When it comes to Latin American countries like Cuba, what pops into your mind? Exotic culture, sensual music, sexy people… “Despacito” and “Havana”, perhaps?
Been to Cuba in April 2018, and I agree with that. However, there are things that many people, especially Asian, will find it shocking when they travel to Cuba.
That’s mainly because we don’t realise that Latin American countries are underdeveloped.
After sitting on the plane for almost 24 hours and feeling my a$$ flatten like chapati, quite a number of things made my jaws drop during my 15-day tour.
I was like, ‘I traveled from far far away to find this??’.
Although surprising, I enjoyed the trip! It’s a memorable trip for me, therefore, I’ll dedicate April blog posts about the trip.
Here are a few things in Cuba that are similar to Asia:
Cubans dry their clothes (and have breakfast) on their rooftop
Some Asian people still dry their clothes on the rooftop, especially those who live in rural areas or villages.
However, I guess it’s an uncommon and exotic sight for European or American travelers.
Most of the rooftops in Cuba are very wide and multipurpose. The locals aren’t only drying their clothes on the rooftop but also having their breakfast and relaxing time.
Some even turn their rooftops into restaurants!
The nostalgic alleys and roads
I don’t know about you, but the alleys and roads in Cuba remind me of Indonesia. I’ve been to the low-income areas and they look similar.
The colourful buildings, potholes on the road, electric cables hanging loosely…
When I showed these photos to my parents and aunties, they weren’t impressed.
They couldn’t help but wondered why I chose to visit Cuba when there are many beautiful, well-developed countries to visit.
Is it because I’ve been to Europe often? Maybe, but that’s not the main reason.
I’ll share with you guys in the next blog post why I chose to visit Cuba.
Also read: “5 Things People Got Wrong About Joining Tours”
The ‘back home’ street foods
You’ll see some street food sellers at the roadside or walking around Cuba, including in big cities like Havana. So far, I have never seen people walking around selling snacks in Europe.
This thing only happens in Asia, Cuba, and perhaps other Latin American countries.
Banana chips are quite a thing in Cuba
Do you love banana chips? So do Cubans! The locals here eat banana chips as appetizers or snacks.
Most of the time, the banana chips in Cuba are savory while in Asia we usually have two choices – sweet or savory.
The photo above is the best banana chips I’ve ever eaten in Cuba. It’s served at one of the hipster and well-known restaurants in Old Havana, O-Reilly 304.
This place is famous for tacos and alcoholic drinks. I almost cried tears of joy when I bit my taco.
The tropical trees and fruits
I had two free days in Baracoa, so I decided to visit a cave on top of a hill. Luckily, mi amigos – Robert and Simon, wanted to go too so I wasn’t alone.
On the way, we met a local man on the beach who then became our guide.
Before we reached the cave, we visited a plantation full of banana, palm and cocoa trees.
Coconut milk is special in Cuba
One night, when all of us were seated for dinner in Baracoa, our tour guide, Camilo, recommended us try the house’s special sauce. He said the sauce was very tasty but fattening.
It was so special that we either love it or hate it.
I was so curious, so I ordered a grilled fish with the special sauce. When I took a bite, it turned out that the special sauce was made with coconut milk!
Emm… I often have coconut milk-infused sauce or gravy back home. Personally, ayam opor and gulai ayam, which are also cooked with coconut milk gravy, are tastier.
Yuca is one of their staple foods
Two days before I returned to Kuala Lumpur, I decided to take a day trip to Viñales to see a tobacco farm. During lunch, my tour guide explained that he liked to eat grilled tuna with yuca.
(although I’m not smoking)
I asked him what yuca was, he said sometimes Cuban will replace rice with yuca. When the waiter put a plate of cassava on my table, I was like, “Ooo… so THIS is yuca!”
If you still can’t guess from the photo, yuca is cassava 😜
Vintage street musicians
I know, street musicians are everywhere. However, street musicians in Cuba are more well-dressed than those in Asia. Look at them, they’re wearing shoes!
I’m so happy that I bumped into them while in Santiago. The singer didn’t know my name but to my surprise, he sang “Santa Clara” for me!
Apparently, titi aka tiny whitebait is quite popular in Cuba
Titi (a kind of fish) is quite popular in Cuba as it only appears in a certain period on Cuban seas.
When Camillo, our tour guide, informed us that we could take a cooking class with titi as the main dish, I was quite tempted to do it.
However, considering my tight budget for the trip, I decided not to. But Robert, my Dutch friend, was so interested that he signed up for the cooking class.
Afterward, he shared with me some photos.
When I saw the photos, I got another “A-HA!” moment.
APPARENTLY, TITI IS THE TINY WHITEBAIT THAT I OFTEN EAT BACK HOME.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, we often deep-fry the titi and serve it with rice. Sometimes, we will sprinkle them on top of vegetable soup or fry them with tempeh and ground peanuts.
However, in Cuba, titi is fried and then served with a sauce that is made from coconut milk and cabbage. Robert loves the crunchy-salty taste of it!
But that’s not all! Cubans also eat titi with some kind of paste (he can’t identify it).
So friends, what do you think about my findings on the similarities between Cuba and Asia?
Do you have a similar experience when traveling? Do share with me in the comment section 😉
Also read: “Clubbing in Cuba: Disco Ayala, Trinidad”
Also read: “Cuba Tour: From Ballet Schools to Art Galleries in Camagüey”
