Stern's Guide to the Greatest Resorts of the World, Stern's Guide to the Cruise Vacation, Stern's Guide to European Riverboats and Hotel Barges, and The Indispensable Guide to Foreign Words and Phrases--by Steven B. Stern (Sponsored by Stern's Travel Guides, Ltd.)
On my way to join my cruise ship in Cienfuegos, Cuba, I spent two days in Havana. I can remember friends
of my parents relaying tales of the charm and excitement of the city during the
forties and fifties—the lavish production shows, the glamorous hotels, the
sophisticated casinos and beautiful women.
Having traveled to most countries around the
world, naturally I was most anxious to visit Cuba as soon as the
possibility presented itself. I tracked down a Cuban travel agency in Florida on the Internet
(named Letty Cuba) and had them arrange my air, visa, hotel, tours and ground
transportation. They put me up at a flee-bag hotel, they represented as 4
star; they set me up with a tour agency with drivers that did not speak
English, got lost trying to find Cienfuegos, and left me off at the wrong
airport on the way home; provided air tickets with the wrong departure time on
a airline that was 5 hours late on the
return flight.
Cuba does not accept U.S.
Currency, and therefore I had to convert U.S. dollars in the airport to a type
of special Cuban dollar, losing 13% in the exchange. Credit cards from
American banks are also not accepted; however the Euro and European bank credit
cards are welcomed.
On my taxi ride from the airport to my hotel, I
received my initial impressions of the country—broken sidewalks covered in mud,
buildings in disrepair, crowded streets with thousands of cars vintage 1950s
and 1960s, and the absence of a McDonalds or Burger King.
Arriving at my hotel, the Presidente, I had to
drag my own suitcase across a muddy sidewalk and up the stairs to the
dilapidated lobby. Allegedly during the pre-Castro glory days, such movie stars
the likes of Marilyn Monroe were said to have graced its halls. In
deference to that era, the hotel apparently has not replaced the plumbing, the
bedding, the carpeting, the furnishings or the elevators.
Becoming tired of my numerous complaints, the
desk clerk moved me to their best accommodation on the 10th (top)
floor. These palatial digs boasted a broken toilet that would not flush without
a plunger, bed sheets that did not fit the bed, foam rubber pillows, flimsy
towels that were not replaced until late in the day when the laundry was done,
and no box of Kleenex. It did have an envious view overlooking a former
pool with broken cement filled with slimy green sewage
During the day, my educated young guide showed
me around his city. In spite of his brief visit to the United States, he was still convinced
that he enjoyed a better standards of life in Cuba. He lauded the Castro
brothers and the fact they provided him with free medical, free college and
found him a job, even if it wasn’t the one he wanted. He did show me an
area in the old city with some interesting public squares, statues and
classical buildings from prior centuries. However , 95% of the city was
falling apart. There were no supermarkets or drug stores, and items we take for
granted, such as non-prescription medicines, sundries and cosmetics were not
available.
My guide did point out numerous monuments and
more upscale hotels such as Hotel National, Melia Coluba and Saratoga
Havana. One evening I attended the lavish production show, La Parisian,
featured at the Hotel National. I have to admit it was the most
spectacular entertainment I had ever witnessed. Otherwise, restaurants
and food in general were disappointing. Other Cuban cities were not as run down
as Havana and there are some lovely white sand beaches
both on the main island and on small cays off the coast.
If and when the embargos against United States products,
companies and citizens are eventually lifted, the country will be ripe
for US entrepreneurial undertakings. Until then tourism will appeal
mostly to those wishing to experience the Cuban culture and not those seeking a
luxury vacation.
Steven B. Stern
author of Stern's Guide to the Cruise Vacation, Stern's Guide to European
Riverboats and Hotel Barges and
Stern's Guide to the Greatest Resorts of the Worl