This is my first time traveling where people don’t first assume I’m American. I’ve gotten a lot of guesses that I’m Spanish (!?) or French. For the first few days that I was alone it was also hard to meet fellow travelers. Hostels, which are usually the center of backpacker life, don’t exist in Cuba so everyone is fairly scattered across the city in Casa Particulares.
Obviously, there are less disparities here than in a capitalist country. You don’t come across secluded neighborhoods with huge modern mansions or see many people begging for money on the streets. As tourism income surges, there is an “emerging middle class” from the big money foreigners bring into the country.
It also amazes me that the average life expectancy here is 78.7 years, longer than the 78.4 years I’m expected to live as an American. Cuba has universal health care and an amazing program where they offer free medical education and housing in exchange for a service commitment to an under served population. The program brings in people from as far as Africa and even the United States, all with promises to go back to their respective countries and serve their people. It’s an unbelievably progressive approach to filling the health care void in areas desperately in need of doctors.
People watching seems to be the nation’s pastime. People are always out on their balconies or standing in their doorways taking in the hubbub on the streets.
Cars are always jam-packed, a big difference from the stereotypical American driver who’s all alone in his big SUV jabbing away on his cell phone. I’ve seen eight people pile out of a five seater car – talk about a jumble of arms and legs!
There are always reminders of the large government presence in the peoples’ daily lives. My first landlord told me that the government automatically takes $18 of the room fee every time he has a guest. Every time we check into a new place we have to give our passport numbers and visas and sign a ledger. One lady told us the government comes often to check to make sure they have all of their guests registered. On a pedicab ride home one night, the police stopped my driver. Apparently, he didn’t have the correct license to drive foreigners. The guidebook says the fine that he was probably issued was around $300 – more than the average Cuban yearly salary!
It’s a lot to take in and I’m learning more and more every day.
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