Planning a trip to Havana Cuba?

Wondering if it’s really possible to travel there from the USA?

At the beginning of this year my wife & I took a kid-free trip to Havana Cuba (thank you grandparents).

Below is what we learned during our time in Havana Cuba – specifically what NOT to do.

You might be wondering HOW we were able to visit Havana Cuba from the USA.

Obama created 12 legal reasons US citizens can travel to Cuba.

Many of them are very abstract, such as “support for the Cuban people” (not sure how long these rules will apply under Trump.)

You just have to pick one and fill a form for the airline, but that’s it.

When you come back they may or may not ask in the airport where you just came from.

As bloggers, my wife & I simply visited as journalists.

What NOT To Do When Visiting Havana Cuba

It’s easy enough to get there, but what we found when we arrived was TOTALLY different than we expected.

Here are 7 things you should NOT do when you visit Havana Cuba.

Don’t Check Your Luggage

I highly recommend NOT checking your luggage.

Why?

Our luggage didn’t arrive on our plane…

It arrived 36 hours later!

This is a BIG deal in Havana Cuba because there are NO shops – NONE.

Want to buy toothpaste? Sorry.

Forgot your deodorant? Too bad.

If you must check your luggage, at least pack a few toiletries & change of clothes in a backpack…

Whatever you can’t survive the trip without should be in your carryon.

Don’t Take Where You Stay For Granted

We stayed in an Airbnb in Havana Cuba – and Airbnb didn’t let us down at all.

They were fantastic actually.

Here’s a picture of our street.

The reality of life in Cuba means you might need a little extra support & our Airbnb host gave us a cell phone to use to contact him during our stay.

Now, he wasn’t able to help us with the missing toothpaste or deodorant, but I’m sure he would have if they actually had stores.

Don’t Forget –  You’re In A Communist Country

The propaganda was ridiculous.

In a beautiful square they played COPS-style videos to the crowds.

Meanwhile, the public infrastructure has been sadly neglected leading to falling down buildings & insufficient sanitation.

Some buildings being held up by sticks while families still live in them (notice the laundry!).

Others collapsing completely.

How beautiful these buildings would be if they’d been properly maintained.

Here’s hoping one day they will be restored to their full glory.

Don’t Assume There Are Stores

OK I know I told you earlier that there are NO stores in Havana Cuba.

Actually, we saw 1 store.

This is a picture of their version of a CVS pharmacy.

This strange shop (likely owned & operated by the Cuban government) had no essentials.

If you forget to pack your toothpaste, you’ll have to find someone willing to share (lucky for us, the family staying in the other room of our apartment had some to spare!).

There is no CSV or Walgreens or Cuban version of a convenience store.

The locals have to wait for their rations, so they don’t have any left to sell or share with you.

Don’t Skip A Classic Cars Tour

It’s a fun way to see Havana Cuba & if your driver/tour guide is half as friendly as ours, you’ll be all set.

You can book them for short or long tours & have them drop you off somewhere convenient for you.

Don’t Pass Up A Drink In Each Famous Bar

Yes, they’re packed full of tourists, but they’re also full of great music & serious bartending.

El Floridita – Havana, Cuba

Crowds again, but so worth it!

Don’t Worry Be Happy

This seems to be the motto of the people in Havana Cuba.

One good thing about visiting a communist country is that there is virtually no crime, so we felt very safe walking everywhere at night.

It’s a massive cultural shock to American consumers used to having “stuff”.

But WOW were we impressed with the resilient Cuban spirit.

We spent this past week on a “hurrication” (the “vacation” you take while running away from a hurricane!).

Here are some highlights of our 2017 “hurrication”, thanks to Hurricane Irma.

2017 Hurrication Highlights

Living in South Florida is mostly fantastic, despite the hurricane scares.

This year was a little different.

Predictions of a direct hit from Hurricane Irma freaked us out enough to pack everything into our mini-van & make a run for it.

We stayed in a number of hotels along the way, but we kept moving as Irma’s path changed.

We made it all the way up to Alabama before we finally felt able to relax – safely out of the storm’s path.

Spending days on the road meant eating out more than we would like!

Once we checked into our hurrication hotel in Alabama, we hit the local Publix in search of our favorite snacks.

My wife loves that Liberté is an organic snack & I love the adventurous flavors!

I always pickup the coconut flavor for myself, but we usually grab a few of the mango flavors too.

We settled back into our hotel to watch the storm from a video camera in front of our house.

The power stayed on almost all of the time, so we were able to see the wind & the rain.

Once the worst was over, I attempted to catch up on a few work emails missed during the last few days…. which wasn’t easy to do with the kids going stir-crazy!

We needed to get outside ASAP!

Luckily there was a park right next to our hurrication hotel, so we spent a few hours exploring Alabama’s great outdoors.

FINALLY, after a week, it was safe to drive through Florida & go back home.

We drove to Georgia in heavy traffic & spent the night.

The plan was to sleep early & wake up early to hit the road & beat traffic.

Believe it or not, the highways were packed ALL NIGHT.

This is a picture we took at 4am!

Our 6 hour drive turned into an 11.5 hour drive, but the kids were fantastic.

While the hurrication itself was stressful, it was replaced by the RELIEF to be back home to a house fully intact with AC, water & electricity.

Our only “damage” was a blown-over fence.

WE WERE LUCKY & grateful to be home.

Thank you to Liberté for sponsoring this post & helping cover some of our hurrication costs.

We live in South Florida, so when Hurricane Irma rolled in, we rolled out… all the way to Alabama where we will spend the weekend at the Ross Bridge Resort Marriott Birmingham.

Now, Alabama wasn’t on my bucket list, but the Ross Bridge Resort more than exceeded my expectations.

It took 45 minutes to travel the last 15 miles of our journey (3 out of 4 license plates were Florida tags), but this Marriott Birmingham hotel rose up to meet us.

Helloooooo curb appeal!

We did look like a bunch of evacuees as we piled out of the mini-van with our kids – their toys & snacks literally falling out of the door when it slid open.

As always, Marriott’s friendly, professional staff makes us feel right at home.

I used my Marriott points to book the room, which came with a big balcony & this stunning view.

It’s a relief to have plenty of entertainment here for the kids – restless after spending 3 days in the car.

Once the golf course closed, the kids loved walking the paths, collecting pine cones, and chasing birds.

The hotel grounds are stunning in every direction.

I expect we will do the same every night, as it’s a great way to end the day… the sunset walk is beautiful, yes, but mostly we go to wear the kids out!!!

In the mornings we stuffed our faces with a ridiculously delicious breakfast – biscuits & gravy, mountains of fresh fruit & a honey-baked ham.

Then we hit the pool, where the kids spent the day going down the waterslide.

We aren’t sure yet how long we will need to stay at this Marriott Birmingham hotel – we’re watching to see where Hurricane Irma is headed.

Even though we don’t yet know where we will go next, the Ross Bridge Resort has provided a welcome sanctuary as a home away from home…

Now, if only we could actually GO home.