# Cuba Vacation......Buses and Classic Cars!



## NS VIA Fan (Apr 30, 2014)

While the other stayed on the beach at the Breezes Resort in Varadero.......there was plenty of time for a tour of the city then a day trip into Havana........Here's a few pictures:


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## NS VIA Fan (Apr 30, 2014)

Sign says Terminal and I thought it was the Railway Station in Havana......but its actually the Cruise Ship Terminal.


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## NS VIA Fan (Apr 30, 2014)

And those classic cars from the 50s.......theyre everywhere!


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## NS VIA Fan (Apr 30, 2014)

>


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## Swadian Hardcore (Apr 30, 2014)

Cuba?! Wow, it's not easy to get over there at all!


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## NS VIA Fan (Apr 30, 2014)

Quit easy for me as a Canadian. After Florida......Cuba is our most popular winter destination. Over a million Canadians go each year.

Heres a screen shot of the arrivals/departure board a Varadero Airport. Of the 19 departures listed......17 are to Canada with eight going to Toronto alone......three to Montreal......two to Halifax. (You would almost think you were at an Airport in Canada.....not Cuba!)


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## brentrain17 (Apr 30, 2014)

Thanks for the great pictures. It must be a challenge to keep those old cars running. Do you think they make their parts when needed? Send me a blue 56 caddy like my grandpa drove!


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## Green Maned Lion (Apr 30, 2014)

I've heard a lot of those are American/Russian hybrids mechanically.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Apr 30, 2014)

That _is_ a lot of Canadian cities on the board! I'm surprised.


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 30, 2014)

Great Pics, and what a nice place for a Vacation! Cubans are known for making do with little or nothing hence the 50s Vehicles still keep on Rolling even held together by coat hangers and Duct Tape! LOL


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## SarahZ (Apr 30, 2014)

Oh, how beautiful... :wub:

A good friend of mine has been to Cuba (he is from Victoria, BC) and absolutely loved it. We often talk about visiting, but as an American, I realize the difficulty. It's frustrating, especially since it's a gorgeous city and I'd love to see it.


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## railiner (May 1, 2014)

If you love '50's "Detroit Iron".....Cuba is the place to go. I saw a feature story on some television newsmagazine some years ago, maybe "60 Minutes" or similar, where they showed the cars, and interviewed one of the proud owner's. The reporter asked him how he got parts for the car, and he grinned, and proudly proclaimed that he made them, himself....

I recall when you could purchase a ticket from Greyhound here in New York City clear to Havana! You would board a Scenicruiser at the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal at 34th Street. It ran a Limited schedule to Miami. You would change buses there for another to Key West. At Key West, you would transfer to a West India Fruit and Steamship Company carferry, for the five hour sail to Havana.....It all ended with the revolution....


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## Green Maned Lion (May 1, 2014)

It all ended with the US objecting childishly to the removal of one nasty dictator and the replacement with a much less nasty dictator.


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## NS VIA Fan (May 1, 2014)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> That _is_ a lot of Canadian cities on the board! I'm surprised.


You might be surprised at the number of flight per day between Miami and Havana. Here’s a link to the arrival/departure board at the Havana Airport

http://flightaware.com/live/airport/MUHA

These are scheduled “charter” flights and there are restrictions from the US government on who can travel on them. Even American Airlines has flights with Havana as a destination. Here’s a screen shot from their flight status page:.


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## Green Maned Lion (May 1, 2014)

It amazes me how long the Cuba ban has lasted. It's almost silly.


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 1, 2014)

railiner said:


> If you love '50's "Detroit Iron".....Cuba is the place to go. I saw a feature story on some television newsmagazine some years ago, maybe "60 Minutes" or similar, where they showed the cars, and interviewed one of the proud owner's. The reporter asked him how he got parts for the car, and he grinned, and proudly proclaimed that he made them, himself....
> 
> I recall when you could purchase a ticket from Greyhound here in New York City clear to Havana! You would board a Scenicruiser at the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal at 34th Street. It ran a Limited schedule to Miami. You would change buses there for another to Key West. At Key West, you would transfer to a P&O Ferry, for the five hour sail to Havana.....It all ended with the revolution....


Not just buses, it happened with trains too! Remember the Havana Special? Timetable: http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track2/havanaspecial193302.html.

As for the bus side, you can still do that to Key West, but too bad about Havana!


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## railiner (May 2, 2014)

railiner said:


> If you love '50's "Detroit Iron".....Cuba is the place to go. I saw a feature story on some television newsmagazine some years ago, maybe "60 Minutes" or similar, where they showed the cars, and interviewed one of the proud owner's. The reporter asked him how he got parts for the car, and he grinned, and proudly proclaimed that he made them, himself....
> 
> I recall when you could purchase a ticket from Greyhound here in New York City clear to Havana! You would board a Scenicruiser at the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal at 34th Street. It ran a Limited schedule to Miami. You would change buses there for another to Key West. At Key West, you would transfer to a West India Fruit and Steamship Company carferry, for the five hour sail to Havana.....It all ended with the revolution....


I just edited this post to correct the name of the ferry line, I had previously erroneously listed as 'P&O'......thanks to an old Russell's Guide in my collection.....


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 2, 2014)

West India Fruit and Steamship Company? That kind of name? I found this about them: http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/wif.htm.


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## railiner (May 2, 2014)

Good find! There's also a small history on the Wiki page....

Took another look at the Russell's Guide...besides selling tickets on the ferry, Greyhound also sold tickets on the Santiago-Havana Bus Lines for service across Cuba...

the timetable shows their 'Ltd' Service as featuring "Highway Traveler (4101) Coaches"....not sure what the non-Ltd trips had..


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## NS VIA Fan (May 2, 2014)

Here's a link to a photo of the "New Grand Haven" It was a railroad car ferry between Florida and Cuba for the West India Fruit and Steamship Company . CN eventually acquired the ferry.....renaming it the Patrick Morris and used it on the run between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It was lost in a storm off Newfoundland in 1970.

http://mypage.direct.ca/l/lowery/haven.htm

http://cnmarine.webs.com/sspatrickmorris.htm


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## cirdan (May 2, 2014)

jimhudson said:


> Great Pics, and what a nice place for a Vacation! Cubans are known for making do with little or nothing hence the 50s Vehicles still keep on Rolling even held together by coat hangers and Duct Tape! LOL


I guess thze mechanics on the older models are also much simpler than on today's cars. You probably couldn't keep a modern car running that long with that type of maintenance.

Another great country for old cars is Uruguay. I had a wonderful time there.


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 2, 2014)

railiner said:


> Good find! There's also a small history on the Wiki page....
> 
> Took another look at the Russell's Guide...besides selling tickets on the ferry, Greyhound also sold tickets on the Santiago-Havana Bus Lines for service across Cuba...
> 
> the timetable shows their 'Ltd' Service as featuring "Highway Traveler (4101) Coaches"....not sure what the non-Ltd trips had..


There were Highway Travellers in Cuba? I thought they were 4104's, not 4101's.


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## railiner (May 3, 2014)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> railiner said:
> 
> 
> > Good find! There's also a small history on the Wiki page....
> ...


Greyhound did call the 4104's 'Highway Traveler's'....but apparently, they used that name for the earlier model's as well....or perhaps the Cuban line did, and Greyhound was just echoing their description....not sure.....


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 3, 2014)

railiner said:


> Swadian Hardcore said:
> 
> 
> > railiner said:
> ...


Thanks for clearing that up.


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## Shawn Ryu (May 3, 2014)

Green Maned Lion said:


> It all ended with the US objecting childishly to the removal of one nasty dictator and the replacement with a much less nasty dictator.



And protecting interest of mobsters


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## Green Maned Lion (May 3, 2014)

Yes, that too.


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## NS VIA Fan (May 4, 2014)

Interesting link here: "Flying Behind The Coconut Curtain"

http://airchive.com/blog/2013/03/25/flying-behind-the-coconut-curtain-cuba-and-havanas-jose-marti-international-airport/


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## railiner (May 4, 2014)

Nice link....learned a lot from it. Too bad they didn't show some buses....


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 4, 2014)

Tu-204's sure do look like 757's. I wonder how common they are in actuality.


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