Look for “Dom” I saw a friend commented on a Facebook post as soon as I announce I was heading to Cuba. Who’s Dom? I replied. Dom Toretto he said. Followed by a comment saying “you’re on your way to the fate of furious”, that’s when I realized they were referring to the famous film.
While it’s true that Cuba is literally a rolling car museum and Havana is probably the perfect place set up for the furious movie, there’s more to Cuba than just brightly colored American Vintage Car, it actually tell the Country’s history. Over half a Century of the Castro brothers leadership in Cuba joint with American trade Embargo has left Cuban’s no choice but to be skilled and creative at keeping their 1950’s car up and running.
Hotel Inglatera, Oldest Cuban Hotel
Months prior to my arrival in Cuba, I imagined the Country filled with colorful cars and houses, latin people , salsa and party’s everywhere. I pictured my days filled with colorful instagrammable images, I was dreaming of myself in a vintage car touring the City while singing with the tune of Havana or Guantanamera, of drinking endless mojitos and Pina colada’s. I thought of paddling in it’s turquoise water and walking on beautiful shoreline.
80 percent of it is true… and the latter did not disappoint me… Cuba has the most gorgeous turquoise colored water and Havana is like almost all the postcard picture I’ve seen (at least Havana Vieja) , every turn, down every alley, you’ll see colorful vintage vehicles. The actual fun is seeing classic cars side by side in traffic or even in Parkings. The City is great full of history!
Vintage Car passing by La Floridita
Random Street in Old Havana, the less touristic Area
Car’s parked outside Hotel Nacional
Remember the movie Kate and Leopold? Where Stuart, Kate’s time traveling ex-bf jumped off the Brooklyn bridge and take a walk to the past. This is how we see Havana, except we didn’t have to jumped off a bridge and time traveling here will take you to old and very old part of Havana. Old Havana is 100 years old and New Havana is 50 years old. Both are dilapidated. Old Havana is better however architecturally, with its narrow streets, museums, bars, restaurants and shops. But both have the same people. And it is this that makes Havana special, both old and new.
Plaza de la Revolución
Houses in New Havana
However, there are many, many streets one can explore to see a rare tourist spot, where you’d see people go about there daily life, You’ll see hardships, sooo much hardship. Having been raised in a third world country and lived in one of the wealthiest. I can easily state Cuba is suffering. It is not a place to visit for a luxurious holiday but rather for better understanding of our world.
Un-restored part of Old Havana
That being said, it is easy to enjoy Cuba but very difficult to understand. Life in a Communist / Socialist Country imposed with 5 decades of US embargo is very different from a life in any other Country. But who is to be blamed? Fidel Castro’s ruling or the US trade embargo? How are we to measure Cuba’s poverty anyway? Is it on Cuban’s income? which by the way average between 30-50 dollars a month not excluding doctors, Yes! Cuba have doctors, too many doctors… matter of fact Cuba ranked 3rd on Countries with the highest relative numbers of Doctors, Qatar being 1st on Rank. Which lead me to my next question, How does one country with extremely low salaries afford to send their Children’s to school more so to medical school?
Javier, our Vintage Car tour guide, a proud Cuban told us the secret. Cuban’s have free access to Education and that includes University. This is why there are so many Cuban doctors. So much that they normally send many abroad for goodwill missions.
Shopping at Cuba’s Ration Supermarket
In our journey to explore the less touristic part of Havana, our thirsty throat lead us to what looks like a store, we spotted a sack of rice, empty water bottle on display filled with liquid and powdery stuff which we assumed food seasonings. We were preparing to ask until we noticed people were not actually paying in cash instead with a small booklet which the store keeper marks. Later on, when the customers left, we approached the store keeper and asked if we can buy something to drink, that’s when we were told it is a ration store, a food distribution system in Cuba since 1960’s entitling all Cuban family a decent diet with a ration to last a whole month for a little fee at some sort almost free.
As we walked the street of Havana at night. We have never seen homeless people sleeping in parks, alleys or any street for that matter. I have seen these things in Paris, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, and, yes! in New York but not in Cuba. I am not saying it never happens in Cuba, but it certainly is not typical in Cuba. This is because almost 85 percent of Cuban’s owned a home and rent is relatively cheap.
Okay so Cuba has free Education, almost free food and cheap rent? yet almost all people speak about Cuba’s poverty!
How about when Cuban’s get sick? Yes! they get free healthcare too paid for by tourism.
Havana Fruit and Vegetables Market (Not so many option)
Im not imposing Cuba is a paradise for Cubans. Touring Havana for 5 days was a challenge for us. I can’t imagine living in a place with limited to no access to wifi and most of my favorite food and snacks.
Cubans are poor, however there is a fine line between being poor and living in poverty. My judgement is the former. Cuba is poor materially made by the US imposed embargo, Culturally Cuba is quite rich, with amazing music, film, dance, doctors, painters and sculptors, you name it.
After spending almost a week in Cuba, I came home feeling certain that the US trade embargo substantially impacted the Cuban’s quality of life.