Cruising to Cuba!

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CRUISE to CUBA

August 9-13, 2018 on the Carnival Paradise



------A destination that should be on everyone’s bucket list is the unique, culturally rich country of Cuba. Many people believe that it is illegal to travel in Cuba or that it is dangerous, but nothing could be farther from the truth. The U.S. currently has an embargo of trade with Cuba dating back to the overthrow of the dictator Bautista by Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries in 1959, (as well as Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union), but travel is allowed with certain restrictions that vary with whoever the U.S. President is. President Obama had relaxed restrictions, and three million tourists were lucky enough to sample this vibrant, lively culture during his tenure. Under President Trump, however, most travel restrictions were re-instated for political reasons, and travel planning became a bit more complex.



However, one can still enjoy the stunning mystique that is Cuba by traveling on a cruise ship or in an approved visitation category, such as a group people-to-people tour. People-to-people trips are educational in nature, designed to foster closer relations between Americans and the locals. This means an organized trip with a full schedule of activities that produce meaningful interaction – such as through cultural-immersive meetings with local politicians, small businesses, community leaders, doctors, teachers, and artists. Both types of travel bring incredible opportunities and reasons to visit the island.



As a solo traveler afraid to break any rules, I booked two full days of tours to comply with the restrictions; however, my savvier fellow travelers knew that these were restrictions of OUR government and not Cuba’s, and once they arrived on Cuban soil, they set out on their own to explore. Heeding so-called “travel warnings” about Cuba, I stayed close to my group; however, here again, I found the warnings to be all hype, designed to make us feel intimidated by this small neighbor to the south. In all my travels, I have never felt safer that I did on the streets of Havana. Havana is one of the world’s safest cities. There is almost no gun crime, violent robbery, gangs, or drugs. If a local comes at you holding a machete, he’s probably about to split a coconut for you. Cubans love tourists and do everything they can to make our visits safe and comfortable. Visitors to the island are their only source of non-government income, and I had the feeling local Cubans would rather take a bullet for me than risk an incident that might jeopardize tourism.



I boarded the Carnival Cruise Lines ship Paradise in Tampa, Florida on a Thursday afternoon. The 2,048 passenger Paradise is fifteen years old and shows a bit of wear and tear, but it has updated state-of-the-art technology onboard. No longer do you have to search through thousands of photos posted on movable boards to find your boarding or dining photo. All photos are online to browse and can be downloaded directly onto your smart phone. Also, its Internet packages were much less expensive than the average of other ships. My cabin was huge and contained a 42-inch television set. After the mandatory safety drill, I attended a briefing on what to expect in Havana regarding customs and money exchange, enjoyed the production show in the theater plus two comedy shows in the comedy club, and explored the ship in the evening.



At the Havana briefing, we were told what to expect as we debarked the ship in the terminal building: two to three minutes per person going through Immigration and Customs (bring passport, ship card, and Cuba visa that was provided by Carnival); then possibly a health check whereby one is scanned for possible fever to keep illnesses such as the Zika virus out of the country (however, we were not scanned); currency exchange booths to get CUC (pronounced KOOK), which is Cuban tourist currency, for dollars. The value is supposedly one to one, but there is a 10 per cent tax and a $3 fee, so we would get 87 CUC per $100. Cubans do not use this currency—they use Cuban pesos. We were also advised to bring bottled water, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, camera, and snacks.



We sailed overnight and docked in Havana, Cuba, on Friday morning around 10:30 after a scenic entrance through Havana Bay, with the Malecon seawall, the old 16^th century fortress, and colorful buildings of Havana on the right and the lighthouse, two picturesque forts, and Christ statue on the left. More about them later. My first tour was scheduled for 11:30 a.m., so I was among the first off the ship, went through Cuban Customs with ease, exchanged money, and waited in the newly built, spacious terminal for the tour bus and our guide Alex. Today’s tour was called “Explore the Countryside: Las Terrazas” and would consist of seven hours of unique, fascinating Cuban culture and countryside.



We were welcomed back to 1959 as we set off into the lush Cuban rural areas. We observed that tractors, horse-drawn wagons, semi-trucks, classic cars, motorcycles, and hitchhikers all share the highway. Hitchhiking is the most common means of travel to and from Havana and the non-urban areas because only about 3 per cent of Cubans own cars and public transportation is a catastrophe. If a bus breaks down, third-party businesses must purchase the parts in America and then ship them to a third country to import them to Cuba. This results in many buses being sidelined, with repair parts coming late or not at all. So, Cubans will hitch a ride on anything that moves, or they can stand at botellas (hitching spots), where government workers are assigned to decide who gets to ride in any vehicles that stop. All government-owned vehicles, identified by a blue stripe on their license plates, must stop for hitchhikers.



After about 45 minutes we arrived at the UNESCO-recognized biosphere, Las Terrazas, in the Sierra del Rosario Mountains. A biosphere is defined as where living organisms exist together with their environment. The mountains had become barren due to logging by Spanish conquistadors, destroyed by coffee plantations or ripped up by hurricanes. In 1968 President Fidel Castro forged his idea of a “green revolution” by terracing and reforesting the mountains with seven million native hardwoods, including cedar, mahogany, four species of pine, ebony, and hibiscus. By doing so, he would improve the lives of the poverty-ridden people in remote rural mountains. The project took two thousand locals three years to complete, and one thousand locals stayed afterward to form the community called Las Terrazas. The park is sometimes called a mini-Yosemite because of its limestone outcrops and gorgeous lakes and waterfalls.



After meeting our local tour guide who gave a brief talk on the area, enjoying a “Cuba Libre” cocktail, and using the facilities, we set forth to explore life in the scenic little community. The toilets required paying a lady attendant the equivalent of 50 cents, for which you received 4 squares of toilet paper. However, this toll assured clean toilets because the attendant cleaned the toilet bowl and seat after EVERY person. The fee also assured that there would be seats on the toilets; most public toilets did not have seats.



Our first visit was to a local artist, Ariel Gato Miranda, who paints beautiful, colorful images of Cuba on recycled paper made from discarded office and school paper, flower petals, bamboo, and banana leaves using dyes from beetroot, tobacco, saffron, and bamboo. I purchased two lithographs for 15 CUC ($15) total. On one of them, the artist said he used fifty different colors. I also purchased a colorful necklace made of recycled magazines for $1.



We then stopped into an open-air coffeeshop for some of what is considered by most to be the best coffee in all of Cuba, perhaps the world, and made directly from the mountains, Maria’s Coffee. While sipping our tiny espresso cups of coffee with shots of rum if desired (I had a Cortadito - espresso with chocolate and cream), one of the two local doctors, Dr. Corrovado, spoke to us about Cuba’s famous healthcare system. Here are some take-aways from the presentation and Q & A.



1. The Cuban healthcare system, borne out of its socialist ideology, regards both education and healthcare as fundamental rights of its citizens. It focuses heavily on a preventative approach to medicine and offers free of charge the simplest check-up to the most complex surgery. Dental care, most medicines and even home visits from doctors are all covered by the system.

2. There are 86,000 doctors in Cuba--8 doctors per 1,000 people--receiving paltry salaries; doctors earn about $30 a month minimum, more if they are specialists.



3. There are two doctors available to the 1,000 residents of Las Terrazas, and they are available 24/7, as are a nurse, two dentists, pharmacy, and lab. Dr. Corrovado knows every person by name, whether they exercise, even what they eat because he can see their trash bins! This close relationship makes it easier to practice preventive medicine. Our tour guide later remarked that the free education system allows Cubans to go to school and get as much education as they want, so they opt to become doctors, who are the most respected profession; however, there are strict entrance exams to medical school.



4. The government gains about $8 billion annually because of its overseas medical missions to countries like Venezuela, Brazil, and Algeria. Many doctors choose to participate in these missions, as the salaries they receive are remarkably better (even though the Cuban government receives about a third of it).



5. The healthcare infrastructure in Cuba requires serious attention. Some of the clinics and hospitals in operation are in dire need of repairs. So too is the urgent need of more modern medical equipment and stable electricity and water. Medical equipment and repair parts must come from as far as China instead of a neighboring country (like the US) because of the trade embargo placed on Cuba by the US.



6. The doctor didn’t tell us this, but one of our tour guides told us that it is not unusual for doctors to supplement their incomes by working in the tourist industry where they can get tips: restaurants, tour guides, taxi drivers. They can make much more in tips than their doctor salary. Also, we were told that “doctor-trafficking”, or overseas medical missions, were the Cuban government’s biggest source of income. Tourism is second.



Following our coffee break, we toured the lakeside home and museum of popular Cuban country music singer and songwriter Polo Montanez.



The route back to our ship took us through “modern” (1959) neighborhoods as well as Old Havana, past Central Park, Revolution Square, the capitol building, (modeled after the US capitol, but a meter taller, statue of Abraham Lincoln, Prado Promenade with many of the over-900 historical and architecturally-significant buildings in need of repair, and a section of the old city wall designed to defend against pirates and foreign armies. Built between 1674 and 1840 after the French burned the city to the ground, the wall was 1.5 meters thick and ten meters tall.



There were not many ship activities scheduled in the evening, as most people either struck out on their own to explore Havana or took organized tours to performances at the famous Tropicana Nightclub or the notorious Hotel Nacional, once controlled (before Castro’s revolution) by the American mafia and their Cuban underlings. I attended a lecture called “Sugar, Rum, and Cigars” where I learned the phrase "Asi es Cuba," which means "the Cuban way." Another Cuban saying is that there are no problems, just situations, and if you have a situation, drink a mojito. The speaker, noted author and adventurer Heidi Siefkas, shared information and tips about the three products of Cuba that most visitors want to take home: coffee, rum, and cigars.



Because the ship was scheduled to leave Havana around noon the next day, all the tours began very early. I was in the terminal by 6:45 a.m. to begin “A Morning in Old Havana” tour to explore the history, culture, and beauty of the UNESCO world heritage site that is Old Havana.



Our guide, Israel, led the walking tour through part of this 16^th century section of the city. (By the way, both guides, yesterday and today, spoke perfect English.) The heart of Havana is Habana Vieja, or Old Havana, which was founded in 1519 by the Spanish and is architecturally unlike any other Caribbean city. The predominant architecture in Old Havana is an eclectic mix of Cuban Baroque, Neoclassical, and Moorish influences from their Spanish heritage. Old Havana was built around four main plazas, each with its unique character and harm.



We began with the plaza of the basilica and monastery of St. Francis of Assisi, Plaza de San Francisco de Asis, whose construction began in 1580 to create a home and headquarters for the Franciscan community. While under British rule in the late 1700’s, it was used as a church, but under Spanish rule and until today, it was used for concerts because of the excellent acoustics. Women in colorful native costumes wandered about the plaza, offering a kiss and a photo for one CUC.



Within a few blocks of St. Francis Plaza is the oldest square, constructed in the mid-1500’s, Plaza Vieja. It is one of the first areas of Havana to undergo renovation, returning it to its original cobbled condition with a marble fountain and several sculptures surrounded by historic mansions, where aristocrats would stand on their balconies and watch the slave trade, cock fights, bullfights, processions, executions, and fiestas below in the cobblestone plaza. Architectural traits of these lavish mansions and villas on the plaza as well as those found along the narrow streets of the rest of charming, alluring Old Havana include gorgeous colorful windows, elaborate balconies, shutters for privacy and ventilation, and brightly colored hues of pastels. However, over two-thirds of Old Havana is in desperate need of renovation but sadly lacking the funds. Our guide said that 25 per cent of tourism income goes toward restoration of Old Havana’s architectural past.



Two sculptures and a marble water fountain on Plaza Vieja are worth mentioning.

--A 33-foot tall flower sculpture created of Cuban marble, called “Natura.”

--A marble water fountain is enclosed within a high fence to prevent the stealing of water, which is scarce and often available only in the early morning hours. Most Cubans collect rainwater on their roofs.

--A famous and unique 7-foot bronze sculpture, mysterious in its meaning, of a nude woman wearing stilettos and carrying a huge fork, riding a huge rooster or “cock.” Some say it represents a woman prostituting herself to an American man (the cock) to get money for food. In the 1950’s prostitution was rampant; however, the Castro regime put an end to prostitution.



We walked down narrow cobblestone streets, not knowing whether to look up, to the side, or down to appreciate our surroundings until we reached our destination, the Danza Teatro Retazos, a contemporary dance theater, where we toured the art gallery in the lobby before watching “Crisalida”, a mesmerizing contemporary dance incorporating ballet, pantomime, and Afro-Cuban movements.



A short bus ride then led us to Revolution Square. Encompassing 11 acres, it is one of the largest city squares in the world. Huge rallies have been held in the square when the Castro brothers and two popes each addressed over a million Cubans. The square is dominated to the north by the Jose Marti Memorial, a 109-meter tall tower built from gray granite stones. The plaza is surrounded by grey administrative buildings housing offices of Cuba’s vast governmental bureaucracy. On the façade of the Interior Ministry is arguably one of the most iconic images in Cuba, a giant steel sculpture of Cuba’s revolutionary hero, the Argentinian Marxist Che Guevara, who served as Castro’s right-hand man from1954 until his death in 1967. Below his image is his most famous utterance molded in his own handwriting, “Hasta La Victoria Siempre,” which means “Ever onward to victory!” In 2009, Che’s mural gained a companion on the adjacent Telecommunications Building with the words “Va Bien, Fidel” (It’s going well, Fidel”) emblazoned below a portrait of Camilo Cienfuegos, a key military figure with Che Guevara and Castro in the 1959 revolution. Cienfuegos used to say these words often to Castro in times of distress. Cienfuegos died in 1959 when his plane disappeared.



Oh, yes, the vintage cars! New cars are difficult to acquire in Cuba due to the trade embargo, Cuba’s lack of an auto industry, and low wages. Consequently, Cubans have bee forced to use some creativity to keep old American cars from the 1950’s up and running. They have become an emblematic image of Cuba, giving the sensation of traveling back in time. Many of the vehicles have been repainted and fixed with spare parts from other cars so many times they have become unrecognizable.



We wound our way along the Malecon, a seawall and esplanade about five miles long. It is a hub of activity day and night and is affectionately called El grand sofa, or “the big sofa” by locals who go there to fish, talk politics, neck, dance, drink, sell cheap cigars to tourists, or just while away the hours. Across the street are an array of vivid colors on the rows of 19^th century and early 20^th century balconied buildings that line the Malecon, culminating in the first of Havana’s three massive fortifications, Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the oldest fortification in the Americas, built in the mid-1500s.



A short drive across the bay brought us to the other two massive fortresses guarding Havana Bay, built in the late 16^th century and the middle 18th century because the first one, Castillo Fuerza, was too distant from the mouth of the harbor to serve effectively as a defensive bulwark. The most prominent is the Castillo El Morro, built by slaves along the steep, rocky cliffs at the entrance to the bay. The walls are ten feet thick with large canons facing the bay. A still-functioning lighthouse was added in 1844. The stronghold withstood endless attacks by pirates and a lengthy siege by the British in 1762. We entered the castle via a drawbridge over a moat and explored inside. Several lookout points gave sweeping views of Havana and a stellar view of the bay. The third fortress, La Cabana, is set back from El Morro and served as Che Guevara’s headquarters during the revolution. We had about thirty minutes to shop for local, handmade souvenirs along the shops set up on the castle grounds. In addition to the hand-carved cars, dishes, and trinket boxes, creative locals crochet ring-pulls from beer and soda (“Tukola” is the Cuban version of Coca Cola) cans into stylish metallic handbags. I bought two for 20 CUC.



Our next visit was to a large sculpture representing Jesus of Nazareth on a hilltop overlooking the bay with a panoramic view, called Cristo de la Habana, or Christ of Havana. Commissioned by dictator Batista’s wife, it is the work of a Cuban sculptor who carved it in Italy in the 1950s out of Carrara marble. It is 66 feet high, weighs 320 tons, and was shipped to Havana from Italy in 67 pieces after being personally blessed by Pope Pius XII. Locals can see it from any part of the city, and some have suggested that the statue looks as if a cigar is being held in the right hand and a mojito in the left, honoring popular Cuban culture!



Our final stop was at the outdoor Missile Crisis Park, a unique piece of history. It is here where many of the actual missiles and armaments that created the rift between Cuba and the U.S. that still exists today have been turned into an outdoor exhibit. In October of 1962 Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev ordered a clandestine installation of 36 nuclear missiles in Cuba that had a range of 1,300 miles. These were detected by U.S. spy aircraft, leading to the downing of a U.S. recon plane, a high seas standoff between President Kennedy and Khrushchev, and the ensuing embargo of U.S. shipments of goods to Cuba that still exists today. The park has the real hardware—actual planes, anti-aircraft guns, and missiles—no replicas. Because of the resulting embargo, the Cuban Missile Crisis shaped life in today’s Cuba more than anything that preceded it.



We (and nearly everyone else from the ship) made it back to the ship just before noon, but it took almost an hour to get everyone through ship security and back onto the ship, so we didn’t shove off until after 1 p.m. I attended another fascinating lecture by Heidi Siefkas, called “Demystifying Cuba.” She taught us another uniquely-Cuban Spanish greeting, "Hola, hola, que bola?" which basically means, “Hi, what’s up?” She answered the questions most tourists have, including

--Why all the crumbling buildings? Main reasons: (1) humidity, sea salt, and storms; (2) Paint is in short supply because it must be shipped thousands of miles from the countries that don’t observe the U.S. embargo, such as China. There are no Home Depots or Lowe’s; (3) families barely have enough money for food; paint is a luxury. As more tourists visit, more buildings can be restored.

--What is the political future? There is a general optimism, especially among the young people, that relations with the U.S. will someday be restored and that policy reforms and liberalization will occur. Russian has been replaced by English as the preferred foreign language taught in schools. A newly-elected president and a new constitution have opened the country’s judicial system and opportunities for foreign investment. There is some creeping capitalism, too! In 1990 only one per cent of businesses were privately owned; today, about 26 per cent, resulting in competition. Heavy taxes are still paid, but a business owner can make up to $500 per month rather than the $20-25 he or she gets from the government. There is still no freedom of speech, however, as chivatos, or “informants” throughout the country have the secret police on speed dial. You can trust the tour guides, though, in the confines and privacy of the tour buses. Ours told us, “What you hear on the bus, stays on the bus.”

--How can we help the people? (1) By nullifying the embargo, though that is not likely with the current majority in Congress. (2) Open relations between the two countries again. (3) Share our experiences with everyone and tell them Cuba is safe, beautiful, fascinating, and friendly.



The final day of the cruise was a fun day at sea: late breakfast, shopping onboard, art auction, two group trivial pursuit games, the production show, and three comedy shows. The food aboard the Paradise was only average, but my favorite meal was the Cuban dinner: Caribbean pepper pot soup, shrimp and calamari fritters, jerked chicken, jerked pork loin, rice and kidney beans, and fried plantains.



Debarkation in Tampa the next morning was slow, as there was a one-hour wait in line for U.S. Customs, which was understaffed but took great pains to assure that no one was returning to the U.S. with more than a liter of rum, two bags of coffee, or 100 cigars.



Some politicians insist that traveling to Cuba does nothing more than prop up the Communist government with tourist dollars. But to most of the rest of the world, Cuba is just another country, and visiting it doesn’t imply a breach of ethics any more than visiting the other Communist countries in the world such as China. In addition, Cuba’s unique history has left it somewhat paralyzed in time and a unique and extraordinary experience for any visitor. The restrictions our government puts on visiting Cuba makes it an even more unusual experience; however, every person's experience is personal, and expectations play a big role in perspective.





One of the main reasons I love traveling so much is it allows me to learn about the world in a way that is deep, meaningful, and personal. Time and time again my travels have taught me that the best classroom in the world is truly the world. If only I could get the same feeling and depth of knowledge out of textbooks or Netflix documentaries, my bank account would be a lot fuller! I have also found there is no better way to understand a place's culture or history than by touring with a local. Perhaps as traveler we will never fully be able to comprehend the destinations we visit, but to see a place through the eyes of a local and not just the lens of a tourist can at least get us a more profound understanding. Of course, my visit To Cuba was too short. I didn't even scratch the surface, but it left me wanting more. If you'd like more interesting facts about Cuba, go to https://www.divergenttravelers.com/interesting-facts-about-cuba/.

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Photos

Havana and the Malecon
Buses are awaiting the tourists.