Country Article / Postcards

Havana Survival Guide

Date: 01/30/2006

International Living Postcards-- your daily escape

Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006
Havana, Cuba

Dear International Living Reader,

Colorful and chaotic, Havana’s streets are an exuberant mix: children play with their dogs amidst the rubble lying piled in the road...strains of music--salsa, son, and meringue--filter out of doorways...the domino players under the Ceiba trees howl with mirth...while from the shade of crumbling colonial mansions, the city’s ubiquitous jineteros (hustlers) hiss to catch the attention of unsuspecting tourists.

Grand Old American cars--boats of tropical-colored steel--growl along the avenues, mostly serving as colectivos (similar to buses but stopping anywhere along their set routes). Large improvised buses called camellos (camels, for their two humps) pulled by truck engines roar around the city carrying as many as 400 sweaty passengers. A chaotic mixture of tourist taxis, two-seater bici-taxis, yellow scooter coco-taxis, improvised carts, and small Ladas ply the thoroughfares, and the stench of gasoline is strongest at the busiest intersections.

Most visitors travel in taxis. Car hire is expensive and the roads are not well sign-posted, while one-way streets make driving a challenge. Bici-taxis, coco-taxis, and colectivos are not supposed to take tourists, and they don’t, unless the police aren’t in sight...but the police are never far away in Havana.

As tourists are the only ready source of hard currency, jobs in the tourism industry are precious, and visitors are likely to be served drinks by trained lawyers and doctors. Even many of the jineteras (women who "go" with tourists) are university educated.

The historic old town, Habana Vieja (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), is the most popular barrio for visitors, and the finest example of Spanish colonial architecture in the Americas. Next to it is the neighborhood of Centro Habana, where the most important museums and architectural highlights are situated, including the Museo de la Revolucion (Museum of the Revolution) and El Capitolio, resembling the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

The presence of jineteros is most obvious in these barrios. Persistent and irritating, these young hustlers may offer to sell you cigars--which are always fakes--or act as your guide. They have countless sob stories to get naïve tourists into a bar where they receive commission. If you’re hungry, they will generally take you to a good paladar (a restaurant in someone’s home). Their commission is added to your bill but the price is reasonable anyway and the food generally good. It’s likely to be a place that’s not mentioned in the guides and has no sign, usually because they sell lobster and other dishes legally forbidden to paladares.

Casa Particulares are the most common form of accommodation and come in all shapes and sizes, from a shared room to an entire house. Those that are legal will have a blue triangle outside. There are countless casas operating illegally and they vary considerably in quality. Almost every Habañero can arrange accommodation but it’s invariably for commission...something they won’t reveal, so a $15 room becomes a $20 room (but you’ll never know). Finding your own accommodation and negotiating a little can save you money, but will take you a long time.

Hemingway's favored hangout, La Bodeguita del Medio, in Habana Vieja, is popular with tourists but it’s overpriced and unfriendly. The mojitos at the cheaper alternatives are just as good, and the experience more genuine. The historic Hotel Ingleterra near El Capitolio, is a great people-watching spot and a good place to pick up a copy of the communist daily Granma as a souvenir.

The combination of the U.S. blockade and a basket case economy means that what are simple tasks at home can be complex and exhausting in Havana. You’ll search long and hard for an ATM...and the one you eventually find (in the tourist areas) will probably have no money; when you find one that works, get a little more money than you need.

A torch can come in handy during the occasional power shortages, and shop shelves are not over burdened with goods, so items like painkillers, razors, and tampons are best brought from home. Keep valuables in your hand luggage when flying into and out of Jose Marti Airport, as petty theft from baggage is rife.

The five-mile seawall, malecón, is a popular place to sample Havana life. Musicians, revelers, and characters of all sorts gather here to stroll along the promenade in the face of a cool sea breeze, or simply sit and share a bottle of rum.

A city of charisma despite its hustlers, Havana is a sensual and fascinating experience, and though dilapidated and chaotic, it’s clean, safe, and vibrant. Every moment is a surprise, with the ingenuity of the people unceasingly impressive, as they move through their every life...to the pulsing rhythms of Cuba.

Eoin Bassett
For International Living

P.S. Cuba has two currencies: 1 convertible peso ($1.08) equals approximately 26 national pesos ($0.05). Most prices are quoted in convertible pesos, and it’s the goal of most Cubans to get you to part with them. You should keep a small amount of national pesos handy, for street food and other small purchases; it brings down costs and avoids the embarrassment of waving the equivalent of a Cuban’s monthly wage at someone for a slice of pizza. Booths around the city will exchange convertible pesos for national pesos. Exchanging U.S. dollars for convertible pesos is subject to a 10% charge; exchanging Canadian dollars, euro, and sterling attracts no surcharge.