What is Cuba like?

[Einkarl]

So here in the U.S. we get a constant assult of bourgeois propaganda regarding Cuba. I always wonder how much if it is true and how much of it is just horse shit. I can't travel there because even though I can under Cuban law my government doesn't want me to visit this most oppressive of nations (ironic).

If anyone on this site has been to Cuba, tell how restrictive it actually is, and tell me how it is like there especially relative to other latin american countries.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

I've "heard" that if you come up to Canada, and travel to Cuba from here, Cuban authorities may "forget" to stamp your American passport. ;)

[Yet_Another_Boring_Marxist]

One of the nicer social democracies

[Kalinin's Facial Hair]

Some comrades of mine have been there, and said that you will not see people with expensive cars or cutting edge paraphernalia. On the other hand, you'll not see homeless and/or starving people.

They did compliment health system and all, since they are doctors.

[brigadista]

i went there in 2009 for a month - i not an expert but ask me any questions about a month in my life in Cuba

[Einkarl]

i went there in 2009 for a month - i not an expert but ask me any questions about a month in my life in Cuba


well? how was it?

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

it's hot. The food is of variable quality; due to the climate/location, the fruit is excellent but, like many latin countries, the meat is ummm....not the best.

Cuban people are beautiful and know how to have fun. Cocktails there are a delicacy, and though I don't smoke, the cigars really are something to appreciate.

There aren't mosquitoes, but the heat attracts a load of weird and wonderful creatures, particularly little lizards.

As with any developing country, the water is un-safe and the milk un-pasteurised, so you have to be careful with stuff like ice-cream. Havana is fun and crazy, but as a gringo you're at risk of getting hustled, though the hustlers aren't violent, they just want you to buy a drink at inflated prices.

Prostitution exists, but I didn't see any homelessness or abject destitution. The roads are a joke and the cars, though beautiful on the outside, often break down.

The shops aren't plentiful, and there isn't a lot of stock to buy; I travelled the whole of Havana and could find a single UK adapter plug there.

It's a social democracy. It has welfare. It has haves and have notes. It has money. It has property. It has social problems and economic problems, but also some successes. It really is a unique country.

Regardless of peoples' morbid obsession with the politics of Cuba, it's a beautiful island, the weather is amazing and it makes for a lovely holiday. Staying with a Cuban family isn't all that cheap - i'd describe it as mid-range - but they'll take care of you and make you feel very welcome. It's good fun.

[Mass Grave Aesthetics]

One of the nicer social democracies
Not sure about this. They are one of the poorest countries who can still afford social democracy which is surely an impressive accomplicement all things considered, but I´m not sure it makes Cuba one of the nicest.

[Dave B]

I went there last year, I thought it was all right.

Very few police, hardly saw any at all.

Felt safe, relaxed and chilled out without being paranoid about being robbed staggering back to the ‘hotel’ pissed.

We travelled around as independent travellers as we always like to think of ourselves as.

They had American crap on the TV channels that you might not have expected and musically gangster rap seemed strangely popular?

You didn’t get the impression of an indigenous income disparity; ie swanky houses in the suburbs and the occasional Mercedes limousine cruising through the capital.

Like you do in even the poorest countries, in fact it I would say it was conspicuous by its absence.

There are posh hotels and bars accommodating rich tourists.

We did travel around a bit.

Everybody was nice and seemed fairly jolly, and happy to talk freely about politics.

We even met a rabid anti castro git who inadvertently did his cause a disservice by fearlessly and loudly publically ranting and raving at my pro Castro friends in a bar.

What disturbed me was the nationalism, the kids go out to school in the morning and sing their version of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ to the flag’.

They have a national monument to Castro in Havana where they have his leaky Grandma boat in a greenhouse.

I went to see it and afterwards just sat on a concrete wall surrounding it for a smoke.

The national guard who were periodically goose steeping around it like they do in these places asked me to stand up as I was disrespecting a national monument or something.

Which I did of course but I thought later if I was England I might have been inclined to tell them where to put it.

The same thing happened at the Che museum at Sante Clara, which was weird really co’s it was all about disrespect for that kind of thing.

There were loads of Canadians there, and flights into Cuba from Canada on the airport incoming flights board.

Maybe US Americans do it that way.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

the gangster rap is Reggaeton. It's very popular in latin america

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

reggaeton was apparently denounced/banned in 2011. Interesting, I was there in 2010 and though it wasn't banned there, it's obv not flavour of the month with the government. And though I saw quite a few cops around (on the playas del este, presumably making sure people don't drown trying to leave the island, and in Habana Centro), street vendors were pretty happy to openly approach me trying to sell me some reggaeton CDs.

I saw a fair few police in Habana Centro, but they seemed on very friendly terms with the locals. I also met the Mayor of Guanabo (a small town in Habana province, one of the Playas del este) and he was friendly with a dude I hung out with a bit too.

[brigadista]

well? how was it?

was v humid when i went - carry a flannel

you can get around really easily - most beautiful island and i have been to quite a few others in the carribbean- Cuba was the best - why?

people have dignity and respect their revolution - more so in the country than havana - i cannot comment on the political situation except for my own impressions

everyone i met was very angry about the embargo -

you have to speak spanish to get the best out of going there

santeria is very popular

sex tourism is on the rise - dont go to varadero

got very sick of daddy yankee - reggaeton was everywhere and commandante che guevara was a tune played for tourists

moncada barracks is a great museum now a school- going through the museum you see the horrible history of torture and terror of the batista regime only at the end to see a picture of the current students and when I was there they were rehearsing their band -nice kids- santiago de cuba was my favorite place- art is EVERYWHERE

please ask me questions if you want to know specifics from my visit in 2009 which is quite a long time ago now - i really love d cuba though and i would go back
sorry if this post is vague - what do you want to know??

[Einkarl]

From the people you talked to, how is the political climate? how freely are people able to talk? What about their elections? Media? Hows their infrastructure?

[Let's Get Free]

It's somewhere between romantic images of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro as revolutionaries toppling the Batista dictatorship and capitalism and much darker portraits of Castro as a big scary repressive despot eating babies and bathing in the blood of the innocent .

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

I actually found Fidel in particular to be revered, even when people were dissing the government in private to me. They respect him a lot for what he's done, and people are torn between understanding the nature of the embargo and its effect on the economy, but also despising much of the political/economic system there. That's what I got from most people there, poorer and richer, city and town.

[brigadista]

agree with the boss no one i talked to had a bad word to say about fidel castro -people in the countryside were more supportive of the government than in Havana where the people i talked to seemed more critical and resentful of the effects of the embargo.

It is also true that when i was there there was definitely a rich and poor gap growing and special hotels for tourists starting -

all the government posters and graffitti looked like it was really old and hadn't been renewed

however the poverty in cuba is no where near what you will see in kingston- same with the crime -felt safe in havana and everywhere else did not in kingston

cuba is a paradise in comparison to jamaica

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

yeah the safety thing was quite surprising, especially as havana, in paticular havana centro, is so run-down. And there's quite a lot of machismo - wolf-whilstling is 'normal' there -, and there are a lot of wild dogs on the streets. But you still don't feel unsafe walking around by yourself, day or night. Quite surprising.

[hashem]

Cuba was a servant of Russian social imperialism during the cold war. it has a state capitalist system which is moving slowly to neo liberalism. form of its government is monarchy; younger brother becomes a king when older brother is no longer able.

i believe if Che guevara had lived longer, he would have struggled against Castros dictatorship.