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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 30, 2017 1:27:42 GMT
There has been some discussion of traveling to Cuba on ones own, without going as part of a tour group, which I'll address from my experience of traveling to Havana in November of this year. Pick your time and get your ticket. That seems obvious, but those are considerations at any time and prime considerations if you are traveling with or meeting up with another person. It's not crucial, but arriving at the airport on the same day is a better intro to the trip, even if it involves one person waiting around. The waiting will seem easier if you keep in mind that the half-hour taxi ride into town is around 25 usd, so going into town and then returning to meet the other person would be quite pricey. Not only that, there can be surprise glitches that are better confronted as a team. Once you've got your ticket with the dates locked in, immediately start looking for lodging. No one needs to be told how to rent a hotel room, so we'll move directly to the "casa particular" aspect of Cuban accommodation. This is staying in a government-approved house or apartment, whether in a bedroom, as a house share, or renting an entire apartment or house. Before you check out what is available, do a little homework to see which part of town appeals to you. Google "best part of town to stay in Havana", then filter whatever you find through your own preferences. Many sites highly recommend Vedado because of "nightlife" and often make central Havana (Habana Centro) sound too dire. Others consider Old Havana (Habana Vieja) the only place to be. Because my traveling companion had visited Havana before, he was aware that much of what we'd want to see as tourists was quite walkable and that we'd be better off more in the middle, so we wound up in and were quite happy with Centro. travel.sygic.com/en/map/havana-printable-tourist-map-city:306Even though I hate the "just because" nature of some of Airbnb's charges, it can be a good place to start, especially if you prefer to do the transaction in English. One of the frustrations of looking for lodging in Havana is the long -- 24 hours or more -- wait to hear back from the housing sites. The reasons are twofold: 1) the sites are run by go-betweens who must contact the apartment owner to find out if it's available. They may have to do so physically or playing phone tag because 2) internet in Havana is abysmal. A further complication is that owners advertise on more than one site, so an apartment may be shown as available because the site doesn't get updated quickly enough. With Airbnb, at least you can slot in your dates to see if they're ostensibly available before starting the booking process. Start looking as soon as you possibly can. I just glanced at Airbnb, arbitrarily putting in March 1 - 15, 2018 as my dates, and it appears I could have anything I want right now. If you can get along in Spanish, there are many more sites. Here is one to give you an idea: www.alojamientoenlahabana.com I suggest putting in as few filters as possible unless you are paying at a level where you should legitimately expect many amenities. When you do have something picked out, closely study any pictures for clues and ask questions. For instance, a place with two or three bedrooms and a shared bathroom might be acceptable until you find out that bathroom is only accessible through the master bedroom. Also be aware that if you rent one bedroom in a multiple bedroom apartment, the owner might well rent out the other bedrooms to strangers with whom you'd share the living room, kitchen etc. How much does this cost? I'd say what we paid for our two apartments seems to be the average per diem, although a room in a guest house might be 10 CUC less. (1 CUC = 1 usd, so I will use the $ sign from here on in). Our first place was $70 a night, with supposedly two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The full bathroom was between the two bedrooms and the other "bathroom" was a dirty little hole of a half-bath. We found this one on the internet and I feel the landlord misrepresented things to both the go-between and us. The second place we found on our own through the simple expedient of ringing doorbells of houses sporting the official rental symbol. In short order we found ourselves the proud renters of a lovely place with everything we wanted for $60 a night, plus had some interesting encounters on the way to finding it. The official symbol:  We were not interested in a home stay, although many travelers are delighted with the experience. From everything I looked at while searching, every spectrum of homestay seems available, from being taken in as a member of the family to more of a boarding house or b&b situation. From photos on blogs, it seems that the breakfasts (usually around $5) are quite complete. We briefly had neighbors across the hall in our second apartment and it looked as though they were getting quite a spread. |
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 30, 2017 6:04:25 GMT
The first apartment where we stayed initially delighted us. The cost was supposed to be CUC 60 a night for the apartment, but it suddenly became CUC 70 due to "high season." The CUC (Cuban convertible peso) is on par with the US dollar, so the price in EUR was 59.00 or 90.00 in CAD. The apartment was lived in by the owner part of the time, so all of his things were lying around, some of which we would have preferred not to see, for example some underwear that was soaking in a bucket in the secondary bathroom. The apartment was superficially clean (sheets, towels, main bathroom), the floors had been cleaned, but anything hard to reach or not "necessary" to visitors was quite grubby. There were fans in all rooms and window air conditioners in the bedrooms. |
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Post by bjd on Nov 30, 2017 7:37:16 GMT
Thanks,Bixa. This is all very useful.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 30, 2017 15:00:30 GMT
Aah! Just everything I wanted to know. After seeing your apartment I am so proud of mine in the sense of what I am offering our guests expected for the Xmas holidays. I won't go into disinfectant details but they will find brand new soaps still in the wrapper, and by courtesy of Mecure - sealed toothbrushes and paste  , sealed shower caps, and most important, a welcome bottle of champagne in the fridge! Your summary and photos are of a great help for anyone else taking the plunge. Thanks so much. |
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 1, 2017 5:04:25 GMT
When we arrived at our first apartment, the owner told us that there was a slight problem. Since the apartment was on multiple listings, the last night that we had booked had been snatched away by Airbnb, and there was nothing that he could do about it. This would not be a problem, he said, because there was an identical apartment on the second floor of the same building. We would be moved there, and it would be cheaper -- CUC 60 instead of CUC 70.
However, this was beginning to seem a bit fishy and anyway we had pretty much decided that we wanted to prolong our stay in Havana rather than moving on to another city. Bixa called the owner, and the situation became even fishier. The apartment on the 2nd floor was not available after all, but he had found us another place just as good...
We decided to take our destiny into our own hands and started a door-to-door search for a new apartment in Habano Centro...
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Post by tod2 on Dec 1, 2017 5:13:47 GMT
You have my admiration. I don't think I would have been up to schlepping around knocking on doors. First decent hotel I saw would be just fine.
I find it quite an insult to one's intelligence that a "landlord" would attempt to try and con you. But I suppose with the way the system works, there could be some desperate person right behind you looking for accommodation so why should he worry if his method failed.
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Post by bjd on Dec 1, 2017 6:27:30 GMT
When you go individually to places that are more developed for the organized tour market, you have to be prepared to do more. My daughter told us that one evening around 11, they arrived back in Havana on a bus and didn't have a place to stay. Some of the passengers went with them knocking on doors until they found someone willing to rent them a room.
It's lucky Bixa speaks Spanish.
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 2, 2017 18:22:02 GMT
I would have been at a complete loss without Bixa. We pored over the guidebooks, which I figured was a total waste of time. There was a Rough Guide from 2009 in the apartment where we were, and I had the 2017 Routard French guide. They both suggested about 5 or 6 different places, perhaps two of which corresponded to our needs. What were the chances of lucking out with either of those? Exactly : 0% -- most of the telephone numbers were not even valid.
We had passed so many apartment signs on our treks between Habana Centro and Habana Veija that Bixa decided that we would just start ringing doorbells on one of the streets with the most signs. I can't say that I helped in the decision since I was completely useless in this endeavour, but I completely supported giving it a try. Most of these places are not on the internet (how could they be?), so we had absolutely nothing to lose.
Often there was nobody to answer the buzzer, but sometimes there was. Did they have or know of any complete apartments with 2 bedrooms? Usually not, but they were willing to ask other people in the neighbourhood. And so we went walking, following one person or another, seemingly at random, on our quest. We were not yet desperate, so it was quite enjoyable. No idea where we were going, but a conversation would ensue, no, sorry, but what about this other place? Finally, we ended up at this totally weird apartment full of people eating lunch. I wish I could have taken pictures. We were marched in -- nobody seemed to mind -- and taken up a flight of stairs that terrified Bixa, because the apartment was on two levels. The stairs were sort of like niches that had been carved into a cliff, because that was all the space they had to squeeze in some steps. We went up in almost total darkness because our guide could not find the light switch and the rooms were like being in a cave. People had been sleeping in the beds (who?). I think Bixa was told some story about a cousin who was in town but who was about to leave and god knows what all. All of the swarm of people in there would be gone by the next day if we took the apartment, even the white ghost woman who I am still not sure was really a woman. I kind of liked the place because it was so totally outlandish, and the price was right. I was ready to brace a chair against the door if necessary. However, for some reason Bixa felt that we should keep looking.
On our second foray, we left the apartment we were in and just turned the corner of the first side street. It didn't look like much, but there were apartment signs, and Bixa rang the first bell on the street. Nothing happened. But then she rang the second bell, which turned out to be the correct one, and a man looked out at us from his balcony. He said he would be right down. And so we met Armando. Perhaps Bixa will chime in to tell you a bit more about him.
A bit later, I have very many photos to show.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 2, 2017 20:03:09 GMT
Thanks so much, Bjd and Tod. I hope anyone reading this will ask any questions that occur to you. We're not operating on vast experience, but did learn quite a bit.  they will find brand new soaps still in the wrapper, and by courtesy of Mecure - sealed toothbrushes and paste -- Tod, once we got to the 2nd apartment, we'd learned enough about the general shortages not to be surprised that once again we got used soap. That was okay for the sinks, but we bought (after a search) a bar of soap & cut it in half so we'd each have soap in our showers. It was even more of a search to find dish detergent & I never managed to find a sponge. What did we get in the 2nd place? Well, it was spotless, there was a washing machine, dishes and cutlery, a frying pan and a pressure cooker, an aluminum thing to boil water and a Neapolitan coffee pot. I lost track of how many times the sheets got changed, but it was a bunch.However, this was beginning to seem a bit fishy and anyway we had pretty much decided that we wanted to prolong our stay in Havana rather than moving on to another city. Bixa called the owner, and the situation became even fishier. The apartment on the 2nd floor was not available after all, but he had found us another place just as good... The first owner was a scam artist, but we'd intuited that on the first night, so never paid for the time he'd sneakily planned to be moving us around. Don't let this experience put anyone off from using the various sites (all are go-betweens) to find a place in Havana. It's not the fault of the go-between that this particular owner wasn't honorable. In fact, I recommend the site we used: www.casasdealquilerencuba.com
Really, the whole thing worked out to our advantage in terms of putting a roof over our heads while we decided on what to do, plus threw us onto our own resources, which turned out to be illuminating, fun, and paid off nicely.
Backing up a little bit, I'd like to point out that the death stairs were tiled with slippery tiles meant for walls and my traveling companion wasn't any more thrilled than I with having to climb them, but manned up about it -- something I didn't feel the need to do.
We'd actually talked to three women sitting on the stoop of death stairs house, since it displayed the rental symbol. Two were regular women and one was what Kerouac called the "white ghost woman". She really was trying to convey a vague sense of menace, which apparently worked on one of us. They called a teen-aged boy on a cell phone & the sweet kid came to take us around the block to where two old men were sitting in chairs on the street playing chess. After some discussion, we proceeded back to the same house. Apparently a cousin from Miami was staying there, but was leaving the next day. That's when we were ushered in through the whole good-natured family (except for menace woman), past some smoky cooking and up to the dark at the top of the stairs. Really, if it hadn't been for the stairs, the place would have been quite acceptable. But we were nowhere near desperation, so kept looking.
The next house was a painted island in an ocean of run-down ones. Regardless, the jerry-rigged electric doorbell was affixed on a piece of splintered wood. Kerouac was dubious, but since we'd already been shown that nothing was what it seemed, I went ahead and rang it.
An older couple looked out from an upper balcony and asked what we wanted. I yelled up that we wanted to rent an apartment. He gestured for us to wait, then came down all attired a la Fidel, the later years. (track suit). Ah yes, he had an apartment for us and what an apartment! He promised us panoramic views of Havana and of the sea.
Yes, yes, two bedrooms and two real bathrooms, yes a kitchen and living room. Naturally we reserved judgment, but followed him for blocks during which he repeatedly gestured toward a building that we thought "Surely not -- much too nice".
Finally he ushered us in through the rusty but supremely elegant art deco door, across a dirty but fancy floor, and into the retrofitted elevator up to the 10th floor.
Oh my word ~ it was everything he promised and more!
He'd called ahead to his older brother, who is the actual owner of the apartment and who popped out of a skinny door set into a wall. (more on that later) As that brother (Benitez) laboriously filled out then necessary paperwork, Armando regaled us with some history of the building (it was all for milionarios!) and of himself and his brother. They are bona fide heroes of the revolution, who entered with Fidel on two of the first columns to reach Havana in 1959. I was relaying this to Kerouac, who was murmuring in properly awed tones, "Living history! Living history!" Indeed they were, and Armando was a confirmed Fidelista: "Raul is President, but Fidel is everything!"
Enough anecdotes. I present to you Anyport's Caribbean Headquarters: 
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 2, 2017 20:59:47 GMT
The internet informs me that the Edificio America was built in 1941. It clearly is meant to be a small scale model of some of the architectural masterpieces of the same period in New York. Although the apartments have undergone numerous alterations over the years, it was indeed built as a residence for the wealthy since there appears to be a service apartment attached to each kitchen. (I saw this same system when visiting a similar apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil.) I think that there was originally one large bathroom which is now been split in two, and an open kitchen and bar has been installed in what was once perhaps the dining/living room. This is only speculation, but I would assume that meals were cooked and delivered from the servants' quarters in the past. It is also not impossible that the apartments were originally MUCH bigger and had already been pared down a bit even before the revolution. Armando told us that the millionarios had all fled these dwellings (or perhaps been tossed out) and that Fidel had distributed these and other apartments throughout the country to loyal soldiers and supporters. In any case, he (or brother Benitez) got one of the best ones at the very top of the building. Each bedroom had a full sized refrigerator for times when the apartment is shared by people who are not travelling together. And then there was the view... All this for CUC 60 a night. |
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Post by lagatta on Dec 3, 2017 0:35:54 GMT
I don't quite understand. Earlier on you showed us a place that looked far more dodgy; this looks rather nice.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 3, 2017 1:01:16 GMT
Um, you have to read the text above, LaGatta. Kerouac starts the explanation at #4, and it continues at #7 and #8. |
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 3, 2017 11:30:52 GMT
I am not at all a gourmet (is one supposed to say "foodie" in this century?), but the food aspect of Cuba did worry me a bit based on my experience from 20 years ago. Paladares (private restaurants) had just begun to be authorised back then, but most of them were still illegal and were located in private homes, serving perhaps a maximum of six people. I was not adventurous enough to try one back then, especially with my vocabulary of perhaps 30 Spanish words, most of which were not food related. So I was pretty much stuck to eating in the very fancy hotel where I was staying. Even there, the food was not great but at least there were no shortages, unlike what I saw in the streets of Havana, where places like bakeries would run out of bread for the day long before noon.
As it turned out, things have changed a lot... and yet not so much. (As we say in Thailand "same same, but different.")
On the positive side, most food in restaurants is very reasonably priced, which is what led us to test the restaurant of the Hotel Inglaterra, already mentioned by Bixa elsewhere.
I suppose the number of customers eating there should have been an indication of the quality.
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There were just two waiters, who spent most of their time chatting. Actually serving food was just an annoyance to them, and proper preparation seemed to be an annoyance to the kitchen staff. Too salty, overcooked, green beans out of a tin... to be charitable, I will say that the rice was all right. If there's one thing the Cubans know how to cook, it is rice.
Determined not to make the same mistake twice, I consulted my guidebook for recommendations for dinner. One place that received rave reviews was a Russian restaurant on the Malecón. It flew the Soviet (not Russian) flag and a greeter dressed like a Red Army soldier stood out front. We consulted the menu which seemed quite appealing. It was too early to eat, so we walked around a bit and returned at dinner time. And thus we discovered the amazing Nasdrovie. It was up three flights of dingy stairs, decorated with Soviet posters. Then we entered the restaurant, which was a total delight for the eyes.
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The service was impeccable, and the food was excellent. I think it will suffice for me to type the word "eggplant" for Bixa to start drooling, and that was just a starter. The outdoor terrace was more popular (smoking!), but we were quite happy to be indoors admiring the decor. There was even a selection of Soviet military caps and hats on a table for people to use for photographs. (No, we didn't!)
Perhaps we should have photographed the food, but we were too busy eating. Since I was too full for a dessert, I did take a picture of the one that Bixa ordered, though. And yes, I ate a bit.
s19.postimg.cc/dxhgrx083/Cuba_263.jpg |
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 3, 2017 11:37:07 GMT
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Post by onlyMark on Dec 3, 2017 12:21:38 GMT
Did the bars serve anything to eat?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2017 14:59:52 GMT
A good friend of ours visited Havana around the time of your first visit Kerouac.
He was thoroughly disappointed by the food.
I recall him saying that the rice (and beans if my memory serves me right) were the only thing he found consistently good.
It was a huge let down for him because he was really looking forward to it and he is likely one of the most adventurous diners that I know.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2017 18:19:50 GMT
I really admire your perseverance in doing all this. Kerouac, you, as you already have learned were fortunate to have had Bixa not just only with the language aspect but, her being so savvy, resourceful and enduring when it comes to situations such as these. The building that served as your second "home" so very much reminds me of the "old" Charity Hospital here in NOLA during better days. Excellent advice and a valuable resource for anyone making this trip on all counts. (the "soap museum" is positively disgusting, especially with that single strand of hair...ugh!!  But, I would kill for that tablecloth with the lemon motif!!!! ) |
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Post by mich64 on Dec 3, 2017 20:51:52 GMT
Quite an adventure you two took on! My respect to the efforts you took to explore accommodation options. Knowing how difficult it was to just sustain an internet connection at our resort (where they professed offering good internet service), I can imagine the difficulty for Cubans to advertise/promote their accommodations.
There was one couple who was reaching out to locals during our day trip off the resort. They set off that day on a jeep tour with a guide, while we took the bus tour option. When we met up with them later in the day they told us they met up with a Canadian who had connections with families who had renovated their homes to accept lodgers. He took them to one of them and they spent the afternoon on their roof which was converted to a deck/patio, they had drinks and listened to stories and promises of services for future visits. This Canadian seemed to be operating as an agent for this group of home owners and provided his contact information and encouraged them to share to anyone who wanted to experience something different than resort style on their holiday to Cuba.
It reminded me of years ago when planning holidays I would accept any resource anyone offered whether it be old phone books, maps, newspaper clippings, magazines etc. and then telephone possibilities to ask for brochures to be sent by mail.
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Post by amboseli on Dec 3, 2017 23:13:18 GMT
Food is the only item visitors seem to complain about. It comes back in every trip report I've read.
That will be hard for me, being a foodie (the word is still quite common in Belgium).
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 4, 2017 2:14:34 GMT
Did the bars serve anything to eat? No, nothing. Actually, in the Bar de Oro shown in the pictures, the style of service was to bring your bottle of beer, plunk it down on the unwiped table, and walk away. We did get good service in some places, but I wouldn't say it was the norm. A good friend of ours visited Havana around the time of your first visit Kerouac. He was thoroughly disappointed by the food. I believe since that time, more and more paladares (private restaurants) have opened, there is now a culture of good food. The trick is to find it. Food is the only item visitors seem to complain about. It comes back in every trip report I've read. That will be hard for me, being a foodie (the word is still quite common in Belgium). Amboseli, see my reply to Casimira above. While eating in the dreary Hotel Inglaterra, Kerouac's desperate guidebook search turned up the Soviet restaurant shown above, where we ate twice. I'd also read that Chinatown was a good place for "cheap lobster", which doesn't sound like a recommendation written by a person with a fine palate. Nevertheless, while in Chinatown we were convinced by the young lady buttonholing passers-by to look at a menu and we tried the restaurant she was promoting. The first time we went we had stellar lobster and yes, lots of it for an incredible price. Almost everywhere you go in Havana it seems someone is leaping out at you with a menu. One afternoon, starving from a forced march, we took the time to look at one menu presented near our apartment. The personable young man showing it to us said the restaurant was his family's. We wound up eating there twice as well, both times greatly satisfied. I think that place is called La Bonita and is on Galiano (aka Avenida Italia). Kerouac might have pictures. Here is my picture of the Chinese restaurant, but I'll bet Kerouac will have more. The place is tiny downstairs, but has a pleasant veranda out front and a banqueting room upstairs. It's on a pedestrian alley, so sitting outside is interesting as well.  |
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 4, 2017 2:20:59 GMT
I am going to go ahead & fling in my pictures of the Nasdrovie here as well. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 4, 2017 2:54:48 GMT
The first good place we found to eat was the recommendation of our nefarious first landlord, who did a good deed in steering us there, as it became our breakfast place. Even though I never want breakfast at home, I feel it's a practical way to start the day while on a trip, as it allows you to go longer without the distraction of having to seek food. You all don't need really need our help to find this place, as it's been heartily recommended all over the internet: Café Arcángel. It is truly charming, with not one, but two house cats -- one for the front & one for the back. It also features continually running silent films and tons of vintage decor. Here is the front section ~ |
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 4, 2017 6:33:14 GMT
Many of us find a visit to foreign supermarkets to be a joy. In Havana, it was a bit of a challenge, because you never knew what you might find. The products would change almost every day, and just because you saw something yesterday did not mean that you would ever see it again. This explained why we would see certain people buying 50 rolls of toilet paper or a bag of frozen chickens. You had to really scrutinize the shop windows to even find these places because there was no sign indicating them, and the windows were often dark and grimy, hiding the interior. We shopped at three different places on Galiano, to which we gave our own names. One was the "potato chip store" because it was the only one that had potato chips (imported from Spain, just like most canned or packaged goods). We also bought beer, water and soda there if they had it, which wasn't always the case. Then there was the "beer store" right across from Edificio America. It sold only liquids -- beer, water and soda. There was usually only one kind of beer available, and it was different every time we walked in. We were therefore able to test quite a few different beers during our stay. Besides Cuban beer, there was Mexican, Guatemalan, Dominican... and Belgian beer. It was always the same price -- CUC 1.10 for a 33cl bottle. That is definitely more expensive than in France and probably most other countries. Then there was the elusive "store that has everything" which several people told us about. The only problem was that we couldn't find it for a long time. We were continually intrigued by a sort of decrepit shopping mall called "La Epoca." Basically, it was a messy set of glass counters lining the wall to keep the paltry goods protected -- bars of soap, beauty cream, costume jewelry... There were some old escalators at the back which looked like they had been out of service for at least 30 years, rubber handrails flopping loose onto the steps, trash littering them. The elevator looked like it had been out of service even longer. There was a very popular set of narrow stairs which crowds of people pushed up and down since there appeared to be shops in the upper floors anyway. We probably would have investigated, but for once there was a helpful sign that indicated what shops could be located on the three floors above. Luckily, there was nothing of interest to us -- shoes, children's clothes and such. But then we saw that there was another set of stairs going to the basement. And thus we discovered "the store that has everything," which we quickly shortened to the "everything store" when making shopping plans. It did not have everything, far from it. However, it used the system that I have been in other excruciatingly poor countries of trying to keep the shelves filled at all costs. So an aisle could have the same bags of rice or pasta for the entire length, or more tins of preserved peppers or chorizo than you could eat in a lifetime. There was a small cheese counter with a few expensive and pathetic items, some frozen food cases, half of which were abandoned and the others with frozen chickens or chicken parts frozen into great blocks of ice. The dairy case had about 3 different kinds of yogurt, hundreds of the same ones over and over again. This supermarket was wildly popular and a total madhouse most of the time. There was a person to check your receipt and the contents of your bag was you exited the store, and sometimes a second check when leaving the building. Apparently, Cubans may sometimes forget to pay for all of their purchases. On the same basement floor, there was a second food store that sold only baked goods -- crackers, biscuits, breakfast cereals -- these were not sold in the main store. One thing in plentiful supply everywhere -- and also extremely cheap -- was rum, mostly Havana Club. We were obliged to test a few bottles. inside the everything store |
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 4, 2017 6:42:35 GMT
Fresh products were a different challenge, not just because of the questionable economic system but also as a consequence of Hurricane Irma, which had destroyed many crops. However, these products were much cheaper because they could be purchased in " moneda nacional" (CUP) rather than CUC. You just had to be on the lookout for what was being sold since there was no guarantee that the vendors would have what you wanted. |
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Post by bjd on Dec 4, 2017 6:50:02 GMT
That rather sounds like shopping life in the good old Soviet days. The occupied countries often had more things available than the USSR, but still people bought things when they were available and didn't take time to think about it. The Russians all had a bag called a sumka, (a just in case) they found something to buy.
So it sounds as though the combination of Soviet planning and US boycott have left their mark on Cuba.
Then again, Cuban stores probably look good to Venezuelans these days!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2017 12:51:14 GMT
Great pics good people.
I love the charm of your breakfast joint.
What are those melon looking produce? One cut in half on display. Melon or a type of squash?
And, I have been meaning to ask how was the rum? I know several people who have raved about it. (along with Cuban cigars of which I haven't heard any mention of, not that it's an item y'all would be seeking out ).
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 4, 2017 12:59:00 GMT
Your guess is as good as mine for that orange thing.
I think that Bixa and I will agree that the rum was excellent. In France, most of the domestic rums (from the West Indies or the Indian Ocean) are from 49 to 51% alcohol, which can make them a bit rough. Also they have a sort of sweetish taste that the Cuban rum did not have. The Cuban rum was the usual 40% (80 proof) so it didn't knock one out. We noticed that since rum was not 'rationed' there was a sort of 'anything goes' attitude to the amount they would put in cocktails. Some places didn't put too much and others doubled the dose. One place asked 'do you want me to add some more rum?' after our first sip.
Obviously, the aged rum was a bit more expensive albeit still cheap by our standards, but you could really taste the difference in quality.
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 4, 2017 13:02:39 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Dec 4, 2017 13:11:57 GMT
Now that is acceptable but I want to desperately be their interior decorator Jokes aside, they have done what I suppose I should do with our beach apartment - have all kinds of mismatched furniture that wont break my heart if the guests are a bit rough and ready and muck it up. But in this apartment you luckily found, I am sure the contents are what is available in a city like Havana that has been through the wringer and back. No Ikea stores to peruse - aren't we just so spoiled for choice. What I notice most is that is looks neat and clean - and that is the important thing. Old but clean is very acceptable to me. Well done you two - glad you stuck it out until you felt you could feel comfortable with your surroundings. |
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Post by lagatta on Dec 4, 2017 13:50:11 GMT
Did either of you take a bottle of good rum home? Or are you still there?
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