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1 <!doctype html> 2 <html lang="en"> 3 <head> 4 <meta charset="utf-8"> 5 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> 6 <title>La Habana, Cuba - Chris Bracken</title> 7 <link href="/css/site.css" rel="stylesheet"> 8 <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/favicon/apple-touch-icon.png"> 9 <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/favicon/favicon-32x32.png"> 10 <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="/favicon/favicon-16x16.png"> 11 <link rel="manifest" href="/favicon/site.webmanifest"> 12 <link rel="mask-icon" href="/favicon/safari-pinned-tab.svg" color="#140f42"> 13 <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon/favicon.ico"> 14 <meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#603cba"> 15 <meta name="msapplication-config" content="/favicon/browserconfig.xml"> 16 <meta name="theme-color" content="#ffffff"> 17 </head> 18 <body> 19 <header id="header"> 20 <div class="site-title"> 21 <h1><a href="/">Chris Bracken</a></h1> 22 </div> 23 24 <nav class="site-navbar"> 25 <ul id="menu" class="menu"> 26 <li class="menu-item"><a class="menu-item-a" href="/">Home</a></li> 27 <li class="menu-item"><a class="menu-item-a" href="/about/">About</a></li> 28 <li class="menu-item"><a class="menu-item-a" href="/code/">Code</a></li> 29 <li class="menu-item"><a class="menu-item-a" rel="me"href="https://bsd.network/@cbracken">Fediverse</a></li> 30 </ul> 31 </nav> 32 </header> 33 <main id="main"> 34 <article> 35 <h2 class="post-title"><a href="https://chris.bracken.jp/2002/03/la-habana/">La Habana, Cuba</a></h2> 36 19 March 2002 37 <p>Havana is a city of contradictions. It’s simultaneously one of the most 38 beautiful and most run down cities in the world. It’s hard to imagine how 39 things could be any worse, or any better given the Cuba’s political past and 40 present.</p> 41 <figure><img src="/post/2002-03-19-old-havana-street.jpg" 42 alt="Run-down street in Old Havana"> 43 </figure> 44 45 <p>Havana, along with the rest of Cuba, is the way it is almost purely because of 46 politics—some of the most complex politics on the planet. If you like history 47 or politics, Cuba is for you. Cuba’s troubled history begins long before the 48 Cuban Missile Crisis, or even before the Revolution of 1959. Ever since 49 Christopher Columbus set foot on the Isle of Cuba on October 29th, 1492, one 50 nation or another has been fighting over the country. For over half a 51 millennium now, politics have affected almost every aspect of life in Cuba. 52 It’s amazing that despite all this, Cuban culture is felt worldwide through its 53 music, dance, and artistry.</p> 54 <h3 id="fast-facts">Fast Facts</h3> 55 <p>Before we get started, here are a few quick facts to clear up a few common 56 misconceptions about Cuba:</p> 57 <ul> 58 <li>The US embargo was put in place on October 19th, 1960, two years before the 59 Cuban Missile Crisis. It was the result of the US Eisenhower Administration’s 60 plan to overthrow Castro. This was the result of Cuba nationalizing a lot of 61 property sold to the US by Cuba’s former dictator, Fulgencio Batista. In 62 1963, after the end of the Missile Crisis, the Kennedy Administration imposed 63 a travel ban on US citizens, preventing them from visiting Cuba. Here’s an 64 <a href="http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/funfacts/embargo.htm">Economic Embargo Timeline</a>, if you’re interested.</li> 65 <li>In 1959, a group of Cuban revolutionaries, including Fidel Castro and Che 66 Guevara, led a popular uprising to overthrow Fulgencio Batista, the 67 totalitarian dictator who led Cuba from 1934 to 1959. Under Batista, more 68 than a third of the land in Cuba was sold off to US interests. In several 69 cases, teachers who worked to alphabetize rural villages were tortured and 70 killed by Batista’s private police force, for fear that a literate population 71 of farmers would be more likely to favour local land ownership, and oppose 72 the dictator. Cuba is now a communist country, and Castro is the elected head 73 of state. Elections are supervised by international monitors. They work very 74 differently from other western electoral systems, however, since there is 75 only one party. Like Canadians, Cubans elect local representatives, who 76 select a party leader. In practise, Castro has been re-elected President by 77 party officials in every election since the Revolution. Here’s some more 78 information on <a href="http://dodgson.ucsd.edu/las/cuba/1990-2001.htm">elections in Cuba</a>.</li> 79 <li>Today, Cuba’s population is highly educated. The current literacy rate is 80 approximately 97%—the same as Canada’s. Before the revolution, the overall 81 literacy rate was 23.6%. Castro’s guerrilla manifesto of 1957 included an 82 immediate literacy and education campaign, with the slogan ‘Revolution and 83 Education are the same thing.’</li> 84 <li>It’s illegal to form a party other than the Communist Party, and people live 85 under fairly strict supervision by the government compared to most western 86 nations. The movement of Cubans is restricted by the government. The 87 Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs maintains a <a href="https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/cuba">fact page</a> 88 on Cuba, as does <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/cu.html">the CIA</a> in the United States.</li> 89 <li>Cuba’s media is not entirely restricted, and Cubans can tune in to Miami and 90 Mexican radio stations. The national newspaper, Granma is published by the 91 Communist Party and is <a href="http://www.granma.cu/">available online</a> in several languages.</li> 92 </ul> 93 <p>I was going to include a quick whirlwind tour of the history of Cuba here. I 94 started on it, but by the time I got to the late 19th century it was already 95 ten paragraphs long. Instead, if you want an excellent point-form history, have 96 a look at <a href="http://www.historyofcuba.com/">A History of Cuba</a>. If you want something more in 97 depth, specifically focusing on US-Cuban relations, the multi-volume set <em>A 98 History of Cuba and its relations with The United States</em> by Philip S. Foner is 99 excellent.</p> 100 <figure><img src="/post/2002-03-19-old-havana-door.jpg" 101 alt="Crumbling doorway in Old Havana"> 102 </figure> 103 104 <h3 id="arrival-in-havana">Arrival in Havana</h3> 105 <p>The flight to Cuba was probably the craziest flights I’ve ever experienced. We 106 boarded the ancient, Soviet-built Cubana Yak-42 jet in Cancún and took our 107 seats. The first thing we noticed as we sat down was that the safety 108 instruction cards were printed in Russian. The second, and more alarming thing 109 we noticed was that smoke was slowly filling the cabin. The flight attendants 110 assured people that it was just steam, and that it was totally normal. By the 111 time we landed in Cuba, The cabin was filled chest high and we couldn’t see our 112 knees anymore. We got off the plane as quickly as possible, were packed into a 113 rickety old East-German bus and carted off to immigration. Once in Havana, we 114 checked into Hotel Flamingo where we stayed for our first two days while we 115 explored Havana. Across the street were a bunch of featureless, utilitarian, 116 crumbling apartment buildings, which are apparently identical to the ones that 117 were built across the Communist Block countries during the Soviet era. You’re 118 surrounded on all sides by relics of the Soviet era: East German and Polish 119 buses, Russian radios and record players, and tons of North Korean equipment. 120 It’s fascinating to see a country that exists almost entirely apart from the 121 US. When it comes to the States, it’s as though time stopped in 1959. The only 122 Chevys and Buicks to be seen are 1950s models. All new cars are Ladas, Yugos, 123 Polski Fiats, or Chinese and North Korean imports. Supposedly push-by shootings 124 from Ladas aren’t as big a problem here as they are in Russia.</p> 125 <p>Old Havana La Habana Vieja is something amazing to see. Walking down the 126 streets of Old Havana, you’re surrounded by some of the most incredible 127 architecture you’ve ever witnessed. What’s even more incredible is that it’s 128 crumbling all around you. Ornate gargoyles and balconies have decayed and 129 collapsed with age; the paint is peeling, and everything is covered in a thick 130 layer of dirt and grime. Broken windows are everywhere, and yet people continue 131 to live in these buildings that elsewhere in the world would have long since 132 been condemned.</p> 133 <p>Another thing not to be missed in Havana is sitting in the park in front of the 134 Museo de la Revolución and eating freshly roasted peanuts out of a rolled up 135 newspaper. For one peso, you can buy salted peanuts from street vendors, rolled 136 up in an old copy of a page from <em>Granma</em>, and sit back and watch kids play 137 baseball in the street.</p> 138 <p>Baseball is everywhere in Cuba. You can’t turn around without seeing a game 139 going on. Baseball equipment, on the other hand, is hard to come by. This 140 doesn’t stop anyone from playing the game, however. A rock wrapped in rubber 141 bands makes a pretty decent baseball, and we saw a lot of kids who could hit 142 some amazing runs with a broom handle baseball bat. If you visit Cuba, 143 something that’ll make any kid’s day is a baseball. Pencils and pens make nice 144 gifts too.</p> 145 <figure><img src="/post/2002-03-19-vintage-american-cars.jpg" 146 alt="Vintage American cars"> 147 </figure> 148 149 <h3 id="dollars-and-pesos">Dollars and Pesos</h3> 150 <p>There are two things that everyone who visits Cuba should do. The first is to 151 experience live Cuban music, which you can read about in the Trinidad section. 152 The second is to convert some dollars to Cuban Pesos. Cuba has three official 153 currencies: Cuban Pesos, US Dollars, and Cuban Convertible Pesos. The Cuban 154 Convertible Peso was introduced to reduce the dependency on actual US dollars, 155 but are worth exactly one dollar in Cuba, and exactly zero dollars off the 156 island. Cuban Pesos are a soft currency, and as such, have no practical value 157 as an exchangeable currency; however, exchanges do happen at wildly fluctuating 158 rates. We got 26 pesos to the dollar. Cuba has two economies that don’t 159 overlap even remotely. Hard-currency stores charge US prices in US dollars and 160 sell high-end items. Bottled water is about $1.00 a bottle, soap is $0.50 a 161 bar, and meat and cheese are similar in price to what they would be in Canada 162 or the US. However, Cubans are paid in pesos at a rate of about 200-400 pesos a 163 month — about 8 to 16 dollars. That makes a bottle of water worth somewhere 164 around 10% of your monthly paycheque. Try the math with your paycheque. Soft 165 currency shops sell local goods, such as fruit and vegetables, for pesos.</p> 166 <p>The reason you should convert some money is that finding a place to spend your 167 newly acquired pesos will force you to discover a whole part of Cuba you might 168 otherwise never have seen. Cubans buy things in soft currency at markets or 169 shops that sell in pesos. The items you can buy for pesos are universally 170 locally produced items such as locally farmed foods, small pizzas baked on the 171 street in oil drums converted to wood ovens, and some ice cream. A pizza, which 172 is basically a piece of bread with a little tomato sauce, some oil, and bit of 173 salt on it, sells for 3 pesos, which is about 12 cents US. The reason it’s so 174 cheap is that peso goods are subsidised by the work you do for the state. Basic 175 food staples such as beans and rice are part of your government supplied 176 rations, and can be obtained with your ration card at certain shops. When you 177 can find it, food sold on the street is usually in pesos. Food in paladares¹, 178 hotels, and touristy places is almost universally in dollars.</p> 179 <figure><img src="/post/2002-03-19-camelo.jpg" 180 alt="Camelo bus"> 181 </figure> 182 183 <h3 id="the-rich-and-the-poor">The Rich and the Poor</h3> 184 <p>The one thing that struck us immediately was the uniformity of income in Cuba. 185 In México, there are two extremes: the extremely rich and the extremely poor. 186 The middle class is tiny compared to Canada, where the middle class is the 187 norm. In Cuba, almost everyone lives in something that is not exactly poverty, 188 but at the same time they have basically no buying power. They have what the 189 government gives them, and little else. The income difference between a street 190 sweeper and a specialist doctor is about $7 a month vs. $15 a month. No matter 191 how you cut it, the $8 difference doesn’t buy much. It’s hard to get imported 192 goods no matter what, and what you can get is often on the black market. 193 Although under communism employment is universal and housing is provided by the 194 state, there are still people who turn to begging because it can be far more 195 lucrative than work in a factory for $8 a month. As a result of the incredibly 196 tiny incomes in Cuba, jineteros² have become more numerous, and will follow you 197 wherever you go, trying to drag you to a restaurant or shop where you’ll spend 198 your money. A lot of people on the street beg for soap or toothpaste when the 199 police aren’t watching. One man told us he’d do anything, even get down on his 200 knees and beg if it would make a difference.</p> 201 <p>Given all this, was the trip to Cuba worth it? Without a doubt. We met some 202 absolutely wonderful people, and learned a ton about Cuban history and 203 politics. The government isn’t the oppressive dictatorship many people would 204 like to believe, and it’s certainly an improvement over Batista’s brutal 205 dictatorship; however, things could certainly be a lot better than they are, 206 and Castro isn’t exactly known for his spectacular record on civil liberties. 207 The Cubans we met were friendly and welcoming, not to mention incredibly good 208 dancers. When we ran into difficulty getting cash out of our Mexican bank 209 accounts due to the embargo, one family we stayed with offered to reduce our 210 room rate, and give us a cheap ride to the airport so we didn’t have to pay the 211 taxi fare. Falling asleep to live Cuban music every night was worth the trip 212 alone.</p> 213 <h3 id="glossary">Glossary</h3> 214 <ol> 215 <li><em>Paladar:</em> a small independent restaurant. One of the allowed forms of 216 capitalism in Cuba.</li> 217 <li><em>Jinetero:</em> Literally a ‘jockey.’ Jineteros will approach you and offer to 218 show you a restaurant or store. In exchange, the restaurant charges you 219 extra for your meal and the jinetero gets to keep the surcharge.</li> 220 </ol> 221 </article> 222 </main> 223 224 <footer id="footer"> 225 <div class="copyright"> 226 <span xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#"> 227 The content of this site by 228 <a rel="cc:attributionURL" href="https://chris.bracken.jp/about"><span rel="cc:attributionName">Chris Bracken</span></a> 229 is 230 <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0">CC BY 4.0</a>. 231 </span> 232 </div> 233 </footer> 234 </body> 235 </html>