After taking some pictures near the Malecón and having our breakfast of fruit, we attempted to negotiate a ride to Viñales. Initially we had wanted to get there by way of the beach, but he quoted this as costing 250 CUC (basically 250 USD). This was not appealing, so I changed the routing which got us to $150 and ultimately down to $120. This still seemed high, but with limited options we agreed.
We picked up his brother, who would be helping him drive back to Havana after dropping us off and then we went to a money exchange since we wouldn’t have that option in Viñales. The exchange was inside a swanky hotel. This appears to be where the rest of the Americans and European tourists are staying. I have a hunch they are experiencing a very different Cuba than us. After getting money, we continued on in our 1948 Plymouth special.
There were no seatbelts or air conditioning as was to be expected. It was odd to be riding in such an old vehicle. After driving for maybe 30 mins, we abruptly pulled off to the side of the road as the car died. We hadn’t quite gotten out of Havana yet. The heat and stop-and-go traffic had evidently been too much for a car that was built during the Truman administration. The driver assured us, he would take care of it and find another car as needed. As we waited, I looked at my map and discovered we were just three blocks from the Viazul bus station.
I considered this as an alternate method of getting to Viñales since it was recommended by a friend who had been there a couple weeks prior. I thought perhaps our car dying so close to the station was a sign, but after 30 mins, the driver tried cranking the car over again and motioned for us to get back in. After driving a few more minutes, we stopped at a gas station to get some diesel. They were out. We tried another one. They were also out. Eventually we topped off the tank and the repurposed tug boat engine under the hood was no longer thirsty.
After another hour of driving we pulled over to a service station to let the engine cool for a bit and and to put air in the tires. Time and time again, the driver and his brother told us that Viñales is muuuuy lejos. If you look it up on a map, it really doesn’t seem that way. It’s 90 miles. That’s an hour-and-a-half for most people, but when you’re driving a tug boat car from 1948 that gets 5mpg, I guess you have to plan on making some stops. In the end, it took us almost five hours, but as those before me have stated, it’s an experience.
Sure we could have hopped on an air-conditioned bus, but that would be like going to Ireland and having it be sunny everyday, or going to Russia and not having to pay a bribe to a cop. We had the authentic Cuban classic taxi experience…and not the kind of convertible classic car that the tourists ride around in through the streets of Havana. Ours was the real deal right down to the oil leak and the one door handle that they remove and attach to all doors to open and close them.
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