Saw this thread pop up and typed this response before I realized it was over a year old and the conversation has now shifted to Australia! I'll have to be more cautious. I'm going to post what I was going to post just to feel better about my time. At least the thread is active.
Is your son still contemplating Cuba? I hope he still goes, despite some things that look initially like roadblocks. When my 4 year old gets a little older, I'll be going myself (not with the kiddo just yet). A travel ban is a miserable thing to do to your own citizens when there is little, if any, safety threat compared to other acceptable destinations. So here was what I did say before I realized I caught myself in a time warp:
I'm at a loss for books that would aid in providing destination goals. I was always a fan of the "Let's Go" series from Harvard students when it came to travel guides (I know they are designed for backpacking students but they really were the best thing out there for general use as well). Besides the fact that the series has gone rather defunct, I doubt those students ever compiled a guide to Cuba.
As for general literature, Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana" would make for a fun pre-trip read! Or for a more culturally relevant read, Cristina Garcia's "Dreaming in Cuban" is fantastic!
My advice is always the same for any country. Hang out with the locals!
Sure, every city has a "must see" museum along with some building or structure of historical import. There's also always something very tall to climb, be it a church steeple or a mountain, for the best view. These are nice things to do and the excercise is always a plus (I'm recalling a very amusing scene from the film "In Bruges" if anyone has seen it).
For true cultural immersion, nothing tops making friends at the local dive bar. Sip a Cuba Libre and have a chat regarding whatever the locals conjure up when pretense is swept aside. Take in the sounds of a neighborhood band. Grab some street foods! Just wander and wonder as the many small cultural differences sink in.
See the sites that make you think and feel, that truely connect you to a time and place. Don't be overly concerned with schedules and destinations. It's the sum total of all the magical moments of a trip that make it memorable.
Dreaming of my former travels, I rarely conjure up The Louvre or the Loch Ness tour. I do, however, remember the conversation in the local pub with the Scottish fisherman who had me **bleep** near convinced that "Nessie" is real (Who knows though. Those Scots love to spin a good yarn or "wind you up" as they would say). I also recall, quite vividly, the temperature of that lake when I leaped in during midwinter, but I'll chalk that up to the whims of youth.
I wish your travel prone son happy adventures wherever he lands. And I wish you a tome of amusing tales when he returns!
Ryan
