MultiPod Extras is a new project of The MultiPod, where the hosts test out new podcast ideas in a bonus, typically one-off format.
Members of the Puttytribe can pitch their podcast ideas too! Email themultipodcast@gmail.com with the show that you would like to demo. The MultiPod team can help you put it all together.
Today's MultiPod Extra episode comes from Ted, who wants to test out a travel podcast idea. His vision is to interview real, everyday travellers who have just returned from their trip (or are perhaps even live on location!), and capture the excitement and adrenaline of being out there exploring the world.
Fun and memorable stories would be intermixed with practical tips and details about how they planned and put their trip together. The show could have particular appeal to those who love to research and plan their own travel, and compare their notes with others.
The opportunity to demo the idea arrived when Ted's brother Andy spent 6 weeks backpacking around Cuba with his wife and three young kids. They had scarcely been home for a week, so the logistics and memories were still very fresh.
If you are curious about travel in the real Cuba away from the resorts, including how to find accommodation and transport, what sort of prices to expect, what to eat and how to get around with kids, then this episode will help clear the fog and give you a much better understanding.
Ted and Andy talk about life in Cuba, the people and their interactions with travellers, the culture and even a bit of history and politics. You may certainly feel inspired to go yourself, but at the very least will hopefully feel like you are there vicariously, enjoying the sights and sounds of a fascinating country.
Highlights:
- 13:50 - What happens when you say "Casa particular" to a Cuban?
- 14:58 - What they did when their first night's reservation fell through...
- 16:32 - How to plan while in Cuba. Did they make reservations ahead of time?
- 23:28 - Currency: do travellers pay in CUCs or in CUPs?
- 26:20 - How CUCs and CUPs work.
- 29:35 - What Cuban cuisine is like.
- 34:30 - What happens while walking down the street in Cuba.
- 35:07 - So did they ride in any of those fancy old American cars?
- 40:16 - Cuba is incredibly safe.
- 43:00 - Andy talks about the "Special period" in the 1990s.
- 43:47 - We try and understand daily life in Cuba.
- 47:27 - Does Cuba feel like a police state?
- 48:28 - The big question: So how did they do it with 3 young kids in tow?
- 58:10 - The spontaneous walk that resulted in a 12 km hike!
- 1:04:38 - How this trip rates out of all the travelling they've done.