Q is for Quirky transportation

Getting around Havana is interesting as there are so many different choices. There are regular taxis, classic car taxis (and for a negotiated price, you can arrange a  tour in a classic car), horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, buses, including a Hop On, Hop Off bus that costs $5 CUC and my favourite, the Coco Taxi.  There are even tours offered on Harley Davidson motorcycles via La Poderosa.

Coco taxis are three-wheeled, motorized “scooters” that hold a driver and up to two passengers. You can negotiate your price with them and then you’re off! My driver was Nadia – and she loves Havana.

For 2 1/2 hours, she drove me all around Havana. We drove down the Malecon and along the Avenue of Presidents, past the University of Havana and the cemetery. She took me to Callejon de Hammel, acting as my translator, and surprised me by going to the John Lennon Parque. We even ran out of gas, but Nadia had a quick fix, then she pushed the Coco taxi to re-start it again and, with a stop at a local gas station, we were off! We ended our tour with a stop to take a picture of the statue of Neptune. Overall, this was one of my best experiences in Havana!

Once you get out of the city, you find more diversity in transportation. Some of the horse or ox-drawn carts or made from parts of old cars or trucks. You can also find former Soviet Union-style trucks (some are used to give “tourists” an authentic experience) I even saw old some Soviet Lada cars.

Here are some pictures of the different types of transportation available in Cuba.