Been to Cuba 7 times. Hired a van, driver and guide one time and toured Havana for a day. The traffic was like being in an old old movie. I saw a mid 50's Plymouth with a home-made roof rack welded to the roof pass us at over 70 MPH. That thing was all over the road and the smoke screen it laid down could cover a beach landing. Wild day. Drank at Hemingway's fav bar, had lunch at the hotel where he lived, walked the Malecon (ocean-front street), went to a cigar factory and watched the women hand roll, went to a rum distillery and bought a bunch of rum.
I like the people and the weather but I decided to not go back as the country is a terrible polluter. The urban areas are filthy when you step off the main street. They sacrifice the environment for prosperity (which is defined as a couple of extra US dollars) in many ways.
We passed a crude oil power generating plant that we could see smoke and smell miles before we got to them.
My wife and I learned that many items we take for granted are almost impossible to acquire for the normal Cuban. We started taking small sized toothpaste, brushes and deodorant but the resort workers only get richer selling them. When we learned that writing paper, colouring pencils and crayons, markers and such were difficult to get even if you had the money we took a bag full to a public school and gave it to the principal. He was thankful but nervous because he didn't want to be accused of arranging the delivery.
I innocently asked a guide on a tour "where does Castro live" and he freaked out. He told me to never ask such a thing or I could be arrested and held as a spy. A local business owner from the city where I live was involved in a car accident where he hit and killed a girl in a rainstorm. She rushed across the street to catch a bus and he hit her. She died from the injuries. She was the daughter of one of the regional police force officers. He was in jail for nearly two years, during which his wife continued to run the business and pay off "taxes" to have him sent home to Canada to serve the balance of his sentence. It cost them a lot of money but he is home and he swears to never return to the Caribbean.
Cool place to visit but as with any foreign country, be careful.
pete
i hope your vacation goes well buddy
