My Cuban Adventure (Travel Diary) by Mohammed Hasan:
Cuba is a beautiful country: gorgeous women, uplifting music, colourful Chevrolets, and juicy nicotine-free cigars! It’s an enigma: a laissez-faire attitude to life, but the tentacles of state control still has a grip over its citizens.
Cuba is equally attractive as it is bizarre.
In Cuba bread is rationed.
In Cuba there are no adverts.
In Cuba people of different races seem to mix effortlessly.
In Cuba there’s live music everywhere and everyone is a semi-professional dancer; salsa is in their blood! People dance without any inhibition or awkwardness.
In Cuba people are resourceful; classic cars are preserved using spare parts from other cars.
In Cuba people invite strangers to eat at their homes, which they use as restaurants (Paladars) but they treat you just like family.
In Cuba people thought I was Cuban!
Havana:
At passport control, several airport officials greeted me: women wearing dark green uniforms, black high heels and fishnet tights; a stark contrast to the security at Heathrow Airport. They searched our bags and checked our visas before letting us through to the Arrivals section.
Our driver escorted us to the front entrance. Crowds of Cubans gathered around the automatic doors while eagerly opening their bags to gift expensive electronics and branded trainers to members of their family.
Loud crackles of thunder and torrential rain kept most travellers in submission. The airport was our sanctuary from the stormy weather. I realised we landed during hurricane season; “Sh*t that’s why the tickets were so cheap?!” “It’s ok, it’s only the first day – I’m sure the weather will get better” – I kept reassuring myself. I would later discover that the sun rises just as quickly as the rain falls.
Our driver sprinted across the road and jumped in to his car. He drifted in front of the pavement – I felt like – James Bond was picking me up. He rarely took his foot off the accelerator as he sped down the motorway while swerving to avoid cars that suddenly changed lanes; like many countries, a driver indicating is more of a luxury than a necessity.
We were dropped outside a lovely house in Vedado, a wealthier neighbourhood in Havana. The cream villa had stain glass windows, high ceilings and a lovely roof-top terrace overlooking the rest of the city. Throughout our trip we decided to stay with Cuban families; in Cuba the government allows their citizens to use their homes as hotels (Casa Particulares).
A father and son owned the Casa. The father was a suave man that spoke French, Spanish and English; we had to rely on mixing and matching all three to communicate.
Our first night in Havana was spent attending a Beatles tribute concert in Vedado. We stood at the side of the stage amongst a sea of beautiful mums, teenagers and a handful of backpackers all swaying to the music. We wouldn’t have found the concert stage without using my offline maps app.
Our second night in Havana was the most memorable night of the trip. It started with making small talk with another traveller at the Revolution Museum to a huge salsa party at the 1830 club.
We hitchhiked to Museo da la Revolucion (Revolution Museum). After stepping into a palatial looking entrance, Milo, an enthusiastic Californian of Mexican Descent said: “Dude I really like your shirt – it’s so cool”. We made small talk and agreed to meet at El Morro Castle before going to club 1830 to dance salsa. Milo wore glasses, a chequered shirt and a pearly white smile.
Our next stop was La Bodeguita del Medio, where the mojito was first invented. The bar was packed with tourists jostling to get a spot by the bar as a live music band performed. We met a Alejandro, a cool Venezuelan guy living in Costa rica, he puffed on his cigar while dancing to the music. Alejandro joined us to see the procession at El Morro Castle.
El Morro Castle was beautiful. Everyone loved the revolutionary guards and the blast from the canon almost burst my eardrums.
Not only did Milo turn up at the gates of El Morro castle – he convinced a dozen other people to join him. Milo convinced all of his friends from his hostel to wait outside and he arranged a fleet of classic cars to drop us to Club 1830. If that’s not leadership – I don’t know what is!
Club 1830 club was phenomenal. It was packed with locals and the live music was amazing. We danced underneath the stars until we were drenched in sweat. The dance floor was so humid that my phone’s camera was misty. I also befriended Nilesh who happened to be the childhood best friend of Mani; Mani is one of my friends from London; he only made the connection when Nilesh was telling him about his trip to Cuba #smallworld.
Havana Blues Kitchen:
This amazing restaurant has famous waiters; all the people that serve your food or take your orders are movie stars, television presenters or musicians in Cuba.
Our waiter was a lovely actress from the Novella “La Policiacos”.
Basketball with the Locals:
The famous court visited by NBA players in Vedado explained how some of these poor kids managed to wear the latest trainers worth $400; players like Lebron would give their shoes to the kids after a friendly game.
Visiting a Mercado (Supermarket) in the hood:
The absence of CCTV meant we had to put our bags in a cloakroom – we were given a number – it felt like we were at a nightclub. This is to prevent people from shoplifting. There were rows of empty shelves followed by stacks of identical brands for domestic cleaning products such as sprays and washing up liquid. There seemed to be more water bottles than food.
Art Gallery at a disused tobacco factory:
I bought this Cuban painting.
Viñales:
Viñales is deemed the cigar capital of Cuba, and unlike Havana there weren’t many obvious signs of tourists. I didn’t see a large queue of tourists waiting for wifi or large tour buses parked outside hotels. Everyone visiting the city either stayed with families in Casa Particularesor slept in a wooden cabin (Cabana).
Nabeel and me lived like cowboys from a John Wayne movie. Our blue wooden cabin had: two rocking chairs in front of a small black & white television that played playing speeches from Cuban revolutionaries; a stove that took forever to heat up; a small dining table; a fridge packed with meat wrapped in plastic bags; our room had two beds draped in pink sheets and duvet covers. I’d wake up to see chickens running around our cabin, and our neighbours drying their hand washed clothes on the fishing line outside connected between our cabins.
I enjoyed puffing on my freshly made Cuban cigar while rocking back and forth on the patio of our cabin. I felt like a proud farmer.
Mountain biking through peaks and valleys through torrential rain almost got us killed. I dodged several potential collisions with vehicles after speeding through blind bends in the narrow roads and almost skidded off a hill with a 200 ft drop. The views were worth it.
Our tour of the tobacco fields was a reminder that behind the allure of Cuban cigars are an army of families harvesting, drying and rolling tobacco to make ends meet. We rode around the tobacco fields on horseback and stopped to drink coffee with Mickey; she explained the process from leaving the coffee beans on metal trays to roast in the sun to crushing the coffee using a wooden log.
[Mickey dancing]
Sophie, a tourist from Israel, translated most of our questions; her Spanish was better than the rest of the group. Sophie and Nabeel bonded over the Israeli TV programme “Beauty and the Baker”. We later met Sophie towards the end of our trip in Trinidad.
My mission was to find a live music venue and dance salsa in each city we visit. The guy that owned our cabin was a salsa instructor – he recommended – Casa De La Musica. It was a lovely mixture of tourists sitting at the bar and Cubans gliding across the dance floor. On our second night I bolted towards the dance floor and grabbed a beautiful Argentinian girl – we danced for a couple of songs and I returned back to my seat and high-fived Nabeel. The night before was a mess – I was too intimidated by the skill of the Cubans and didn’t take the chances I had to dance. I stood up again and danced to with two Iranian girls. We also met the girls from Miami that took a 40-minute flight to Cuba.
Cienfuegos:
It is clear that, this city was once inhabited by French immigrants; just looking at the buildings felt like I was in a small French town.
As walked towards our Casa, I saw a bus, Horse-drawn Carriage, car and motorbike at the same set of traffic lights. It was like I’d stepped inside a time machine.
Many of Cienfuegos side streets had no streetlights. I turned on my phone’s flashlight only to see a man on a horse trotting towards me. I would’ve been trampled if I didn’t hear the horse’s hooves hitting the pavement.
This was a cool city but I didn’t explore as much as I should have. I saw Cienfuegos as a pit stop before Trinidad. The highlight of my stay was walking along the Malecon to see young couples and their friends dancing to music blaring from boom boxes.
Performance at Casa De La Musica:
[insert video of band]
Trinidad:
Imagine a Post-colonial town with pastel coloured houses, cobble-stoned streets and beautiful wildlife. I can see why this town is a UNESCO world heritage site. Our lovely Casa was situated close to the action. Every morning we were served fresh fruit with coffee, and our balcony overlooked the main square where tourists and Cubans queued for Wi-Fi cards and strange men yelled “Amigo Amigo… Taxi?”
Our hosts were two lovely Cuban women. The mother worked as a maid at the Five-star hotel Iberostar and her sidekick cooked breakfast and cleaned the apartment.
On my first night I thought I was going to die. My symptoms? An intolerable fever that left my bed sheets drenched in sweat, severe joint pain, and regular trips to the toilet. Was it Zika? Food poisoning? Dodgy water? Or maybe envious colleagues stuck in their 9-5 jobs gave me the “evil eye”? I don’t know. It was so bad that Nabeel decided to visit a 24-hour clinic to see what was wrong. Nabeel was charged 200 USD for an IV drip and a stool sample; they wanted him to shit in a cup to which Nabeel replied: “I can’t… I need food – How can they expect an output without an input”. Spoken like a true engineer.
As Nabeel went to withdraw 200USD from a Cadeca – we bumped in to Sophie – the Israeli girl we met in Viñales. She shared her story working transitioning from being an intelligence officer for the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) to a comfortable desk job at an advertising agency.
Meeting the legendary Ramon:
A chance encounter with Ramon made our entire trip. Ramon was a hustler with a story. He was a guitar teacher, musician, travel agent, storyteller and all-round dilletante. He took a shining to Nabeel and me since we looked like his sons; I even spoke to one of them on the phone. Ramon was originally from Holgin but he’d spent the last two decades travelling across Cuba.
He took us for an unofficial tour of the mountains. We learnt to control unruly horses; small trots often lead to galloping at full speed. We made impromptu stops to pick mangoes and hike through a forest to see a beautiful waterfall.
Ramon invited us to his friend’s Paladar. We had a lovely meal and felt at home until all hell broke loose. One of the owners stormed upstairs after his wife started uncontrollably sobbing. The other host rushed the concrete steps to hold the man back from getting in a fight with his neighbour. I’ll never forget the look on his daughter’s face as she clutched onto her doll for a sense of security. Ramon ushered us out of the kitchen – we quickly paid and left without finishing our food.
Sophie and me decided to visit Trinidad’s famous cave. It was a club built within a cave. Crowds of locals queued along a hill in front a small dark entrance. Sophie was awkward because she didn’t know any salsa steps and ended up leaving. I’ll never forget the beautiful Cuban woman that I danced with or the awesome tourists I met by the toilets.
Final Thoughts:
Cuba taught me so many valuable lessons.
Every positive experience came from leaving my comfort zone and speaking to strangers. I found the best opportunities came from having a genuine interest in people not the “Must See” list in guidebooks.
Ten invaluable lessons I learnt from my time in Bangkok by Mohammed Hasan
After travelling through Vietnam with a friend, I decided to fly to Thailand after discovering a one-way flight from Vietnam for only £20. This time I’d be alone. No hostel booked or any plan for what I wanted to see or do.
Bangkok, Thailand has it all: incredible street food, stunning temples, beautiful sunsets, vibrant markets, Jazz bars, friendly people, cheap massages, air-conditioned malls, and so much more.
Lesson 1: Connect with the locals and other travellers
Whether you’re travelling solo or with friends it’s easy to jump from monument to monument or activity to activity without connecting with others. We lose out on learning more about the country we are visiting when we don’t engage with locals or experienced travellers.
I was scared. I usually make an effort to learn the language but given the last minute nature of this trip – I could barely pronounce “Hello” and “Thank You” on the two-hour flight from Vietnam; as for reading Thai, that’s another story.
I decided not being able to speak Thai was not an excuse for not connecting with locals.
My first meal was on a small dusty side street. Looking away from the menu, perplexed by the different characters; a bright, beautiful smile caught my attention.
She looked at me expectantly and pointed at the different menu options. I never felt rushed or judged; she patiently waited as I the scanned the area to see what other people were eating.
I watched two adolescent boys dressed in military uniforms sharing a meal of chicken and rice; looking back at the woman while pointing at the boys’ plates I said “same”. With a sigh of relief and knowing smile, she said, “same same”.
I could see her small food cart was the primary source of income to her children running in the tiny shack she lived in – a mixture of corrugated iron and concrete.
She didn’t overcharge me, but I wanted to tip her because unlike a less tasty version of the same meal in an overpriced air-conditioned touristy resort – each customer makes a real difference.
Words facilitate communication, but they don’t guarantee connection. Sometimes all you need is a look or a smile; sharing the same physical space with stranger whether it’s eating street food or admiring the same sunset.
Lesson 2: See “adversity” as an adventure
Hindsight is always 20/20 and rarely do we openly admit that our funny travel mishaps were moments of intense panic and fear. I’m usually the chirpy (seemingly in-denial) guy in the group that lifts morale when disaster strikes. However, when I was travelling alone I felt more frustrated than usual; there were many moments where I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Cab drivers giving you a tour of the city blaming it on the road works as the meter continues to run is not unfamiliar territory. But after stubbornly walking dragging my bag through the sweltering heat to avoid rush hour traffic, I was in no mood to be messed around. Three cab drivers later and borrowing a strangers phone to call the hostel for directions got me to my bed.
My “worst” day also ended up being my most enjoyable. While travelling on a crowded train to see the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya, I didn’t think I’d be: almost mauled by three guard dogs or dangerously weaving between cars on my bicycle on the main intersection of a motorway.
Here are the sequences of events:
I borrowed a bike (from ‘IL Treno’ hostel) to cycle to an ancient temple.
I sought directions from a motorcyclist who promised to show me the way. After dangerously weaving between cars and lorries on a motorway I eventually lost sight of him.
Once I arrived, the temple was closed.
I decided to enter the temple grounds – it was pitch black, and I only had my iPhone torch to guide me.
After hearing a few muffled grows – I turned back – the growls turned into aggressive barking all of a sudden three guard dogs were chasing me.
I could no longer keep cycling over the hedges; I dismounted my bike and dashed it at one of the dogs while running for my life into the main road.
It was pitch black, my phone was dead, and I had my bike.
I found a tiny restaurant to refuel and charge my phone. I used the google translate to explain what had happened; the stocky man smiled and gestured for me to at the back of his motorbike; he drove a top speed through the compound a beeped at the guard dogs.
I got back on my bike as he rode behind me – like a “Presidential Escort car.
I jumped at the back of a tuk-tuk with my strapped in behind me; one wrong turn and I would be sent my flying along with my bike.
Jackie, the hostel owner, convinced me to stay. He offered me a bunk bed for 260 Bhat (£4), breakfast and a free Thai boxing class.
Jackie and I shared so much in common: we both studied law at an undergraduate and postgraduate level, travelled to similar countries and aspire to the same things.
I went from fearing for my life to making new friends. The next morning, I saw the beautiful ancient temple, and it not worth the drama the night before. If I never travelled to Ayutayah – I never would’ve met Jackie.
Lesson 3: Embrace the unusual
Every country has its quirks, at least from a visitor’s perspective. I initially visited Lumphini Park for to tick off one of the things to see for the day. I didn’t expect to see so many runners nor did I expect to participate in an outdoor workout session with geriatrics first bumping to loud techno music.
I watched many senior citizens doing pull-ups before taking breaks to listen to what appeared to be the national anthem blasting from a set of speakers.
Scouring Chinatown to find Durian fruit led me to spend part of the night with an elderly group of French ladies reminiscing about their childhood.
Lesson 4: Learn to align your interests
Almost every travel guide tells you to BEWARE OF or AVOID tuk-tuk drivers, but I quickly realised I could accommodate their interests in return for extremely transport. One driver explained to me that tuk-tuk drivers take passengers on a detour to a “random store” to eat or buy clothes at because these same stores help them refuel for free. I agreed with one driver that if he would be my driver for the day – I would go to a number of these stores on the way and pretend to be interested in whatever they were selling. I get a cheap chauffeur for the day, and he gets to refuel for free.
Lesson 5: Buy a Sim card for mobile data – it makes all the difference
Many of the side streets don’t have posts illustrating their names and when they do it is in Thai, which is pretty tough to read if you’ve never studied the language.
Lesson 6: See the city from different vantage points
Seeing the city from rooftops allows you to gain different perspectives on the city. My view from the top of Golden Mountain temple was phenomenal – I could see everything from palatial properties to shacks. I also used different modes of transport particularly boats that took me from one side of the Chao Phraya river; the boat taxi only cost 10p.
View from Golden Mountain Temple
Lesson 7: Forget ‘following the crowd’
This advice may be counterintuitive especially if you’re solo travelling. I made friends with a group from China that flew to Thailand to see a Guns & Roses concert – we had great discussions, but the tone changed when I made it clear that I had no intention to go out and get “smashed”. Instead of going to the noisy and crowded bars on Koh San road – I left the group and went to JJ market; it was such a great experience. The next day I decided to see Koh San road to see if it was worth the hype. I hated it – crap music, and somehow I ended up in a dingy bar where the boss tried to lock me in for not buying anything after I got bored of the “live music”.
Later that evening I went to a local jazz club called “Brown sugar” a small side street, 1 kilometre away from my hostel. I was enamoured with these two beautiful girls and all of their covers as well as traditional Thai songs. I would’ve never found this place without using Google maps (Lesson #5).
Lesson 8: Share your experience with loved ones
Share your experience with friends and family. I often face-timed people back in London to share my cool view of the boat taxi, panoramic views of the city and time lapses of cool sunsets. I also recorded Facebook live streams of my adventures.
Lesson 9: With great power comes great responsibility
In a country with a very favourable exchange rate – everything seems like a bargain. Some tourists use this to pay for sexual favours and exploit people forced to work in the red light districts or shady massage parlours. Others use this as an opportunity to help local street vendors and give the local economy a boost.
I know I’d rather be helping the mother of three selling noodles than receive a “happy ending” from a girl that’s encouraged and in some cases coerced to perform sexual favours in return for petty cash.
Lesson 10: Sit still and just observe
Put your mobile away and camera down and soak it all in. You’ll learn the most when you stay in one place to look, smell, listen and taste all that is around you.
Editor’s note: I VOTED to Remain in the EU. This article was an entry for a writing competition for The Economist Magazine; the topic was the European Union’s greatest weakness.
Europe’s greatest weakness is its democratic deficit. In the last 60 years, the European Union (EU) has morphed into one of the world’s largest trading blocks with 28 member states and 500 million citizens. As the EU moves towards a more centralised form of governance, it must take into account that its elections for leaders in decision-making roles transcend national borders. The institutions set up to further Europe’s ambition to sustain peace after two world wars, are based on efficiency and efficacy, not democracy.
Britain’s decision to trigger Article 50 has elevated the debate concerning the EU’s democratic deficit from academic papers to national parliaments and the European Commission. Both sides of the Brexit debate agreed that the EU has a democratic deficit; the remain campaign called for reform while the leave campaign argued the erosion of Britain’s sovereignty could only be stopped by exiting the EU.
The tension between integration and sovereignty: A shift in power from nation-states to supranational EU institutions
As the EU continues to enlarge, more power from member states will be delegated to regulatory bodies. The pressure to maintain “an ever closer union” has led to key executive powers concerning the economy, law and security to be transferred from national governments to Brussels.
The creation of the European Central Bank (ECB) symbolises one of the greatest shifts in power from national governments to unelected EU institutions. The ECB manages monetary policy for all 19 nations in Eurozone particularly setting interest rates. Therefore countries, which adopted the euro as a currency, could no longer set their interest rates – losing the power to effectively control inflation and encourage lending.
During the European sovereign debt crisis, democracy took a back seat, as unelected experts appointed to the executive branch of the Italian government replaced elected politicians. The former European Commissioner, Mario Monti, was appointed Prime Minister where he led his team of technocrats to make the necessary reforms to rescue the Italian economy, which was a means to an end – the preservation of the Euro as a single currency.
The decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) must be taken into account by the highest court of each member state. In the case of Dano, the CJEU ruled that migrant job seekers that are not looking for work are not entitled to unemployment benefits. The CJEU’s ruling is arguably a response to member states notably the United Kingdom, complaining about “benefit tourism”. However, it also demonstrates that an unelected group of judges control the interpretation of European treaties such as the TFEU.
Who makes the decisions?
A fundamental flaw in the institutional design of the EU is its dual executive, the Council of the European Union and the Commission of the European Union; it creates confusion over which body is responsible for making policy. This makes it difficult for individuals to challenge the actions of executive institutions and hold them accountable.
Executive bodies also lack transparency. The Committee of Permanent Representatives often conducts secret meetings in the absence of directly elected representatives; contrary to European parliamentary sessions, these meetings are not available for public viewing. This fosters a sense of distrust among EU citizens since political actors are not being scrutinised while making key decisions.
The involvement of think tanks and corporate lobbyists in policy creation highlights the trade-off between adopting the opinions of informed experts and European citizens having a stake in the political process. These groups do not have to compete with democratic parties and set the agenda to their private interests as opposed to policies, which are favoured by EU citizens.
Europe’s lack of a shared political culture and common identity:
The EU’s transition from a collection of nation states to a supranational entity has failed to embrace a shared political culture and establish a common identity amongst its citizens – a “pan European polity”.
The process of has enlargement has weakened the link between political representatives and voters. The increase in the size of the European Parliament due to a rise in EU membership has undermined the principle of “one person one vote”. Key powerbrokers such as the President of the European Parliament are not subject to direct democracy; voters are merely spectators in the execution of policy proposals.
The decline in voter turnout for European Parliament elections is symptomatic of the inability of MEPs to represent nation-states in an increasingly large assembly with diverse and divergent interests.
Eurosceptics argue that Europhiles want to have their cake and eat it; they want a harmonised Europe with executive institutions that centrally administer power; they want a single market and open borders without losing national sovereignty and the support of the electorate.
The institutional failings of the EU are grounded in a lack of transparency, accountability and consensus. Europe’s infrastructure is currently based on efficiency and efficacy, but the survival of this political and economic union requires innovation in creating an inclusive “pan European polity”. An ever-closer union is impossible to achieve without European citizens that feel empowered to challenge decisions and elect policymakers.
