General Cuba Tourist Information - Real Havana: Explore Cuba Like a Local and Save Money - page 37

transportation. The most difficult part is determining which main roads coincide
with the routes that most of the taxi drivers use. The Havana taxi routes will be
explained in great detail, in the Havana Taxi Particular Routes section.
Sharing Rides on Unofficial Taxis
Another general rule of thumb is that, in Cuba, almost anybody with a car, or other
form of transportation for that matter, will be willing to give you a lift to your destin-
ation, for a bit of money, and sometimes, even for free. If you are in need of a ride
and an official taxi is not available, you can almost always find an unofficial taxi
anywhere on the island. Simply making eye contact with a driver or a person sit-
ting beside a parked car will often be a conversation starter. With minimal negoti-
ation, a deal can be arranged and you will be safely chauffeured to any destina-
tion.
The practice is extremely common and very safe. It's so common, in fact, that the
locals have even created a term for it. Coger la botella is a phrase which trans-
lates to “ catch the bottle .” It means to get a free or very low cost ride. It's like
hitchhiking, but there is no stigma or safety concerns about it in Cuba. In fact,
Cubans often joke that hitchhiking is Cuba's national sport. Often, on early
mornings and in the late afternoon, after school and work has ended, you will
notice lines of men and women gathered around intersections and waiting along
roadway medians. They chat with passing drivers and are able to get rides if the
driver is going on the same route. Regardless of gender, beauty or age, this form
of free transportation is open to everybody and is a testament to the culture of
sharing and communal living which continues to be a hallmark of the Cuban
revolution. While it might be difficult for obvious foreigners to catch a free ride this
way, it is certainly possible to use it as a low cost form of transportation when all
else fails. In some cases, a conversation with a foreigner, to learn about different
cultures and parts of the world, is the only payment requested by the driver.
Although these taxis are unofficial, they are usually very safe; but obviously use
discretion whenever entering a vehicle. Contrary to what you might read on the in-
ternet, it is not illegal for a foreigner to take a ride in an unofficial taxi. While the
driver can face stiff fines if he is caught operating as a taxi without a license, the
tourist is not blamed. The practice is widespread and generally tolerated by the
state.
City Buses
All major cities in Cuba have dedicated municipal buses. These are usually very
cramped and overcrowded. The cost to use a city bus is 40 cents (MN) which is
approximately 2 cents CUC. In larger towns the city buses are very similar to city
buses used anywhere else in the world, although they tend to be a little bit older
and more worn. There is no air conditioning.