Our First Four Hours in Cuba
It’s March 15, 2017. Our Southwest flight from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida lands at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba. My dad and I disembark from the plane onto the tarmac and look at each other with excited uncertainty in our eyes – we made it! We’re IN Cuba. But will it be easy to get through immigration? What will it be like outside the airport doors? Will we like it?
The immigration and customs process is standard. Time consuming but not difficult. We gather our luggage and I head to the restroom. It’s atrocious, dirty, outdated, cramped, and no toilet paper. Par for the course in a third world country but I still try not to touch more than I need to. We exchange our dollars for C.U.C. –(Cuban Convertible Pesos, the money foreigners use) and split a cab ride in a vintage car with a friendly American on his second trip to Cuba.
We arrive at the address of the AirBnB we reserved. A Cuban woman named Jenny greets us, cigarette in mouth and shows us to our space. My dad speaks to her in Spanglish. He has a knack for knowing enough vocabulary to get the point across as well as a few jokes about “baiando y cervezas” (dancing and beers).
Jenny tells us Alberto will be here in about 30 minutes. Jenny goes back to her own place. We settle in and wait. My dad remarks “your mother would have killed us.” I let out a knowing laugh. I had the same thought.
The two bedroom is basic and older but clean. The bathroom lacks any storage space and even though I’m on the petite side, I have to navigate it carefully not to bump into the sink, toilet, door, or walls. At $60 per night, it’s a steal that allows my dad and I to have a little privacy from others…and each other. And I’ve certainly stayed in worse.
Alberto arrives. He’s polished, well-spoken, and friendly. It’s mere minutes before my dad, who has never met a stranger, and Alberto are engaged in a lively debate over Cuba’s future. My dad takes the optimistic position that the steadily increased tourism to the country will change the country dramatically and positively in the next 5 – 10 years. Alberto takes a more pessimistic view that predicts little change because ”it’s Cuba.”
I leave the room but continue to half listen in while unpacking and getting ready for dinner. We’re closing in on 7PM and my thoughts are occupied by the desire for food. As the conversation continues in the living room of the AirBnB, it somehow comes out that Alberto studied economics in Russia and suddenly the two are having the same enthusiastic debate over Cuba’s future in Russian. 15 minutes. Three languages. I’m impressed.
Eventually the conversation turns to dinner recommendations and where to find water. Alberto not only recommends El Cathedral (English: “The Cathedral”), a few blocks down, which he describes as good and reasonably priced, but he also drives us there. Talk about a super AirBnb host!
The Cathedral is indeed good and reasonably priced. I have a beer and Ropa Vieja served with rice and thinly sliced plantains baked to a crisp. My dad has a rum and a beer (it’s his birthday!) which he pairs with a sliced pork dish also served with rice and thinly sliced plantains. We both agree that I picked the better entrée.
My Meal at The Cathedral
After dinner, we head back to our AirBnB, which still feels foreign, but by the end of the trip takes on a home-like feel.
Post Script: El Catedral had a blackboard with a sketch of Guy Fieri of Diners, Drivethroughs, and Dives. Upon returning to the US and obtaining internet service again, I looked it up. Fiori did indeed visit El Cathedral! His thoughts on it and other Havana restaurants here.
