We had only been back in Canada, from the Mediterranean for a couple of weeks when we met with some friends who told us they were going back to Cuba for 2 weeks in early December, 2018. A quick look at the cost of the trip and we were asking Chris and Gordon Green if they would mind if we came along.
Flew out of Vancouver at 0630 and landed at the Juan Gualberto Gomez airport in Varadero at 1645 local time. Spent a few minutes at the money exchange to get Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUCs - monuments on the bills) which are the currency used by foreign visitors. Cubans use a different peso (CUP – people faces on the bills) that has a value of about 1/25th of a CUC.
As the CUC is linked to the US dollar, we had taken some greenbacks to exchange but we were charged 13% on the dollar (all currencies have a 3% exchange fee). Canadian dollars did not fare any better but Canadian money is preferred as there are no American banks in Cuba. But Canadian coins (loonies and toonies) are not useful for the locals as they have nowhere to change them into bills.
At the airport, caught our bus (made in China) and made the 90-minute trip to Memories – Jibacoa, our all-inclusive resort. An easy check-in and then down to our room that fronted onto the Straits of Florida. Saw a coconut crab walk into the swimming pool as we went by. Very odd and could make swimming more exciting than usual - decided that skinny dipping was out.
Over the next 2 weeks, we snorkeled 6 times on the very nice reef in front of the resort. Healthy coral and tons of fish including 2 lion fish that are very dangerous and are fish that are not supposed to be in the Caribbean. We would have done more snorkeling and perhaps some scuba diving but we had several storms that made the ocean inaccessible. The storms also brought Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish in close to shore. Jeannie got a partial sting on her chin, one place where our protective suits did not cover. She was fine within a day but we did see one woman who had a horrible sting on her left arm and she required medical attention.
Lots of activities at the resort for those that wanted to participate. Everything from the daily Spanish lessons to beach volleyball and a few weekly special events as well as nightly entertainment. Some had told us that the food in Cuba was very bland but we found the food at the resort to be quite flavourful.
We were able to arrange 2 birding trips. There are about 25 birds that are found only in Cuba (endemics) and we were fortunate enough to get photographs of 7 of them (not all of publishing quality) including the national bird: the Cuban Trogon. We did see a Bee Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world but it was too far away for a good photo. Jim did get some good shots of the Cuban Pygmy Owl, Green-backed Woodpecker, Cuban Blackbird, and the very cute Cuban Tody.
Click thru the 5 vertical images below to see those beautiful birds.
Over the 2 weeks, we saw 58 different species of bird. One of the trips was organized before we left Canada and we organized the second one after meeting some other birders at the resort.
We hired a guide and driver for a day trip into Varadero, a common tourist destination about a 70-minute trip from Jibicoa. Away from the resort, you can see how poor many people are in Cuba - lots of people walking and on bicycles. On the nearly empty highways, it was common to see horses, horses pulling carts and oxen pulling carts. The Cubans are the ultimate recyclers.
Of note to potential visitors is the issue of getting money from ATMs. Any U.S. based credit card will not work. Our friends had one of their Canadian cards declined and received a text message that they had to call the fraud line to verify they were in Cuba. Unfortunately, you cannot phone any 800 or 888 number from Cuba. Best to let your credit card carrier know you will be in Cuba before you leave Canada.
A day trip into Havana (La Habana to the Cubans), was a 2-hour trip from Jibicoa. Our driver, Brayled, was excellent and took us to a number of locations through the day. Our first stop was a fort built in 1500 to protect the harbor. We watched a cruise ship come in with a load of tourists from the U.S. on an “educational” tour - the only way they can visit Cuba. Before reaching the fort, we had driven passed a park displaying the wreckage of the American plane shot down during the Cuban Missile Crisis - there is a museum in Havana dedicated to the Revolution which we missed.
We drove through the 'suburb' of Miramar where the wealthy Americans lived prior to the Revolution. Many of those large houses are now foreign embassies, headquarters for foreign investors or used by multiple families.
We visited a neighborhood (Fusterland) where a local artist, Jose Fuster, has transformed a small fishing village into a tourist destination by creating fantastic structures that are a combination of Gaudi (of Barcelona fame) and Picasso. Very successful exhibit given the number of people we saw.
Drove by several squares where there were monuments and statues to the heroes of the Revolution. There are still many signs and billboards that refer to the Revolution.
Being a Communist country, the government of Cuba owns just about everything but we could see areas where private enterprise in being encouraged. Restaurants, taxis and some stores are now privately owned but pay a portion (10%) of their profits to the government. There is still a long way to go economically to get to a level that we would commonly see in Canada. Almost everything is imported so stores are often sold out of some products and for 2 weeks Jim was unable to buy some AA batteries.
School and medical services are fully funded by the government (school uniforms are provided). Two years of military service is required for all males and females are required to provide “service to the community” in a variety of ways. Currently, Cuba sends doctors to Venezuela in return for oil but we were told that doctors no longer want to go to Venezuela due to the violence there.
After lunch, we visiting an urban park which looked like a set from Avatar (Almendares Park aka “lungs of the city”). We were interested to note that 2019 will be the 500th anniversary of the Spanish founding of Havana. Makes Canada’s 150 years as a country look pretty puny.
We finished off our tour of Havana by doing a walking tour of 4 plazas, where the major shopping areas are in the city. La Habana Vieja (Old Havana) is a World Heritage site with it's colonial buildings. The Spanish influence is seen in the churches and open squares.
Alas, our 2 weeks did pass and we used our last morning for some yoga and water exercises (Jeannie) and a walk on the beach (Jim) before finishing our packing. We ate lunch at the beach cafe and said goodbye to our new friends before catching our 1400 bus back to the airport. Back to Vancouver late Friday and then took the ferry to the Island on Saturday.
What’s with all the wind and rain in Victoria!!! Where can we go that is sunny, warm and dry? I know, why don’t we go to Africa!