I went to Cuba in November and all I got was chlamydia and those lousy photos [Picdump]

by "Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
Published 03/18/2017 at 17:15

Tags: CUBA ; TRAVELOPNIK ; PICDUMP
STARS: 17

Just kidding, the photos aren’t all that bad.

Since everyone who saw those said they were pretty car oriented, I figured Oppo would like them. Enjoy:

We started at Havana, headed to Viñales, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Santa Clara, and back to Havana.

When I planned this trip, I new we would see some vintage american iron, but I thought there would mostly be some in the cities and just to keep the tourists happy, I was wrong. About a third of the cars there were American, another third were Ladas and Moskwitches, and the last third were Chinese, Korean, and surprisingly a lot of french cars. A lot of them are taxis, and if they see you walking around, most non-taxis will offer to drive you somewhere. Tourists bring money, so most people try to work with them.

Of course we did a sightseeing tour in an old Chevy

After I took those pictures, the owner, a friendly elderly man, asked if I needed a taxi.

At first, we planned to rent a car, but after a chat with some French people (most tourists we met there were french) we met the first day, we figured it would be better off riding the bus and/or taxis. When we arrived at the bus station in Havana, we didn’t even arrive to the counter before we were offered to get to Viñales by Taxi, since the bus was already full. That’s when we discovered the primary way to get around major cities in Cuba: collective taxis.
Those are almost always heavily modified old american cars that wait in the inner cities or at the bus stations until they have a full car to start to the next city. There is a real network of guys promoting the taxis and drivers. Sometimes you will drive about halfway to your destination, stop at a gas station, and continue with another taxi. You only pay once you arrive at your destination, so I imagine they have their way to make things work.

Viñales is more on the countryside, and my favorite stop on the trip.

Our taxi to Cienfuegos was more patches than anything.

I’m usually no fan of cemeteries, but those tombs were really beautiful. This was, of course, the section for rich people.

On the way from Cienfuegos to Trinidad, we stopped at El Nicho to check out the waterfalls.

Trinidad is the most touristic city in Cuba and how you imagine the typical Cuban postcard city.

A Cuba is a Jalops dream: Renault 4cv, with beetle taillights and bumpers, and a lada grill.

Tren Blindado: a monument and museum in Santa Clara, built in memory of the events of 29 December 1958, when a group of men led by Che Guevara derailed a train transporting soldiers, ammunition, and provisions.

Replies (23)

"19JRC99" (19jrc99)
03/18/2017 at 17:26, STARS: 0

Upon seeing this picture, this popped intomy mind

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"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
03/18/2017 at 17:27, STARS: 0

I really need to travel there before the first McDonald’s opens.

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/18/2017 at 17:32, STARS: 1

I don’t know how long it will last, it is really touristic. On the other hand, the national identity is very strong.

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/18/2017 at 17:33, STARS: 1

It definitely felt like that

"vdub_nut: scooter snob" (jollyroger1210)
03/18/2017 at 17:38, STARS: 0

The first picture of Vinales shows the houses literally next to where I stayed when I was there. Loved that place, still have some cigars from the finca tour.

"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
03/18/2017 at 17:43, STARS: 0

Holy that was a lot of pictures. I always see pictures of Havana, and never any smaller places or countryside, so that was cool to see. Now I want to go to Cuba even more.

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/18/2017 at 17:47, STARS: 1

Actually, Havana was my least favorite place from the trip. We should have stayed a little longer and explore further east

"mazda616" (mazda616)
03/18/2017 at 17:48, STARS: 0

So. Many. ‘57 Chevys. My absolute favorites.

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/18/2017 at 17:48, STARS: 1

We might have stayed at the same place then :)

Viñales was my favorite on the trip

"Eric @ opposite-lock.com" (theyrerolling)
03/18/2017 at 18:19, STARS: 0

These are amazing. I’m so envious... I need to get there before it’s destroyed.

What really struck me is, aside from the really interesting cars, this looks a lot like most Latin American countries, except there are no advertisements posted everywhere (aside from the really ancient Firestone and Coca-Cola ads you took pictures of). I really want to experience that world.

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/18/2017 at 18:25, STARS: 0

There were very few advertisements, but a lot of propaganda billboards, which is kind of disturbing at first

"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
03/18/2017 at 18:36, STARS: 0

Amazing pics! Such an awesome automotive landscape and some epic....and heavily modified...American iron!! Would loved to have seen more closeups of the Commie rides as well, but I am weird like that! :P

"gmporschenut also a fan of hondas" (gmporschenut)
03/18/2017 at 19:15, STARS: 0

neat. Did the chevy you were being driven still have a V8 or was it a LADA engine?

"Eric @ opposite-lock.com" (theyrerolling)
03/18/2017 at 20:18, STARS: 0

I don’t think they’d trouble me as much. Just part of the ambiance. Couldn’t be worse than the wall-to-wall 24/7 barrage of propaganda we get here in the US.

"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
03/19/2017 at 06:53, STARS: 0

great pics!

were any of the American cars worth salvaging (if you noticed), or are they buggered after all the years of embargoes?

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/19/2017 at 07:11, STARS: 0

Thanks! Let’s say they were maintained to continue driving, I guess none had the engine it was supposed to have and there would be a lot of work needed to make them nice again. Some few were really nicely done though, but for most, the engine sound was a dead givaway that something wasn’t right. But I admire their craftsmanship to keep them on the road. We saw a roadside repair were they swaped the rear axle of a 52 bel air, all I know is that the new axle had some VAG wheels on it.

Anyway, you can’t legaly export them, as they are part of their heritage.

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/19/2017 at 07:12, STARS: 0

I hadn’t thought of it this way, but it sure ressembles propaganda sometimes

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/19/2017 at 07:15, STARS: 1

Thanks!

I regret not taking more pics of the cars, but at the beginning I only took the american ones, thinking there’s still a lot of time, and at the end I forgot about the rest, since it had become normal for us

"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
03/19/2017 at 07:15, STARS: 0

wasn’t aware you can’t export them

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/19/2017 at 07:18, STARS: 0

From the sound and smell of it, most weren’t on their original or similar engine. Upon arrival, I thought they would be similar to mine, maybe rougher, but these had seen way more than mine.

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/19/2017 at 07:20, STARS: 1

It was really overwhelming at first, but you get used to it quite quickly. It is (unsurprisingly) the country with the most vintage cars par square meter

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
03/19/2017 at 07:21, STARS: 1

Me neither, I was told there, but didn’t fact check it to be honest

"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
03/19/2017 at 07:33, STARS: 0

No worries! :P