For Sale at the Havana AirportOn Sunday of my dream, day 5, I basically came to the point were I became totally and utterly broke. Nonetheless, I still had a very good time and made the most of my broken experience. I felt what it must be like to be Cuban (at least the not having any money part of being Cuban). This is a much different experience then the tourist vibe. The differences are vast. By and large, I spent the last three days of my trip in my Casa Particular watching movies, working on ideas for future projects, and walking to and from cheap places to get food.
List of the movies I watched:
> Hotel Rwanda
> Gandhi
> Spiderman
> Casino Royale
> Pirates of the Carribean 2
> Apololypse Now (I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND WATCHING THIS RIGHT BEFORE BED)
If you would like to cry your eyes out for 2 solid straight hours immediately rent Hotel Rwanda with Don Cheedle. I have mentioned before that I "at times" can get a bit choked up at movies (laugh if you like but its the truth). While watching Hotel Rwanda, I literally lost it. Maybe it hit home as Rwanda has been on my list of places I really want to go (the Mountain Gorillas are there). I do not know. But, Jesus what a horrible story told in such an amazing way.
Gandhi was great too. However, I started watching it at 4am and I did not actually get to bed until 7:30am. Remember that I am in broken solitude and there is no reason to observe any normal sleeping patterns. After watching it I am really pumped to see as much of India as I can and I really have no interest whatsoever in going to Pakistan.
Sidenote: Although, does anyone have any interest in going to Pakistan????
How did I manage to blow a cool G (US $1000) in 7 Days in my dream???
Balance sheet of the trip
-----------------------------
The Cuban Convertible Dollar (CUC)This is the money used by tourists. This is how I spent my money from what I can recall.
I started with $1000 US Dollars
The Cuban CUC (tourist dollar) is stronger than the US dollar. I think the dollar is .89 to the CUC.
After exchanging money I had $900 US left out of the $1000(This is why I constantly bitch about the weak US dollar and how it kills me while I am traveling).
>First Night 5 Star Hotel: $160 dollars
>6 nights in Casa Particular w/ Breakfast: $240
>5 days on the Internet : $40 (clearly Im addicted to the Internet)
>Buying drinks for French dude: $45
>Buying drinks for Cubans: $40
>Two books about Hemmingway: $15
>Eating at decent places: $80
>Eating at shitty places: $20
>3 delightful Cuban Cigars: $30
>15 Mojitos at Hemmingway Bars: $65
>5 Daiquiris at Hemmingway Bars:$25
>Lots of Buckanaroo Beer: $40
>Cab fare to and from Airport: $50
>Misc Cab fare: $50
So, as you can see from the above report there were three problems in Cuba:
1. It was more expensive than what I though it would be. This holds true especially with transportation costs, internet costs, Mojitos, and lodging (although I did stay in really nice places)
2. I really like Mojitos.
3. I am complete idiot.
Just me and my Macbook
There is something to be said for being completely alone on the road. It is a unique experience as opposed to traveling with friends. It is not at all easy to meet other backpackers in Cuba as there is no formal hostel setup. So, for my week in Cuba (dreaming) I was by myself for most of the adventure. I did meet a few cool people along the way and definitely had a good time. However, a vast majority of my time has been spent alone. It was just me, my laptop, and my thoughts.
However, I am really happy with the thoughts and plans that I put together in Cuba during my last few days there. I am obsessed with the vision I have for my future travels and have had some time to map out a rough plan for when I return back to the states to try and make things happen. Its invigorating and I am excited to get back home to get to advance my ideas.
A Final Thought on My Cuban Dream
The bottom line is that this time warp is not going to be around forever. When Cuba opens up its not going to be another revolution, it i;s going to be an economic EXPLOSION! This is only my opinion but I think Havana makes Miami look like a goat farm (alright, maybe not a goat farm but its nicer in Havana). There are 300 beaches in Cuba. Its just such a beautiful place. I wish I had the time and money to see more of it. Although I would personally hate to see a McDonalds in downtown Central Havana, the amount of money that will flow into Cuba when Fidel kicks the bucket should really help the Cuban people. I think that 10 years from now there will be a lot less 15 year old prostitutes. In my mind that's a pretty good thing.
