The Final Word

The amazing thing about Cuba is that despite the poverty and desperation, there are no beggars in the streets. Everyone is works hard to find some way of making money, whether it's honest or not. This is all the more amazing when you consider that this is a socialist country and one would assume they've been conditioned to accept handouts from the government- or perhaps it is because they already do, and know the government has no way of providing any more?

If you do decide to come to Cuba, prepare yourself: tobacco smoke is everywhere. People smoke incessantly here, and no matter what shortages they may have, one thing they will never lack is tobacco. It's not so bad outdoors, but in air-conditioned buildings, the smoke takes over the whole room and there's no escape. It affects you- by the end of my trip, I had become so accustomed to tobacco smoke constantly wafting in front of my face that I actually found myself craving some unconsciously, days later. It's was a scary realisation. In Havana, stepping outside does not give much of a respite from pollution, because cars will pass by belching smoke at you, or the pungent smell of rot will invariably reach your nostrils.

Also: Cuba is the furthest thing from a culinary paradise. The national dish is fried pork, rice and beans, and this has stood despite the best attempts of the government to introduce a healthier diet: When they tried to sell lots of fish, for example, all that happened was that the cats got fat. You won't find fresh fruit or vegetables, and often you will order something and hear "no hoy" because there just isn't any. Also, they don't devein shrimp and prawns, which I found out the hard way. Yuck.

But the music here is fantastic, and what's more the music culture here is fantastic. You go to a disco, and instead of seeing teenagers throwing themselves about spasmodically, there are actually dancing: young children doing brilliant salsa, spinning their partners around, performng complicated maneuvers you'd think weren't possible without ending up in an emrgency room, and playing around with the beat and flirting with the rhythm. It's wonderful to behold. Trinidad, in particular, is a great place to learn and practice.

All in all, I'm going to miss Cuba. In my ten days here I've seen many things and made many friends, but there's still much I haven't seen and haven't experienced. It's been so different from anything else that I've ever experienced, and so different from anything I had ever heard about it, and I've had a fantastic time. I will return one day.

My final word on Cuba:

Cuba is a paradise on earth. Why? Because there are no Americans here!!

Posted by pj at September 11, 2004 03:25 PM