A Two-Day Cuba Travel Journal | Havana's Romance and Reality 🌴 Starti

Starting from Varadero, I booked a private car for a two-day trip to Havana and Cienfuegos. Turns out, Cienfuegos is totally skippable—spending all your time in Havana is the way to go. 📍 Itinerary Thoughts: Havana Shines, Cienfuegos Disappoints Havana: "Love at first sight" isn’t an overstatement. The Old Town’s colorful buildings look like a spilled paintbox, each with colonial-era patina. They’re even more stunning in person than in photos—sunlight on red brick walls and iron balconies, the air itself feels vintage. Cienfuegos: A total itinerary flaw. Beyond a tiny crocodile farm (where you can snap a couple of pics), the city has no highlights. To make it worse, we hit a full-day water and power outage. Locals sweltered on doorsteps, and tourists had nowhere to go—purely a waste of time. ✨ Romantic Moments in Havana Jay Chou Vibes: Stayed at the Kempinski Hotel. It’s pricey, but the view of Havana’s streets from the window is unbeatable—sipping a drink on the terrace at dusk? Pure bliss. We rented a vintage car like the one in Jay Chou’s Mojito MV, cruised along the Malecón with his songs playing. Sea breeze mixed with engine hums, and suddenly you get why "Cuban romance is in the bones." Wandering Old Town: No need for specific landmarks. Every alley hides surprises—street murals, grandmas knitting on doorsteps, guitar-playing buskers. History blends with daily life, and every snapshot feels like a movie frame. Lobster Rice Obsession: Ate lobster rice two days straight and never got tired of it! Insist on "medium-rare" to the chef—default well-done makes the meat tough. Top pick? Varadero 60 in Varadero (worth a detour even though it’s not in Havana). As the fanciest spot there, the lobster is juicy, and the sauce-soaked rice? Devoured two bowls. 🌍 Cuba’s Reality: Poverty and Complexity The "Poverty" You Feel: Internet hell: Canadian SIMs don’t work. The local card bought at the airport has 3G-level speed, drops constantly—even navigation fails in Old Town. Cash only: Almost no restaurants or shops take cards. Without cash, you might go hungry. Shoddy infrastructure: Cienfuegos’ outage wasn’t a fluke. Parts of Havana’s Old Town lose power too; nighttime walks need phone flashlights. Don’t Fall for "Sympathy Traps": Many tourists pity Cubans, but plenty (especially those catering to tourists) earn more than you think—and rip you off without hesitation. The truly vulnerable? Elderly street vendors. Their monthly pension? Just $5, barely enough to eat. They’re the marginalized ones. If you want to help, buy their trinkets instead of giving to "professional beggars." Dual Pricing and Currency Scams: Most places have two menus: "tourist price (USD)" and "local price (CUP)." CUP is often half the cost. If they don’t show the CUP menu, ask—rates below 300 CUP:1 USD are a rip-off. Black market is best: Official exchange (airport/banks) is terrible (≈120:1 vs. black market 300-350:1). Swap with your driver, guide, or trusted contacts—negotiate rates first and count carefully. USD Note Obsession ⚠️: Cuba is extremely picky about USD bills. Any creases, stains, tears, or even old bills get rejected. I got turned away for a worn note—no mentioned this! Their banking system is outdated, with lots of counterfeits, so banks struggle to process damaged bills. Get brand-new bills from your bank before departure. Cuba is full of contradictions: Havana’s romance, vintage cars, delicious lobster rice coexist with poor infrastructure, struggle, and systemic complexities. It’s not a "perfect destination," but that raw authenticity? That’s what makes it unforgettable. #Cuba #TravelDiary #Havana #Cienfuegos #ThirdWorldCountries #OffTheBeatenPath #CubaTips