The Cuban rhythm of life, an internal beat fed by the musical beats of son and the continuous swaying of hips, gets into your soul. Havana thrives off this distinctly Cuban beat.
It’s a sound, a movement and a feeling without which you can’t understand the country or it’s people.
Cuba may be considered off the beaten path, especially for most Americans, but Havana has over two million inhabitants making it worth a visit, especially if you can get beyond the tourist area and into the heart of Havana.
Most tourists arrive to a beautiful tourist terminal and are whisked away to glossy boutique hotels and restaurants in the old section of town, Habana Vieja.
Along the way, visitors may not notice the rundown once glamorous homes that line each avenue or the ragged children playing baseball with small sticks and bottle caps. If they do, this image of Havana is quickly replaced with perfectly painted colorful homes, stores full of “authentic” Cuban souvenirs, streets lined with iconic American cars and fantastic food. On their stay these tourists may visit one of the many museums, take in the ballet, enjoy a street performance, or wander around the perfectly landscaped streets of Habana Vieja, only leaving this haven to visit other historic sites while traveling in the comfort of a private cab or a coco taxi, all while spending the government designated tourist currency.
This is not the beat of Cuba. This is not the heart of Havana.
What these tourists are experiencing is a fabricated Cuba, artfully designed for their enjoyment and pleasure. What they are missing is the authentic raw in your face Cuba, the spirit of a people who have prevailed through imperialism, the harshest economic blockade for over 50 years, not to mention numerous hurricanes and near starvation after the fall of the Soviet Union. It’s this spirit that makes Cuba a fascinating place, not the landscaped avenues of Habana Vieja.
The real Havana is not glamorous by any standards. The city is littered with once stunning mansions now turned to into tenement houses with their crumbled balconies held up by discarded lumber and once beautifully painted facades chipping away in the sunlight. Neighborhoods are dotted with old movie theaters hiding tattered seats and curtains, and streets with cars that when you look closely, have been haphazardly rebuilt with whatever parts or makeshift parts are available.
Living in Cuba for five months gave me the inside view of Cuban life and culture. With a residency card I lived among the residents of Havana, shopped in their same stores, and wandered along the same streets. Despite its outward appearance, Havana is thriving.
If you were to walk down the street with you eyes closed you would be bombarded with sounds of radio, drums, trumpets, voices singing and talking, the smell of the salty ocean breeze, simmering black beans and fresh fruit. Take it in for a moment and you would quickly find yourself walking to a different beat. With your eyes closed, you could easily mistake the city for paradise, not a dilapidated rundown place.
It’s this sense of Havana that most tourists miss, they only see the outward beauty of the rehabilitated homes and buildings and the carefully rehearsed tourism dance that Cuba plays, they miss the authentic Havana beat.
Having lived there I fell in love with the daily beat, the never ending music and laughter, and the inner strength of Cuban people. My favorite experiences were the unexpected invite into a house, the taste of fresh ice cream in a crowded sweltering room full of boisterous families, the impromptu salsa dance with a stranger in the middle of the street as an old radio played from a nearby living room, the continual excitement of not knowing what you would find in a shop, and the pleasure of taking a cool dip in the ocean.
This is the Havana tourists don’t see, the one that is only a few blocks off the beaten path, that will really make you fall in love with city.
Looking to visit Cuba? What about island hopping on a Caribbean cruise? Check out CruiseLineFans, a cruise community with the latest news, updates and user written reviews.
How fabulous that you lived in Cuba for 5 months!!! I was only there for 8 days, but could have easily stayed longer. One of my most favorite destinations.
Where did you get to visit?
I’ve heard this before about travel to Cuba – having never been there myself I can’t say I “know” or “understand” what you’re saying for a fact but it doesn’t surprise me. I think this happens in many countries that have problems (well, what country doesn’t have problems?) If you stay on the tourist trail, you won’t see what really happens in a country. Yesterday we were talking to our guide in Mendoza on a wine tour. He was telling us about all the things about Argentina that aren’t very good, like kids with guns in schools and the cocaine problem, poverty, etc. These things are there but as tourists we can easily choose to ignore them. I think manufactured experiences are very much a reality in many countries, particularly communist ones like China, North Korea – tourists only get to really know a country if they look beyond the “sights.”
Ah, ps. – forgot to say that I think it’s wonderful that you found a positive side to what I was just saying – that the spirit of the people despite the country’s problems invigorated you. I would love to see Cuba this way if we ever get to visit.
Andrea you bring up a good point. This is NOT a unique issue to Cuba, I think we all would be hard pressed to find a country that lacks some manufactured experiences (even Disney is guilty!). One could definitely say that about my current city, Washington, DC. There are hundreds of great sites to see but you would be ignoring the ‘real’ DC is all you did was see those and move on.
While for some not being faced with the sometimes harsh realities of daily life somewhere sounds like the perfect trip. I (and I assume you) am not on that boat. For me its the daily life and how people handle it is really what makes the world an interesting place.
I hope you get to go!
Great story! I’m really hoping to go to Cuba later this year. 🙂
Let us know how it is!
How fun to live in Cuba and see how real Cubans live, not just the tourist side of it. Most of the people I know that have gone hardly left their resorts, which seems like a shame. Canadians love Cuba!
We met a few Canadians who had been there, all said glowing things, but alas few had left the resorts. We did meet one intrepid pair that had hitchhiked across the country, which from all accounts is the best and only way to do it!
Hitchhiking is the way! People do it all the time!
Sometimes it is hard to get people to stop if you look like a tourist, as they can be fined.
like andrea said, i was thinking this isnt just a cuba problem. but i guess maybe its hard to get off the beaten trail here because of the whole resident card?
like you did here, i often find the best experiences away from the “tourist trail”.
we both really want to go to cuba one day, and will be sure to try and get amongst it. very jealous of your 5 month stay there!
The residency card does help. Although many places wouldn’t allow me to use it and insisted that I pay the tourist price for things.
There are still ways to get off the path. For example, through the government there are small houses that people basically rent out rooms. This is a great way. While it is regulated and they tend to be nicer accommodations than most Cubans have, you get the chance to stay with a family and can interact as much or as little as you want. Usually, they will cook you food and help organize a “friend” to take you on a tour. While its still technically set up as a tourist activity, the families can help give insight on daily life and some of their experiences. They are usually excited to have you and learn about you, your house, etc…I highly recommend staying at Casas Particulares if you go vs hotels.
It’s so strange to see posts about Cuba – since Americans can’t go there. We never talk about it, it’s like it’s forgotten.
I know. It is almost forgotten in the U.S. travel community, but it is possible and legal for Americans to go through certain programs (ie. humanitarian, education, etc…) I can’t wait for restrictions to be lifted though so we can travel freely!
Cuba is one of the less-exposed countries in terms of traveling. I’ve read posts in people’s blog about India, Peru, Tanzania, etc. But Cuba? I got to say, this is the first. An interesting country to visit.
Thanks! It’s definitely one of the less-exposed countries. Hopefully as things improve between the US and Cuba we’ll be able to write more!