quently we cursed the communist regime when we saw desperately poor people, substandard housing, sick unneutered and stray dogs, and sickeningly thin horses (slaughter is forbidden). Our month-long visa soon ran out. Extending it was not a problem… only (like everything here) time consuming. We didn’t understand how much paperwork we needed — proof of medical insurance (difficult when you can’t find an internet café with a printer), boat papers, marina documentation and pre-paid stamps bought from a bank — miles from the Immigration office! Once we had all this, getting the extension was a simple process carried out by ever-helpful and friendly officials. From a sailing perspective the southern archipelago was magical, with gentle winds, spectacularly clear water, fantastic snorkelling and abundant fishlife. We spent several weeks in and around Cayo Rosario, Cayo Hicacos and Cayo de Dios. The anchorages were fantastic and crayfish (spiny lobsters) abundant. Be warned though — you can be fined for taking crayfish as it is “government property”. Despite this, most evenings, under cover of darkness, we had local fishermen turn up hoping to exchange a bucket of crays for anything from a length of rope to a bottle of rum. Cienfuegos was a good place to leave Bandit at anchor to explore the once thriving and now beautifully restored town of Trinidad, while on the north coast both Hemingway Marina and Varadero provide safe marinas to leave boats for travel to Havana and Viñales. After much deliberating we opted to double back from Cienfuegos and cruise the stunning southern archipelago again, then go around the western tip of Cuba and up to Havana. The southern coast sailing was kind but once around the western tip we found ourselves with both opposing wind and current and it was a real bash up to Havana. The few anchorages we visited were mangrove cays with distinctly murky water with the possibility of lurking alligators. Swimming and snorkelling were definitely off the agenda! Inland travel in Cuba was easy, with buses cheap and reliable and casas particulares (private homes with rooms to rent for around $20) a great way of getting to know the locals. Being able to speak basic Spanish was hugely rewarding and helpful — especially the time we left our passports on Bandit when heading to Viñales for a few days.
AUGUST 2013 CARIBBEAN COMPASS
—Continued from previous page When issued with the despacho you must state on it the ports you want to visit and if you haven’t put a port down, then it’s difficult (but probably not impossible) to go there. We spent much of our time in isolated anchorages in the southern archipelago between our official “ports” and were never bothered by officials. However we did hear that officials are far more vigilant on the north coast and unexpected visits from the coast guard are the norm. It’s worth noting also that many areas on the north coast are out of bounds. Having got through entry formalities in Cuba we then had to get our heads around the monetary system. Cuba has two currencies: the CUC (convertible peso), which is equal to the US dollar, and ordinary pesos or moneda nacional. It’s not always easy to get money from ATMs (our New Zealand debit cards would not work) so we were pleased we’d taken plenty of euros, which we then changed for CUCs and pesos at cadecas. We understand VISA cards are okay but, obviously, not American ones. Using local pesos wherever possible is definitely the way to go; we used them at the fruit and vegetable markets to buy a week’s worth of provisions for less than five dollars. Peso restaurants serve a pretty bland diet of pizza or toasted sandwiches but at one dollar for two it’s a dirt-cheap way of eating. Those with a sweet tooth will love the softserve ice cream at just a few cents. Stories about the average Cuban wage differ; we were told it is about US$20 a month. We found Cuba an incredibly cheap country but it pays to be careful, as there are plenty of locals around happy to take gullible tourists’ money. Always check whether the price quoted is in CUCs or pesos — it does make a huge difference! Cuba had always been the focus of our sailing season in the Western Caribbean and we fell in love with it. Formalities aside, we found the people incredibly friendly and helpful, the scenery beautiful and the music and dance culture fantastic. Yes there are political issues and fre-
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Above: Oxen are a common sight in the rural Viñales valley, a worthwhile inland trip from either Havana or Cienfuegos Below: Bandit’s skipper with the result of an afternoon’s snorkel in Cayo Rosario — before learning that taking lobsters can result in a fine!
The well-behaved spaniels that sniffed their way over Bandit looking for drugs and explosives during check-in at Cienfuegos Below: One of many deserted beaches in southern Cuba, this one on Isla de Juventud
After much paperwork, phone calls by our casa particular hosts and a cap-in-hand visit to Immigration, we were permitted to stay. Our advice to cruisers thinking of visiting Cuba is GO. Go while it’s still a fairly authentic experience. Go before Cuba opens itself up to more tourists. Go before it becomes just another Caribbean island. Just go.