The Bahamas to Cuba, March 2022

The Bahamas

To see Cuba was my dream of several years. In January 2021, I almost made it to there. I had a ticket to fly to Santiago de Cuba from the Dominican Republic. Cuba closed its borders due to a sudden spike in Covid cases while I was in the DR. My flight was cancelled. After a quick assessment of the situation, I replaced Cuba with Puerto Rico.

Everything happens for a reason. Looking back, I understand now how disastrous it would have been if I had gone to Cuba last year. I had no onward ticket and little cash on me. I did not know that Americans cannot use their bankcards in Cuba. Without a ticket and money, I’d have been in a serious trouble. This year, I was far better prepared for the trip.

I am a US and Russian passport holder living permanently in USA. As a Russian citizen, I did not need a Cuban visa and a tourist card. When I bought a ticket to Havana on BahamasAir‘s website it did not ask me any questions about my nationality, visa, etc. A representative of BahamasAir at Nassau airport checked all my papers: a negative PCR test, authorization to travel from Cuba’s Ministry of Health, my vaccination card. These were the rules in March. Cuba relaxed the requirements in April.

As I was sitting in the waiting area at the gate, one half of me wanted to visit Cuba and the other half was scared to go because of many uncertainties. I had no prebooked accommodation and a vague plan what to do in Cuba. But the wheels were already set into motion. It was too late to stop the process.

In Havana, nobody checked my paperwork. A guy at passport control filled out a paper form for me. His only question was about my hotel. I said that I had no reservation. “Everyone must have a reservation here,” he said in English. Well, I didn’t. He indicated that he needed to put something on the form. “OK, Presidente hotel,” I recalled reading about this hotel in a guidebook. The guy smiled and said “Welcome to Cuba!”

I had 12 days to spend in Cuba and an approximate list of places to visit. I was going to rely mainly on intercity buses and everything depended on their schedules. So first of all, I took a taxi from the airport to Havana bus station. It was $25, the price is official and fixed.

Bus tickets in Cuba must be secured in advance, I knew that. At Viazul ticket office, I was told that I could take a bus to Trinidad in 2 days. Trinidad was on my list. The ticket was $21 or €17 for a 6-hour ride. The problem was that they only accepted card payments. US cards do not work in Cuba. To get around this issue, before the trip I called the bank in Australia where I have an account and warned it that I was traveling to Cuba. When I tried to make the payment at the bus station, my Australian card did not work. It was a Maestro debit card. This system is not used in Cuba. I was saved by two Spanish girls who were in the line behind me. They paid for my ticket by their card, and I gave them $21 cash.

I knew now that my stay in Havana would be for 3 nights. I walked with my backpack towards Havana Viejo. When I reached Plaza Viejo, I walked into a hotel and asked for a room. No, they only do prepaid online reservation, I could not stay there. But… if I did not mind to stay in a casa particular the receptionist knew the right one for me. The casa Señora Martha was one short block away from Plaza Viejo. For $35/night, I got a nice clean room with a bathroom and breakfast.

Old Havana