Cuba Shopping Tips by swesn

HAVANA : ART-WORK

Old Havana has a wonderful art market located near Parque Luz Caballero, round the corner of the Catedral de San Cristoball de La Habana, towards the harbour.

There are many huge colourful abstract art-works, those with typical La Habana look - the Chevrolets and crumbling colonial houses and other sorts of interpretations.

However, I read from the guidebook that you have to obtain an export permit and official receipt in order to bring the art-work out. For more details, I supposed your best bet is to check with your hotel, HOW to get the export permit.

Apparently, many people had had their art-works confiscated when they are leaving Cuba. The customs officer apparently claimed the works were 'state treasures'. Yeah, right... (Sorry, no personal experience.)

Theme: Art

CUBAN CIGARS

Cuban cigars are reputedly THE BEST in the world. So, naturally, buy a box or two.

I know that due to the US Embargo, American citizens are not supposed to bring back Cuban cigars. I was questioned at the Cancun, Mexico airport if I had any cigars with me. I said 'no' but I actually had two. They let me through but they insisted on opening up the luggage of a fellow traveller.

I think all purchased Cuban cigars must be declared with the correct receipts and one can only bring out perhaps an US$XX amount.

There are cigar factories around Old Havana. Naturally, as they specifically cater to tourists, entrance and a guided-tour are not going to be cheap.

Around Trinidad, we were constantly hissed at, asking if we wanted cigars. I guess, be careful of fakes and those of low-quality. Buying from the black market will also mean you do not have the proper receipts, which I again can only assume if you are caught with them, they will be confiscated.

Meanwhile, there are many souvenir-style super expensive, cigar shops around.

Theme: Local Craft

CIENFUEGOS : AVENIDA 54

The main shopping street or street with the most activity is the pedestrian part of Avenida 54 to the west side of Calle 37 (Paseo del Prado).

There are some US dollar shops, especially the souvenir shops. It is a sad that Cubans who do not have any US dollars are unable to buy anything from these US-dollar places even if they have the equivalent of Cuban Pesos.

What is interesting to me are the true-blue Cuban-Peso Department Stores. They are in large dingy halls with show-cases. One third of the glass displays were perhaps broken. Some of the remaining ones were held together by duct tapes.

These were lined with some clothes, the odd underwear, casettes, some parts of the pipings, glorious glorious plastic flowers and the most horrible-looking mass-produced porcelain ceramic statues in the world. A section had ancient, tattered, revolution-themed, multiple-hand books.

Theme: Other

HAVANA : CALLE OBISPO IN LA HABANA VIEJA

Calle Obispo is touted as the main shopping street of Havana.

OK, this is NOT Rodeo Drive. Indeed, there appear to have more shops along the pedestrian street, but with not much material goods available in Cuba, do not expect too much.

There are some souvenir stores for tourists and also some household stores. For snacks, you can buy something from the many Cuban-Pesos home-run window stalls too.

The street indeed is very busy and seems very popular among the locals as well. There are many harassments too due to the large number of tourists.

Theme: Other

RATION STORES

A ration store is one assigned by the state to sell basic food products and necessities to Cubans. The products are rationed on a per-person basis monthly.

People who come have to bring a little passport-sized notebook for the guys at the counter to make a record.

On the blackboard, it was written that the food and necessities ration for April 1 to 30 - six pounds of rice, five (something, I could not figure it out) of black beans, three pounds of refined sugar, two pounds of crude sugar, one kilo of salt for three months, six fine cigarettes, two cigars, one soap for bathing, one box of matches (for smoking your cigars, how thoughtful), etc...

Of course, one can buy more of these food items at regular markets but the prices there will be higher. But not-so-necessary items like soap sold elsewhere will be priced in US dollars.

Theme: Other