Just a few final thoughts on Cuba :
The transport
never failed to entertain us in one way or another, Varadero is full of tourist
targeted vehicles, this includes immaculately kept 1950’s cars were the outside
as well as the inside are beautiful and these are used as Taxi’s along with cars that
look like they are Model T Fords, they are actually some sort of replica but
still pretty. We were told by a Cuba
that some of the well maintain cars are worth $40,000-$50,000.
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| Lovely Cheryl posing by lovely car |
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| Loved seeing this pink Cadillac outside the local burger van |
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| Not quite a Model T Ford but looks fun |
The horse and carts troll up and down the main
strip, these are the pretty carts where the passengers sit on comfy seats
facing each other not the more interesting local carriages which have benches
running down the sides these are still used by the locals as taxis. In the town bicycles taxis are also widely
used by the locals, it was great to see them all waiting at the central
transport hub.
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| Cars, horse and carts and bike taxis all waiting for passengers |
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| So many horse and cars |
There are still lots of old 1950’s cars on the road but
funny that you see them with tied down boots or doors that don’t shut and if
you drive at night do not expect these to have any lights but cars are still a
rarity outside of the more touristy areas and large towns. Cubans mainly use public transport which come
in various forms and mainly people stick there thumb out and hope for a lift,
can you imagine having to do this everyday to get to and from work. The trucks and transport vehicles are used
between the larger towns and villages but there is little comfort. You also can’t imagine the fumes from the
traffic in Cuba ,
we often rode our bikes locally, you came back filthy and often with a sore
throat from inhaling the smog.
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| This is a local bus filled with locals |
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| Waiting to board the bus |
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| Another bus, we have seen these crammed full of workers in the mornings going into Varadero |
It was great to see and for us it made us appreciate what we
have at home when you have your own car to drive to work, yes you have the
massively frustrating traffic but you can get there without having to rely on
other and the public transport available is much more luxurious!
Politics – On
leaving Cuba people
constantly want to understand more about how people live in Cuba , the effect of the relationship with the US ,
how and when it will change. Many of
these points we just can’t answer but by visiting Cuba you do get a better view on
how the long term politics in the country have affected the Cuban people both
now and in the future. It is difficult
to explain how you feel about things that you see as an injustice or the
inconsistency of the every day living in Cuba , these best way is to provide
some example. You visit Varadero and
other tourist areas and the locals expect you to have you hand in your pocket
all the time, whether that is using the toilets in a local building, parking a
scooter at the side of the road where the local cars do not pay, giving you
directions if you have taken a wrong turn or generally tipping for service, and
yes many of these things you would be happy to pay for if they suddenly didn’t
look at you like a bottomless wallet or refuse when you offer them less that
they expect – 1 CUC to use the bathroom is only the equivalent to 60p UK/ 1US$
but when you know the local doctor, vet, trained professional is getting paid
15-30 CUC a month!! Why is the toilet attendant not happy with the 50 peso that
you gave her! You also know that if you
visit a bar in Varadero one day you might get charged 1CUC for a beer, the next
day it might be 1.50 CUC, yes amazingly cheap and happy to pay 1.50CUC if that
is the price but not to think you have just been ripped off, these happens
everywhere you go.
So these things do start to irritate after 2 months trying
to get to understand the locals and how they live, also the service that is
often provided in the tourist areas is nothing special but more frequently
outside of the area the locals can be amazingly helpful, generous and
welcoming.
The Americans often think that Cuba would change for the better if
the embargo was lifted and perhaps it would but things need to change so much
more, potentially the Cubans working in the tourist industry would just get
more money through tips and everyone else would still remain on the same level
of wages. It is difficult to accept that a chambermaid is the richest person in
a family when there are others who have spent years at university getting a
profession and are then too proud to do a menial job. You hear stories all the
time that make you want to know more but you would need to be in Cuba a lot
longer that 2 months to really understand how things are, how they have
progressed and what the Cubans hope to see change in the future.
Corruption, just a word of warning to any cruisers who
might visit Cuba, yes there is still corruption and people may want you to give
them something from your boat or cash but this did not happen at Marina Darsena
and the staff her made you feel safe and secure in the marina environment.
Ismelli (might have spent that wrong) the manager of the
marina is a genuine and welcoming person that it was sad to say goodbye to, his
English was really good and he made life easy for us. The amount of security
they have at the marina is ridiculous with possibly 4 people working 24 hours a
day which was bit overkill BUT they were all lovely and again made you feel
very safe – it was slightly odd at night when we had a security guy sat outside
the boat all night! And to make life
even easier for cruisers in Cuba, Debbie Armstrong is a Canadian who has lived
in Marina Darsena, in Cuba for over 10 years and just makes the transition so
easy by providing you with maps, explaining the currency and generally helping
you live if Cuba, just such a generous person.
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| Ismelli and Mark, couldn't have been nicer |
We were sad to say goodbye to Cuba and yes even on the last
day when we had to have the coastguard and immigration come to the boat to
check up out and ensure we were not smuggling anyone out and were inevitable
late and held up our departures, it was still really nice that all the security
guards on the night duty came to wave us goodbye along with the coastguard and
immigration, we can never say we didn't meet so really lovely people in Cuba,
if we ever return I will make sure I make more of an effort with my Spanish –
adiós amigos.
Oh one final thought, Rum Yum J
