Thelma and Louise

Two batty old women in Cuba- that was my first thought for a title! And we hardly knew each other.. But all went well, we met some wonderful people, and saw Cuba before it changes. Can't wait to go back -who's coming next winter?

TAKING THE CASA ROUTE THROUGH CUBA.

If anyone had suggested, before I went to Cuba, that I would allow myself to be driven in an unlicensed taxi at midnight through the potholed streets of Havana, and then kiss the driver, I’d have said they were mad. But that’s exactly what I did!

Jill and I had met only a few weeks before, but we had thrown our lots in together for a three week discovery trip of Cuba, travelling independently, and trusting in some advance on-line research and Cuban hospitality to ease the way. Serendipity would take care of the rest. We hoped!

That’s how we ended up in that taxi. We’d just come out of the Gran Teatro in Havana, where we’d watched an excellent performance by the Cuban National Ballet -albeit with canned music and no scenery -supplies are hard to come by in Cuba. We had stayed on, chatting, so all the official taxis had disappeared and we found ourselves in the back seat of what appeared to be a Lada with a Skoda dashboard and a raucous Russian engine. Up a seedy back street, with no idea where we were, another man jumped into the front passenger seat, and we thought our end had come. Or at least, our wallets were going! But he was just taxi-hitching, and we reached our Casa safely. When the driver asked for a kiss in addition to his fare, I didn’t hesitate. I was just so relieved to be home!

You’ll do a lot of kissing in Cuba, especially if you take the Casa route. They’ll kiss you when you arrive,they kiss you at breakfast, they kiss you when you leave. Of course, if you’d rather kiss an IT technician from Montreal or a plumber from Wigan, stay at an all inclusive beach hotel. But if you want to meet Cubans, and really get close to the Cuban way of life, take the Casa route.

Casas, or Casas Particulares, to give them their full name, are Cuba’s equivalent of what we in the UK call Bed and Breakfast. Many do evening meals as well, of a far better quality than the state- run restaurants, and offer other services like laundry and taxis. And they are, of course, able to tell you of the best places to visit, the pitfalls to avoid and answer all those questions you’ve been dying to ask. Those that they are allowed to anyway -Big Brother is never very far away in Cuba.. Of course, it does help if you speak a little Spanish, but we found many Casas had at least one family member who spoke English, and often other languages too. You can book them on-line, but very few have their own Internet connection. Those that do, often act as “agents” for the others. Once you have your first few night’s booking, you are in the network and can relax. Your Casa hosts, after sitting down with you and discussing your plans and proposed itinerary (if you have one) will phone their friends at your next stop-over, who will be there to meet you at the bus station with your name on a placard. And so you get passed on, from Casa to Casa , and the kissing starts again.

In our Havana Casa we ate swordfish and danced salsa on our first night of arrival. In Vinales, deep amongst the tobacco plantations to the West, we sat on our rocking chairs on the porch, watching the neighbours riding by on horseback, while our host picked mint from his garden for our mojitos. In Cienfuegos, our taxi to the Casa turned out to be a man on a converted bicycle, complete with string to tie our luggage on, and a wobbly seat for us. But that Casa turned out to be the most glamorous of the trip, with our own private jetty over the sea, and dinner next to the pool in a garden lit by fairy lights.

Of course, not all Casas are perfect. In Trinidad we followed behind as our luggage was wheel-barrowed over the cobblestones to our next Casa. No kissing here -it was “Passports please!” and straight into the signing of the ledger, when I could have murdered a cold drink. Dinner on the roof terrace was served to us and fifty flies, some of whom had already met a sticky end on the fly-paper hanging in the adjacent kitchen. The final insult came next morning, when I awoke in my dingy room to find myself covered with red spots. Bed Bugs! We checked out rapidly and fled to the Casa owner recommended by our first hosts -who was full- but had a friend…..

And so we stayed 6 days in Trinidad, because we were just too happy to move. In our new Casa,our private upstairs accomodation had a bedroom with big brass beds, bathroom and separate living room. Downstairs, a stunning patio garden ,with potted ferns and a giant poinsettia which cascaded it’s red flowers over our breakfast table. So large was this patio, that we were able to secrete ourselves away in hidden corners (where there was always a bench or a hammock) whenever we felt the need to just relax and read.

Of course, we didn’t spend all our time in the Casas! There are delightful beaches in Cuba, with soft white sand and turquoise seas. You can lie under a shady tree on the beach while Cuban blackbirds whistle in the branches over your head. In the agricultural Vinales valley, there are caves to explore and horses to ride to the tobacco plantations. Not far from Cienfuegos we discovered an 11 acre Botanical Garden which is home to over 2000 species and a young English speaking guide with a degree in agroponics. From Trinidad, we visited a sugar plantation and hiked in the Escambray mountains, with a swim at a waterfall en route. You can book all these excursions easily from the Cubanacan or Infotur office you'll find in any town centre. Why pay extra for a hotel or tour operator to book it for you....? Of course, each town has attractions of it's own -museums, architecture, markets -not forgetting the Casa de la Musica where you can dance salsa every night!

Transport between the major towns is easy in Cuba. Viazul (similar to the National Express in the UK and Greyhound in the USA) run air-conditioned buses between all the major towns and cities and they have a web-site where you can book in advance. Even easier is to book a Transtur bus at a Cubanacan or Infotour office when you are there. These are slightly smaller, extremely modern Chinese- made buses - the fare costs a little more, but they do the journey quicker. Your Casa owner will help with booking both. You can travel from Havana right down to Santiago de Cuba at the other end of the island -but don't try to fit too much in -far better to relax and stay longer in fewer places.

Havana itself will keep you occupied for many days. For the tired of foot, there's even a Hop On Hop Off bus there now, which will take you around the main sights. Arm yourself with a good guide book and there's no need to be herded about in a group tour. And you'll meet some Cubans!

Because, now that my trip is over, it's the Cubans that I remember. Forget the scenery, the music, the rum, the old American cars -they are all wonderful, but it's the Cuban people themselves who are the country's best attraction. People like Luis in Vinales who works all hours as a chef at a local hotel and still comes home to cook for his guests with a BIG smile. People like Yoandy, the bici-taxi driver in Trinidad, who invited us to dinner at his home and served up a feast,in spite of having no running water in the house. And a lady in a tour office in Trinidad, whose name we never learned, who made multiple calls for us on her own mobile, and refused payment. And all the Casa owners who welcomed us into their homes and really made us feel like family. “Mi casa es su casa” -my house is your house – they really mean it.
So, do yourself a favour when you visit Cuba -don't book an all inclusive resort -take the Casa route!

Useful Information and Links.

Costs:
My three weeks expenditure in Cuba averaged £300 per week, including everything. Air fare was £500 -direct flight to Havana from London with Virgin Atlantic. Total:£1,400 plus travel insurance. (January 2011).

Web sites for research, booking, casa reviews etc:
www.cuba-junky.com
www.tripadvisor.com
www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum

Viazul Bus – www.viazul.com

Casas we stayed at and recommend:

La Casa de Ana, Calle 17 e/26 y 28, No 1422 Apt.1, Vedado 10400, La Habana.
Tel: +537- 8335128
E-mail: analinacuba@gmail.com
www.anahavana.com

La Casa de Mary, Calle 21 No. 1417, e/ 26 y 28, Vedado 10400, La Habana.
Tel: + 537-830-19-33
(Ana's sister -book through Ana)

Casa Ony y Luis. Cooperativa Manuel Fajardo s/n, Vinales, Pinar de Rio.
Tel: 0152-782997
Book through Francisco at www.villacristalcuba.com

Hostal Los Delfines. Calle 35 No 4 e/Ave 0 y Litoral, Punta Gorda, Cienfuegos,
Tel: +53-43-520458
E-mail: losdelfines35@yahoo.es
Eduardo & Magalis

Casa Santana. Maceo 425, e/Fco. J. Zerquera y Colon, Trinidad, Sancti Spiritus.
Tel: + 41- 994372
Julian & Isabel.
Book through Humberto e-mail: humberthostaltrinidad@yahoo.es
(Humberto & Magaly also have a great Casa!)

The one Casa we DON'T recommend: (well, you had to know!)
Hostal El Tayaba, Calle Juan Manuel Marquez, 70 e/Piro Guinart y Ciro Redondo, Trinidad.