Cuba: taking stock of the trip, and personal reflections

I warmly recommend Cuba. This place is a singularity in the world. In organising a bloqueo (embargo) around the island, the United States surely didn't imagine the situation would end up where it is now. As we say back home, "débrouya pa péché" — making do is no sin. Cubans must know that proverb well; for several decades now they've managed to work around shortages of all kinds, the most striking example being of course the cars, the classic Americans. But they stick to essentials, so don't expect to hear a beep if you don't fasten your seatbelt — in fact there isn't one :D.

The island's food is excellent. I strongly recommend eating in people's homes: if you're lucky enough to make friends with some, or more simply if you choose to stay in casas particulares, don't hesitate to ask for breakfasts and dinners too if they offer them. You won't regret it.

Cuba's culture and history are also extremely interesting. The average standard of musicians is quite simply excellent — from the small groups playing in restaurants to the larger ones you'll find at concerts, there's a lot of training and the quality is there. Every town has its casa de la música, so dance shows or concerts are guaranteed, every night.

On Cuba's political situation, I was able to have some very interesting conversations, while taking care to follow my father's advice: "don't talk politics with people during your trip" :D. He's right to tell me that. In any case I don't like talking politics (with everyone, at least); I like talking history. History, to my mind, is a succession of things that happened in the past, and by staying on that path you can hope for a minimum of objectivity on both sides, sticking to past and present facts.
On one side, there are people who lost everything after the revolution: their homes, their money, their land.. That's a fact, and some of their descendants still live in difficulty today, which they consider an injustice.
On the other side, the revolution threw out the mafia, abolished the inequalities that existed, brought illiteracy down to near zero, and delivered a health system envied by many countries. It's public knowledge that Cuba exports huge numbers of its doctors around the world; nine hospitals are currently run entirely by Cubans in Port-au-Prince, entirely free of charge. That's remarkable.
That said, since the revolution all salaries are the same. Doctors' pay is barely above average (around forty CUC, against about thirty on average). That can encourage neither skill nor motivation at work... What's more, you'll have noticed that isn't much of a salary; it isn't enough to live on (1 CUC = €1.10), so Cubans have to improvise a great deal to make ends meet.

As I write this article, it's hard to know whether the island's relations with the United States will evolve, and if so, what those changes will bring. I'll refrain from expressing any wish either way... As a foreigner, and even in my particular situation as a backpacker, my daily budget was still 60 CUC... nearly twice a Cuban's monthly salary. Inevitably I got to enjoy a lot of things that locals can't currently dream of.
You can see positives and negatives in any change. At present you need at least 10,000 CUC to buy a car on the island — a sum that kills off any thought of buying one for the average Cuban. What happens when average salaries reach a level where it becomes conceivable? Will a city like Santiago be able to handle a doubling of its car fleet without the difficulties we know so well elsewhere: traffic, parking and pollution problems...

So one can hope that, in the changes to come, Cuba manages to open up a little more, to give its inhabitants the freedom they dream of, while knowing how to keep what makes its strength and sets it apart from the neighbouring islands: low crime, an excellent health system and education... I wouldn't be surprised if they find the secret formula for that balance. They have a talent for making do in this country...