Time to reflect on my time in Cuba - my goal was to see the La Verdad Cuba - the real Cuba - I think I have - albeit as much as any tourist can - the internal workings of this the only communist state in the Western Hemisphere are a mystery even to the people who live here!!
The biggest issue for me was lack of good Spanish (OK and an inability to salsa!! ) - I can get directions (sometimes!) food and a beer but having a meaningful conversation or discussion was difficult - there are very few Cubans with good English - especially outside Habana but I was lucky to meet a few people who were willing to talk about the situation here
Cuba is truly a country of contradictions - although things are "changing" this change like everything else is carefully controlled by the Revolutionary Government - Cubans are "looked after" by the state - everyone has a place to live , free education and health care - a safe society to bring up their kids, subsidised utilities subsidised food (albeit not enough to live on )- so for a lot of Cubans life is OK - but the price is liberty and freedom - you can't speak out - you can't leave the country for travels (unless by special permission ) - you can't easy access the internet (home. connections are limited to Casas and some businesses - some telecommunications centres have terminals but its expensive for Cubans - a weeks wages for an hour)
The irony is that Castro came to power on the back of dissent and protest - the very things he now suppresses The dictator Batista (who the Revolution kicked out in 59) was very corrupt - torture and disappearances were common place - people were very poor and literacy and healthcare were at low levels - Castro implemented socialist principles which made many peoples lives better - however the after the first year or so there was a big swing to the left - driven mostly by his brother Raul and Che - and Cuba distanced itself from the US, aligned itself firmly with the Soviet Union and embraced Communism.
Since then little has really changed which makes for a fascinating place to visit - so much is good here but so much is not good To be honest it is a testament to the political skills of the Castro brothers that they have remained in power for 55 years without a hint of a political unrest - quite amazing - the Cubans really don't know if the grass would be greener with democracy - its that fear of the unknown that keeps them controlled The biggest advantage the Castro's have (even though Raul is the Commandante now they work as a team - Fidels influence is still huge) is that Cuba is an island - there are no borders to guard - migration can be tightly controlled - sure you can risk the Florida Straits but if the Cuban Coastguard don't get you the sharks probably will! With no outside influences, very few immigrants and limited internet there is an information bottleneck - Cuba has evolved in practically total isolation - and that hasn't done it any favours.
Of course Cubans find another way to spread the news - Radio Bemba! - Lip Radio - word of mouth! The States` influence is everywhere - there is one newspaper - Granma - 8 pages of Communist Party controlled "news" (Granma is the name of the boat that Fidel came back to Cuba on to start the revolution ) There is no advertising here - only revolutionary posters and quotations on walls - sometimes by Fidel - very rarely by Raul but most. commonly by Che Its not an understatement to say he is a Cuban obsession - his image pervades Cuban society - an image of how things changed 55 years ago but relevant in 2013 - maybe not - besides its well known that he and Fidel fell out - Che went off to Bolivia to fight more revolutionary battles and died there - his last words - "You can kill me if you want - I am only a man" Every few blocks there is a division of the CDR - each division has its Presidente de CDR - The CDR is the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution - grassroots of the PCC - Cuban Communist Party - The CDR keep an eye on things locally - you can't sneeze without a Comrade noting it - they ensure that the rules of the revolution are followed!
But like every communist society rules bend - corruption occurs and a black market thrives - all chasing convertible pesos - the oxygen of life for Cubanos There is not true poverty here - not like India - but people are poor - they have a house but it could fall down at any moment - they have electricity but it could go off at any time - they have food but it is rationed and of course you have to queue - "Quien es ultimo?" Who is the last? is what Cubans say when the join the cola - there is public transport but you have to wait for it - and then wait a little longer (at every intersection there are people holding out money looking for lifts) and at others there are officials in uniforms who stop the drivers and ask them to take total strangers on board if they are heading in the same direction!!
Cuba functions but only just - it adapts - streetlights are timed to come on and off every few minutes to save power - nothing is wasted here - we could learn something from that....- they must have the smallest rubbish dumps in the world - the old American cars are over 60 years old - patched up and converted to diesel - Chevvy on the outside Toyota in the inside!! People with babies wash out disposable nappies for re-use - old men wander the streets picking up cans crushing them with their feet and putting them in big sacks to sell on for a few pesos But of course some people are more equal than others - you see fancy watches - nice cars - iPhones - wallets full of convertibles - not possible on the wages of the State - the black market at work!!
But of course there are a lot of great things about Cuba - government officials excepted Cubans are friendly happy welcoming people who live life with good humour and with a smile on their faces - when things go wrong they shrug and say "Es Cuba!" - That's Cuba!! And of. course the weather is great - they are just starting their winter ( so the temperature dips down to 25C some days :-) so its sunny days cool nights and low humidity - nice! The food is OK but quite similar most places you go - the traditional food is Comida Criolla - rice beans and meat - most commonly pork - street food exists but is limited to tiny pizzas and even tinier omelettes!
We may not share the same ideology but Che and I both love golf!!
But for me the real Cuba is outside Havana - in the small towns where you can wander the hot dusty streets - doors and windows to every casa wide open - kids in the street playing baseball - men in the bars throwing back Havana Club - (every time they open a bottle a little gets poured on the floor to thank the saints of the house) people greeting each other with the typical quick single Cuban kiss on the cheek ( go for a European double kiss and you are left kissing fresh air!) and chatting animatedly in rapid fire Cuban Spanish - everything to the soundtrack of Cuban Son music - that`s La Verdad Cuba!!!
