Our Trip to Cuba

Our Trip to Cuba

Apparently 93% of people that visit Cuba and stay at the all-inclusive resorts never leave. Well, we're not in that 93%. We went every where that we could get to. I must say that the system does not want you to that and without good Spanish it is very difficult. The government does not want you to have anymore than the most superficial contact with Cubans.

No one starves in Cuba. The government provides a food ration, housing, education, and medical care, but a doctor makes about 25 dollars a month.

Oh Yeah, the economy. There are 2 types of currency in Cuba. Cuban pesos that the people are paid in from the government for the work that they do, remember there is only one employer, the government, and the convertible peso that tourists deal in. Sort of like when you go to Disneyland, you can use Disney dollars to buy stuff while you're there. The convertible Peso is not traded outside the country.

1 Convertible Peso = 24 Cuban Pesos.

1 Canadian Dollar = 0.70 Convertible Pesos.

Convertible pesos are the only currency that matters and the way Cubans get them is by contact with tourists. Our cab driver gets a salary of 10 convertible peso per month and his tips are what makes the difference between his 300 peso or more monthly earnings and his doctor friend at 25 pesos per month. The other way that Cubans get convertible pesos is to have relatives abroad (mostly Miami) who send them American dollars. The banks charge a premium to change American dollars so again the tourists are the key. Cubans who are connected with tourists can trade American dollars for Convertible Pesos without the banks premium being charged.

Without connection to convertible pesos there is no hope of getting anywhere in Cuban society. The black market is where you would get anything extra that you could afford. For us the black market is where stolen or illegal goods are sold. For them it is where they would sell a broken bike that they had bought and fixed. We call it capitalism.

This duel currency is producing a massive gap between those in the tourist trade and everyone else. I can't imagine that the system will continue. A teacher that we met made way more as a vendor in a street market. His English was good. Marjorie gave him a toothbrush which he would have a hard time getting even if he had the money.

The people are amazing. Very friendly and helpful in almost all cases. I was called a fucking asshole once, but I'm pretty used to that and sometimes it's true.

Everything works around favors and connections. The cab driver has driven for 25 years so he has been allocated a brand new Mercedes. You can bet that he owes someone for that privilege and needs to share his tips in order to continue that role. The driver who took us to the bay of pigs to snorkel stopped off in one town along the way to pick up a little old lady that he dropped off with a young boy several towns later. Maybe his mother or just and aunt. He takes his daughter along whenever he can because she's cute and draws more tips. On the way back he picks up his daughter's mother.

The guy who runs the sound booth at the show at the Tropicana club strikes up a conversation with me and sell me a DVD of the show to take home. Somehow he's managed to get a taping of the show. Maybe with the approval of the entire staff. He is the person who can contact with the tourists so he makes the sales. He probably has to share his profits with the people that know about the tape.

The border agent who let me out of the country worked with his college to be sure that none of his superiors were around and then asked me if I had a gift for him. It was completely clear to me that it was not a bride because there was nothing for him to hold over me, and if I was to make a stink of any kind his would lose his job and end up in prison. He was actually begging. I passed him a 5 peso note that he will likely share with his college who was keeping a look out.

The truth was that I was looking for any reason that I could to give people that I met something. Marjorie gave the cleaning maid tons of person care items and she handed out tons of pencils. Books are greatly valued. Magazines don't exist. Only the filtered news for the locals.