Oct_2017

Our Girl in Havana
The history and culture of Cuba has always intrigued me. From the
time when it was almost a closed country to the British, the invasion
by the US in the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban missile crisis, the decline
in health of Fidel Castro, his subsequent death and the succession
of his brother, Raoul, as leader – all these names and events made
me curious and want to visit the island. This year, persuaded by
the travel agent not to leave it too long before visiting as the country
is changing, I finally went in April.
The first surprise was the journey from the airport into Havana.
Parts of Havana resembled war-torn Beirut. Some buildings had a
decidedly Soviet feel to them, yet, just a kilometre of so away, the
buildings hark back to a colonial past and are well cared for.
The next surprise was the vast number of 1950s American limos
driving around the city. Many are used as taxis, particularly for
tourists, but many are owned by locals and obviously driven with
pride and joy to impress!
Havana is a city of contrasts. There are splendid buildings, many
museums, hotel, churches and government buildings and yet, just
a short distance away, we saw an alleyway and a courtyard around
which were rooms in which 23 families were living. On every street
corner, there is music and dancing. People are happy and contented
with life. Is it to do with the sunny weather? I don’t know…life is
certainly hard for people. The average wage is the equivalent of
£120 per month. In this 21st century food is still on ration. Indeed,
we saw the blue ration books, so reminiscent of the Second World
War. We watched in a supermarket how the ice cream cabinet was
unlocked for a purchase. Just imagine that in Britain!
Having said that, the education system and healthcare is excellent
and all free to Cubans. We were fortunate to have two guides during
our stay in Havana who were prepared to answer our questions
frankly which helped us to understand how people feel today about
life. Cubans work hard to earn the tourist currency (CUCs), many
having second jobs as guides.
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