Havana, the time machine
A trip to Havana is like traveling into the past. A place where classic mid century American made cars dazzle streets lined with unrestored art deco, baroque, colonial and soviet era buildings. A place where advertisements, billboards and commercials don’t exist. A place where WiFi is almost never found and the people are not all glued to their device of choice. But Havana is so much more.
On my first visit to Havana in 2015, I spent an entire day with a guide. I almost never hire tour guides on any trips I take but I was alone on this particular visit and wanted to learn more about how Cuban people really felt about their country in today’s times. He showed me about three or four tourist stops and told me some fascinating history of Cuba’s revolutions and continuous struggle for independence from larger foreign powers. He explained the cock statue in Plaza Vieja, told me the story of El Caballero de Paris and took me to a subtle yet sacred Yoruba practice site in the city center. It should be noted that I nerd out over history, especially Latin American history. It may not be for everyone but it was a joy for me to hear the great tales of monumental figures such as Céspedes and Martí, all told by a Cuban who truly loved his country.
But after a few stops, our conversation turned towards the present. We stopped at a cafe in Havana Vieja, then a restaurant for lunch in Centro before ending at the bar in the once illustrious Hotel Nacional in the evening. He and I spent almost the entire day walking, eating uninspired food, drinking cafecitos and talking about life in today’s Cuba. The most interesting topic to me was actually the life of my guide, Yuri.
Don't let the name fool you. Yuri has no Russian or Eastern European ancestry. Yuri seemed like a 'Russian enough' name to his parents and at the time he was born, Cuban and USSR relations were at their height. His name is now a reflection of that era. Yuri learned English from watching episodes of Seinfeld as a child. He learned Portuguese from immigrant neighbors in the town he grew up in, near Camagüey, in the mountains of Cuba. Yuri was drafted, like all healthy young Cuban men, into the military. He did not enjoy his time in the military and knew from a young age he wanted to save lives instead of take them. He swore to himself he would never wear another Cuban beret, but on this particularly sunny day he made an exception and reluctantly donned the hat again nearly halfway through the tour.
Yuri studied hard in school and became a surgeon who had taken a year long sabbatical to work as a tour guide. He didn’t want to return to work as a doctor, despite his passion for medicine. This was because in working only one day as a tour guide he was making almost the same as his monthly government salary as a doctor. Yuri was worried because his sabbatical was almost over. He wanted to earn more money as a guide, even though tourism and history were never really his passion. He was supporting a wife and children who were living in Camagüey, a long drive from Havana. Yuri could tell you all types of facts regarding the history of Cuba and seemed to know everybody that passed by us in the streets, whether we were in Habana Vieja, Centro or Vedado.
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about my brilliant guide was the incredible “everyday” things he didn't know about. Yuri had never driven a car, largely due to the scarcity of car ownership in Cuba. College educated, he had no understanding of how bank accounts worked. He couldn’t quite grasp the concept of a credit card. The internet was extremely difficult to use for him due to the simple lack of access. He tried to explain to me that he had heard about “papel” (the spanish word for paper) before I realized he just didn’t know it was pronounced PayPal. He told me that he thought that people purchased products online by mailing the seller cash. I did the best I could in explaining this brave new world. It was an illuminating conversation for both of us.
Roaming the streets of Havana gave me a sense of a world I barely missed. A world that existed just a generation or so before me. Of all the big cities I've been to, none can compare to Havana because this place has survived through sheer determination. It is not poverty that has held Havana back but rather policy. Policies in both Cuba and abroad.
The people of the city are inquisitive and charming in a way that reminded me of my own childhood. A small sense of personal nostalgia set in. A time when people could walk to a neighbors home, unannounced, and spend the whole day together having a conversation. A time when children could roam around with their friends without the burden of social media and constant communication. I'm not saying an altogether better world, but certainly more charming and grounded in itself. A uniquely beautiful culture. All the Cuban's I spoke to seemed optimistic that this slow de-thawing of trade would occur at a pace that would not destroy the Cuban way of life. Perhaps I'm pessimistic but I doubt this down-to-earth charm can survive the onslaught of technology. Still, I hope for their sake that they're right.
The Malecón at sunset, is one of the must-sees. Teeming with fishermen, school children, tourists and locals on their daily commute, this street is a parade of the best of Cuba. Ever smiling and unapologetic, the Malecón (Spanish for boardwalk) is a hub of the city. Slow down and appreciate its grandeur. It's no Champs Elysee - it's so much more.
Certainly the city is colorful, like all the Caribbean cities I've recently written about. But the beauty is found in its unwashed layers. Calle Neptuno is one of my favorite streets in the city and a great example of what makes this city spectacular. As one travels west down it's cluttered and dirty sidewalks, it's an example of Havana's vibrance, liveliness and grit. Art deco, old cars and unpolished Habaneros clutter the streets. Real life, food, commerce and just a bit of tourism all happening at once. So far in every visit over the years, more people have had cell phones, more businesses open, more options are growing - yet this street stays exactly the same.
Something I thought I may encounter during my first visit was some anti-American sentiment. This couldn't be further from my experience. When people heard my accent and asked me where I was from, everyone would respond with some excited variation of "I love America" or "America is number one" in English. Whether or not they really meant it is up for debate but everyone seemed to have a relative who lived in Florida, New York, Chicago or L.A. Being a Chicagoan, I was regularly asked about Al Capone, Michael Jordan, 'the Windy city' or even Obama. The only 'anti-American' sentiment I have ever encountered was in the fantastic Museum of the Revolution. Cartoonish murals mocking many conservative U.S. presidents adorn a hallway near the museum courtyard. Highly entertaining. This museum contains so much revolutionary perspective it is definitely a must see. Anyone trying to understand more of what happened here in the 20th century from the revolutionary point of view will surely love this place. And like all things in this city, it's charmingly dated. Keep your eyes out for the bullet holes in the walls and ceilings from when this place was raided by the revolutionaries.
And of course what visit to Havana could ever be complete without a classic car tour. Though there are many short and affordable tours available at a moments notice near Central Park, during my last visit I reserved private day tours all online. Even if you aren't a car person this is well worth the experience. Who wouldn't enjoy a ride around town, along the coast or through the jungle in these beautiful dinosaurs? Kept alive by pure wizardry, the city simply wouldn't be the same without them. A constant reminder of the old beauty so much of the rest of the world has forgone in the name of progress.
The thing that always strikes me is how similar we still are despite the dramatically different worlds we live in. Although Yuri grew up in the mountains of Camagüey and I grew up in Chicago, we had so much in common about how we felt about the world and life. We both have family we love dearly. We both shared a desire to be useful. Both of us were grateful to be alive and in a beautiful place.
I've visited Havana every year since my first visit because of my deep love for the city and the friends I made there on my first visit. I’ve explored other cities and towns in Cuba but Havana draws me back every time. Cuba is rapidly modernizing but still has a long way to go. Should you be lucky enough to visit, embrace that the internet will be slow, the roads will be crappy and most foods (besides the ice cream) will be underwhelming. That my friends, is the price you pay to time travel.
