Day 1 in Paradise
Door: Ronja Jansz
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Ronja
14 Juli 2014 | Cuba, Havana
Since Cuba was a country I went to, to discover cultural habits, explorations, adventures, myself, new friends, and escape the Western lifestyle, I was gladly disconnected from the internet and cellular communication for the duration of my entire trip. I ended up backpacking through the country for 16 wonderful and magical days. I kept a journal and have several stories that I'd love to share with those interested but since it's been a while, I've decided to share the description of my arrival and an artical I wrote when I returned to the United States. Here's Day #1:
“Ladies and gentleman, we are approaching the airport of Havana. We request that you…” Much more from the Captain’s announcement did I not take in. My mind started to wander and I thought of all the adventures that lay ahead of me. Here I was, a 22-year-old Dutch girl with an insatiable appetite for traveling. Cuba had been one of my bucket-list of destinations for over a year now and I had finally taken the leap to actually go there.
I was scared, this I had to admit. I had only traveled by myself once before but that was in a country where people spoke English, where I could always rely on Internet and Mobile data connectivity, and where I could pay with dollars and debit and credit cards. This trip would be different, that was certain.
I looked outside and saw that the dark sky was loaded with electricity. As the plane got closer to the ground, the rumbling of clouds became undeniable and an occasional flash lit the landing strip and its nearby environment.
The wheels made contact with the gravel and the plane soon came to a halt. I quickly grabbed my backpack and said goodbye to Maria de Los Angeles, my travel companion with whom I had conversed during the seven-hour flight. I swiftly made my way to passport control where my documents were double-checked and eventually made my way through the airport’s exit.
I walked outside and I was hit by a heat wave that would even make the most warm-blooded perspire. It was quite a pleasant feeling and added to the realization that I had arrived at a tropical destination. By now it was 9:30pm and I searched the crowd of people for a man who was hopefully there to pick me up. Hmm… “Ronja Jansz,” ah there it was! I walked over to the guy holding a piece of carton with my name scribbled on it and was immediately introduced to the entire family who had all come to pick me up.
After changing some of the cash that I had divided over several secret pockets, we all walked to the car that looked exactly what you’d expect a car in Cuba to look like: an old American machine that must have surely been renovated over twelve times. We crammed ourselves in the car, the granddaughter sat on grandma her lap and I jammed my backpack between my legs. The car proved to still function and off we drove into the night.
The experience was quite surreal. It seemed as if these events passed by in a flash and before I knew it we had arrived to Havana, the capital of Cuba. As we made our way to Havana Centro, I could see people sitting on their front porches in the gloomy lights of the few street lanterns that had been installed on the corners of each block. Salsa music was playing loudly and children were chasing one another, proving that Havana is quite a vibrant city where one does not sleep early.
We got to the street address I had gotten from Katie, the owner of the apartment I was to stay at. I felt quite nervous when it became clear that the address did not exist. The driver got out of the car and inquired with two men sitting on their front porch while I searched my phone for a clue. Luckily I was able to find the correct address through an email I had received from Renske, a fellow traveler that had recommended the apartment to me.
The place was only four houses away and I was relieved when I found out that Yianni, Katie’s husband, was still up and had been waiting there for me. He helped me get out of the car and took my bag as I paid and thanked the Cuban family that had picked me up. It was clear that the grandmother was fishing for more money but I knew that I had paid a decent price and had been mentored by Christa, Koen’s aunt that we had visited in Madrid, that it was important to make clear agreements and avoid getting tricked into paying more.
Yianni showed me around in the apartment which was absolutely fabulous. After he had opened the front door, we entered a living room with high ceilings that was connected to a balcony overlooking the street and also offered a kitchen, restroom, fridge, and a table in its center. The bedroom could be reached by a pair of stairs. I quickly installed my bag in a closet and changed into something lighter. It really was very hot and I was glad to learn that the room had a fan and an A.C.
Yianni explained that we had to stop by his house to pick up my set of keys for the apartment. We got into his car and drove down four streets where we parked and went up to the top floor of one of the buildings. I admired the nice view from the balcony as he went on to look for the keys. As soon as he had found them he suggested showing me an even nicer view. He opened a door that was installed in the kitchen area and led me up several stories. Most of them were still under construction, bricks and other buildings materials where scattered throughout the rooms. We climbed three sets of stairs and had to be careful not to fall through the openings in the floors. Once we got to the very top Yianni pushed open the roof door and motioned me to follow him. We were now walking on the roof of the building and, taking each step carefully, made our way to the edge.
I remember feeling awe-struck and was highly impressed by the mesmerizing view. This undoubtedly was my very first favorite moment in Cuba. The sky was dressed in bright stars and from this rooftop we were able to overlook a good part of Havana. Yianni pointed straight ahead of him and explained that the Malecón was situated in that direction. On the other side we could see the Capitolio and adjacent to the building was a big apartment complex that, according to Yianni, housed over 250 families.
Yianni drove me back to the apartment where he explained how the set of keys were to be used. He explained that it is very important to lock the door correctly, especially when leaving throughout the day. I told him that my plan was to travel to Varadero the next day, where I was to meet a friend and therefore had to go to the Viazul station from where I planned on taking the bus in the morning. He offered picking me up and dropping me off and with that notion wished me a good night and took off.
I quickly got ready for bed and it didn’t take long to fall asleep. The flight and the evening’s proceedings had worn me out and I felt as though I had already accomplished quite a big deal. I fell asleep with a smile on my face and couldn’t wait to find out what the next day had in store for me.
“Ladies and gentleman, we are approaching the airport of Havana. We request that you…” Much more from the Captain’s announcement did I not take in. My mind started to wander and I thought of all the adventures that lay ahead of me. Here I was, a 22-year-old Dutch girl with an insatiable appetite for traveling. Cuba had been one of my bucket-list of destinations for over a year now and I had finally taken the leap to actually go there.
I was scared, this I had to admit. I had only traveled by myself once before but that was in a country where people spoke English, where I could always rely on Internet and Mobile data connectivity, and where I could pay with dollars and debit and credit cards. This trip would be different, that was certain.
I looked outside and saw that the dark sky was loaded with electricity. As the plane got closer to the ground, the rumbling of clouds became undeniable and an occasional flash lit the landing strip and its nearby environment.
The wheels made contact with the gravel and the plane soon came to a halt. I quickly grabbed my backpack and said goodbye to Maria de Los Angeles, my travel companion with whom I had conversed during the seven-hour flight. I swiftly made my way to passport control where my documents were double-checked and eventually made my way through the airport’s exit.
I walked outside and I was hit by a heat wave that would even make the most warm-blooded perspire. It was quite a pleasant feeling and added to the realization that I had arrived at a tropical destination. By now it was 9:30pm and I searched the crowd of people for a man who was hopefully there to pick me up. Hmm… “Ronja Jansz,” ah there it was! I walked over to the guy holding a piece of carton with my name scribbled on it and was immediately introduced to the entire family who had all come to pick me up.
After changing some of the cash that I had divided over several secret pockets, we all walked to the car that looked exactly what you’d expect a car in Cuba to look like: an old American machine that must have surely been renovated over twelve times. We crammed ourselves in the car, the granddaughter sat on grandma her lap and I jammed my backpack between my legs. The car proved to still function and off we drove into the night.
The experience was quite surreal. It seemed as if these events passed by in a flash and before I knew it we had arrived to Havana, the capital of Cuba. As we made our way to Havana Centro, I could see people sitting on their front porches in the gloomy lights of the few street lanterns that had been installed on the corners of each block. Salsa music was playing loudly and children were chasing one another, proving that Havana is quite a vibrant city where one does not sleep early.
We got to the street address I had gotten from Katie, the owner of the apartment I was to stay at. I felt quite nervous when it became clear that the address did not exist. The driver got out of the car and inquired with two men sitting on their front porch while I searched my phone for a clue. Luckily I was able to find the correct address through an email I had received from Renske, a fellow traveler that had recommended the apartment to me.
The place was only four houses away and I was relieved when I found out that Yianni, Katie’s husband, was still up and had been waiting there for me. He helped me get out of the car and took my bag as I paid and thanked the Cuban family that had picked me up. It was clear that the grandmother was fishing for more money but I knew that I had paid a decent price and had been mentored by Christa, Koen’s aunt that we had visited in Madrid, that it was important to make clear agreements and avoid getting tricked into paying more.
Yianni showed me around in the apartment which was absolutely fabulous. After he had opened the front door, we entered a living room with high ceilings that was connected to a balcony overlooking the street and also offered a kitchen, restroom, fridge, and a table in its center. The bedroom could be reached by a pair of stairs. I quickly installed my bag in a closet and changed into something lighter. It really was very hot and I was glad to learn that the room had a fan and an A.C.
Yianni explained that we had to stop by his house to pick up my set of keys for the apartment. We got into his car and drove down four streets where we parked and went up to the top floor of one of the buildings. I admired the nice view from the balcony as he went on to look for the keys. As soon as he had found them he suggested showing me an even nicer view. He opened a door that was installed in the kitchen area and led me up several stories. Most of them were still under construction, bricks and other buildings materials where scattered throughout the rooms. We climbed three sets of stairs and had to be careful not to fall through the openings in the floors. Once we got to the very top Yianni pushed open the roof door and motioned me to follow him. We were now walking on the roof of the building and, taking each step carefully, made our way to the edge.
I remember feeling awe-struck and was highly impressed by the mesmerizing view. This undoubtedly was my very first favorite moment in Cuba. The sky was dressed in bright stars and from this rooftop we were able to overlook a good part of Havana. Yianni pointed straight ahead of him and explained that the Malecón was situated in that direction. On the other side we could see the Capitolio and adjacent to the building was a big apartment complex that, according to Yianni, housed over 250 families.
Yianni drove me back to the apartment where he explained how the set of keys were to be used. He explained that it is very important to lock the door correctly, especially when leaving throughout the day. I told him that my plan was to travel to Varadero the next day, where I was to meet a friend and therefore had to go to the Viazul station from where I planned on taking the bus in the morning. He offered picking me up and dropping me off and with that notion wished me a good night and took off.
I quickly got ready for bed and it didn’t take long to fall asleep. The flight and the evening’s proceedings had worn me out and I felt as though I had already accomplished quite a big deal. I fell asleep with a smile on my face and couldn’t wait to find out what the next day had in store for me.
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
