Driving in Cuba, again

Wikipedia
   
   SO WHY, after writing here about visitors detained after traffic accidents, and being fully aware of our own government's advisory against driving in Cuba, would we rent a Kia Picanto from Cubacar?
   Well, we wanted to get somewhere. Couple of places, in fact. But we weren't quite sure where we were going or how long we wanted to stay. So hiring a car and driver, our habit in the last few trips, wasn't as practical this time.
   It went fine. Our travels took us to the Varadero resort strip, home of some of the calmest roads in Cuba, and then on to Cárdenas, a city where the biggest obstacle is the horse-drawn carriages rolling along the straight streets.
   We didn't speed (good thing, considering all the radar traps we saw) and we tried to take special care at intersections.
   One thing I had forgotten. While much of the world uses red octagon stop signs, Cuba employs the red, downward-facing triangle (with PARE, or stop, in not-so-large letters) that is the second format permitted by the multilateral Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.
   Why? Probably, as with its new licence plates, just to prove it's a whole lot different than the United States.
   For drivers who associate a triangular shape with yield signs, however, Cuba's stop signs can be difficult to pick out. Of course, what you might take as a yield sign should still slow you down enough to notice it's actually a stop sign.





See also:

10 TIPS FOR DRIVING IN CUBA

DRIVING IN CUBA RECONSIDERED



Comments

Anonymous said…
We may tend to be trusting and independently adventurous. For me it's the complete confidence in a very experienced driver. How would I know that the driver I hire is a good driver? I have friends at home I am not comfortable with their driving abilities or styles. I'll concede hiring for Havana is probably a wise idea.
March 1, 2014 at 8:38 PM
Caristas said…
Think a lot of people share your view, Anon. When you give up the wheel, you give up control. I will say that I've been lucky in the times I've hired a driver -- they've all been very good.
March 3, 2014 at 8:28 PM
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