Guided tours of Cuba. Cuba. Useful tips - Traveler's page - LiveJournal. Banks, money, exchange offices

Maybe this will happen when a bee hummingbird flies out of a bougainvillea bush in front of your face, which, it turns out, buzzes in flight, but more quietly and lower than a bumblebee. Or when your companions laugh when they notice that the local policeman is showing off dust on a motorcycle, wearing boots with spurs. Or you will suddenly experience a surge of respect for a peasant, in 30-degree heat, slurping strong rum from a tetra-pack without a snack. But most likely, the shock will overtake you when you realize that local beach the same piercing white and unrealistically blue as in the advertisement of the famous candy bar, but much more beautiful and completely real.

It is very likely that enlightenment will visit you in Havana - an amazing city, the Paris of the Caribbean, or even the whole Latin America, the place where, as the classic wrote, old light truly encounters the New. Here everyone dances and sings, spends time in seething idleness, kindly pesters tourists and generally has fun in every possible way. But the fun here is thickly mixed with sadness, and not at all because of one of the largest cemeteries in the world, where visitors are admitted for five dollars and where you can wander among kilometers of marble angels of fine, feather-to-feather work.

Havana is dying. It was destroyed by the communists. Despite all the artistry of previous dictators, and what kind of dictators, it is enough to say that Batista, who was driven out by Fidel, twice - suddenly! — won first prize in the national lottery, the capital of Cuba prospered. Next to the colonial palaces and cathedrals of carved stone, blocks of villas and mansions were built, first in the Art Nouveau style, then in the Constructivist style. Havana architects were leading in America, and world stars built here all the time. And so, having dispersed the owners, the new regime called on fellow Shvonders and Sharikovs, who came to the city to strengthen the ranks of the Cuban bureaucracy. All vacated living space turned into communal apartments. Songs in the toilet and defecation in the jacuzzi have been going on for 55 years, and since everything around is folk, that is, no one’s, no one is renovating the houses. The effect is difficult to describe, but it is unlikely that American bombers would have worked better.

However, the half-corpse remained charming. The Cuban polygraph polygraph is not in every way similar to ours: he doesn’t get rowdy when he’s drunk, although drinking a liter of 40-degree alcohol is commonplace for a local man, he knows how to fiery salsa dance and sincerely respects the police. In the creepiest area of ​​Old Havana, you are practically in no danger. Of course, they will try to scam you out of some little thing or sell you a fake cigar (take it only from the factory, sir, the co-owner of the casa particular, the private household where we were staying, told me, and he was right), but once they are convinced that you are not interested, they will unhook you, By wishing them a very sincere good day, Cubans can teach Indians a wise attitude towards life.

“If in one of the local drinking establishments you hang a sign: “Ernest Hemingway has never been here, never drank an evening mojito or a morning daiquiri here, and never said a word about fishing!”, it will be the most original establishment in the city.”

If you don’t like magnificent decay mixed with cheerful poverty, stay in the area of ​​the three central squares: Cathedral, Armaments and Old - they and a couple of pedestrian streets between them have been beautifully renovated according to UNESCO programs. Here, not only is there no stucco on your head, but it is also truly comfortable, although noisy - boutiques where they sell for convertible pesos (currency for foreigners, equivalent to the dollar), public catering of various formats and countless folk music orchestras. In each of the bars they will tell you that Al Capone liked to have a glass here and Hemingway sat, smile and wave in response: Al was never in Cuba at all, and if in one of the local drinking establishments you hang a sign with the inscription in several languages ​​“Ernest Hemingway never We haven’t been here, never drank an evening mojito or a morning daiquiri here, and didn’t say a word about fishing!”, this will be the most original establishment in the city.

In any case, remember: you need to be more careful with local cocktails. They are, of course, tasty and easy to drink, except, oddly enough, for the too-sweet cube libre, which here is mixed not with imperialist American swill, but with ideologically correct and too sugary Chu-Cola. If the drink is not made in front of you, it will be twice as strong as a Moscow double portion.

Having noticed that...the eleventh mojito or daiquiri was unnecessary, arrange one of the most pleasant sobering sessions in the world: order for $60 a ride in one of the old American convertibles that stand in the center at numerous taxi exchanges. Take your time - choose the monster with the biggest fins and the most acidic colors, and after a two-hour trip, which most likely starts from the Malecon, you, of course, will not sober up, but the intoxication will move to a higher level. It’s enough to say just one thing about old cars in Cuba: these retro cars are not just an attraction for tourists. Somewhere in the provinces you will see for yourself how the owner is carrying hay from the hayfield in some shark-shaped 1956 Oldsmobile. In terms of numbers, only the old “kopeck” ships compete with these ships, and the Cubans are very upset when they learn that spare parts for them are no longer available even in Russia.

For walking, in addition to the old center, there is also the Havana Island, which can be reached through a road tunnel or on a rusty steamboat. There is an old Spanish fortress here, where there is a museum of the Caribbean crisis with a replica of the Soviet Buran missile and the museum-apartment of the handsome Che Guevara, who personally shot enemies of the revolution here. By the way, there are a lot of museums in Havana, and they show various curiosities like a real nickel-plated shower, which is already 300 years old (Museum of Plantation Culture), but they work in a constant and strict siesta. At nine in the evening, in the fortress, like in Peter and Paul Fortress, an ancient cannon fires and the locals gather to scream, dance, pick up a girl.

“Big-eyed Cubans will assure you that the local roads are terrible and the traffic is monstrous... These assurances can cause nothing but laughter among the residents of Russia.”

By the way, everything is fine here with sex tourism: the local meager wages and food on ration cards make people more flexible. If you come with your family and stay in a private house (cheaper and better than a hotel, a four-bedroom villa in good area with a garden, a swimming pool and breakfast will cost $300 per day - Google it, this is a widespread local business), they will not bother you, but if you are in a male company, expect evening visits from fat women who laugh. Well, or languid chicos, if you are homosexual. However, the stories about the legendary Cuban beauties are only partly true: Creole women are really beautiful, but the number of white Cubans is relatively small, and women with an admixture of African blood are too corpulent and short-legged for northern tastes. Real beauties can be seen on the stages of cabarets and nightclubs, for example, the legendary Tropicana, preserved by the communists, but that is a completely different story.

However, Havana is not the only pearl of the largest Caribbean island, 55 years ago it was the most fashionable resort. Rent a car with or without a driver from Rex - this is not product placement, this is the only company that has branches throughout the island, buy some maps and hit the road: whether east or west, there is something to see everywhere. By the way, big-eyed Cubans will assure you that the local roads are terrible and the traffic is monstrous... These assurances can cause nothing but laughter among the residents of Russia. The only horror on the local highways is the price at which they will fix your broken car: local mechanics, with good reason, are confident that they are the best in the world, and value their services accordingly. Although, if you are impressionable, there is another unpleasant moment - once colored posters with Fidel, his brother Raul and all his accomplices, devoured by the tropical sun to an azure color.

So, in short, the length of the article does not allow me to confess my love to Cuba to the extent that I would like. If you are an amateur beach holiday, you are in Varadero, not the city of the same name, but a beach settlement, where locals are allowed only with documents if they work there. All include any degree of stardom, hotels, hotels, hotels... I would like to call this long spit of Sochi, but around the Caribbean, so the comparison will not be in favor of the capital of the Olympics. Trinidad de Cuba is a local analogue of Suzdal, where time stood still 300 years ago, UNESCO restoration, an ancient gingerbread town. Las Tunas is a city of sculptures, corrupt love and folk festivals, next to it are the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. Benales, aka Viñales (depending on the origin of the guide - a descendant of the Spanish colonists will remember that in native language there is no “v” sound, the Negro will not mind pronouncing “v”). Fantastic valley separated from the ocean mountain range, a lush tropical kingdom with cave-studded mountains. The luxury of greenery here is comparable only to Jamaica, but the local residents, when they are reminded that neighboring island the most big number acclimatized cultivated plants in the world, grin and answer: “But we are the only island in the world where the mango tree reproduces itself, without the participation of human hands" Matanzas is the musical capital of Cuba, that is, if not the world, then certainly Latin America. Santiago de Cuba - there are fewer police forces than in the capital, several tens of kilometers by water to Jamaica, according to many, the most fun place on the island, and not only because there is a characteristic sweet smoke in the air. The list could go on for a long time, but it’s better to take a direct flight from Moscow to Havana and see for yourself.

Oh, and when you fly back, don't forget to leave 25 convertible pesos in your pocket. You can’t fly out of the socialist paradise for free - the airport tax is charged only in local currency, and you obviously won’t like standing in line at the exchange office, where a leisurely Cuban bureaucrat works.

Dmitry Sukhodolsky

Visa
For Russian citizens tourist trips for stays of less than a month, a visa to Cuba is not required. There is no need to book accommodation in advance. Many tourists (including us), when planning a trip to Cuba, do not bother with accommodation in advance, but look for it on the spot. Luckily there are plenty of options.

Housing
There are hotels in Cuba high level, but there are not so many of them. Most hotels are state-owned and of a very average level. In addition, many of the international booking systems we are used to (like Booking.com) do not operate in Cuba. That is why an excellent alternative to hotels is private accommodation - casa particulares. Housing in Cuba is available for rent everywhere. This is allowed by the state, it is official, citizens pay taxes on this. Accommodation in a casa particulares is, firstly, much cheaper than in a hotel (35 euros per day in Havana and 20-25 euros per day in provincial cities), secondly, the level is sometimes not inferior to most hotels, and thirdly, you will get a much better feel for the country and the Cuban flavor - you will live in colonial houses, communicate with Cubans, the hosts will prepare a delicious breakfast for you. Many cash desks are essentially private hotels. Here are some photos of the casa particulares where we stayed along the route.

Now a little more about where we lived on this trip.
Havana. Casa Elena. We found this cash register through the Vinsky forum. The house is rented out by a Russian woman, Elena, who has been living in Cuba since 1980. A nice, quiet area of ​​Vedado (I would recommend staying there, and not in the stuffy and bustling Old Havana). Besides, Havana was our first city in Cuba, and it was nice to stay with someone who speaks the same language. Elena gave a lot of useful advice and told a lot of interesting things about Cuba - this made it possible to “get used to” an unfamiliar country much faster. Here is her address and phone number:
Paceo entre 19 y 21 # 457 altos, Vedado
(+53) 7831 8146 (home).

Trinidad. The second home city was Trinidad. We decided to stay outside the bustle of the city, by the sea, in the village of La Boca, which is 5 kilometers from the city center. In La Boca, housing is rented everywhere, all houses are approximately the same level. Come into any house, look and choose. No problem.

Camagüey. This city is located in the depths of Cuba, far from the sea, so it makes sense to stay in the city center. We stayed at Los Vitrales, a huge, painstakingly restored colonial house with wide arches, high ceilings and lots of antiques. Its owner is Rafael Requejo, an architect by profession, and you can feel it. This casa is among those recommended by the Lonely Planet guide to Cuba. The second night at the architect's, all the rooms were reserved in advance by tourists, and we lived across the street - with his son, also an architect.

Santiago de Cuba. In this second largest city in the country, we decided to again use the recommendations of the guidebook and, for good luck, came to Casa Colonial Maruchi. Very interesting chic colonial house. Unfortunately, everything was occupied there for two days out of the three we needed, but the owner called a neighbor who also rents out housing - and we stayed with him. The house is a little simpler than Casa Colonial Maruchi, but also very old and cozy.

Money
Contrary to initial perceptions, socialist Cuba is not the most cheap country for tourists. Prices are approximately European. Here's the thing. The Cubans themselves generally do not live well, and prices for them are pitiful. BUT! The country officially has two currencies - two pesos: one local (national peso), and the other for foreigners (convertible peso) or abbreviated CUC (Cook). The cook is 24 times more expensive than the national peso and approximately equal to the euro. Foreigners pay in convertible pesos everywhere (hotels, cash desks, tourist transport, cafes, excursions, taxis, shops)… On the one hand, we didn’t save, but in principle we didn’t waste too much. And taking into account accommodation and everything, on average per day it came out to about 100 CUC (or 100 euros) for two. A standard dinner in a restaurant, for example, costs 25-35 CUC for two, well, in some places a little more. It is also useful to change national, non-convertible pesos a little - but they can only be used to pay in the market and in public (non-tourist) transport

Movement
Between the cities of Cuba we traveled by intercity regular buses. The country has developed bus services between all major cities, several companies operate, but most foreign tourists in Cuba use Viazul buses. This is the only one bus company in Cuba, which has its own website on the Internet (http://www.viazul.com/) and where you can purchase tickets for any routes around the country in advance, paying for them online with a card, thus clearly planning your trip in advance. The buses are good, all pre-paid flights went without problems, clearly and on time. And we made the way back from the farthest end of Cuba to Havana local airlines- no problems: normal flight, except for some flight delays.

For those who drive, a great way to travel around the country is to rent a car. Roads in Cuba are generally quite good. For relatively short out-of-town trips, it is convenient to take a taxi. Taxi drivers charge tourists in convertible pesos and three high, but you can and should bargain hard with them. They are significantly lower in price (the normal rate is 0.5 CUC for each kilometer of travel or a little cheaper). Another interesting way to move around cities is a collective taxi (“Collectivo”). These are, as a rule, old, old American cars that ply along the main city streets, like minibus. A collective taxi has a full cabin of people and you can pay in it not only in Kuk, but also in local, national, money. Towards the end of the trip, in Santiago de Cuba, we had already become so comfortable that we began to travel on local regular buses - a very colorful form of transport: inside the bus, for example, some grandfather can easily carry a chicken in a bag per hour - peak, and the young people in the next seat on a Saturday morning drink rum from their throats, smoke through the open window and call the local “chick”. :)))

Perhaps the most exotic type of transport is passenger trucks (old, old American or our Zilas) that terribly stink of soot and diesel fuel, where people travel in open or closed bodies. Like herrings in a barrel. But we still haven’t touched this marvelous exoticism - maybe in vain? :))

Internet
The Internet in the country is worth its weight in gold, so lovers of all kinds of nanotechnology will be clearly disappointed. Most Cubans do not have the Internet, and if they do have a network, it is a very slow modem - like we had about 15 years ago. As a rule, in any, even the most big city, the Internet is only available in special post offices - but even there there are only two or three computers that are always busy.

Get ready, Cuba!
I have heard from many tourists and from guidebooks about how many swindlers and scammers there are in Cuba who profit from tourists. In principle, this is true - in Cuba you really need to be careful - there are plenty of street harassers and dealers everywhere who either sell you something, or offer excursions, or accommodation (and keep a percentage for themselves), or taxis, in the hope of getting the coveted convertible pesos. Sometimes they just pester you like cockroaches! Foreign tourist here it is, first of all, a bag of money, so foreigners are pestered very actively - but all these businessmen must be firmly and quite harshly put in their place. At first it’s unpleasant, but over time you get used to it, you get used to it, and it becomes part of the national flavor for you (at the end of the trip I got quite comfortable with it and everywhere used to these pesters some wonderful, rolling expressions of the native Russian language specially created for such cases - the exact essence The punks, of course, did not understand these expressions, but they convey the essence and emotional coloring of the message wonderfully!). Well, in general (not counting similar harassment) - the people in Cuba are kind, good and positive. A little bit of accuracy, a little bit of toughness with whoever you need to, bargain everywhere, and in general a more positive attitude towards people - and everything will be okay!

Perhaps the only force majeure that happened to us in Cuba happened immediately upon arrival - my suitcase disappeared. As it turned out later, local baggage handlers mistakenly added it to the luggage of others right from the baggage claim belt. Russian tourists(who flew to Cuba for a month and were carrying 9 suitcases of luggage). Our tourists did not notice the “extra weight” at the airport and only found the extra suitcase when they checked into the ticket office. However, we must give credit to the guys, they immediately called me and brought the missing suitcase the next morning. So all the problems in Cuba are being successfully resolved. :)

How did we prepare for this trip?
My wife and I initially planned this trip purely on our own - without any guides or travel agencies. We bought tickets six months before departure, read two guidebooks two months before departure, and sketched out a rough travel plan day by day (that’s when we decided to travel the entire country from west to east by bus in 12 days, and return back by local lines by plane). Two weeks before departure, I bought all the tickets for intercity buses Viazul and local return flight Santiago de Cuba - Havana. And housing was decided on the spot.

Have a nice trip to everyone - to Cuba and beyond! And - as usual, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have! :)

 

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