What can you tell us about cycling in Cuba?

June 17, 2004 3:12 PM

Cycling in Cuba. (Lots more inside!)

The SO and I are heading to Cuba at the end of August and, well, we're bringing our bikes. While we've poured through Lonely Planet guides (for the whole country as well as one for cyclists) and quite thoroughly browsed thorntree, we'd absolutely love some first-hand advice. We're specifically looking for places to visit, roads to travel, things we ought to know as foreigners in Cuba, and (as we've never toured by bike in a tropical country--we're Canadian) general advice regarding touring in warmer climates.

We're leaving at the end of August and returning in late September (the rainy season, we know, but it's the only time we could manage), if this helps. As well, we'll be shipping our bikes on Air Canada and generally roughing it as we're low budget, low maintenance travellers (there isn't anything quite like living out of panniers).

Any and all advice will be very appreciated by these two cold-weather canucks heading south.

posted by lumiere to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

I for one am impressed by your bike-shipping, pannier-living, low-budget innovative vacation plan. I have no advice for you, though, having never been to Cuba. Good luck!
posted by Jonasio at 8:05 PM on June 17, 2004

i'm surprised there's no more comments here - is it because of the american embargo?

anyway, i haven't been to cuba either, but here's some advice based on owning a bike in s america... be prepared for much lower-tech bike support. if you have a choice of bikes you might consider bringing the cheapest. for example: 5 speed hubs are common here, 7 the norm on new bikes (in the uk i understand it's hard to get 7 speed blocks these days); most bikes have traditional (threaded) forks (rather than ahead-set). steel frame is probably best because if you damage it, it is more likely to be bendable back into shape and is weldable (although expensive steel frames may also have problems - welding might mess up heat treatments, i don't know...). if you can't take a low-tech bike, take spares. remember, for example, that if you lose your rear derailleur then you can't ride a bike with an index-shifting hub (if you cut the chain, remove the derailleur and shorten the chain, then try cycling, the chain jumps from sprocket to sprocket). so a single speed hub might be a good idea for emergencies etc etc.

fancier stuff is available here, but only in the big cities (city, in the case of chile ;o)

on the other hand, people will be much more capable at fixing bikes without the correct equipment. i broke the hanger for the derailleur (the little piece of metal between frame and derailleur) and couldn't find a replacement (they're specific to each make, sometimes to each model), but had a replacement hand-made in a few days for $10.

also, are you sure you want to do things by bike in the rainy season? travel and accomodation may be very cheap, if you don't mind living like the locals (i personally feel there's a moral obligation to spend as much as you reasonably can when in poorer countries in an attempt to spread the first world's wealth a little more, but that may just be me... :o)
posted by andrew cooke at 6:18 AM on June 18, 2004

I've been, and I'm so so jealous of you. No, really. I can't help with the bikes, but there's a lot to be said about the country. I'll post something constructive in a bit.
posted by whatzit at 9:08 AM on June 18, 2004

This could get long, if there's something specific I didn't answer or some other type of place you want to go, post it here or just send me an email. Also, if you're interested in spending some time wth some students who'd be glad to show you around, let me know (as the books mention, this is *really* sketchy to do with anyone who has approached you on the streets - they've been trying to cut down on the hassling of foreigners and prostitution problems of the 1990s - as a student, though, I ended up meeting a bunch of other students who loved meeting new people and talking about where they're from).

The original post didn't mention where you're thinking of heading, but I've traveled both in and out of the City and can touch on a bit of this with recent (1 year ago) experience. I tried to focus on Havana and Cienfuegos provinces, because I don’t know how far you’re planning to go.

Places to visit - Havana
You have to visit Havana (Ciudad de la Habana), of course. The roads are paved, though potholes are common. Drivers are very good around pedestrians, from my experience - I had less fear of the cars there than as a pedestrian/bicyclist in Boston. Because the US government says "no" and I was travelling licensed by them, I did not have the opportunity to stay in a casa particular (private home where you get a room, breakfast, and a fan for about $10-$20 a night), but I hear it's the way to go. If you want a hotel for a night to break in, you migth try the Hotel Universitario at 17 and L in Vedado. It's somehow affiliated with the university, they have clean rooms, friendly staff, and air conditioning (bless them).

Make sure to take a walk or bike ride along the Malecón, the seawall that runs the length of the city. When you see it, keep in mind that at one point they built buildings on the far side of it. They didn't last long against the waves that come up during storms! There are museums for everything you can think of. The best ones to go to are El Museo de Belas Artes (Fine arts), The Museum of the Ministry of the Interior (plenty of historical, conspiratorial, and other great stuff), and el Museo Nacional de la Revolución, and El Capitolio (you'll notice it's almost twin to the one in D.C., but a few centimeters shorter). Other main attractions to point out are la Catedral and the tower at, uh, Plaza de la Fraternidad(?), near the MININT headquarters (you can go up the tower for a spectacular view of the city). If you make it across the bay, see the Canonaso at el Morro - an old fort on the east side of the bay, they set off cannons every night at 9pm and do some reenactments. The Playes del Este are the nearest beaches outside of the city, it's about a $15 cab ride to go there, though they are also reachable by city bus and the peso-taxi.

Food is, by and large, nothing to write home about. Definitely visit a rations market (I think there's one at 13 and K in Vedado, but am not certain on that address. I could look this up if you want). There's usually a section where people are buying fruits and vegetables (narrow selection, not nearly as nice-looking as you'll see at home) and another forlorn area where you buy oil, flour, rum, and other essentials. These are sold at rock-bottom prices, but you're only allowed a certain amount each month at that price, and that amount is usually not enough to last an entire month so everyone buys some food at market prices. Things that stood out to me - the Hotel Universitario had some great meals, and will serve anyone. On the same street there's a restaurant with a pink front that has the best arroz con pollo I've ever had, and you get a giant bowl of it for about $3.50. The restaurant is mentioned in Lonely Planet, Havana (do not let that book out of your sight). Do go to Coppelia, the giant ice cream park. Don't buy from the dollar lines, which are short and mall-like. Wait in line with the people that seemed to be lined up for nothing. Every 15 minutes or so, about 50 of them will be let into the park to get a table, where you can buy as much as you like. Make sure to check the flavors on your way in so you know what's available. Sometimes you'll see whole families go in for ice cream and order about 3 bowls per person and put most of it in tupperwares - milk is only avaialble on ration to children under 7, seniors, and the chronically ill, so ice cream gets thawed and used as milk in many places. Almost anywhere in town you can buy "peso pizzas," a 6" diameter pizza made in a private home and served fresh out of the oven for 6 pesos (that's 20 cents US, if you're still counting). Quality varies, if one of them's bad, don't be put off on all of them.

If you get the chance to visit a santero, go for it. You may have to try asking around. Some people I was with went over to la Regla, a neighborhood where it's heavily practiced, and ended up going to two spectacular readings. Experience public transportation. Take the guagua (the big ugly buses), take the peso taxis (they're easy to pick up at the Capitolio, in particular, and almost any old American car is a cab).

Places to visit - Trinidad, Cienfuegos
Trinidad is somewhat touristy, but gorgeous. It's one of the few remaining towns that can be described as very colonial. They make a lot of lace.

Places to visit - Santa Isabel de las Lajas, Cienfuegos
This is true country living for Cuba. Santa Isabel de las Lajas is the birthplace of Benny Moré, Cuba's equivalent of Frank Sinatra. One of his best known songs has the same name as the town. There's a museum to him, of course, but the highlight of the town is the cabildo or casino. These were organizations founded when Cuba still had slaves, and were a place for slaves of different regions get together to practice the religions they knew from home. This is one of a very few that still exists in the country, and its very active. People here were super friendly.

Places to visit - Cienfuegos
I didn't get to see a lot of Cienfuegos itself, but there's a lot to look into. If you're in the need for a relaxing place to stay and some comfort, after what is surely a long trip, the Juragua is right on the bay. Directly across the bay from the hotel, you can see just barely see Cuba's only nuclear power plant. Funded in collaboration with the USSR, work stopped on it around 1990 when there was no longer money to fund it. It was never completed. Fishing is a big thing here, and it's possible to find a fisherman who'll cook up the day's catch for you. It's not exactly a kosher business, according to the government, but it's not uncommon.

Places NOT to visit - Veradero
Veradero is an hour or two east of Havana, and it's a cesspool of all-inclusives. Gorgeous beaches, great food, but it's pretty boring for anyone looking to actually see the country. The only Cubans you'll meet here are the ones cleaning out the rooms. Not fun.

Bikes:
You can lock your bike anywhere or leave it lying locked on the ground, but you may as well pay the 1 peso to have someone watch it in el parqueo - this is a little nook between buildings where some guy stands around and watches bikes all day. They're everywhere, just keep your eyes open. It's a great way to be able to then hop in a cab and end up somewhere else quickly.

Don't expect them to have any specific parts. The basics are all you'll find, and most of those are made on the island or brought from China. No brand names. Some things just don't have equivalents in Cuba, and if there's something you're worried about giving, bring an extra.

Foreigner things:
Don't change much money to pesos. There's not much to buy with them. It took me a month to go through 20 USD. The places they are most useful include bookstores, markets, and taxis.

Remember that when you check in at the airport you will have to pay 25 USD, or you're not going to go home.

Do NOT go with people who offer you a casa particular or a restaurant, offer to show you around, or in general treat you like a foreigner they want to help. All the guide books go into this, but it bears repeating. That isn't to say not to let people help you, but if you get the impression they are being pushy or will be asking for money in exchange, call it off. There are plenty of people who will help you because they're nice or because they're curious why you came to Cuba and what you think about the country. I was never ever treated badly because I was a foreigner (and an American, to boot), though sometimes prices magically go up.

To the surprise of many of us norteamericanos, it really is safe to wander the streets whenever and wherever. Similarly, they're always filled with music. It sounds like a stereotype, but it turns out to be true - like a soundtrack to your vacation. I've never felt safer in a big city or less hesitant about asking people for directions or opinions or even a "what the hell is going on!?" (some of the things that are regular to them are somewhat perplexing to the outsiders - see Lonely Planet ¿el último?).

I was there earlier in the summer than you will be, but Cuba has a peculiar weather pattern of usually being sunny all day with the exception of 20 or 30 minutes during which the sky will rumble angrily and rain will come out of the clouds in sheets. The only days it was rainy all day it was a much lighter rain.

The hardest part about coming back home will be the sudden onslaught of advertising and the price shock. Oh. My. I had a real hard time adjusting to that again, and went through a couple miserly weeks after returning.
posted by whatzit at 9:56 AM on June 18, 2004

A couple of other things: Basic medicines are really hard for Cubans to come by, but you can buy most things you'll need (tylenol, blister creams, things like that). If you have room on your luggage, consider taking things that would make good donations to hospitals, even basic things like OTC drugs, gauze, whatever.

Any other space fill up with stuff to give to people you meet - I brought a suitcase filled only with CDs, gel pens, books, soaps, toys, even an extra backpack and a watch. You can give these to people who help you out, community organizations, or charities. A lot of these things exist in Cuba but are out of the price range people can buy them at (unless they have relatives overseas sending them money).

Along with not giving money out, sometimes it also pays to pretend not to speak English - it's the lingua franca of hustling North Americans and Europeans.
posted by whatzit at 10:03 AM on June 18, 2004

Sorry, a little more.

1. If for any reason there is an actividad, drop everything and GO. This is a code word for a rally called by el Presidente. Everything will close, and in Havana in particular, there will be a huge march down the Malecón. Within days of my arrival, there was a march from the Italian Embassy to the Spanish Embassy in protest of the EU's condemnation of Cuba's human rights issues (Italy and Spain were part of the condemnation, and some of Cuba's closest friends and business partners).

2. It's okay to ask people what they think about politics. Obviously not to be pushy about it, but people will respond freely. A lot of the people I spoke with seemed to like the system overall, but wanted to see some movements that would align them with the rest of the world (e.g., more privatized businesses).

3. If any of you are wondering what the fuss is about, you can see some of it here.

Rations market, bananas (ah, and this one is at 17 and K, not 13 as I'd written)
Peso line at Coppelia
Peso pizza stand
La actividad
Hassling tourists - the guy with his back to the camera is part of the Policia especializada, which keeps an eye out for inappopriate goings-on between tourists and Cubans. The two girls (right) have been hanging out with their "friend," who they met two days ago, going out to bars and clubs. He eventually gets sent on his way, without the girls.
El camello - keep in mind these are real public transporation. It costs 0.5 cents US to travel across town packed tighter than chickens (this one is just starting its route). The front is a semi trailer, and the camello became popular during the 1990s when it made it easier to switch out bus parts since replacements were impossible to buy.
Altar of a babalao, a santero priest.
Dancing at the Cabildo in Santa Isabel de las Lajas before shooing the spirits out the door at la despedida de san antonio (St. Anthony comes to visit for the day and then says goodbye, when he leaves, you have to throw rum and wave flags to keep the other spirits out)
posted by whatzit at 10:17 AM on June 18, 2004

wow! :o)
posted by andrew cooke at 10:51 AM on June 18, 2004

I know! After reading whatzit's very thorough, interesting, and all together amazing responses, I can't even begin to describe just how excited I've become. I know it's been stated over and over, but askme is really an amazing resource with an incredibly knowledgable and helpful community.

Andrew - thanks for the bike advice. It seems as though--especially in Cuba--that bike weight vs. repairability is a tough balance to strike. Since we will be carrying everything in panniers, it's just not possible to carry a spare for everything (for what it's worth, I'm planning on riding an older well-maintained Kona Muni Mula - aluminum frame - instead of the absolute crap steel frame bike I have). Do you have any particular recommendations regarding parts that might prove to be devilishly hard to find? We will be taking the basics (tubes, chain links, chain pins, spare brake pads, extra spokes, etc) but hadn't really thought about a single-speed hub or spare derailleur. Would it prove wise to pick up a cheap-o used derailleur just in case (something that could then be left in Cuba)?
posted by lumiere at 1:14 PM on June 18, 2004

fancy shimano stuff is hard to find. i really don't know how bad cuba is (you hear of them having nothing...), but here in chile you can get derailleurs, just not the latest models. so there might be no point in bringing something cheap, but it might make sense to use shifters that can be non-indexed (i don't know if such things still exist but it used to be that some mtb shifters could be either indexed or friction (ie completely variable)) so that you can use any old derailleur and it will still work.

all the things you list as taking are the kind of things you can find here (except chain links if it's a narrower/more flexible than normal chain), but you're so likely to need them i wouldn't say swap them for something else (although you won't find a specific type of brake pad, for example - i've imported no-fade pads from the states - and perhaps not even compounds for alloy rims...).

i'm no real expert, i'm afraid - this is just from casual cycling here (mainly off-road stuff) and cuba may be very different. sorry i can't be more help, hope this gives you a vague idea of what to expect (i was thinking i'd be repeating info from the lonely planet books you refer to - don't they say anything about this?)
posted by andrew cooke at 3:24 PM on June 18, 2004

On food and weight.
Avoid the "refrescos" on the street - they're made with untreated water that won't sit well with you if you're not used to drinking it. Having one glass can cost you three days of happy digestion on your trip.
But do try the "guarapo" from the "guarapera" (there are some pictures of this). Sugar cane goes in one end of the "trapiche," and out the other end comes sugar cane juice and pressed sugar canes. They're sold in many places, including the market I mentioned earlier.

I don't know if anyone else mentioned this, but there's a tighter weight restriction on flights to Cuba than most other places. When I went, it was around 44 pounds, but that may have changed. Above that, you will be charged something like 0.60 USD per pound up to something like 60 pounds. Probably worth double checking that requirement before leaving.

On Pinar del Rio
I don't know anything about the far eastern part of the island except that you have to fly or take the bus there. The island is deceptively long, though only a couple hours (by car) in width. Doing a cross section through the center of the country is much easier (provinces of Havana and Cienfuegos), and even that may be a lot for a bicycle trip, though I don't know how much you plan to be able to do each day, etc. Even Pinar del Rio will be difficult to do just by bike - it might be worth looking into the bus to Pinar del Rio and then bicycling around the province.

The best part of being out there was the wilderness. The scenery is phenomenal. In this part of the country, there are features called "mogotes." The mogotes are limestone humps in the ground where many years ago there was a limestone plateau. Water flowed over the plateau, eroding most of it, leaving only the mogotes where an entire flat of land used to be. Each mogote has special biota, and in some cases, there are plants and animals that exist only on a couple of the many mogotes. One of these is the bee hummingbird, named because it's, well, the size of a bee. It's the smallest of all bird species, too. It is possible out here to tour "vegas," or tobacco farms. I'm not sure if they're in the guidebooks, but if you asked around you would probably get pointed in the right direction. The tobacco farm that we went to had the large drying hut, houses with thatched roofs, and they even raised roosters for cock fighting.

The towns here are very different from Havana. For example, the center street in Pinar del Rio was packed dirt. There's a paved town square, but it's kind of small. There's a beautiful church, a lot of colorful architecture, and a baseball field. Much more laid back way of life out here. On the main street there is also a tourist office, they may be of more use than the guidebooks in this area.

Hopefully that's of some use... I wish I could tell you more... It is one of those areas where the natural splendor is as important, if not more, than the actual goings on. The towns are laid back, great for wandering or spending a day or two in. Tourist sites really aren't The Thing To Do while there, which is nice, in contrast with Havana (and just about every other vacation city).

On guidebooks.
I looked through a lot of guidebooks, and the only ones I was glad to have with me were Lonely Planet: Havana and the Moon Handbook to Cuba, which had a lot more information on the other provinces and more information for the kind of traveler that I am (and suspect you are). There is also a section on bicycling. if you get a chance to flip through it at the library, it may be worthwhile. I noticed on Amazon there is also a Lonely Planet book on cycling Cuba. That might be worth looking into. Moon had great writing, a lot of history and cultural insight, and was overall worth bringing. It's large for a travel guide (thick paper back, about 600 pgs.) but it was totally worth it. There was a new edition published recently, so it should be even better than when I used it (this new edition must have been put out in the last year or so, because I had the 1997 (1st) edition in 2003, and this is now the 2nd edition).

The ones that I remember bringing, but wishing I hadn't, were
The Bradt travel guide to Cuba
Fodor's Cuba
Ulysses Travel Guide

They were either very general or catered to a different kind of tourist (the nice-hotel-and-lay-on-the-beach-only crowd), and were just a lot of extra weight.

On other reading.
You've probably got your summer pretty full if you're able to take a month's vacation, but reading about other people traveling in Cuba got me really excited to go. A couple of the books I really enjoyed were

Moses, Catherine. "Real Life in Castro's Cuba." and
Miller, Tom. "Trading with the Enemy: A Yankee Travels through Castro's Cuba."

Both are a little dated now (being from the mid-nineties), but they're a good first impression and fun to read.

On distance travel.
If you do end up renting a car to drive a long ways, say, to Pinar del Rio or the Eastern provinces, consider picking up hitchhikers from the "yellow stands" along the highway. This is a totally kosher way to get around in Cuba, and you will often pass stands on the shoulder where one uniformed police-type person is hanging around with a bunch of people flashing large wads of pesos to people driving by. They're all looking to get to towns further up the road in various distances. I haven't had the opportunity to do this on either giving or receiving a ride, but the travel writers on Cuba have all enjoyed it and the Cubans I've talked to about it have to do it to get around. There's no obligation for private cars to pick anyone up, but it's a great way to meet people, help out, and learn about the country. There are even (big) trucks that drive around picking people up and driving them around, earning good money that way. As an American, and probably to you as Canadians, this system is messed up, but it seems to work and might be a good way to learn about the area and the people.
posted by whatzit at 12:38 PM on June 21, 2004