Travel the Uknown

I’m not going to lie. I didn’t know all that much about Cuba before starting this course. The extent of my knowledge about Cuba was that it was an estranged land that had been facing the trials and tribulation of a communist regime and the U.S. embargo, and that Cubans generally had a negative view of America. Shortly before enrolling into this course, the U.S. State Department even recommended that Americans to not travel to Cuba because they could risk becoming victims of the mysterious attacks that diplomats went through while stationed in Havana. I even questioned my decision of going to Cuba because of the reputation that it had gained. However, this trip helped quash these misconceptions and I realized that sometimes it's better to find out about things for yourself.

Flag at the Museum of the Revolution

Upon arriving in Havana, I decided to wander around the streets of Old Havana. I was somewhat anxious because I knew nobody, couldn’t speak the language, didn’t really know where I was, and I didn’t know where to go. However, I decided to just walk down the street from our first casa particular (private homestay) and quickly found the busy road of Obrapia. The road was full of locals and tourists interacting like any other place that I have visited. Restaurants were busy, markets were full of tourists, and there was music everywhere. The atmosphere was very much alive and it certainly seemed like a place that should not be feared. It was just another place full of people enjoying their surrounding.

Obrapia

My thoughts on Cuba changed by the minute as we traveled around the country. It was a place that I felt comfortable in right away and reminded me of places that I have love visiting in the past.  On the first night, we met our tour guide, Inti, who would be leading our group for the rest of our trip. I feel like we got lucky to have a guide like Inti. He was friendly, approachable, knowledgeable, aware of the political and social climate surrounding us, and very open about his opinions.

View of the sunset from our casa in Havana

One thing that Inti was great at expressing was Cuba’s ability to persevere. Cuba certainly went through some challenging times in their history, but they continue to make progress as a country. Our trip to Cuba is something that I will never forget and I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit such a unique country and learn about what they are really all about.   

Responsible Travel on a Guided Tour

This was the first time I’ve done an organized tour such as the Hola Cuba: Intrepid tour. In the past, I’ve done the odd 2-day tours every now and then, but never have I done a 9-day trip like this. There are a variety of reasons why I tend to prefer traveling on my own schedule. I prefer going at my own pace, I don’t particularly like following a set itinerary, and flexibility is something that I value while traveling. But alas, as an American, we have to follow certain rules in order to travel in Cuba, but I’m glad I got to travel with a tour operator that values responsible tourism.

Viñales

I like finding activities that will let me engage with local communities and enjoy an authentic experience, but by traveling with a tour, I was concerned that we would be steered to events, attractions, and shops that wouldn’t directly benefit those in need. Tourism is certainly a powerful economic development tool, and one that is so much more prevalent in Caribbean nations such as Cuba. At the end, I was pleasantly surprise with the tour we embarked on because Intrepid tried to make sure that they were operating in the most responsible manner in order to have a social and economic impact for local communities.

Our tour guide, Inti, in Cienfuegos

The tour made sure that we would buy local when possible. That is partially because large international corporations haven’t invested in Cuba yet like they have at other destinations, but everywhere we shopped, ate, and stayed were more or less locally owned. The tour also made sure that we respected the communities that we visited, and that is essential for a people-to-people trip like this. We had the opportunity to meet local artisans, tobacco farmers, salsa dancers, and at every point we were encouraged to be mindful of the places where we visited.

This tour was able to change my thoughts about the typical tour groups, and I appreciate the chance to come to this realization in a country like Cuba.