"I came to Cuba to backpack and meet people. It's driving me crazy! I went to Varadero thinking that's where people will be. I was two nights in a low budget hotel all on my own. I've read nearly all my books and listened to every song on my i-pod, and I only arrived Friday. I've got to get out of here - today if I can get a flight to Mexico. I'd rather backpack six weeks around Sweden"
That pretty much captures what a young guy from Norway said to me as we shared a taxi from the bus station. And he is right. Cuba is not geared up for the backpacker. There are no hostels, and the cheapest place that a foreigner can stay in a casa particular. They are very lovely B&B, but too expensive at $30 a night, and you are quite likely to be on your own as there will be at most two rooms. Even in the casas particulares, the family may eat seperately from you.
I'm not saying that Cubans ignore you in the street. I took a sunset stroll along the seafront, called Malecon. Would have been absolutely stunning in it's heyday.
There was no shortage of cute young men running after me, wanting to be my friend and know where my hotel is. There is no shortage of eye candy here! And yes, you can easily pay for the company of Cubanos. At the very least you will be picking up the tab for the night you've had with your new found Cuban friends. I did meet Marcus from Switzerland at dinner one night. Interesting guy, worked all over Africa for the Swiss government and then the UN. He met a Cuban guy in a bar and then toured the island with him, naturally paying for everything. I can't afford that, and it's not the the sort of "friendship" I want with locals.
The language doesn't make it easy. It's like starting all over again, after 8 months! Cuban Spanish is delivered very fast, and consonnonts are rarely pronounced, making it almost impossible to understand. Cubans also have little patience if you don't understand them, unless they are making money out of you, e.g. your casa particular landlady.
There is little public transport, so you really have to travel by tourist bus. This way you are not really going to get to meet Cubans. Some Cuban transport is forbidden for tourists, for example the bicycle rickshaws, called bicitaxis, and in practice you won't get a taxi as used by Cubans to stop for you. You are unlikely to ride on a bus with Cubans, because there is a shortage of buses...
...and long queues...
Cuba has been set up as package holiday destination, so if you are on your honeymoon, or are happy to be cocooned in your 4 or 5 star all-inclusive hotel, then it's the palce for you. But you could be anywhere in the Caribbean. You also need to come with plenty of money.
Fidel Castro's government has succeeded in finding ways to relieve you of as much of your hard foreign currency as possible, without letting you really get close to Cuba or Cubanos. I have found it much harder than when I visited the old Czechoslovakia in the 80s. At least you could change money on the black market at a good rate and travel by train and bus, even if you did need to register with the state tourist agency, every time you moved!
Arrgh!
Chris 