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Health & Fitness

My Fantabulosa trip to Cuba!

 

Have you ever wanted to visit Cuba? My legal opportunity came through Normandale Community College. Our 11-day educational and cultural tour included 23 people and was preceded by four great preparatory classes on Cuban history, culture, customs, music, art, and general information about traveling and visiting the country.

I am glad I went. I even got to practice my Spanish. We not only got to visit a don’t-even-think-about-going-there-country but also to hear their perspective about their relations with our government. All of the people we met were cordial and friendly. Cubans tolerate their government. We tolerate ours. We say embargo. They say blockade. We say don’t go. They say, come on down!

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President Raúl Castro is opening the economy up, albeit slowly, cautiously, nervously. There is a new class of people called the self-employed. These few are allowed to open them homes and provide meals to tourists (not to the locals, however), to rent out one room in their homes (not to the locals), sell flowers, and sell other items to tourists. This is a scary experiment. What if free enterprise catches on? What will that do to the socialist system? There are posters of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, aka Ché, Fidel, and revolutionary slogans everywhere. Cuba needs the USA to keep their revolutionary zeal alive and foremost in the minds of its citizens including the children.

Our flight on Cubana Airlines was a real trip. Waiting for luggage was almost a short-term career and exchanging our dollars was borderline aggravating.

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Cuba has a dual monetary system. The Cuban Peso, which is only for the locals, and the CUC, pronounced “kook,” which is for touristas and provides the government with much needed hard currency. One CUC equals one US dollar. Most people make the equivalent of 12-20 CUCs a month. Doctors make about 30 CUCs a month. The folks making the most money, aside from card carrying officials from the government, are those who service tourists. Taxi cab drivers, people in restaurants, bell captains, street vendors, those who clean your room, and so on make a good living by Cuban standards. Cuba initiated a tax system two years ago, but the only people who pay taxes are these self-employed and those that own some farm land. Government employees do not. So much for equality for all.

We saw a great deal of Habana Viejo by bus, cab, and by walking, which we found to be very safe. We visited schools, a senior center, markets, artists, musicians, and museums. We were treated to talks about their economy and what their goals were for the near future. Our nights were free, which meant we could do what we wanted, including eating in Cuba’s many paladares, which are part of the new self-employed free-enterprise experiment. The food was great. Very reasonable.  

Cuban artists José Fuster and Salvadore Gonzalez would give Antoni Gaudí a run for his money. Cuban salsa and rhumba music is great and a real toe-tapper. The 16 member Buena Vista Social Club (banded in the 60s) was non-stop two-hour, ear-splitting entertainment. Cuban beer is tasty, especially the 6.4 proof Bucanero. Cuban rum (ron), especially vintage Havana Club, is tasty. However, the 11 year old Santero is close to perfect. Smooth. Sensual. Betcha can’t have just one!

My impression of the city and surrounding area was that at one time it was very prosperous. Lots of folks had money! And they spent it on large, beautiful homes and buildings. Sugar. Rum. Tobacco. And, yes, gambling built the city. Currently, there are many buildings under renovation. And they look great. Some buildings and areas look totally devastated and would be improved only by a large bulldozer. Doubtless, hurricanes caused some of the damage, but neglect seemed to be the primary cause. OSHA has not arrived in Cuba. I saw men dangling from a single rope to paint a building or make repairs. Many sidewalks and streets are in need of repair. Walkers beware!

Cuban drivers are a little different. Don’t even think about stepping off the curb to cross the street. I honestly believe they aim their cars at unsuspecting tourists and locals. All of Habana is one rolling museum of 50’s vintage cars, many are in superb condition. I saw Chevy’s (57 is my favorite!), Fords, Studebakers, Dodges, and Cadillacs. Lots of memories.

In a devil-may-care moment and for a little extra excitement we took a very rusted, very banged-up, and very noisy Russian-built taxi back to our hotel. The Lada was not built for comfort. Those Russians sure have a sense of humor. Climate control involves opening and closing the taped-up broken window, when the crank works! And the broken springs provided new meaning to us thrill-seekers as we were gently thrown from side to side, then front to back, now up and down as our driver, a male nurse by day, aimed for each bump and pothole, all the while showing us photos of his 9 month-old daughter. And every once in a while when the mood struck him he would turn his attention to the traffic ahead of us.

As a master gardener, I really enjoyed our visit to an all organic farming community. These farms incorporate beneficial insects, trap crops, and botanical rotation methods to reduce insect and disease damage. They rely on red worms to convert organic matter into compost. Not much is wasted. The use of pesticides, GMOs, and GEs are not used. Compare that to our reliance on ever increasing amounts of commercial fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically engineered food crops. Remember folks, at some point we get to eat those pesticides!

Many of us brought gifts. Some of my best memories were when I gave baseballs, rubber balls, pens, and other things to children. At a pre-school I tossed a rubber ball to a little girl, who grabbed it enthusiastically and gave me a huge smile and a loud gracías! While walking in a very well-kept village, I met two little girls playing in front of their small house. I gave them each a rubber ball. A thousand thank you thank you’s. Big smiles and a grateful, smiling mother greeted me. Rubber balls? Baseballs? The basics. Who needs video games?

Early one morning I walked to a nearby school and met the principal. In Spanish, I told her who I was and that I had some gifts for the teachers and students. She looked me over a bit frostily and invited me into her office. We chatted for a while before laying out my gifts on her desk. Among the pens for the teachers I had four Yo-Yo’s. She immediately grabbed one and started to play with it. I asked her to teach me how to do it, which she did. When I told her she was an excellent Yo-Yo teacher, her coolness returned, but only briefly. Her face broke out into a very broad grin. She was very grateful for the gifts and our short visit. It was a good start to my day.

At a senior center we saw people exercising, listening to music, and playing dominoes. They all clapped as we walked past them. Two even sang a special song for us. We gave them gifts. Every time we gave something to someone—young or older--we received a thousand and one thank you’s and smiles that went from ear to ear. For me, meeting the people was a fantastic experience. I especially enjoyed meeting the children and a very old grandfather who asked for a basketball, but had to settle for a baseball.

I am thinking the issue between Cuba and the USA is not a people-to-people issue, but a government-to-government issue. Who knew?

 

 

 

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