| Yesterday morning I had arranged to meet one of | | | | mesa" - under the table. This is one of the things in |
| the women from the from the university, a very nice | | | | Cuba, many things are forbidden, but there is usually |
| lady in her late 50s, who agreed to show me around | | | | a way of working around it. |
| the Vedado area and take me through some local | | | | I was also taken to a special market hall where locals |
| markets. | | | | buy food at certain allocated times on their ration |
| Vedado is a beautiful residential neighbourhood with | | | | card. Food is still scarce in Cuba and every person |
| many mansions and villas dating back maybe 80 to | | | | receives a "libreta"which allocates a certain quota of |
| 100 years or so. Before the revolution it was the | | | | basic foods such as butter, eggs, cooking oil, flower |
| neighbourhood where all the doctors, lawyers and | | | | etc at very low prices. I was told that the monthly |
| business people lived, most of whom emigrated | | | | ration is 8 eggs per person and that if you want an |
| around the time of the Revolution. (Business people | | | | extra carton of 30 eggs, they cost about $2 (CUC) |
| and professionals were expropriated as part of the | | | | (about Can$2.50), which is equivalent to about 1/10 |
| Communist reorganization after the Revolution, as a | | | | of a person's monthly salary. No wonder everybody |
| result hundreds of thousands emigrated to the US, | | | | tries to set up a little side business to obtain extra |
| where there are substantial counter-revolutionary and | | | | money, since survival in itself takes a lot of energy. |
| Anti-Castro sentiments. The emigration of thousands | | | | We also saw a local neighbourhood repair place, |
| of professionals in the early 60s apparently caused a | | | | where they repair shoes with sowing machines that |
| real braindrain in the country). | | | | look like they are 100 years old. This is definitely a |
| We walked through the neighbourhood and visited | | | | society where things are reused, mended, fixed and |
| local markets where they sell fruits, vegetables and | | | | recycled time and time again, and it's actually very |
| meat. We saw local vegetables like yucca, malanga, | | | | refreshing to see a different way of living that |
| boniato as well as fruits such as frutabomba | | | | contrasts so strongly with our modern way of living |
| (papaya), pineapple, mamey, mangos and others. | | | | where we buy stuff we don't need, just to throw it |
| Most of the meat that they sell in the markets is | | | | out later. Of course, the recycling here is due to |
| pork, and there is no refrigeration at all in the | | | | necessity, but it does feel like there is a great |
| markets, although the meat is inspected by the | | | | appreciation for life here, not just consumer goods, |
| government. It is forbidden to sell beef because beef | | | | despite all the difficulties. |
| officially is only to be used for milk production. Equally | | | | This 2-hour walk was a great way of getting to |
| forbidden in local markets is seafood like lobsters | | | | know a little bit about the authentic Cuban lifestyle |
| since it is destined for big hotels and exports only, | | | | and some of the practical ways that Cubans try to |
| but we were approached by a couple of people who | | | | make do in their daily lives. |
| were selling both lobster and beef "debajo de la | | | | |