Cuba photo trip, legal for US Citizens, March 28 to April 9, 2010

[Bob Michaels]

I have learned there are a few spots available for Bill Bachman's last Cuba photo tour. See: http://www.billbachmann.com/cubamission/

I can highly recommend this trip. Bill does well organized trips. More importantly Cuba is a very unique place (unless you come from a FSU country) with incredibly friendly people. There will be dramatic changes when/if the US lifts the economic embargo so one should see/photograph it now.

Feel free to contact me directly if you want some insight from someone who has been on this trip. Of course, all the basic information is on the website.

My photos and thoughts from this trip are at: http://bobmichaels.org/

I received this print of a 1960 photo as a thank you from a Cuban photographer who was so appreciative of the 2 rolls of 35mm b&w film I gave him. In the photo are Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Camilio Cinfuegos, and President Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado

 

[35mmdelux]

Nice spit shined boots.

 

[DonaldJ.]

if only i could afford the trip. i would love to go.

 

[bmasonoh]

Sounds like a fabulous opportunity. Wish I had the money!

 

[napoleonesq]

I wish I could go

 

[photo4ls]

Bob, I really have enjoyed looking at
the Cuban photo section. Really nice work
while shooting B&W. I'm sure some colors
images would look really nice as well.
Hopefully things will change for US citizens
to get the opportunity to visit.
Nelson

 

[Bob Michaels]

I wish I could go

Going to Cuba is simply a matter of economic priorities. I understand why some do and some do not.

I am going back in mid or late March, not as a part of Bill Bachman's great trip, but by myself. I simply do better by myself but that is a personal thing.

I am going to meet my long lost 2nd cousin who is essentially a native Cuban and no one in our family knew about. But such "family" visits are now permitted under the new Obama family visitation amendments to the regulations.

 

[Morca007]

I've had a difficult time deciding on a destination for the trip I am taking next month, and I thought I had decided on Argentina, but this is making me reconsider Cuba (and making me thankful for my Canadian passport). I wouldn't be going along with the group if I do decide to go to Cuba, as I'd rather stay at youth hostels and spend the extra money extending the length of my stay, but it looks like a great time.

 

[Bob Michaels]

<snip>
Hopefully things will change for US citizens to get the opportunity to visit.
Nelson

If you are seriously interested in traveling to Cuba as a US citizen with a legal visa, post me offline. The back door is open. Go before they open the front door as the Cuban culture will change dramatically when that happens and everyone goes.

 

[kkdanamatt]

Cuba photos

Cuba photos

If you are seriously interested in traveling to Cuba as a US citizen with a legal visa, post me offline. The back door is open. Go before they open the front door as the Cuban culture will change dramatically when that happens and everyone goes.

Bob:

I'd love to go, but 12 days is about 4 days too many and $4000+ per person is a bit much for me. In your opinion, can a 7 day Cuba trip for two from NYC come in at less than $3000?

BTW, I enjoyed your Cuba photo album very much. Your style and mine are similar, but your photos are much better than mine. It appears as though you engage your subjects in some conversation or with at least a short greeting, judging from your captions. The shots, for the most part, don't seem to be quick candids as much as they are street shots in the Helen Levitt genre. I prefer that "portrait" style of yours over the quick grab-and-go super-wide angle style which is so prevalent today.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Bob:

I'd love to go, but 12 days is about 4 days too many and $4000+ per person is a bit much for me. In your opinion, can a 7 day Cuba trip for two from NYC come in at less than $3000?

<snip>

The question is two people coming from NYC to Cuba for 7 days for $3,000?

Airfare NYC to Miami for two: about $500
Airfare Miami to Havana for two: about $750 (ridiculous price but it is what it is)
Cuba government fees: about $150
Cuba: seven night in nice hotel: about $600
food, drink, transportation & misc for two 2 @ $100 per day: about $700 (may be hard to spend this much)
extra 10% for unexpected cost overruns: $300

and that is $3,000 total. So that is in the ballpark.

 

[jonmanjiro]

I've had a difficult time deciding on a destination for the trip I am taking next month, and I thought I had decided on Argentina, but this is making me reconsider Cuba (and making me thankful for my Canadian passport). I wouldn't be going along with the group if I do decide to go to Cuba, as I'd rather stay at youth hostels and spend the extra money extending the length of my stay, but it looks like a great time.

I'd recommend skipping the youth hostels and regular hotels, and staying in one (or more) of the many reasonably priced "casa particulars" in Cuba. Really good value, and some of them are very very nice. They are basically private houses or apartments that rent out one or more rooms with shower/bathroom and sometimes kitchen facilities. They are required to meet a certain standard, and are registered with the government. I spent three weeks in Cuba back in Dec. '05 - Jan. '06 and only stayed in casa particulars. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[jonmanjiro]

More info on casa particulars here:

http://www.cuba-junky.com/cuba/cuba-casa-particulares.htm

And here's the link to one of the casa particular's we stayed at in Havana. We spent a week here, and Oscar (the very helpful owner/manager) helped us with booking bus tickets and other casa particulars elsewhere in Cuba. He spoke excellent English!!!

http://www.habanarent.com/

 

[Bob Michaels]

I'd recommend skipping the youth hostels and regular hotels, and staying in one (or more) of the many reasonably priced "casa particulars" in Cuba. Really good value, and some of them are very very nice. They are basically private houses or apartments that rent out one or more rooms with shower/bathroom and sometimes kitchen facilities. They are required to meet a certain standard, and are registered with the government. I spent three weeks in Cuba back in Dec. '05 - Jan. '06 and only stayed in casa particulars. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I second the recommendation to say in Casa Particulars. I did have the opportunity to tour several on my previous trip and will stay at these when I go back in March. We stayed in some very nice hotels which were a bargain considering what one would pay in the US but there is nothing like staying in a home to get the real impact of the culture.

Cuba is interesting and exciting. One does need to be aware that many of the things we take for granted are not always available there other than tourist hotels. I mean things like:

* running water 24/7: but it does work all the time in hotels and most of the time every other place
* hot water, always in hotels, and some of other places
* toilet paper: always in hotels, seldom in public restrooms (a welcome gift for any Cuban citizen)
* paper napkins or paper towels are unavailable anywhere
* air conditioning: however you can easily do without
* cable TV getting something other than the official Cuban government channels is available only in tourist hotels. It is illegal for Cuban citizens to have an antenna that receives satellite TV reception.
* newspapers other than the official government paper are simply unavailable

On the other hand, there is almost no crime. There are no guns except for the military. There are essentially no recreational drugs of any kind.

Cuba is a very different place. That is what makes it worthwhile going.

 

[35mmdelux]

"On the other hand, there is almost no crime."

except that perpetrated by the state: FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!

 

[gb hill]

I would love to see Cuba & hope to one day see it free, but I guarantee if it does it will become so plasticized it will just become another tourist trap....not worth seeing. Big corporations ruin everything!

 

[Olsen]

We Europeans have been going to Cuba for years. Cuba, as a holiday destination, is reckoned to be dirt cheap and with a climate excellent for Christmas or Winter holiday stays. (In Scandinavia we have a week holiday from Christmas over the New Year, and a 'skiing holiday' in February, - and Ester Holiday in March/April).

I can agree that Cuba is an unique place. Just about everything is dirt cheap. People are very friendly and there is hardly any crime to be afraid of. - As in the rest of Central/South America. The climate is hot and damp, - would be just fine: Here in Oslo it is close to minus 20C tonight. And then there is the Cuban music. Just incredible. In bars, at restaurants, in the streets or on the radio.

We have stayed at a rather modern and somewhat charmless beach resort built for European tourists. But we took trips to Havana, which is a run down place. Very much like coming to St.Petersburg or Tallinn just after Perestroyka.

 

[Spoks]

I would love to see Cuba & hope to one day see it free, but I guarantee if it does it will become so plasticized it will just become another tourist trap....not worth seeing. Big corporations ruin everything!

Free...? The most "unfree" thing in Cuba must be Guantanamo...

 

[35mmdelux]

Alot more fun in Costa Rica.

 

[Olsen]

Alot more fun in Costa Rica.

I have never been there. But my neighbour, both teachers with long holidays, have been there several times. They speak highly of Costa Rica.