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