Wrap-up Cuba

 When we tell people about going to Cuba, we are frequently asked the following questions:

Why did you go to Cuba? We both wanted to see Cuba before the embargo was lifted by the United States and the flood gates opened to both US tourists and businesses. As it turned out we returned just a few weeks before the embargo formally ended.

Jon Showe

Meylin Bernal

How did we get there? To shorten a longer story, we were invited on the trip by a friend we met in Costa Rica. Through friends of friends, Barbara met Jon Showe, an expert on Cuba who regularly leads trips.

Jon arranged for us to go on a People-to-People cultural exchange between the US and Cuba. He also arranged all of our visas and flights between Havana and Miami FL.

Thank you Jon and Meylin for taking us on a most memorable trip.

Did you have any hassles getting in and out of Cuba? Other than having to fill out more than the usual amount of paperwork, it was surprisingly easy, thanks to Jon and his contacts.

Did you see any of the old vintage cars?  It's pretty hard to miss them as vintage cars are everywhere. As far as American cars go, time stopped when JFK broke off political relationships with Cuba (after JFK received his last shipment of 2000 high quality Cuban cigars). Most American cars date from the 50's and early 60's. They  are maintained in surprisingly good condition as the embargo prevented Cuban mechanics from ordering any needed replacement parts from the USA. Consequently, Cubans were left to figuring out their own ingenious solutions to keeping these cars on the road. That said, it's not uncommon to see a frustrated owner trying to get their stalled vehicle moving again. Tip to Cuba travelers: if you hire a vintage taxi, try to get an open air convertible to best avoid exhaust fumes.

What impressed you the most?  To me personally, it was the buildings and architecture. Havana and other parts of Cuba are a visually stunning array of grand old colonial buildings, art deco, Soviet style apartments, and rural thatched roof buildings.

How were the people? For the most part they were very warm and friendly. The exception was disenchanted government workers who could not find the energy to do a good job or be bothered to help you.
How were the arts and cultural setting?  In a word - spectacular. Music and dancing were everywhere and hard to miss. The art scene was so rich that Sandra, an artist from in our travel group, wanted to stay on for several years and even looked into renting a home in Havana.
How was the food? Mostly the food was very good in the private paladors, but only mediocre in the government run restaurants. The typical Cuban diet relies heavily on rice and beans with some plantains and other fruits and veggies on a catch-can basis. Although many of the private paladors are working hard to improve local cuisine, generally Cuba is not a foodie destination.


Were all did you go? We basically spent about half of our time in Havana and the other half in the country (see the interactive map below).



What where your favorite places?

	Havana To me in terms of history, beauty and culture, Havana lists ranks up there with the other great cities of the world, such as: Paris London San Francisco Barcelona
	Trinidad This well preserved colonial town is a real treat to visit. It harkens back to the time Sugar was King of the Caribbean. Despite pressures from modern culture, it has retained it's charm and beauty.

How much did it cost? This trip is unusual for us as it's the only fully guided tour either Peter or I have ever been on. Consequently, it was pricier on a per day basis than any other trip we have been on. That said we both believe it was well worth the cost for the expert guidance and introduction to Cuba by Jon and Meylin.

The conundrum that is Cuba.  One reason Cuba so fascinating is it's many contradictions. At our first trip planning meeting, Jon told us we would return from Cuba with more questions than answers. When he first made this statement, I thought he was just joking or being dramatic, but now after returning from Cuba, I understand and agree with him.

Cuba affords a natural comparison between the USA style of democracy to the Cuban style of socialism. In Cuba  all citizens receive an excellent education, good medical care, and money for basic necessities. Cuban culture and arts are well supported and encouraged. Sounds like utopia? Maybe for some but not others. The downside of Cuba's socialism is a stagnant economy where many highly educated people can not find suitable employment. It's not uncommon to meet a former university professor or medical doctor who is driving taxis for tourists because it pays better. Every year Cuba loses many highly trained professionals who defect to other countries for better opportunities.

Furthermore, the standard government pay people receive (over 80% of the population is employed by the government) is simply not enough to subsist on. Consequently, a lively black market for all kinds of goods flourishes just so people can support themselves and their families. Other than the underground economy, the Cuban style of socialism does not motivate people to work harder or to even do a good job. Shop keepers are not paid sales commissions so they care less if they make sales or not.

"Agricultural Reform" broke up large plots of land and redistributed it. As noble as this sounds, most would be farmers are not motivated to work their land as they get paid the same for not doing anything. So they migrate to the cities where they do as little as possible and let their fields go fallow. To reform agriculture, the government then instituted an new policy so that a farmer could keep the crops from half their land to use or sell, but the crops from the other half had to be sold to back to the government at controlled rates. So the farmers tended their own plots with care producing abundant crops, but neglected the plots targeted for government controlled markets. The strange outcome is that while Cuba has fertile fields going fallow, it has to import food that they could mostly grow themselves.

Here's some recommended books to help understand modern Cuba:

Havana Nocturne by T. J. English

Cuba Rising by Jon Showe

Freakonomices by Levitt & Dubner

Would you go back? Most definitely. Cuba is a fascinating country and we are curious what impacts the improving relationship with the United States will have. Hopefully, Cubans will be able to improve their economy and standard of living without the pitfalls of over-commercialization or environmental damage.  Many Cubans believe the US will invade Cuba with troops after the Castros are out of power.  When we heard these concerns, we just smiled and shook our heads. Yes, we agreed Cuba would be invaded, but not with the military. The invasion will be from tourists and businesses (McDonalds, Starbucks, Monsanto, etc). Our fervent wish for Cuba is they will have the wisdom to properly choose who they let in to do business with.  For example, Cuba currently has the healthiest reef systems in the Caribbean because they do not have many golf courses nor do they use modern fertilizers which damage corals and reef fish.

PS - next time we will bring more baseballs for the boys, hair barrettes for the girls, and small soaps/toiletries for adults.