TRAVELING IN CUBA
Last month I was lucky enough to travel to Cuba. It was an incredible experience and was entirely different than anywhere I have been before. I was invited to go with a foundation whose goal is to bring American Baseball to Cuba. I don't actually work with the foundation but a good family friend is on the board of directors and got to bring me and my mom along with her.
When I first found out I was going to Cuba I had absolutely no idea what to expect, after all travel there has only recently been opened up to US citizens so there's not a ton of travel tips and tourist information available yet. So if you're planning on traveling there or just want to know more about the country I wanted to share my experience, my photos and some travel tips with you!
After landing in Cuba we went from the airport to our hotel, Parque Central in Havana. Aptly named, it was right next to the Parque Central of Havana. It's a beautiful hotel in a really pretty part of the city. From there we went on a walking tour of Old Havana, where a lot of my photos were taken, and learned about the history of Cuba from our tour guide. After this we went to one of my favorite places we visited during our time there called Fabrica de Arte Cubano. It's a beautiful art gallery with a really big variety of different Cuban art by day, and by night it actually turns into a bar/nightclub where you can dance and drink all while being surrounded by this incredible art collection.
Day two was spent learning about the history of baseball in Cuba and the big role it has played in their culture over the years. We got to meet with some legendary people in the baseball world there, including a former baseball player who is actually in the Cuban, Mexican, and United States baseball hall of fames (the only person to be in all three!). Then on our third day we spent a day traveling to Cienfuegos and Matanzas, where we actually got to see a playoff baseball game (kind of like their version of our MLB World Series playoffs). Being outside of Havana and seeing what life was like in the more rural, and much less touristy parts of the country was a really cool experience!
As great as days two and three were, nothing could top my experience the last day we were there. We got to visit four different artist's homes in Havana. Their homes doubled as their art studios so it was a truly unbelievable honor to be invited there to see their art. The artists all had such different styles of work, but were all so amazing in their own way. Getting to hear the artists talk about their work and how life in Cuba has influenced them artistically was fascinating. I included some photos from my visits to their homes below!
All in all, it was an incredible experience to get to visit Cuba, but life there is so different than anything we are used to in the United States, so with that being said I do have a few tips for you before you go. First, there are almost no retail storefronts, which is something we are totally unfamiliar with here in the US. For example, if you want to buy a snack like a power bar or a quick bite, you're kind of out of luck. Next, the bathrooms are definitely not as modern as we're used to - a lot of them don't have paper towels, toilet paper, or soap, especially if you're traveling outside of Havana. So... if you are planning on going I would definitely include a few spare packs of tissues, a stash of power bars for snacks and/or breakfast, and hand sanitizer in case you find yourself in a bathroom without soap. Also, because there aren't retail shops, make sure you pack all your essential shower and bathroom items because you won't be able to buy those things (at least not easily) once you're there.
And one more very very important word of advice, that I received on the last day from one of the artists (after it was already too late), be careful about what you drink. Kelvin, the artist, said that it's a common saying "Be careful of the Mojitos... not because of the alcohol, but because of the ice." Yes... because the infrastructure of Cuba isn't as modern as ours, the water is definitely not great to drink. Buy bottled water, and definitely be mindful of how many drinks you have with ice. My suggestion? Just drink the Havana Club Rum (7 was my favorite) neat. I don't even like rum usually but this rum was really unbelievably good, I even brought 5 bottles back home with me!
....And if you didn't want to take the time to read all of that, here's a quick summary of my favorite places and best tips!
Favorite Restaurant in Cuba: San Cristobal Paladar (in Havana)
Must visit location: Fabrica del Arte Cubano, and a walking tour of Old Havana
Must have packing list: Roll of toilet paper, tissues, power bars, and hand sanitizer
Below are some of my favorite photos I took during the trip!
PHOTO TOUR OF CUBA
