Havana reality check: There's no Wi-Fi or ATMs, and don't forget your toothbrush - the best toothbrush

Beth j. 's story
AP travel experts and senior magazines in Havana have urged travel to Cuba ahead of changes in Cuba.
But visitors who imagine the Street Salsa dance and charming old-fashioned cars should also be prepared to manage without ATMs, credit cards and Wi-FiFi, air-
Air conditioning, seat belts or toilet paper.
Here are eight tips for visiting Havana.
Bring it if you need it. I forgot to take my toothbrush to Havana.
It took me three days to find a new one.
Of course, I live in a "casa Special", a Cuban homestay booked through Airbnb, located in a shabby area of town.
Street vendors sell Che Guevara T-
Shirts and tropical fruits.
But good luck with sunscreen or sunscreen. Aids.
Of course, the luxury hotel sells something in the store, but there are not many shops in Havana.
Even Harris Brothers at Monserrate on O'Reilly Street are not filled with consumer goods --
You can buy coffee souvenir bags though.
The communal bathroom was OK but I was glad I had a roll of toilet paper in my bag.
"Happy Holidays, Madam!
As I walked through the broken buildings and ruins, this cheerful greeting greeted me --
Many parts of Old Havana are filled with streets.
Blonde beauty, 5 feet 10, with a map in hand: Yes, I stand out.
However, conversations with overly friendly strangers tend to fall into chaos.
They want to sell me cigars or change my money.
> See violence on page XX, page XX> can I buy them drinks or give them money for their kids?
Violent crimes in Havana are rare.
I have never been threatened. just hassled.
Where is logic?
I arrived at Havana airport at 5: 30 by plane. m.
Just like the prescribed paperwork.
Too bad, the airport didn't open until nearly 7. m.
I also went to the famous H.
The Upmann cigar factory was visited and only sent to different places to buy tickets.
I was told, "there is no tour today, but we can sell you tickets for tomorrow!
It's gone like this.
Havana is not always a logical place.
Money is important, do you remember traveling without a credit card, ATM and smartphone?
It would then be a timely trip to Cuba.
Convert cash into convertible pesos, also known as CUCs (
Instead of currency cups used by locals).
Budget carefully: only a handful of ATMs in Havana and the United StatesS.
Bank cards are not accepted at present.
On paper, an AmericanS.
One dollar is worth a Cuban university, but the Cuban government charges 13 cents, so you can get 87 cents for one dollar.
Cubans may pay 90 cents or more in private in dollars;
Be careful of the people you trust.
I have MasterCard, visa and US Express cards but none of them are authorized to be used in Cuba.
Even if the rules change (
Or if your card comes from nonU. S. -bank)
Plastic is rarely accepted by merchants. ———WI-
Cuba's offline culture makes travel better
The plan is complex.
As most Cubans are unable to check their home emails, it will take a few days to confirm the arrangement.
There are very few automatic online bookings.
If you have to surf the Internet in Havana, the hotel will sell the wireless network card in the lobby
$4 or $5 every 30 minutes.
That said, Wi-Fi may not work.
A paper map is essential;
The driver did not have GPS and did not search the address online. ———
Cuban vintage cars sound picturesque-
Until you're in a place where there's no seat belt, no air
Adjustment of 90-
The temperature opened during transportation, the broken windows, the smoke of hiccups and the doors.
Old cars are not just Americans. One 20-
The driver told me he inherited his 1981 Russia-
Built Moskvitch cars from his grandfather, who won the car award for being a good worker.
Government officials in Havana
The taxi in possession seems to be in better condition than the car in private possession
Although tourists are often overcharged.
There should be meters, but I have never seen them before. ———
Government food and drink
It is terrible to run a cafeteria in public places such as museums.
Stick to "paladares "-
Private owned restaurant.
You need to book the best room.
The price is moderate but not cheap;
The food was good but not very good.
My best meal is at 304.
The name of the restaurant is also the street address)
, Provide a stylish, lightweight price (
Excellent pickled fish with sour orange juice, lobster and pasta)
, And Ajiaco cafe in Cojimar (
Calle 92, 267)
His boss showed what he thought was the best traditional Cuban cuisine.
A safe bet in most restaurants is ham and cheese sandwich
Known as Cuban in the United StatesS.
But there's jamon y queso here.
Cafe con leche is the same as the tropical fruit, and it is first-class.
Regarding the drinking tour, please consider Ernest Hemingway's suggestion: "I am mojito in La Bodeguita, I am daiquiri in El Floridita.
It is said that Hemingway himself scribbled down the handwritten famous saying, surrounded by a group of tourists in a bar in La Bodeguita del Medio.
Good air in Florence
The air conditioner, the cold big glass of wine and the bust like Hemingway are perfect for selfies.
The outdoor bar in the hotel is lovely with sea view on the lawn.
Library of Cuba (
Rum and Coke but not Coke)
Or a glass of Crystal beer and take a look at the photo gallery of famous guests
Thugs and Hollywood celebrities. ———
The best attractions in Havana include the waterfront promenade known as Malecon, the Old Havana, Hemingway's manor in Finca Vigia and the Revolutionary Museum, and the "idiot corner" mocked Reagan and President Bush.
The stunning Cuban collection at the National Museum of Bellas Altes ranges from colonial portraits to the political pop art of the 20 th century.
The Tropicana show is one of the top 10 shows in Havana.
If you spend nearly $100 in see-
In any case, tights with sequins and chandeliers on their heads sound fun.
Otherwise, try the music scene at Casa de la musca in the center of Havana.
Ambitious Cubans see tourists as tickets to their dream of thriving tourism.
Thaw in the United StatesS. -
Cuban relations have inspired many Cubans to think.
Compared with the same period a year ago, American visits increased by 36 percentage points between January and the beginning of the 5 th year period, and increased by 14 percentage points among all international arrivals.
As interest in destinations grows, it becomes easier for Americans to travel there, and this surge may continue.
Here are three ambitious Cubans, a small group of entrepreneurs, usually highly educated and well educated
They believe that increasing tourism is the key to realizing their dreams.
Mario Otello, 25, is one of the best private restaurants in Havana and is a waiter at San Cristobal.
He took out his cell phone and showed a picture of himself with some of the restaurant's famous guests: he was with Beyonce and Jay Z, in which he was with the Democratic representative.
Nancy Pelosi, former House speaker.
Otero, who is renovating a house he wants to rent out to tourists, also serves as a private guide with the goal of opening his own travel agency one day.
He has friends with 1950 of old-fashioned cars, they are drivers.
Otero speaks fluent English and French, and his ambitious nature, extroverted personality, and intelligent insights into Cuban and American culture make tourism his natural choice.
He showed Hemingway's manor in Havana to a tourist, packed with tourists, saying: "Hemingway is like King Midas.
Everything he touched here turned into gold.
> See USA, page recalls the time he spent working as a part-time worker while attending school in Tampa, Florida, saying that eating American food "I gained 10 pounds ".
He is eager to learn the new English term he has heard: What is the millennial generation?
What is the hipster?
He said: "American tourists are the most popular tourists here, not only because they are good tourists, but also because they want to have a good time.
He added: "I really like to show the most beautiful places in my country.
He recalled that he lost his mother when he was young, was encouraged by his uncle's continuing education and received a degree in tourism from the University of Havana.
"Traveling has always been my life," he said . "
"I really think I was born for that.
We are full of hope. ” ———
The 40-year-old Alain Gutierrez, a food blogger in a country in Cuba where many people can't access the Internet, is becoming famous online.
He is a Cuban food blogger and has a website called ATasteofCuba. org.
He is keen to promote traditional Cuban cuisine, and if the island's ever-evolving restaurant scene makes it a destination for gourmets, his dreams may be driven.
Gutierrez takes photos, makes videos and writes about Cuban food
Restaurant, chef, recipe, cooking tradition.
He contributed to a bi-monthly OnCuba, which was published online and even in several parts of Florida.
But he dreams of launching a digital magazine dedicated to Cuban food, which could be supported by advertising in the press.
Anne Katata, an American food culture writer, wants him to take photos of a book she plans to publish about the privately run Cuban restaurant 'paladares'
They also want to lead a trip to Cuban cuisine.
Gutierrez hopes to study food styling in the United States one day.
At the Ajiaco cafe in Cojimar near Havana, he points to fried dough sticks made of meat, sweet potatoes and corn, as well as montalia, shredded vegetable meat.
"I am trying to contribute to saving my food and cultural roots," he said . ".
"I come from a very poor family.
But my mother did very well. ” ———
Investing in the future, 38-year-old Majel Reyes studied English Language and Literature at the University of Havana and served as a government translator before opening a more ambitious path.
With her MBA degree and experience in film production, she is now helping foreign film crews to film commercial advertisements and films in Cuba.
But she has a project that she wants to pay off.
Reyes, who lives in her brother's house, bought a small apartment in Old Havana consisting of several small rooms and converted it into a stylish apartment --
Room studio with soothing colors and handmade stone bricks.
Even though the nearby water flow is sometimes unreliable, she has even set up an electronic water tank system to ensure continuous water supply.
She said the renovation cost was three times the original estimate and took seven months instead of 45 days promised by the contractor.
But she was excited about the result.
She rents to visitors on Airbnb and other sites, and so far she has been well received.
"I used my savings for seven years," she said . "
"It will take me a few years to see the return on the investment, but it is worth it.
This will be a stable income in the future.