The Cars

The cars have become a Cuban icon.  Unlike the buildings they are owned and cared for.  Virtually none blow smoke and many have obvious new features; like disk brakes and mag-wheels. 

The upholstery has generally been replaced at least once and I suspect that many of the engines may also have been updated. Some have bodywork that is the worse for wear while others have immaculate paintwork; but none that I saw was in ‘original condition’.  The owners are often Afro-Cuban and run a private enterprise cab service in competition with the government cabs. 

The Government cabs are run a bit like a bus service with government drivers.  They are mainly Škodas but are not either new or in good condition.  I got the impression that the last purchase probably dated from the collapse of communism in the Czech Republic. There is a scale of fares based on distance and no meters.  $3 to $5 is typical around Havana; $20 out to the airport.  Tipping is not required.

There is also a system of Tourist buses.  These are very good air-conditioned Chinese built coaches but as is generally the case in Cuba not everything is working on them. 

Again the staff are State employees; although they seem to be running a number of small commercial businesses ‘on the side’. These include roadside trading in meat and other rural products, presumably for restaurants or shops in town, as well as the transportation of ‘off the book’ passengers.

We made one long bus journey across and down the island to Trinidad where we stayed the night in a traditional house that has been converted to provide several large bedrooms; with en-suite bathrooms. The landlady-proprietor was enthusiastic but disappointed that we were not staying longer and wanted to eat out.  She turned the electricity in the rooms off during the day.  Ours contained a fridge used as a table that remained unplugged throughout our stay.

Tinidad

It was very hot and when we finally turned on the ancient air-conditioner to cool the room down at night it didn’t work. There was exposed electrical wiring in the bathroom including an outlet in the shower!  But in Cuba ‘do it yourself’ is a way of life.  On the plus side we saw some for the countryside; passed through several other towns and had the best restaurant meal in Cuba at a charming converted house in Trinidad.