Cuban BLog Day #11 Pink Taxis

I only needed one day in Bayamo. It’s a great, quaint city, but it’s tiny and there’s not much to do on a second day.  I suppose if I were to do the trip again I would skip Bayamo, but then I would have missed out on Alberto and his seemingly endless shots of Havana Club at Bar Esquina.

So I was off to another town on another bus. This time my destination was the town of Holguin, though I didn’t plan to stay long there. It was a short one and a half hour bus ride to Holguin, barely time to sleep.

Once at the bus station the most incredible rain began to fall. I’ve never seen anything like it. It came on so quickly and so heavy all at once.  It forced me to decide fast to take my first taxi to the town of Gibara, about half an hour away on the coast.

The taxi was a 1950’s pink Ford. It was beautiful, from the outside at least. The inside left a lot to the imagination and was comprised of several parts from other cars.  The driver was quite proud of this and told me all about which part was replace when.

The rain let up right as we arrived in the town.  I had a casapicked out from the guide book since I wasn’t arriving at a bus station this time. But, easily enough, the taxi driver knew someone who knew someone and I was taken to a casa closer to the center of town than the casa I had chosen. 

This casa was grand!  It was closer to a mansion than a house, with two story ceilings and a foyer large enough to occupy four sofas and several chairs, all placed about in separate sitting areas. I’ve never seen anything like it, especially because the style of the furniture was from what appeared to be the 1940’s. I was sold. 

After getting situated in the room, I went walking to see the beach and the ocean.  I had come to Gibara because I wanted more beach time and Holguin, which the guide recommended, just sounded like another big city to me. I splurged a bit on lunch at a rooftop restaurant with a view of the sea. I tried aguja, swordfish or needle in Cuban Spanish, for the first time and really enjoyed it.

After lunch, I went to a fancy hotel to find out about the ferry to take the next day to the beach. He spoke excellent English and knew all the details I needed to know to get to the beach. I went back to the casa and wrote in the sky filled courtyard.

I walked to the tiny beach in town and watched the sunset. Afterwards, I set out looking for a restaurant to have dinner. I was approached by a woman in the street asking if I had eaten yet, telling me she had excellent food and listing off everything she had along with very cheap prices. I kept walking to see all my options, but eventually returned to her, though it was hard to find her again. It was simply her house. There was no sign out front telling me it was a restaurant, and I nearly passed by it, till she came running after me. I am quite certain she is not government sponsored like restaurants and casas are supposed to be.

She walked me through her tiny house, where I sat under a giant umbrella roof made of coconut fronds. She was so friendly and very talkative. I felt for the first time like I was having a true, full conversation in Spanish.  She told me about her boy, her well, how her husband prepares all the food, how she works in cahoots with a friend who works at the nice hotel I went to earlier.  She said her friend will send guests to her when they get tired of paying $20 for a meal.  She gives her friend a kickback.  She tells me everyone raves about her food. I too, was impressed with the meal, but more so by the company.

Cuban BLog Day #11 Pink Taxis

I only needed one day in Bayamo. It’s a great, quaint city, but it’s tiny and there’s not much to do on a second day.  I suppose if I were to do the trip again I would skip Bayamo, but then I would have missed out on Alberto and his seemingly endless shots of Havana Club at Bar Esquina.

So I was off to another town on another bus. This time my destination was the town of Holguin, though I didn’t plan to stay long there. It was a short one and a half hour bus ride to Holguin, barely time to sleep.

Once at the bus station the most incredible rain began to fall. I’ve never seen anything like it. It came on so quickly and so heavy all at once.  It forced me to decide fast to take my first taxi to the town of Gibara, about half an hour away on the coast.

The taxi was a 1950’s pink Ford. It was beautiful, from the outside at least. The inside left a lot to the imagination and was comprised of several parts from other cars.  The driver was quite proud of this and told me all about which part was replace when.

The rain let up right as we arrived in the town.  I had a casa picked out from the guide book since I wasn’t arriving at a bus station this time. But, easily enough, the taxi driver knew someone who knew someone and I was taken to a casa closer to the center of town than the casa I had chosen. 

This casa was grand!  It was closer to a mansion than a house, with two story ceilings and a foyer large enough to occupy four sofas and several chairs, all placed about in separate sitting areas. I’ve never seen anything like it, especially because the style of the furniture was from what appeared to be the 1940’s. I was sold. 

After getting situated in the room, I went walking to see the beach and the ocean.  I had come to Gibara because I wanted more beach time and Holguin, which the guide recommended, just sounded like another big city to me. I splurged a bit on lunch at a rooftop restaurant with a view of the sea. I tried aguja, swordfish or needle in Cuban Spanish, for the first time and really enjoyed it.

After lunch, I went to a fancy hotel to find out about the ferry to take the next day to the beach. He spoke excellent English and knew all the details I needed to know to get to the beach. I went back to the casa and wrote in the sky filled courtyard.

I walked to the tiny beach in town and watched the sunset. Afterwards, I set out looking for a restaurant to have dinner. I was approached by a woman in the street asking if I had eaten yet, telling me she had excellent food and listing off everything she had along with very cheap prices. I kept walking to see all my options, but eventually returned to her, though it was hard to find her again. It was simply her house. There was no sign out front telling me it was a restaurant, and I nearly passed by it, till she came running after me. I am quite certain she is not government sponsored like restaurants and casas are supposed to be.

She walked me through her tiny house, where I sat under a giant umbrella roof made of coconut fronds. She was so friendly and very talkative. I felt for the first time like I was having a true, full conversation in Spanish.  She told me about her boy, her well, how her husband prepares all the food, how she works in cahoots with a friend who works at the nice hotel I went to earlier.  She said her friend will send guests to her when they get tired of paying $20 for a meal.  She gives her friend a kickback.  She tells me everyone raves about her food. I too, was impressed with the meal, but more so by the company.

Cuban Blog #10 Queer as a Three Dollar Bill and Post Cards?

Bayamo, Cubais a beautiful, artsy city.  I spent a leisurely day roaming the streets and plazas. Along the cobbled paseos the lamp posts and other ugly disturbances are cleverly disguised with sculptures of paint tubes and brushes.

During my walk, my eyes were always searching for the #44. I found a house number 444. I got a picture with me covering the first four to remember my 44^th country. This is a tradition I’ve only just begun. I can’t wait for all the creative ways I can find numbers for each country I visit.

I found a restaurant for lunch where I paid in pesos national for the first time. So cheap. I also got peso ice cream. 

I walked around and finally found a shop with some great postcards. I sat in the plaza and wrote out a few.  At the post office, I sent them off hoping they would reach the United States, a little worried that perhaps the embargo went that far, even though the woman at the counter assured me they would make it.

I went to Bar Esquina, which happened to be in the guide. There, Alberto made a proper mojito, actually using the muddler to bring out the flavor and aroma of the mint. I stayed and chatted with Alberto most of the evening. 

At one point another patron sitting at the bar next to me gave me a three dollar peso nationalbill. I’d not seen it before. I was surprised and happy to find the face of Che Guevara smiling back at me.  He gave it to me as a gift and I placed it carefully in my guidebook for safekeeping.  He seemed quite proud of this gift though I didn’t understand why at the time.  I thought it was very kind.

 

Traveling tip #12 and #13

 

#12 Yes, there are three dollar bills in Cuba. Yes, they depict Che Guevara, hero of Cuba.  There is also a 3 peso coin with his face on it. I collected these wherever I went, asking people to change in their coins for my bills because I wanted to give them as gifts once I returned. It was difficult to find anyone with the coins.  I ended up with about 10 coins and three bills.

The story I received, though I am not certain of my understand due to the language barrier, is that very soon the country will be changing over to a new peso nationaland for this reason, everyone, not just tourists, is hoarding the bills and coins.  Get there while you can and get them while they last.

 

#13 Friend and family did receive my postcards, albeit nearly two months later, well after I’d returned and settled back into life in The United States, and well after I had given up all hope of them ever reaching the land of the free. So send postcards, you’re friends will never receive anything cooler in the mail, so I’ve been told.

Cuban Blog #10 Queer as a Three Dollar Bill and Post Cards?

Bayamo, Cuba is a beautiful, artsy city.  I spent a leisurely day roaming the streets and plazas. Along the cobbled paseos the lamp posts and other ugly disturbances are cleverly disguised with sculptures of paint tubes and brushes.

During my walk, my eyes were always searching for the #44. I found a house number 444. I got a picture with me covering the first four to remember my 44^th country. This is a tradition I’ve only just begun. I can’t wait for all the creative ways I can find numbers for each country I visit.

I found a restaurant for lunch where I paid in pesos national for the first time. So cheap. I also got peso ice cream. 

I walked around and finally found a shop with some great postcards. I sat in the plaza and wrote out a few.  At the post office, I sent them off hoping they would reach the United States, a little worried that perhaps the embargo went that far, even though the woman at the counter assured me they would make it.

I went to Bar Esquina, which happened to be in the guide. There, Alberto made a proper mojito, actually using the muddler to bring out the flavor and aroma of the mint. I stayed and chatted with Alberto most of the evening. 

At one point another patron sitting at the bar next to me gave me a three dollar peso national bill. I’d not seen it before. I was surprised and happy to find the face of Che Guevara smiling back at me.  He gave it to me as a gift and I placed it carefully in my guidebook for safekeeping.  He seemed quite proud of this gift though I didn’t understand why at the time.  I thought it was very kind.

 

Traveling tip #12 and #13

 

#12 Yes, there are three dollar bills in Cuba. Yes, they depict Che Guevara, hero of Cuba.  There is also a 3 peso coin with his face on it. I collected these wherever I went, asking people to change in their coins for my bills because I wanted to give them as gifts once I returned. It was difficult to find anyone with the coins.  I ended up with about 10 coins and three bills.

The story I received, though I am not certain of my understand due to the language barrier, is that very soon the country will be changing over to a new peso national and for this reason, everyone, not just tourists, is hoarding the bills and coins.  Get there while you can and get them while they last.

 

#13 Friend and family did receive my postcards, albeit nearly two months later, well after I’d returned and settled back into life in The United States, and well after I had given up all hope of them ever reaching the land of the free. So send postcards, you’re friends will never receive anything cooler in the mail, so I’ve been told.

Cuban Blog Day #9 Use the Touts, They're Using You

Today was a travel day, my last day in Baracoa.  I had one last breakfast on what I didn’t know would be the best terrace of the whole trip. Then, I walked to find a Cadeca (Casa de Cambio, or money exchange in Cuban Spanish.) It had been a week since I first exchanged money in Havana, and I was happy to discover that I was more than $100 under budget so far. I had been figuring on about $500 per week, but it is low season due to the rain and casas are cheaper than I expected by about $5-$10. They are also generally unoccupied due to the lack of travelers so owners are keen to negotiate.

I walked to the bus station to reserve a seat on the bus that would take me back to Santiago De Cubain the hopes of continuing on to Bayamo from there. I came back to the casa and mixed the last of my rum and coke and sat on the terrace writing.

It rained. The power went off. This would come to be a common occurrence the whole trip.  The rain doesn’t last long, nor does the power outage, but it does make for very hot rooms till the air comes back on.

I headed to the bus station and got situated for the five hour drive.  I slept most of the way. Once I arrived in Santiago, I was thrilled to learn that there was another connecting bus leaving soon to Bayamo. I was glad not to have stay in Santiagoanother night and to be waking up in a new city.

I arrived late, at nearly 10 pm in Bayamo. I was a bit worried about finding a place to stay at such a late hour. I had no reason to be. The infamous touts are always at their job, apparently whenever a Viazul bus comes in, so do they. I had no problem finding a casa through them and was quickly in bed.

 

 

Traveling tip # 11

Though the guide books will tell you not to trust the touts because they take a percentage and make the cost higher for you, I did not experience this. I think maybe the guides just want you to use the casas they have listed.  I say, use the touts. They are very convenient and make it so you do not have to worry about planning ahead (always nice.) Not only will they tell you about a casa to stay, they usually have pictures of the accommodations and will generally take you there. They will either walk with you or go in a taxi or bicitaxi with you.  I loved this part because I get lost way too often.

If you’re using a tout after arriving in a bus terminal, you need to arrange the price before you leave.  The price is for the casa. I don’t know what percentage they get or how that works, but I never paid more than what I wanted to pay, (usually $15 CUC, often including breakfast. This price went up slightly as I got closer to Havana.)

Cuban Blog Day #9 Use the Touts, They're Using You

Today was a travel day, my last day in Baracoa.  I had one last breakfast on what I didn’t know would be the best terrace of the whole trip. Then, I walked to find a Cadeca (Casa de Cambio, or money exchange in Cuban Spanish.) It had been a week since I first exchanged money in Havana, and I was happy to discover that I was more than $100 under budget so far. I had been figuring on about $500 per week, but it is low season due to the rain and casas are cheaper than I expected by about $5-$10. They are also generally unoccupied due to the lack of travelers so owners are keen to negotiate.

I walked to the bus station to reserve a seat on the bus that would take me back to Santiago De Cuba in the hopes of continuing on to Bayamo from there. I came back to the casa and mixed the last of my rum and coke and sat on the terrace writing.

It rained. The power went off. This would come to be a common occurrence the whole trip.  The rain doesn’t last long, nor does the power outage, but it does make for very hot rooms till the air comes back on.

I headed to the bus station and got situated for the five hour drive.  I slept most of the way. Once I arrived in Santiago, I was thrilled to learn that there was another connecting bus leaving soon to Bayamo. I was glad not to have stay in Santiago another night and to be waking up in a new city.

I arrived late, at nearly 10 pm in Bayamo. I was a bit worried about finding a place to stay at such a late hour. I had no reason to be. The infamous touts are always at their job, apparently whenever a Viazul bus comes in, so do they. I had no problem finding a casa through them and was quickly in bed.

 

 

Traveling tip # 11

Though the guide books will tell you not to trust the touts because they take a percentage and make the cost higher for you, I did not experience this. I think maybe the guides just want you to use the casas they have listed.  I say, use the touts. They are very convenient and make it so you do not have to worry about planning ahead (always nice.) Not only will they tell you about a casa to stay, they usually have pictures of the accommodations and will generally take you there. They will either walk with you or go in a taxi or bicitaxi with you.  I loved this part because I get lost way too often.

If you’re using a tout after arriving in a bus terminal, you need to arrange the price before you leave.  The price is for the casa. I don’t know what percentage they get or how that works, but I never paid more than what I wanted to pay, (usually $15 CUC, often including breakfast. This price went up slightly as I got closer to Havana.)

Cuban Blog Day #8 Know How You're Paying and Bring Snacks

 

 

I woke super early and walked along the beach past the baseball stadium, over a very questionable bridge into a tiny town where Playa Blanca is located.  I was nearly alone walking for about an hour on the beach because it was so early, though when I returned it was crowded with locals, swimming and playing soccer barefoot.

 Playa Blanca is a tiny white sand beach with just a tiny shore between rocks I was afraid of swimming out through. I was alone on it for a small time and then a family joined me. They were cleaning fish that they’d recently caught. The girl, about 9 years old, spoke with me and showed me the various things she’d found on the beach, including her collection of tiny hermit crabs and various rocks and coral. She called me tia (aunt) and kissed me goodbye when they left.

I watched her father and grandfather swim out through the rocks and knew it was safe, so I followed.  Later they got into a small pool made from other rocks. The pool would rise and fall with the tide.  The girl asked me to join them then grabbed my hand when I was a bit reluctant.  I would have not done any of it, if I hadn’t seen them do it first. It looked a bit dangerous.

They offered me coffee and I offered the little girl the only thing I had to offer- a magazine. I told her she could practice her English with it, which she had been trying to use while talking to me. She smiled, kissed me again on the cheek and ran to show her mother.

A man on the beach had asked me a few times if I wanted to go on a tour to the caves. He waited around for me, brought me a coconut. I finally decided to go when he said it was $6 peso, very excited to finally be using my pesos instead of CUC. 

I had only flip flops and wished the whole time I had my Chacos or other better hiking shoes. We walked way up into some caves, saw a beautiful view of the sea and Baracoaand finally arrived in some lower caves where there was a natural pool. It was awesome, super dark and clear, cool water.  It wasn’t big but the water at points was up to my shoulders and it was just incredible to be swimming in a cave. I wasn’t expecting to find that.

I finally headed back. I’d spent about lovely 9 hours there and would have liked to stay longer, but there was no where to eat. I was starving and had drunk all my water as well.  I walked back along the now crowded beach, ate dinner at a restaurant in town and went back to the casa and wrote and read.

 

Traveling tip #9 Know How You’re Paying- I’d asked a barman in Santiago how I know the difference between the CUC and the peso when people say it.  They all seem to say peso and this is confusing. He’d said the CUC is generally the CUC or the dollar and the peso is the peso national.  When my guide to the caves told me pesos, I thought it was pesos national. Of course it wasn’t. Mostly I believe this is their fault for not being clear, but to be on the safe side be sure to confirm how you will be paying to avoid any confusion.

traveling Tip #10 Bring snacks. I bring snacks with me from home any time I travel, granola bars and lollies, crackers and the like. You can also get snacks wherever you are, just be sure to always have some with you. These are great for bus rides and any time you might be stuck on a very private, beautiful beach in a town that is so small there aren't any restaurants. I did have snacks on this beach, they just weren't substantial enough to edge my hunger.