Piña colada, Trinidad
Santa Clara street salsa
Trinidad old timer
Viñales tobacco farm
Santa Clara home stay
According to the tour leader on our Cuban adventure, there’s a list of five things you simply have to do when you visit:
1- drink Cuban rum
Now that one wasn’t tricky. Everywhere you go, rum cocktails are the first thing you find on the menu. Whether it’s a Cuba Libre, a mojito, piña colada or one of the many other rum based cocktails, it’s hard not to drink the rum! The best thing about the piña coladas was that a lot of places gave you the bottle of rum to add your own measure…¡perdido!
2- smoke a Cuban cigar
The second day of our tour, in Viñales, included a 3-hour hike around a tobacco farm, while a local tour guide talked us through the process of tobacco growing, cigar production and trees (he either had a fascinating knowledge of nature or he was making stuff up!) During the tour you got to watch a local roll a cigar, which was then passed around the group for everyone to sample and purchase. As a lifelong non-smoker I went for the wimps version of a quick pose for a picture and passed it on.
3- stay in a casa particulares
Done! Thoroughly recommend this as the best and cheapest way to experience real life Cuba. See my post “Mi casa es su casa” for more on this.
4- learn to dance salsa
In Viñales we visited the local dance club, casa de musica, where I witnessed salsa dancing like I’ve never seen it before. Everyone’s face showed how much they were enjoying the live music, the dancing and probably the rum! In Jibacoa I found the courage (well enough drinks) to get up and ask people to teach me to dance. In my head I was semi-professional standard! In Santa Clara, we saw locals dancing in the street on a balmy Sunday afternoon to the sounds of a live band, big crowds soon gathered to watch causing traffic to drive around the group. In Trinidad we had an hour long lesson with a teacher who had the patience of a saint. It isn’t difficult really you just have to count to three, wiggle a lot and spin when someone pushes you round, easy! The hardest part is trying not to get tangled and fall.
5- drive in a vintage Old Timer
Everywhere you go in Cuba, you’ll be astounded by the sight of big 1950s American cars still running around the often narrow streets. Some in better state of repair than others, but all lovingly maintained by their owner none the less. In Havana I walked along the Malecon towards the Hotel Nacionale and on my arrival I was met by a series of bright pink and blue Cadillac’s, I could definitely have been in old time Florida.
Cuba really is like no place I’ve ever been. I just hope it doesn’t change too much too quickly once the American ferries start to sail in…
Nic x
Travelling Cola 