Cuba
Life in the eighties
With its diverse and distinctive history, moderate weather and beautiful beaches, Cuba is undoubtedly a tourist paradise. The marvels of colonialism architecture that is spread all over the country, which makes the tourists astound and attracted explorers like me to explore it. It is a country where there’s still a touch of the 1980s lifestyle, with its old cars, colors of its buildings, cigar plantations and the music that you can hear everywhere.
A journey to the 1980s, “Cuba”
One of the easiest trips I have ever planned. I first visited the embassy in Riyadh to give them all the required documents, and in less than a week I was able to get my visa and go to Cuba.
You will have an extraordinary experience in Cuba
I spent 9 days in Cuba, during which I visited Havana, Vinales, Soroa and Varadero. In this trip I have had a lot of experiences like horseback riding, bikes, classic cars and of course roaming around the town on foot.
Cuba is a precious opportunity
A visit in person is a must to further understand more about this country, its people and their culture. I am happy that I took the decision and went to Cuba even after reading about it on the internet and what I saw in the news. It was a great experience that have an unforgettable impact on my life. Although I tried to live the urban life and enjoy the rural experience, it is not possible to learn everything about a country in only nine days, there is still a lot to explore in Cuba.
But now allow me to review the milestones of this trip
First of all, Cuba is under a dictatorial regime, and you can clearly see the effects of the communist past, Spanish rule and European character everywhere. Since Cuba is known for its unique cigars, it was only obvious that I would first visit the best cigar farms in Venice to see the process of making a cigar and the secrets of its distinctiveness. And what made this experience even more beautiful was riding horses while exploring these farms.
Sunset in the countryside
The rural side of Soura in Cuba is fascinating, which led me to experience their way of life, as they say “to get to know a country, you have to live with its urban and rural cultures”. That is exactly what I did, I went to a farm, lived with the Cubans, and explored the areas. I have seen how they their daily lifestyle, their techniques in making coffee and I have climbed a mountain with the locals. After the sunsets in the countryside, you have plenty of free time just like back in the 1980s, where people in Soura love to rest and chill together as an interconnected society. I stayed up late chatting with locals, drinking their special coffee and playing dominos with them. In the countryside, the main transportation way are horses and bicycles. So, you can imagine how amazing this was. Meanwhile, I could not capture the beauty of the countryside using a drone, because the eagles in the mountain would attack my drone.
Charming beauty
If you are in Cuba, Varadero is a destination you must visit, its a magical paradise with charming beaches and luxurious resorts that will surely relieve your stress. It is a beach about 133 kilometres from Havana, but its beauty is unbeatable, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, so I dove in the blue water and rested on the beach, away from the city hustle.
Havana – Live the Dream
My next stop was Havana, where I experienced a lot of adventures, and started exploring the city on a bicycle. I also rode in one of the classic cars that Cuba is famous for, and despite the rough nature of the journey, the car turned it into a wonderful experience. Walking in the streets was a great experience to enjoy the atmosphere of the city. Life in Havana is not really easy for locals. Life in the city still gives you a sense of living through the 1980s, but Havana is changing, Cuba is changing. I am sure I will be visiting Cuba again soon and find it way different from what it was.
Enjoying Life
Despite the attractiveness of the city thanks to its character belonging to the eighties of the last century, this proves the extent to which it has slowed down and has not kept pace with the great progress witnessed by various cities of the world. Also, confirms what I have said about the difficulty of life for its inhabitants and yet, people here know how to enjoy life. Their dancing everywhere in the city may have been a great way to live in peace and avoid thinking about the hardships they have to endure. On the other hand, there is a low penetration of Internet services in Cuba. 3G networks have recently been introduced and Wi-Fi is confined to specific places. Although isolated from the world because of the Internet connection weakness, yet it allows you to enjoy life in is the real way. What makes Cuba a great tourist attraction is not just its beaches, but its diverse culture, rich history, colonialism, and certainly its old lifestyle. Now I am leaving to explore something new because life is a journey.