Hello from Cuba (5) - Another Mind-Twisting Experience
Hotel Havana Libre, Friday, April 8, 2005, 2:47 pm
I am sitting here at one of the most famous hotels in all
of Havana, after I just withdrew Can$250 (200 CUC, Pesos Convertibles)
from my Mastercard. No big deal, you say..... Until you realize
that the average Cuban makes between US8 and US30, not an
hour, not a day, but for a whole month!
Havana architecture.
My professor for instance told me that she makes about US$18
or so a month, so the amount I withdrew is more than a yearīs
salary for a university professor.... I am feeling really
weird about this and I also want to get most of the cash into
a safe as soon as possible. I am simply unable to walk around
with a yearīs salary in my pocket...They talk about the "inverted
pyramid" here, where a waiter in a hotel makes much more (due
to tips from tourists) than a brain surgeon in a hospital...
The economic situation here definitely is the dominating topic.
Just standing in line a young black man started to speak to
me and told me that he has a degree in physical education,
teaches martial arts at the national level and inevitably
the conversation came back to the dire economic situation:
the local refrain is "Hay que luchar", - daily life indeed
is a struggle around here.
There is no toilet paper around here, so having read about
the shortages I brought my own little Kleenex travel packs
from Canada. At the University and in the whole country there
is tremendous shortage of writing paper. Basic things simply
dont exist, or if they do, they cost a lot of money for locals
on the black market.
As a result, a tourist is always pretty much a target. There
are "jineteros" who try to lure you to a restaurant or bed
and breakfast (in return for a commission from the owner),
therer are "jineteras", local young and good-looking Cuban
women that seek contact with tourists, some of them straight
prostitutes, others just looking for the occasional financial
favour and entertainment opportunity.
Many local tourist employees try to take advantage of their
contacts with tourists and there are definite rip-offs. 2
days ago I went to a state-owned restaurant at the far corner
of the famous Coppelia Park. The food and service were horrible.
I chose Arroz Congri ($3), a salad ($3), and a mango juice
($1), totalling $7. When the bill came I saw a total of $9.85
($4 each for the salad and the rice and $1.85 for the juice).
I made the waitress aware of the situation and she acted as
if it had been an error and did correct the bill after all.
But a less alert tourist would have paid 40% more than what
was stated on the menu.
Square in front of the Capitolio.
Sometimes it feels like you are a "walking wallet" and I have
developed a certain suspicion as to to the sincerity of some
of the approaches by the locals. On the other hand, I realize,
that with the $10 or $20 people that people make here a month,
they are unable to live for more than a couple of days, so
their economic reality forces them to try to make money any
which way they can.
Services for tourists and even locals barely exist. I have
been trying to rent a bicycle for the last 4 days. There were
2 contact phone numbers for bicycle rental places in my Lonely
Planet Travel Guide. I have been trying to call both numbers
numerous times - no answer. A co-student of mine has been
trying to link me up with the owner of his bed and breakfast
who has a new mountain bike. For 4 days I have been trying
to reach this individual until I finally connected with him
yesterday and I rented the bike for $3 a day.
But of course, you absolutely cannot leave the bicycle alone
anywhere because it will be stolen and resold in a second.
As a matter of fact, I "tipped" my hotel security guards a
few dollars to look after my rented mountain bike particularly
well, because anything of value "disappears".
Yesterday, my friend Pedro and I went to eat in a Paladar
(a privately owned restaurant). As a gesture of appreciation
for his time and his insights I had given him a red baseball
cap with "Toronto" written on it. He forgot it at the restaurant,
but within a minute and a half we became aware of it and returned
to the restaurant. The baseball cap was already gone, which
made him very sad. He told me that it would be resold today
for $8 (almost a monthly government salary).
For the most part, people here are unable to travel, even
locally. Due to the "periodo especial" since the collapse
of the Soviet Union (and the associated financial support
for Cuba) gasoline is expensive and scarce, and there is not
even enough for the local Havana transit system. So if you
want to take the "GuaGua" you sometimes have to wait for 2
or 3 hours since there are so many people lining up for the
local bus and there are not enough buses available.
Having a private car or access to the Internet is a luxury
that only extremely few people have access to and I have heard
different stories on the street that a regular Cuban person
actually is not allowed to have access to Internet. As a foreigner,
itīs very difficult for me to gauge which of these stories
are true, whether it is truly prohibited or simply extremely
difficult to get. Either way, I have noticed that people are
still very careful about what they say around here.
The cruise ship terminal.
On the other hand, despite all these hardships and limitations
on personal freedom, I have noticed a really amazing friendliness
and a great sense of humour in the people. People approach
me, ask me questions, without the immediate possibility of
selling me something or expecting money from me. There seems
to be a natural curiosity about foreigners around here, maybe
because the possibilities of travel donīt exist. The professors
at the University have been great and truly seem to enjoy
the interaction with all the international students. When
you get to meet people one-on-one (not in a government-owned
restaurant), it is indeed a fabulous experience.
Last night my friend and I took an extended walk in a park
after sunset, talking, discussing, comparing notes about our
respective cultures. And it was completely safe, something
that you wouldnīt dare to try in a park in Toronto. Even downtown,
you see young, very attractive women, dressed up in really
sexy clothing, walking around by themselves at 11, 12 at night.
Immersing myself in this ultra-unique contradictory culture
has been such a precious, unique and paradigm-shattering experience,
and even though I have only been here for a week now, I feel
like I have absorbed and learned so much....
It is so different from regular life in Canada that it feels
like everyday I am entering into a foreign universe, a completely
different world, but I have to say, I have never felt so alive......
Interesting and useful books about Cuba:
Related Articles:
"My
Post-Cuba Reflections: Appreciation and Balance"
"Cuba
is Calling - Why I selected Cuba as my language study destination"
Hello from Cuba (1) -
First Impressions"
"Hello from Cuba (2) - Rain
in Vinales"
"Hello from Cuba (3) - Hiking
Vinales and Exploring Nature"
"Hello from Cuba (4) - Bureaucracy
Galore - The University of Havana"
"Hello from Cuba (5) - Another
Mind-Twisting Experience"
"Hello from Cuba (6) - The
Student Experience and Political Insights"
"Hello from Cuba (7) - Fun
and Recreation"
"Hello from Cuba (8) - Bicycle
Rides, Camellos and Cannon Shots"
"Hello from Cuba (9) - Havana
Neighbourhoods"
"Hello from Cuba (10) - A
Country Excursion"
"Hello from Cuba (11) - Inside
a Cuban Home"
"Hello from Cuba (12) - Contrasts
and Contradictions"
"Hello from Cuba (13) - Exploring
Downtown Havana"
"Hello from Cuba (14) - Field
Trips and Interviews"
"Hello from Cuba (15) - Getting
ready to say 'Goodbye, Havana'..."
"Hello from Cuba (16) - The
final day"