havana: where the rhythm eats your budget alive

so i landed in havana with $20 and a prayer, and turns out this city doesn't care about either. the streets are basically a 24/7 salsa party that costs triple what you'd pay back home. first thing i noticed? the air feels like someone wrapped a hot, damp sock around your head. i just checked the weather app and it's... clinging to you like a second skin, hope you packed breathable fabrics.

the vintage cars are real, obviously, but they're also money pits. some guy tried to charge me $50 for a ride from the airport to *old havana - that's my entire food budget for three days! when i balked, he shrugged and said 'tourist prices, amigo' like that was a thing. i ended up walking.

food here is a trip. street vendors sell cuban sandwiches for $3 but the 'fancy' restaurants? $20 for rice and beans that taste like regret. i heard that the best eats are where the locals eat, which means following the smell of garlic and ignoring the menus. tried that. got a plate of mystery meat. still better than the hotel breakfast.

if you run out of things to do (and money), matanzas is just a cheap bus ride away. cheaper than staying here, honestly. someone told me that the malecón* at sunset is magical, but that might've been the rum talking. also heard that the police love to shake down tourists for 'fines' - keep your wallet hidden.

here's the real tip: skip the museums and just wander. the buildings are crumbling history lessons that don't charge admission. grab a $1 coffee from a ventanita and watch the world go by. check out la bodeguita del medio on yelp if you wanna overpay for mojitos, or tripadvisor's havana food tours for actual budget eats.

this city's got a pulse that'll steal your cash but charm your socks off. i left with $2 left and a story about a parrot that stole my empanada. totally worth it.