Isolation and Adaptation

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana
October 9th 2017

Published: October 18th 2017

Forgive Me, O Travel Gods, For I Have Sinned... ...I am traveling on a package tour. My first since I was a teenager. I realized early on that I preferred to make my own decisions and what to do and where to go, and that I liked figuring how to get around. My resolve to avoid package tourism was reinforced in 2014 when I took advantage of Incheon Airport’s free stopover tours of Seoul. I regr... Read Full Entry

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Siewch

About Me: I am a native of Singapore and a professional expat. Since leaving Singapore in 1994, my life journey has taken me first to Bangkok, then to Manchester UK, and then to the United States - starting with Los Angeles, then Honolulu, then Silver Spring, MD, and then back to Honolulu. I took some time off from work between July 2017 and March 2018 to travel and reflect (check out my Midlife Crisis Flashpacking series). I'm now back in the corporate world with a renewed attitude towards life and work. I plan to take another extended trip ... full info

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Old Square

Jeff trying to emulate the chicken. We called this the Big Hucking Chicken. Google the Burger King YouTube video if you want to know what I’m talking about.

Old Square

This caricature followed the

Old Havana

Nice doorway. Right after I took this photo, I noticed an old man snoring away just inside the house.

Lunch

Lobster, two huge clams, lots of shrimp, a fish fillet, and pasta... for $12!!!

Museum of the Revolution

I thought this was interesting. A tank pointing its turret at a section of the old town wall. I’m not even sure if the town wall should even have been there as its position was inconsistent with other parts of the town wall that I saw.

Museum of the Revolution

Stone figure used for target practice. I kept thinking about how rounds would ricochet from something like this. How many people got hurt from simple range practice, I wonder?

Museum of the Revolution

Depiction of the Granma, a yacht that ferried Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and other revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba. There was a reproduction of the Granma on the museum grounds, but it was barely visible, surrounded by glass with black overlay all around it. That kind of defeats the purpose of a display, doesn't it?

Museum of the Revolution

Tail of a US plane downed by Cuba.

Museum of the Revolution

Bullet holes in a truck used to smuggle combatants.

Classic Cars

In reality, only 15% of the car needs to be original to be considered classic. Many old cars have been overhauled inside. Regardless, the people who have kept these cars running deserve an award for sheer ingenuity.

Classic Cars

There are many Eastern European cars in Cuba. It is easier to maintain these cars as spare parts are more easily available.

Classic Cars

Taxi

One of the more interesting vehicles on Havana’s roads. These are used as taxis.

Classic Cars

19th October 2017

RENanDREW
Ren & Andrew

Colourful Cuba
Happy to see you travelling on an Intrepid trip :) It's a Melbourne company that's close to my heart as I used to know people who helped to set it up (although it's a much bigger International beast these days), they hire local guides and focus on local economies, and as you said, it's a company with a social conscience. Their Intrepid Foundation partners with fabulous grassroots organisations too. I checked out the People to People trip you are doing and I have to say it's a very different style to their usual trips...with everything being provided? I'm guessing it's because of the travel restrictions Americans face? The Grand Cuba trip we *nearly* booked with them was structured very differently. Lovely to hear that the food is good! Safe travels for the rest of the trip :)

19th October 2017

Siewch
Siewch

Too little free time...?
Interesting you should say this. Some of the people on the tour thought the program was packed (I have no reference point for what a “normal” tour program looks like). They theorized that it was because the burden was on Intrepid to properly document that we were indeed engaging in people-to-people activities and that we weren’t let loose on the streets to spread our capitalist ideas, or, worse still, turn into socialists.

19th October 2017

Janet
non-member comment

Thanks for sharing
Siew - thanks for sharing your perspective on Cuba. It's on my list, but highly unlikely place to go now that we have a little one. We left her with my parents for 10 days and think she forgot who we were. Super ?. Dearest, a free Inchon airport tour for stopover cannot be your comparison to group travel. Stopover and free says it all. Korea, (definitely Seoul) can't be seen in 9 hours. While I don't normally go on group travel either, I had great time with Rick Steves tours. Still buy his books when traveling to Europe. My highlight of traveling was my Central America tours with Gap Adventures. Was young enough to join the YOLO from 18-39 ages and went to Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala for 5 weeks. I suggest checking them out. Have a great time traveling!

21st October 2017

Siewch
Siewch

No YOLO For Me...
too old :-) Miss you lots. Give the little one a big kiss for me.

28th October 2017

alex waring
Alexander Waring

Cuba!
Well done on visiting Cuba! I totally understand the intrepidations you must have had about joining a package tour to visit, but if it's the only way of seeing the country up-close and in a family group, then it sounds like a good option. Your Havana photos are amazing! Looking forward to reading more :)

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