Its the Little Things That Count: My Lodging Experience with Intrepid Travel in Cuba

During my Hola Cuba experience through Intrepid Travel, one aspect of the experience which surpassed my expectations was that of lodging. Prior to the start of the itinerary I arrived to Havana a day early and was content with staying at a dimly lighted, thinned walled room with an inch thick mattress that was probably just as comfortable as the floor below. Throughout the trip, I was expecting to be sleeping in small rooms with chipped paint on its walled and minimal access to water, instead I was more than surprised. All the homes I stayed at had comfortable and clean rooms, with either twin or full beds, painted walls, high powered A/C units. Furthermore, the bathrooms were all private within the homes also known as (Casa Particulares) and had access to warm water at all times. With the basic amenities, what separated the experience in my mind was two aspects, one was the hosts and the other was the breakfast they provided. In terms of the host I noted the difference between a host that engaged with me first, and a host I had to engage with first. I am fortunate to speak Spanish, therefore my experience was welcoming within all the homes I visited, for I was able to engage in meaningful conversations with the families I stayed with. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case for many of my peers who could not be the ones to start a conversation with their hosts due to the language barrier. There was one experience that separated itself from the rest and that was the host I had for one night in Cienfuegos, ironically our shortest stay of the trip. The picture shown below, is of El Chino y Taty with my classmate Alex and myself. From the moment we got to their front door of their Casa we were welcomed with drinks and were engaged in dynamic discussion about Cuba, the United States, the city of Cienfuegos, family, friends, food and drink, music etc. I remember entering the home wanting to take a nap, but as soon as I started conversing, I did not want to stop, for my curiosity took over. Taty y El Chino are examples of engaging hosts who really care about their guests. It didn't matter that some of the guests staying with them didn't speak Spanish, they were still welcoming an engaging. Upon departure, we wrote all out names and emails in a book that they keep to contact all their past guests which was a great personal touch to rounded out the memorable experience. It is the small things that create an enjoyable experience for a traveller, one is a clean/safe room to sleep in and second is the opportunity to engage in genuine interactions with locals. Hence, why many people especially millennial's prefer to stay at hostels over hotels when traveling. In terms of food, I enjoyed all my breakfasts but left satisfied when a protein was provided such as eggs. We sometimes had long periods of travel and bread, coffee, and guava alone, although a cuban staple, wasn't sufficient for the activities we were partaking in throughout the day. I am thankful for having had the opportunity to learn from the Cuban people the true meaning of hospitality. 

-Jonathan L Mendez