Travel

You will see many people in and around Habana Vieja (old town) ready with their unlit cigars waiting for passing tourists. There are two class of people. The official self employed ones in possession of a clearly displayed government card, allowing them to work on the streets legally, and then there is the unemployed opportunist who sits on the fringes away from the official workers but where tourists still roam.

So what is it they exactly do? Well, essentially they are expecting you to pay them for a holiday snap, an image synonymous with a trip to Cuba.  You will see women in colourful traditional dresses adorned with flowers, or less common a Dandy, a well dressed man usually strutting around cane in hand.

Once eye contact is made the act begins, the more eccentric ones charming you into conversation before any talk of an exchange. You will hear them ask for un peso or un dollar, if you refuse to pay charm quickly turns to disappointment, as you are waved away.

Below, an opportunist or a genuine cigar smoker?

One dollar is not much to pay, especially if the picture drew you towards it in the first place. It’s not like you are going to take hundreds, five tourist pictures for five dollars sounds like a bargain to me.

Many of them now have celebrity status, gracing the cover of international magazines. Havana Vieja (old Havana) is a small place and with millions of tourists visiting each year that’s a lot of pictures shared globally, come to think of it that’s a lot of opportunity for dollars.

Cuban public transport falls into many categories safe, reliable, comfortable, efficient and available are none of these. As a tourist you have access to better transport, but choose public transport and you will be in for some ride, literally.

If you take a Guagua (bus) and at most times and it will be 40 degrees and you’ll be hugged from all sides, although if you are a regular user of the tube in London you can probably relate to this.

A bus ride will only cost you one local peso about 4 cent, So for many locals its an economic way to get around. If you are in a hurry though take a Colectivo also known as Almendrones a local taxi that will ride along a set route. You will pay about 10 local pesos 40 cent for a one way journey.