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Cuba local culture: a day in the life of a Cuban
With Cuba Travel Plan you can travel the way we personally enjoy travelling the most.. in a way that let's you find out all about a country and its unique way of life. Who could offer more insight into the Cuban way of life than an actual Cuban? When we visit someone's country, we really enjoy finding out what's important to the people who live there and the local Cuba culture.During our Cuba tobacco tour in Vinales we met Jorge, a taxi driver who picked us up at the hotel and took us on a tour of the town. His old Lada had a little difficulty climbing the hill to reach the hotel reception desk, and when a Cuban with a guitar strapped on his back stepped out of the car we could hardly believe this was the taxi cab the hotel reception desk had arranged for us. Anyway, the guitar was placed in the boot and Jorge sang a few tunes as he drove us to the centre of Vinales. We wanted to get a bite to eat and so we asked Jorge if he could drop us off at a good restaurant. He had a better idea: to really enjoy a great Cuban meal, we needed to come have a meal at his house. He told us that he and his wife were excellent cooks and they would love to have us over as their guests. |
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As his wife Maria cooked our meal, Jorge entertained us with pleasant conversation at the table. He told us about his work as a doctor during the day and the casa particular he runs with his wife to supplement his income, as well as about the local Cuba culture. They rent out a part of their house to tourists as a sort of bed & breakfast. The taxi cab rides are another nice way to earn a little bit extra on the side. Jorge and Maria also enjoy the added benefit of getting to meet so many tourists and learning about life beyond Cuba. Jorge very proudly let us know that all Cubans can read and write and that they learn quite a bit about other countries at school. Of course we enjoyed learning more about life in Cuba, the local culture and what it's like to live in a communist country. Jorge is very proud of his country, without a doubt, but he also admits that his country has its flaws. We noticed that he wasn't at liberty to go into details and so we casually changed the subject to something more pleasant. During our Trinidad Cuba holiday you'll spend the night in a casa particular in the home of a Cuban family. It's a great way to get in touch with local Cuba culture and the people that live there. |
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Before long, our meal was ready: fresh fish with moros y christianos (rice and beans), cabbage salad and avocado. A genuine Cuban meal and very well prepared at that. Maria cleaned up quickly because it was time for the town's carnival celebration and she didn't want to miss it. There's a very good chance that you'll experience a Cuban fiesta during your visit; Cubans always find a reason to throw a party and its a great example of local Cuba culture. No one in Vinales could tell us the exact reason why the carnival was being held. It was simply a tradition; every year carnival is celebrated during a particular weekend. Before Maria left she came to say goodbye to us. She looked beautiful and you could tell she was wearing her best outfit for this evening. It's very important to Cubans to dress up and look very nice and cared for. Even on regular days you'll notice that they always pay attention to their outfit. |
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After our meal we enjoyed a mojito with Jorge and we sang along with a few popular salsa songs. As we said our goodbyes, we gave him our miniature soaps and shampoos (from the hotel), that we always carry along with us. These types are products are only available to Cubans in exchange for coupons; they have to use one piece of soap for instance, for a very long time. Many 'luxury' items are only for sale in exchange for CUC (pesos convertibles), the so-called tourist pesos. Cuban salaries are paid out in CUP, (Cuban Pesos), so to buy things like aspirin or tooth paste; they try to earn a little extra by offering services to tourists and, in return, we get to learn about local Cuba culture. Many travellers ask us what they should bring along as gifts for the people of Cuba. We recommend things like shampoo, soap, tooth paste, aspirin, tampons, razors and for kids pens and note pads. |
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