Cuba By Diesel

Oil Burners Running Strong on the Island Paradise.

- Bill & Jason Sands

Hola from Cuba! Cross off another bucket list destination and pass the cerveza. In spite of Castro and the embargo, for us old dudes (I’m 73) the allure of Cuba never quite faded. Old Cuba beckoned, the land of rum, conga rhythms, Cohiba cigars, tropical beaches and classic American cars cruising the streets of Havana. There goes one now—a cherry ’56 Chevy Bel Air convertible pulling away from the curb with a puff of black smoke from a fat tailpipe and the signature sound of a… diesel? Huh?

Transportation in Cuba is an eclectic mix of antique and modern modes of travel. On country roads, horse-drawn carts and wagons are as common as cars and buses. In Havana, I observed more pedicabs, motorbikes and motorized cycles with sidecars in the mix. (I saw very few pickup trucks.) Most Cubans cannot afford cars, so they rely on public buses, taxis, hitchhiking, walking, or “real” horsepower in the countryside and small towns.

Swapped Heaven