I went to Cuba some years ago with a friend who spoke Spanish. While touring South America, we thought we’d go see Cuba before it changes. We spent six weeks there with no plans besides enjoying ourselves. On our second day, we landed in Havana and decided to go to Santiago. Our crash course into the rest of the trip had just begun. The train randomly stopped after a few hours – apparently, ‘waiting for the engine!’ Then it reversed, (don’t ask how) and went forward again, just before the ‘engine’ got spoilt. Ten hours later we were stuck in the middle of nowhere – worse than the remotest place in India when you’re traveling by train. You’ll at least find population and chaiwalas here. But we caught a stunning sunset in the middle of these sugarcane fields with cotton candy clouds. Convinced it wasn’t going to move, we got out of the train, walked for fifteen minutes and found a bar.

Cuban’s find any excuse to drink a mojito and their’s are the works – with fresh, crushed mint leaves. The more Cubans like you, the more rum they pour. Suddenly a guitar came out –– Cubans are really into their music — it’s like Buena Vista Social Club everywhere.

Sitting in this random place under a starless moonless night, in a little shack looked like a set from a ghost movie. As the stars came out, so did songs filled with praises of Che Guevara. That night was a quick preview into the rest of the trip – things were going to be unplanned.

Unless in Havana, don’t bother with Cuban five star hotels. Casa Particulars – rooms for rent for about 5$ a night in the home of a Cuban family – are ideal to get a taste of the local culture. You could end up in a massive Spanish home that serves exotic home made breakfasts.

The carnival was on then,  so for a week there were all night street parties, with everyone out dancing, and people flirting like its no ones business.

At Barcoa beach we met these retired geriatrics – the only thing that kept them alive was their music. They handed me a tambourine and my friend a guitar and we spent the entire evening singing and drinking rum (you can’t do anything without rum in cuba). Busking from one place to another, by the end of it, we were 25 people from different nations, high on rum, singing Spanish songs, the words to which I didn’t know! Cuba is packed with music, culture and feeling. They really know how to party.

As told to Riddhi Parekh