| Etecsa Telecommunications Building, Downtown | | | | the backrest or both. And these benches are located |
| Havana, Thursday, April 13, 2005, 3:32 pm I really | | | | right outside Cuba´s most famous building! |
| gotta hurry, I only have about 28 minutes left on my | | | | Today I received the explanation that quality wood is |
| Internet card so I am going to try to be brief here. | | | | extremely difficult to get and that people simply help |
| The last few days have been extremely interesting. I | | | | themselves..... The number and types of private |
| am not a political expert, but in a city like Havana you | | | | entrepreneurial schemes is too large to mention. Only |
| can´t help but be confronted with politics. | | | | a few are legal, for example the paladares (private |
| Everywhere you see billboards with political slogans, | | | | restaurants in private homes), the casas particulares |
| monuments of heroes that were significant in | | | | (bed and breakfasts) as well as various types of |
| Cuba´s history, pictures of Che Guevara and | | | | private taxis. But apart from this small number of |
| Fidel Castro, and the Cuban Revolution as well as the | | | | officially permitted private enterprises, virtually |
| present economic circumstances are omnipresent | | | | everybody in this country has turned into an |
| topics of conversation. I have read a lot about Cuba | | | | entrepreneur. Any person that owns a car, and car |
| and tried to talk to as many people as possible and | | | | ownership is extremely restricted here, uses it to |
| there are a few things that have crystallized in my | | | | give a lift to people, picks up passengers at a street |
| mind as general impressions of Cuba. Once again, | | | | corner and drops them off 20 minutes later in return |
| these are my personal impressions and they are | | | | for 10 Pesos, all money made under the table. All |
| definitely not based on scientific fact, but | | | | these things are strangely ironic to me, since Cuba |
| nevertheless I will share them with you. Cubans are a | | | | officially is a Communist country, where private |
| fiercely proud and independent people and more than | | | | property and private enterprise is all but forbidden, |
| anything they insist on preserving their national | | | | but in order to survive the entire population has |
| independence and sovereignty. At various times | | | | turned into an army of entrepreneurs. On the other |
| throughout history Cuba was dominated by the | | | | hand, Cuba has achieved tremendous |
| Spanish, the English or the Americans and since the | | | | accomplishments, for a small, third-world Carribean |
| Cuban Revolution in 1959 Cubans have had | | | | country. Close to 100% of Cuba´s population is |
| self-determination for the first time in history. | | | | literate, public education is available to everybody. |
| Obviously, Cubans avowed political enemy is the US | | | | Black people and women in particular have benefited |
| goverment, but I have heard numerous people say | | | | from the effects of the revoluation. The health care |
| that they have nothing against the American people, | | | | and education system are among the most |
| their issues are with the US government, and in | | | | developed systems in the 3rd world, and Cuba´s |
| particular the embargo and the travel restrictions for | | | | life expectancy and infant mortality rates are among |
| Cubans living in the US. Apparently, relatives of Cuban | | | | the best of the world. In addition, post-revolutionary |
| families are now only allowed to travel to Cuba once | | | | Cuba has also dedicated itself to promoting sport and |
| every 3 years, so the policites were tightened | | | | athelticism and today Cuba excels in many different |
| significantly by the US government in recent times. | | | | sports (track and field, baseball, basketball, volleyball, |
| The results of the embargo and the economic | | | | fencing and others) on an international level. So all in |
| shortages are visible everywhere, buildings are | | | | all, the Cuban Revolution has had some astoundingly |
| crumbling, there is not enough construction material, | | | | positive effects on the country, despite all the |
| hospitals are lacking in equipment, and personal | | | | hardships that people still experience. However, it |
| income is extremely low (eg. between $ 8 and $20 a | | | | seems that there is a little bit of optimism in the air, |
| month...). As a result, everybody is forced to open a | | | | since Cuba signed trade agreements with Venezuela, |
| little side business. During the last few days I have | | | | various other Latin American countries and China. And |
| heard that it is extremely common in Cuba to steal | | | | of course great hope is placed in Cuba´s tourism |
| resources from the State since all economic activity | | | | industry. However, on the other hand, you have to |
| including retail is nationalized. People steal cosmetics, | | | | keep in mind that Cuba is still a dictatorship, a |
| hygience products, cement, wood, computers, cigars, | | | | totalitarian regime and human rights and personal |
| everything that is not absolutely nailed down. Then | | | | freedoms are restricted here. There is a palpable |
| they sell the products privately under the table. It is | | | | paranoia here among people in that they are afraid of |
| strangely ironic that in a Communist country, | | | | publicly criticizing the regime. And organizations like |
| everybody has turned into an entrepreneur... The | | | | the CDR, the Comite de la Defensa de la Revolution, |
| phrase that I have heard is ¨hay que | | | | often act as watchdogs and informers on the people. |
| inventar¨, you have to invent things - be | | | | Travel is extremely restricted, or impossible, and |
| creative in order to survive. This mentality manifests | | | | there are no official methods of criticizing the |
| itself in some very obvious ways: yesterday Pedro | | | | government. This short little bit of time has been |
| and I tried to get into the Partagas Tobacco Factory | | | | great in giving me an insight into Cuban culture, |
| since I wanted to go on a tour. The security guard | | | | politics and economics, and my classes at the |
| told us that an employee had died and that therefore | | | | university are great since my colleagues also add to a |
| the factory was closed. Then, under his breath, he | | | | very interesting discussion. We discuss and compare |
| asked us if we wanted to buy a box of cigars. How | | | | the Scandinavian, Cuban and Canadian health |
| amazing: the security guard protecting the tobacco | | | | systems, political systems, mass media and economic |
| factory is selling (stolen) cigars on the black market. | | | | policies and all this has truly been an eye-opening |
| Also, just outside the Capitol building, Havana´s | | | | experience. This entire article including photos is |
| most astounding and most well-known architectural | | | | located at |
| jewel, there is a beautiful park with tropical flowers, | | | | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web portal for |
| shadowy trees and benches. And almost all the | | | | unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. |
| benches are missing their wooden slats, on the seat, | | | | Check out our brand new FREE ebooks about travel. |