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Faded billboards proclaiming “Viva La Revolution!” appear occasionally on the dusty road from Havana’s airport to the city; but this 60-something communist enclave recently focused its attention more on the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana than on Cuban Revolution hero Che Guevara.
These days, Cubans are dealing with the harsh reality of tougher regulations on the modes of U.S. citizens’ travel to Cuba. Many small tourist hotels and restaurants that were full before the June 5, 2019 restrictions, which ban cruise travel from the U.S. and restrict air access to flights to Havana, sit nearly empty.
So now is a grand time for New Orleanians to visit the island, not only because of cooler temperatures and the wide availability of food and lodging, but also because passing through Cuban customs on a recent trip was quicker than checkout at some big box stores. No stoney-faced government officials asking questions at the airport — and police presence on the streets of Havana is no more obvious than in a typical American city.
Approved List of Reasons to Visit
Abril Sutherland of New Orleans-based Diaspora Travel Experiences created the itinerary for the Preservation Resource Center’s November architectural tour to Havana, guided by the PRC’s executive director, Danielle del Sol.
Visitors must select from a U.S. government-approved list of purposes for the visit; in most cases, the category will be “Support of the Cuban People.” This will be entered at a kiosk at your airport of departure from the U.S. — conveniently Miami for many New Orleanians — when purchasing a required Cuban Visa (generally $100) from the visa desk, located near check-in for your flight to Cuba. Cuban health insurance, a requirement, should be included in the cost of your airfare.
U.S. citizens are prohibited from patronizing any hotels, restaurants, or stores owned partially or wholly by the Cuban military/government (generally any large hotel and its restaurants); but bed and breakfast accommodations in restored houses (rent rooms) offer tidy updated rooms with modern bathrooms and breakfast rooms with hearty morning fare. Ours even had internet access, which is a product of the Obama administration’s loosening of commercial restrictions on U.S. businesses providing services to Cubans. Booking can be done directly through Airbnb and other international agencies.
You must schedule visits with individual Cubans, especially artists, performers, and cultural groups, or visit cultural or historical institutions. Meetings with church or school groups, whether for religious beliefs or to deliver such items as artists’ materials and assist in school projects, are legitimate reasons for travel. Both individuals and groups can be located through internet searches or Cuban organizations in the U.S., but a list of confirmed activities must be created and carried during your visit.
This list, along with receipts from hotels, restaurants, and shops, should be kept for five years.
Abril Sutherland has a message for Boomers: “If ever there was a city that rivaled the charm and mystique of New Orleans, it would be Havana. Our mutual love for music, art, food, revelry, and cultural expressions are unparalleled.”
“New Orleans has incredible historic ties with Havana that stretch back centuries,” adds the PRC’s Danielle del Sol.
Explore
Explore Habana Vieja, Old Havana, on foot, with a guided tour if possible, to learn about the incredible Spanish Colonial architecture, but make time to venture into Centro Habana as well. A stark contrast from Habana Vieja, which is like our French Quarter, Centro Habana doesn’t have much of a tourist presence outside of its Barrio Chino (their Chinatown), and is the largest residential neighborhood of the city, and is mostly unrestored.
Despite this, the beauty of the houses you’ll find even in the middle of a random block in the middle of a cramped and bustling part of the district can take your breath away.
PRC supporters Warren and Laurie Doyle were thrilled to see that one-third of the historic buildings of Old Havana have been restored, many with a grant of one million Euros from the EEU. She first visited Havana 20 years ago with the Tulane School of Architecture.
“At the time I visited, It was an extremely depressed economy and it showed. The old cars were old cars. No brightly painted versions. The buildings were old and run down. Families could invite you in for dinner, and you paid them with American money.”
But the Havana of 2019 presents a more vibrant and prosperous society. Warren expressed the most enthusiastic and enlightened view of our relationship with our “neighbors to the south.”
“Our trip to Cuba with the PRC was magical. So many new best friends — and the music, the food, the people, the architecture were amazing. I would go again in a second. We should embrace Cuba. Culturally, Havana is New Orleans’ twin. They are a mess, and they are magnificent. They wish to be our friends. There is no such thing as too many friends.”
Keith Marshall began his writing career in 1973 as The Times-Picayune’s representative in Europe. He has also written travel, art and architecture, and feature articles for major newspapers and magazines.