The Anachronism that is Cuba

I’ve always loved the energy of our Cuban friends. I love the fact that they can’t talk without using their hands, fall easily into laughter and will dance at the drop of a straw hat. How could they have such obvious lust for life when I’d heard their family tales of growing up, facing repression and ultimately escaping their homeland? This is part of why I felt the strong draw to see this island before it became the Miami Beach of the Caribbean.

We’ve now been twice. Our first visit was during the questionable days when flights were

unavailable directly from the US and group “People-2-People” educational experiences were

the only way to visit. We were so befuddled, mesmerized and intrigued by it that we recently returned with six friends to share this perplexing island before travel restrictions were once again tightened. I’m not sure what I can definitively say about Cuba even after several weeks on the island. I still scratch my head as I did before I first stepped foot on its soil.

As a former Spanish colony painted with French, African, American and Jamaican influences, the breadth of Cuba’s heritage is staggering. Historical heirlooms- forts, palaces, plazas and colonial towns- dominate the landscape. You can easily understand why it was the object of desire for pirates and explorers alike. The people of Cuba have kept the country’s effervescent, seductive culture alive for centuries, revering their poets, writers, musicians and dancers. Cuba remains a paradise and an anachronism in a world that has become ever-more globalized.

It’s hard to ferret out the truth as those you meet share the “party line” on the brave resistance fighters who saved them from the corrupt Battista regime. To me, the question remains which is the lesser of two evils and what lies ahead now that Raul Castro has stepped down. Guides tout the country’s medical and educational system, low crime rate and lack of drug use.  Lack of resources and even basic food items, low wages, inadequate housing, corruption and minimal opportunity for advancement paint a different picture.

The dual currency system also leaves me scratching my head. Since credit cards and ATMs

aren’t available in Cuba, visitors must come laden with cash for exchange into CUCs- Cuban Convertible Pesos. These mirror the dollar except for the 13% exchange rate levied on US dollar exchanges and only US dollar exchanges (a final little F-U from the Castros?) Locals use CUP, Cuban Pesos, so prices are posted in both currencies, although goods for locals are heavily subsidized for those lucky few who can afford them.

What lies ahead? With our mercurial leadership, we opted for trip insurance for the first time in our lives- not out of fear of storms or family illness, but out of alarm that the US may close access before our trip. Travel sanctions actually increased while we were in-country but did not affect our return. Yes, you can still visit Cuba at this time, but are restricted from financially supporting government-owned facilities and businesses.

I certainly wouldn’t want to be the owner of one of the expensive People-2-People tour licenses. I can only equate the situation to that of a NYC cabbie holding a taxi medallion, watching as Uber and a myriad of providers chip away at his profits. If Cuba continues to open up as is expected, the day may ultimately come when Americans can come and go at will, enjoying luxurious hotels and white sand beaches, outside the confines of P2P programs.  Or maybe not?