Monday (Day 4) – Miramar
Santeria
The day before, someone in our group noticed that many Cubans were walking around wearing all-white clothing, and asked Monica about it. She said people who were preparing to enter the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria had rules to follow, including all-white dress for a year, among other things. Our first stop on Monday was to learn about Santeria. We saw shrines and artwork in this area. (I didn’t film or photograph the interior.)
Santa Cana Studio
Next, we drove through Miramar for a bonus stop not on the itinerary: a visit to an independent artist’s studio, called the Santa Cana, near Playa del Este (Eastern beach of Havana). The artist’s name is Beatriz Sala, and she converted this house into a studio! It was breathtaking and meticulously designed.
She was preparing to exhibit at shows in Tennessee, Key West, and one other U.S. location that I can’t recall. I can’t imagine what she has to go through for Customs when traveling outside of Cuba with her art, but she’s a pro!
Fusterlandia
The artwork of Jose Fuster moves throughout his neighborhood! We walked around freely for about 30 minutes or so, capturing what we could of his unique handiwork here, and within the neighborhood.
(I left the sticker on purpose)
Lunch at Vistamar
For lunch, we went to Vistamar along the waterfront. We were served with generous portions of croquettes and other appetizers, a butternut squash soup or Seviches (I had the former). For my our meal, we chose pollo, cerdo or pes (fish).
Angeles del Futuro
Our heartstrings didn’t stand a chance at the Cuban acrobatics school Angeles del Futuro, run by a man named Keeko. We watched 10 children aged 10 to 13 do amazing feats. These kids come from not-the-best of family environments and circumstances, so their performances were extra inspiring. Keeko said they practice for 3 hours a day after school.
(By the way, children in Cuba attend school for free throughout the island, including college, which they call University. Each afternoon, students get a break for 90 minutes at lunchtime to go home, and then they return for 2 more hours of school each afternoon.)
My sister and I shot video of each entire performance. Here are two from my sister on Instagram:
- https://www.instagram.com/p/CbRKWIDDr8G9SPubqziqACiK0f3mSMatJE_od80/
- https://www.instagram.com/tv/CbRKBazjmkphLc13R9vE4hfoDVIRMSbwg17Hl00/
Most of their parents were in the audience and weren’t scared of their children getting harmed since they have been practicing for a long time, but we (on the tour) were in awe and somewhat nervous.
COVID Test & Status on the Island
There was conflicting information about the status of COVID in Cuba. Before we arrived, the STEP website said there was a travel advisory of Level 4 – Do Not Travel. (Almost every country had this status, actually.) However, Monica told us that the island is 90% vaccinated. Everywhere we went, we saw people with masks, even outside in the humid heat. The only time Cubans weren’t wearing masks is when they were talking to someone or eating, and even then, you could see their masks pulled down under their chins temporarily.
The trip paperwork explained that we had to have a PCR COVID tests 3 days before arrival and departure. But in actuality, we each went to the casa dining room, took a rapid antigen test, and tested negative.
I have 5 names, but the official mistakenly missed one of them when she filled out the certificate. To avoid any hassles, I asked her to correct it. She had to call someone to get permission, since each certificate has to be accounted for, and she had already listed a particular code number for me. But after a few minutes, she got the okay and filled out a new certificate. I’m called an “eagle-eye” for a reason!
Classic Car “Musical Chairs”
After a break, we all came back together for a final farewell dinner (except for the two who rode with us from the airport on day 1, because they go to bed early).
We rode in style, all taking turns riding in 4 different classic taxis as we stopped in different points, including a parking lot near government buildings, and John Lennon park.
Final Farewell Dinner
Our classic car ride ended in front of the restaurant for our fine farewell. Dinner started with a round of mojitos and a lesson about making cigars.
Next, we ordered our food, and the owner, a very tall Olympian, greeted us with a little speech (he spoke English very well).
A group called La Tradicional provided entertainment with their music and dancing. I was summoned to dance once again, wearing flip flops! But I got hearty applause.
We rounded out the night with a lesson about how to smoke your cigar with various flavorings such as dark chocolate, and a friendly debate about which rum was better: Havana Club or the rum from Santiago, Cuba. (Most Cubans that were present liked both, but voted for the latter.)
We got back around 11 pm, and I remembered to finally get a picture with Monica. She went above and beyond for each of our needs, and I can’t express enough how wonderful and knowledgeable she is!
best tour guide ever!
Tuesday (Day 5) – Departure
This was our travel day back home. Friendly Planet booked the flights for me and my sister to leave at 5:45 pm, so we had most of the day to ourselves. I was able to say goodbye to some of the others from our group as they left. My sister wanted to rest, so besides lunch, we stayed in our room until the taxi came to pick us up.
We planned to have one last meal at Michifu, but they were closed. I noticed a sign directly across the street for a cafeteria. The man who greeted us knew English, so I was able to order our food without any miscommunication. I got the arroz amarillo (yellow rice), perritos (hot dogs) and ensalada (salad).
Airport and Customs
I won’t go into a lot of detail about the happenings at the airport, but a few things of note:
- At Customs, neither of the people guarding the entryway knew English. Only when I showed my Cuban VISA did they allow us through.
- We had TSA Precheck and Global Entry, but neither was recognized there, so we had to remove our shoes, etc. after passing Customs.
- We were grateful to get 30 minutes of free, reliable WiFi after being without it all week. All I had to do was enter my passport number on the main airport website. We couldn’t wait to get to our next airport (in Miami) so we could use our phones’ data normally.
- We were at the airport 3 hours early, and there were only 2 places that were open near our gate to get food. My sister wanted a drink, so I waited in a very long line (where the card machine wasn’t working properly) to get her a small box of juice.
- The toilets throughout the airport had no seats. If you can’t squat, you’re falling in.
Takeaways/Summary
My trip to Havana was life-changing. It really made me reflect on the things we’re taught about other cultures, as well as my American privilege.
This 5-day trip is the shortest trip that Friendly Planet offers at the time of this writing, and that includes a weekend, which is why my sister could come. Friendly Planet’s guides and itinerary were excellent, and they were flexible since a few of their former partners were still not open due to the pandemic. Monica was flexible based on what was open and available, and consistently gave us different things to see throughout the city, whether it was on the itinerary or not.
Culture:
- The spirit of the Cuban people is alive and well. Despite their continued oppression and struggle to survive, they are lovely and hospitable people.
- They teach English in school (which is completely free, including college, aka “University”), but they love when you indulge them and speak Spanish, enjoy their food, cigars and rum, and dance with them (which I did for 3 of the 4 days we traveled as a group).
History:
- Cuban people love and revere Fidel Castro to this day, which is the opposite of what I learned growing up.
- The history books in Cuba, just like in the U.S., don’t accurately teach the truth about the slavery of Africans how it really went down, including Christopher Columbus “discovering” Cuba and America.
Technology:
WiFi access is limited in Cuba. Their technology is behind, and most compatible with phones using 3G or lower. I’m so glad that I brought two phones because I ran out of space and couldn’t back up to my cloud with no internet.
Would I Return to Cuba?
YES! I am interested in visiting Santiago when foreigners are allowed to travel there (and not because their rum is better, lol). Currently, only the Havana airport is open for foreigners. Although, I could come back to Cuba and take a bus there—we saw some!
And I will most definitely travel with Friendly Planet again. I have many places I want to visit worldwide, but I think my next Latin trip will be somewhere in South America.
Vlog
Don’t miss the vlog with all the video I captured during this trip.
Vlog Timestamps (the bolded items apply to this blog for Days 4 and 5):
- Walking tour 00:41
- Farmer’s market 1:31
- Parade 2:13
- Salsa dancing lesson 3:36
- Ernest Hemingway monument 4:39
- Muraleando and rumba dancing 5:25
- La Hotel Nacionale 13:52
- Taxi ride 14:50
- Fusterlandia 17:57
- Angeles del Futuro 18:39
- Classic car rides 52:39
- Farewell and salsa dancing 1:00:39
