cuba? People overly nice and helpful if any. Always ready to serve (with some CUC) and to help us find what we need, even if it may cost them dear. The tourism industry is so regulated that the police station and watch the fate of the Cuban track.
Despite the hardships, the temptation of the outside world, the Castro dynasty ... many agree to declare they would not live anywhere else. For our part we found the island beautiful, culturally and humanly rich, but the straitjacket imposed on tourists is heavy.
We are delighted to set sail this Monday, March 15 direction south coast of the Dominican Republic and its capital, Santo Domingo. We quickly reach the Haitian coast, then 36 hours without much wind we leave a little space (a problem of breakthrough hose prevents us from using the engine). Then a depression comes back from the wind (front) and we can begin our journey to Santo Domingo. Despite all the efforts made by our master Raoul sinner, not the tail of a fish at the end of our line. So we feast of pasta with tomato sauce, soup enhanced with chickpeas or kidney beans, rice, or "racket" whose recipe is jealously guarded by Adri. It must be said that we live on our reservations in Curacao almost two months now, because in Cuba there is not much. We therefore examined live between 25 and 35 °, sometimes on one side and then the other, which is impractical for sleep when you're on the wrong side of the boat, but the sea is not too big and it's not so bad. Especially as we see almost every day a small band of dolphins coming to play with the boat for an hour, and we enjoy their antics. We come to the capital and it looks like we'll reconnect with buildings, factories and busy city. It will change us!
It is Sunday 18h, we have just arrived and look forward to finishing the entry formalities to try to go find a double steak-frites-cold beer.
We welcome Send your news, it's always a pleasure and now we left Cuba we can answer you much more easily.
Yours
Manu
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