Unfortunately, the hotel didn't receive my email, and all rooms were
fully booked. Luckily, their neighbour still had space, and it turned out
more convenient, given the bike. The family was welcoming but,
regrettably, only spoke limited English and I spoke even less Spanish.
The place was comfortable, though, with a fan, air-con, private
bathroom and even a little bar fridge.
Most confusing was the Cuban money. During my visit in 2014, Cuba
had two currencies: CUC (1 CUC = 1 US$) and pesos (moneda
nacional MN) (1 CUC = 25 pesos). The accommodation and taxi fare
were quoted in CUC, which seemed to be standard practice for
tourists. (In January 2021, Cuba adopted the Cuban peso as its sole
currency, unifying the two currencies into one.)
Havana
Following a breakfast of fruit and scrambled eggs, I set out, camera
in hand, to explore Havana, referred to as La Habana. As always,
nothing was as envisaged, as what was reported in the media turned
out quite different to reality.
Although the American trade embargo, which had been in place for
50 years, was still active, Cuba engaged in trade with other countries.
I further noticed that Havana had a fair number of new vehicles, as
my taxi from the airport was a brand-new Toyota van. However, most
of the cars on the road were from the 1960s. While not all buildings
were old and falling apart, the older ones were far more visually
appealing, and one got the impression that the entire country was in
a state of disrepair.