After a long day shooting a wedding on New Years Eve 2011, my boyfriend Dave and I (www.davidwile.com) raced home to get our backpacks and then straight to the airport for 4am. A layover and 4 hours later, we arrived in warm Santa Clara, Cuba on New Years day. With a backpack of clothes and camera bag each, we set out to begin a two week journey travelling throughout central and northern Cuba, documenting our trip along the way.
Cuba. A changing landscape of mountains, valleys, trees, ocean sprawl, colonial cities and farmlands dotted throughout. The highways are often car-less, the streets busy but never crowded. The people are friendly but not overbearing. The children could care less about tourists. Overall, the country was pleasantly calm. My last big trip had been to Africa and India, so I was expecting to be thrown into a more or less chaotic environment with hagglers and traffic and the hustle and bustle of people, touts and animals. It was the last of my memories of travelling with a backpack, so I was prepared to guard my belongings and be swift and street savvy…….
When we arrived however, there were just 2 all-inclusive buses and once they were full of beach-goers, Dave and I were the only travellers left in the entire airport! We walked around aimlessly looking for a cab, a bus, a main road, a passerby to hitchhike…??? but there were none of the above. Just us and our bags. We laughed at each other and I still not “fooled” would not believe that the chaos was not going to come. I am slightly jaded and well travelled. And well, no one fools me like Cuba did.
We finally found an employee and she called her friend to come get us and of course charge the standard fare. 
We waited for 20 minutes and the driver pulled up, threw our bags in the trunk and cruised down the dirt road while watching Shakira music videos on his little tv stationed to his dash. He barely noticed us. Clearly, Cuba was nothing at all like India and to be honest it took me a long time to get used to no one bothering me. It felt like home walking down the streets or getting a cab. Travel was safe, effective and mobile. It was a very nice change to Asia.
Dave and I stayed in casa’s which are comparable to bed and breakfasts here in Canada. The rooms cost about $20-$30 a night, including a hot water shower and clean sheets which is specifically noted for an experienced backpacker!!! I was ecstatic! A luxury vacay after all. 
After hearing about people’s horrific food experiences in Cuba, I was especially cautious about getting sick and especially cautious about catching another parasite. After 2 years of being sick, I knew that my stomach was susceptible to catching them more easily and so I was certainly prepared to eat my Lara bars at the best of times. However, to our pleasant surprise, the meals at the casa’s were EXTRAORDINARY! And I am not exaggerating. These home cooked meals were impressive. They usually began with freshly squeezed guava juice, a tomato and cucumber salad, fried plantains, pork, shrimp, chicken or lobster tail, beans, rice, onions, and traditionally finished with a tomato sauce. We were always served a dessert of creme caramel with coffee and often were too full to touch it. This explosion of dishes was $8 topped off with $1 beers! and it tasted delicious!!! The restaurants in towns were a bit of a different story – some were good and some were slightly shall I say not up to snuff.
The Casa’s are government run which is advantageous for both parties in many ways, as it provides jobs for locals and also creates a regulated home stay (if I can get away with calling it that) that guarantees clean water, clean food and a clean room environment. I highly encourage you to stay at accommodation like this as it is a cleaner and cheaper option than local hotels and brings jobs to the local population. Outside homes may look run down, but inside they are beautifully kept, with mosaics, open courtyards, and ornate Spanish furniture. They are truly gorgeous.
The average person makes an income of $5-8 a month and to my surprise even a highly educated doctor or engineer, makes only a meagre earnings of almost $25 a month. Casa’s have opened up avenues to both educated and uneducated locals, allowing them to make more money than in almost any profession in Cuba. There is a catch of course. The government charges $150 per rented room every month to keep their business going and so, if a room is not occupied that month, the owner must still pay this tax to the government. This is why I encourage you to stay at a casa, and eat their delicious food. Help keep them in business!!! It is such a wonderful way to travel and especially to meet other travellers and make relationships with local families.
If you are at all interested, here is a quick two week itinerary synopsis of the cities we visited.
Our first stop was Santa Clara, a University hub and musically driven city. The streets wound all around the valley and mountains surround the city. Mojitos are crushed and skillfully created every night as people salsa dance in all the local hot spots. This is a great place for people photography as this small town had a lot of country people, friendly and welcoming of being photographed.
Next, was a very old Colonial city called Caibarien. It is a dusty and crumbling town dotted along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Most houses are made of wood with long and narrow columns barely holding them upright. Elderly sit in their doorways watching the hustle and bustle of fishermen and farmers go by. The town is oddly barren however with a ghostly feeling of the days when it once was a rich exporting sugar mill town. Photography is great here too, however it is a small town and once discovered it is difficult to rediscover again and again.
Trinidad was our next stop. This tourist hub has not been ruined yet. It is a beautiful city full of cobblestone streets and colourful homes and churches. The nightlife is incredible and it hosts a nightclub in an actual cave! (like a serious deep dark cave) Mountains surround this city on one side and the ocean sprawl spreads on the other. You can rent bicycles here and have a beautiful ride to the beach and back. Photographically, your options are endless!
Havana, the old city was exactly what I expected! It is gorgeous! The old city has streets that will lose you forever. Crumbling walls and cobblestone streets. A very Spanish feeling city with restaurants everywhere. The old city is a bit too touristy for my liking though. I feel like you must work your way out further to experience some of the real Cuban restaurants and bars. People are more savvy here and many people will ask for money if you want to take their photo. You must be a little more creative when it comes to getting the perfect shot!
Vinales was our final destination which was the perfect way to end our vacation. Nestled in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains, this Cuban farm town looked more like Vietnam environmentally. This town is also catered to tourists but in a being busy way. There is always something to do here and somewhere to go. This is another great spot to rent bicycles and travel through the fields and mountains or hop on a pony and go for a horseback ride. The people are spectacularly friendly here with faces you could capture forever. There is one nightlife spot.
All in all, Cuba is a beautiful country full of delightful people, gorgeous countryside, pristine beaches and photographic opportunities that could keep you busy for a long time! I highly recommend this country and I especially would recommend it for first time backpackers. Its easy to navigate, hassle free and affordable!
Enough said. I hope you enjoy some of my Cuba work:
"Alvaro" Vinales, Cuba
"The Brood", Vinales, Cuba
"Old Havana Church Square, Havana, Cuba"
"From the Hilltop, Trinidad, Cuba"
"Deja Vu, Trinidad, cuba"
"Field of Sticks, Trinidad, Cuba"
Now here is a series Dave and I shot together, entitled “Tobacco Farmers”
