Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Cuba, a place to visit… but just take care



I went to Cuba a year ago with the idea to explore this small island in the middle of the Caribbean. I also wanted to learn about the lives of the people and how the old revolutionary idea from the communist President, Fidel Castro, influences them. The purpose was to stay with a Cuban family to try to understand how they lived, but what I found was something different to what I expected.

It is a beautiful country, with amazing beaches and weather. The capital, La Habana has a lot of historical places to visit, a big bay and a really great graveyard with breathtaking monuments. But nobody tells you about what they think about the revolution and the Government, it is forbidden.  If you want to know about communism, you have to go to the small towns, where the people are nicer and always want to speak to you about how you live and the benefits that we have in our countries.

The Cubans cannot get out from Cuba because they can’t escape from the Government. They cannot use the internet. Tourists can use it if they show their passport, and it is really expensive and slow.  

Cuba is a monopoly, everything is own by the Government. You cannot find advertisements because they only have one brand of everything: sodas, beers, rum, rice, tobacco, etc. The only ads that you can find are related to Fidel Castro and his “revolution”. They manage with two types of currencies, the money that tourists use and money that the Cubans use.  

It is not permitted to walk with a Cuban on the street, only with official Cuban guides. If the police see you with a Cuban, they think that they are trying to cheat you. Not all the Cubans are poor people, you can find rich families but all are related to the government.

The majority of people are poor and when they see a tourist they always try to ask you for money, milk or toiletries. But this is not the worst part, if you ask for some advice to find a good local restaurant they always try to cheat you with the most expensive restaurants, which often don’t have Cuban food.  They are friends of the owner and always receive something for each foreigner they bring in.

If you want to find the cheapest way to get to Havana, they always tell you the most expensive route. You have to pay for everything, no free museums, no free cathedrals, no free monuments, no free anything. At the end of the day, the only thing that they want from you is your money.

It is a really good place to understand and to be grateful for what you have.