Getting around in Cuba

There are many ways to get around in Cuba:

Taxis: These include cars, horse carts, bike taxis and coco taxis.
No matter what sort of cab you are taking it's important to bargain with the driver and agree on a price before you get in. Most don't have meters.

Classic cars: They are everywhere. I knew I would see some in Cuba; I just didn't know there would be so many. A lot of the classic American cars are brightly painted and lovingly restored. There must be some good mechanics in Cuba, and these cars could possibly run forever with their engines chugging away under layers of chrome.

Ladas and Trabants: These are Soviet cars. They are small and boxy and you can take a tour in one if you go to East Berlin. When we took that agrotour in Viñales, our guide (Fred) told us that the Cuban government sold these cars very cheaply to people who had done important work for the government. Until Raul took over in 2008, the only cars that citizens could legally sell to each other were the old American cars.

La guagua: This is the Cuban word for bus. It's a fun word to say (wah wah). People pack the buses and the long-distance buses and tourism buses too. Most of the guaguas are Chinese made.

There are other cars too: Mercedes from the 70s and 80s, and newer Korean cars like Kias and Hyundais.
And plenty of people were riding bikes.

There are a lot of ways to get around in Cuba. Some of them, like the old cars, have been working for decades. Others, like the horses and carts, have been working for centuries.