There is no better place to test how deep the political tensions run between the US and Cuba than sitting in a barber chair in Cuba with your neck under a straight razor. Luckily, the universal right to get a shave and a haircut trumps political tension and I was able to get a shave with minimal blood loss in Trinidad, Cuba.
With episodes filmed in some of the most dangerous places in the World, Ross Kemp really sticks his neck out there to film this show. Follow him around the world as he meets with the most ruthless, violent, and dangerous gangs in the world. Originally airing in the UK, the show began airing in the US in 2009 under the name "Gang Nation", find it on the Investigation Discovery Channel.
The Jardin Zoologico is a Zoo centrally located in the Vedado area of Havana, Cuba. The admission to the zoo is 3cuc, but you may be able to get in for free if it is a Cuban holiday. Don’t go expecting modern facilities or to see extremely rare animals, go because this zoo is frozen in the 60’s, and will provide a really unique zoo experience.
Callejón de Hamel is a city block in Havana Centro, dedicated to the preservation and expression of Afro-Cuban culture. The entire block is covered in bright abstract murals and sculptures, many made from everyday objects like bathtubs and hubcaps.
Varadero is located on the Hicacos Peninsula in the province of Matanzas, Cuba. Varadero is a resort town known for its 12 miles of white sand beaches. It is not known for its deep-sea fishing out of Marina Chapelín. The lack of notoriety of the deep-sea fishing should have been a good indicator of what to expect, but having already acquired my transdermal scopolamine patch, I pretty much had to go.
Coppelia is a massive open-air ice cream dispensary in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. I was told the ice cream is amazing, that I had to go to Coppelia to get a taste of Cuba. I wouldn't say that is partially accurate. The ice cream is good, and you will be eating it on a hot day, which makes it really good, but the real Cuban experience is wait.
The clammy heat in Cuba can really wear you and your inner thighs down, and sometimes the only thing that will provide temporary relief is a cool swim and a couple of mojitos. Luckily, there is always a beach relatively close by to calm your chaffed thighs and a mojito to restore your spirit. Cayo Jutias is an exceptional example of one of those beaches that also serves mojitos. The 4 mile white sand beach of Cayo Jutias, Pinar del Río, is the perfect spot to cool down, and if you are in the mood, drink up. Cayo Jutias is a small islet just 40 miles outside of Viñales. You can catch a bus for the day, or take a rental car toward the town of Minas de Matahambre and then take the stone causeway that leads to the secluded beach on the Caribbean.
The Mural de la Prehistoria is 2.5 miles west of the town of Viñales in the Pinar del Río province, Cuba. When I went to see this mural I had done zero research and thought it was some kind of prehistoric mural, painted by a prehistoric people. It's not. Its a mural of prehistory, or at least the artists rendition, and no, it wasn't a giant child's finger-painting lesson using only primary colors. It was painted in 1961 by Leovigildo González Morillo, not a giant child, and even after being recently touched up, the grossly colored mural of giant snails and dinosaurs smeared onto the side of a mogote is definitely not worth the 1 cuc entrance fee, especially when the view outside the gates is a little better.
If you’re a US resident trying to get to Cuba before it loses its communist charm, and you aren’t fortunate enough to have a visa approved by the US government, it still is relatively easy to get there. It is illegal and there are consequences if you get caught, but I don’t think catching tourists coming back from Cuba is high on a US Customs Agents list of things to bust people for. The general routes you can take are from the US to Mexico or the Bahamas, and then take a connecting flight to Havana. I went through Cancun, Mexico, so that is what my advice is based on.
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About The Cheap RouteTheCheapRoute.com is the site where you find fresh new travel destinations & ideas. We don't provide guidebook style writeups, we normally don't even offer you all the specifics, you can find that elsewhere. What we do provide are high quality photos & videos, useful tips, and a fresh perspective on travelling the world for cheap.
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