Tag: casa particular

Arrival Ready

JUNE 26, 2020 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON
from Inside Cuba in 2016: A Lot Can Happen in 10 Days

The heat became intense during our summer trip through Cuba. I can see why so many air conditioners were part of the luggage our co-passengers were bringing back. Each of our private home rentals (our casas particulares) had a window unit which we used only at night. Perhaps even some or a lot of the people on our flight offered home stays as well. There was quite the network of people involved in the tourist industry, which could include various types of sightseeing, tours, and transportation. As a result, there was typically no shortage of places to stay, places to go or ways to get there. We just needed the proper negotiating and timing.

We lost a couple of half-days on no-luck negotiating. Some good ways to save money were teaming up and splitting rides with 3 or more people in addition to splitting tours. Once inside various cities, we could get to a lot of places on foot, in the local cabs (vintage cars), public city buses or in the more interesting one driver two-seater vehicles.

I had messaged the owner of our first casa particular, Dignora, to let her know our flight was delayed a couple of times so the driver she had arranged for us would stay informed and most importantly not leave us. He didn’t. I handed KT a blue “mosquito repellent” bracelet that looked more akin to the old school coil key chains and I kept the pink one for myself.

Our driver was there, waiting calmly. Our bags retrieved, I spotted him right away. He was holding a makeshift sign – a couple of the letters in our names not quite right. Suddenly, I sensed things were falling into place. If I wasn’t trying to be off the grid, I would have been my regular enthusiastic traveling self from the beginning, but my ease came in waves. Once we reached the sky over Cancun, I was more self-assured and seeing the driver, knowing we were on our way gave me complete comfort. (I figured I would worry later about jumping through a couple more hoops on the way back.)

The driver was mixed in with a group of other people with signs plus those without signs who seemed to have no one in particular to pick up. They were searching and offering. One of them randomly said, “Cassandra”, smiling after he saw the exchange between me and ­­­­­­our driver, who led us out quickly, very purposefully. We stopped off at a money exchange kiosk outside the station. The driver was super chill again, directing us over and then smiling, waiting.

Enter and Exit the Fortress:

There was a safe friendly energy surrounding Havana. I know our Wi-Fi access was limited and the country entities were very much state-run. Still, in addition to feeling free from any potential harm, I felt free to explore.

When I write about fortress, however, I am even more specifically picturing Dignora’s house. We had to walk up a few flights to get to the communal area, and back to our room, which was one of about four rooms in her casa particular. Walking up that many steps with my pink duffel back and my suitcase and my backpack was a workout, but I was thrilled. My friend was feeling the climb too. He said, “For real”, when we turned yet another corner on the way up.

The walk up was worth it. The view from the terrace was gritty and breathtaking. We would also have breakfast there a few times for an additional 5 CUCs (pesos convertibles) the money for foreigners like us. (I mention more details on the two currencies in my Spontaneous Audio Suggestion).

We left the house on Day 1 in the late evening. We wanted to get in some sights before nightfall, but not before I lost myself in chatting with Dignora and her husband. All our smiles. What fluid feelings going from being nervous before boarding the plane to feeling relieved. Sometimes I swear it feels like I’m revisiting people I’ve never met before. There is something so familial about a lot of the places I’ve stayed and most of the reception seemingly may be both from my enthusiasm for exploring and bringing my own diversity to tourism.

I took out little replicas of both KT and my country’s flags. I handed them to our host. Dignora had explained she enjoyed having them as mementos from everyone who stayed with her. I believe I was her first quasi-lone visitor from the US. KT’s flag was her first Swedish one. She accepted both with pleasure and I realize one of the kindest things anyone can do is welcome you for exactly who you are. 😊

Inside Cuba in 2016: A lot can happen in 10 days

MAY 28, 2020 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON
Casa Particular Rooftop

“Oh Cuba, I love you. You make me angry.” My travel partner knew exactly what I meant as we sat there on our second to last day trying to determine if we could make it to our last 3 coveted stops. We had accomplished a lot in 8 days. We had some really high ups and a few downs. The downs came from some failures to get off the beaten track and our ups came from accepting the nice foot-worn welcome paths, and intermittently managing to design our own trek. Our smiles also came from the journey as the destination, the destinations, our chance to meet locals and fellow travelers and getting to bond again following the passing of several years since our time meeting and volunteering in South America.

I was nervous when I arrived in Cancun and especially when that video screen outside of my departure gate advised that the next flight would not be to Havana, but rather back to a destination in the US. Even asking the airline agent outside at the kiosk and her reassuring me the next flight was indeed going to Havana didn’t make me feel assured for long. Another confidence breaker: The cell phone data my cell phone company said I would still have in all of North America was nonexistent. (Access to free Wi-Fi has changed since then and more so my personal cell phone data selections have changed as well. I’ve never been one to closely follow the latest mobile trends.) Ultimately, I used the airport Wi-Fi hotspot to purchase internet access and to periodically connect with my friend on an old computer tablet I had for backup. I kept him posted on our flight status, which was becoming increasing delayed.

I will say nothing of travel regulations for US citizens and how (at the time of printing) and then you needed 1 of 12 reasons to travel there as a US citizen. My friend KS was good. He was coming from Europe and was of course not subjected to such restrictions. However, I did have the advantage of my flights being considerably cheaper than his.

Still I will say nothing of how you can go from the States to one city in Cuba before visiting some others by flying through Mexico or Canada or the Caribbean and I will say nothing but everything about how I was particularly glad to figure this out and how important it was for me to move about Cuba fairly freely, loosely based on 1 of the 12 reasons. I will say nothing of these things and technical legalities but if you reach out to me (and please feel free), I will say everything. Additionally, when you have time, there is some additional info in my 2nd spontaneous audio suggestion. Needless to write, I didn’t seem to be considered much of a threat. Maybe I should be offended. 😊

I also feel pretty fortunate in the authenticity of my experience and reactions, among us and everyone, having gone there not long after President Obama’s visit and how interesting it was that we were there during Fidel Castro’s 90th birthday. People have pretty strong reactions for or against the former leader. This trip was also not long before Castro passed away.

I also felt a reminder of how the people of a place, both here and abroad are not to be seen as a homogeneous representation of their country’s administration. The mainstream news will have you unwittingly thinking otherwise, even subconsciously. So many relatives and connections to the US and vice versa. US flags replicated in several forms here and there, traditionally seen and even as a dress. At times, they were next to flags of Cuba. The trip was going to prove welcoming, intriguing and worth some personal fails especially after getting over my bigger worry of being able to go at all.

Downtown Havana

Inside Cuba 2016 continues tomorrow: A lot can happen in 10 days.

HERE TO THERE

MARCH 14, 2020 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON

My heart is heavy with all the many lives, now lost to Coronavirus (COVID-19) in China and throughout the world. With my company’s new option, starting Monday, of being able to work from home for a week, I will do so accordingly. As someone who takes public transportation for quite some time to get there and back, I want to diminish the chance of being a harm to others or myself. Not everyone has options like I do, and I think people are commendable in all the various situations they are facing.

The gym has been a good healthy outlet for me to visit daily (save one alternating day). Working on my healthiness has done some work for my psyche in general and a nice bonus is that it is within walking distance. I also find it healthy to be able to be out and about and socialize in these continued smaller ways – being out – getting to the stores and the gym has been nice.

Ironically, I already imagine I will get more done working from home. I already know, per the chance we got to do so for about a month during our renovation. It has been quite the year already, well actually two years, I would say, starting with the flood that totaled most of my coworkers’ cars in the parking garage. We’ve had many ups and downs as a team.

Cuba. I coincidentally got a loving message from Dignora yesterday. I recalled her in my spontaneous audio suggestion on Wednesday as the first casa particular in which we stayed in 2016. She reached out to check on me and let me know they were okay. I think going through our tasks with extra special precautions is key. I think deeply even more of my fam in Ohio (where I grew up) and friends everywhere. I thought I had some gratitude before but I’m really appreciating life and how friendly and well-intentioned most people can be.

A lady asked me if I found any food as we were leaving the grocery store today😊. I said, “some” and asked her how she did? We’re lucky, in this particular store in DC, in Friendship Heights. I can’t speak to the whole DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia area) but it wasn’t rough at the store just a little up the street. Even when the toilet paper section was starkly bare, next to a lot of other products, there was a considerable number of items left. You only had to reach further back than normal for what you would normally get or settle for brands or items, close enough to what you might desire. Also, there was plenty of food stocked in the perhaps not so healthy areas😊. Then, lo and behold, a smiling Safeway employee rolled out a skid of toilet paper next to the self-checkout line to which I was heading. Even then, people only gingerly started taking one 12 pack two-ply at a time. I don’t know what happens after I leave or what’s going to happen but did I ever really know? We’re just kind of very accustomed to life being a certain way – and that’s okay too. A journey is a journey even when we’re close to home.

Lots of love,
Cassandra

Spontaneous Suggestion for March 10, 2020 (Audio – Cuba)

BY CASSANDRA
I promise I’m otherwise articulate and a little less rambling 😊 
 Casas Particulares

 One nation – Two currencies (at time of posting):
 CUC (convertibles) for non-Cubans and Cuban pesos/Moneda Nacional(MN) – for Cubans
 *Pay close attention, both can be intermingled, but CUC has a higher monetary value.
 
Malecón de Havana (what I also wanted to share) – Wikipedia describes it nicely.
 Fábrica de Arte - brilliant space for art (of all kinds), simultaneously a dance venue in Havana 





 Some Cuban stops:
 Havana
 Viñales – one of my favorites
 Trinidad
 Cienfuegos 
 Mayabeque
                              

Credits: Wikipedia and Lonely Planet for highlighting the references to fond recollections- 😊