*Quick note to people who may have heard us talk about Cuba before – This post is a little different and we share pictures this time 🙂 *
What a contradiction Cuba is.
There is SO much good. But to fully let go and enjoy it, you have to turn a blind eye to the iron fist with which the country is led, and evidence of it is everywhere. Cuba is full of character.
We arrived by boat and prior to disembarking we were given lots of instructions about what was and was NOT allowed. That was followed by “But, it’s great, have fun!” Sounds wonderful. Right? 🙂
As tourists, we could appreciate the fact that the architecture on many of the buildings is stunning. And there are so many pretty doors/windows. Havana is alarmingly charming and whimsical. It feels more like a movie set than the actual real world. The streets are clean, there is very little crime, the people are friendly and the coffee is magnificent. The little yellow taxi’s are so cute and the plethora of 1950’s cars are super cool. There is live music on many street corners and numerous places to unwind and just chill; whether that means sipping a mojito or just people watching. It’s very laid back. And of course, if smoking cigars is your thing, there’s no better place to be. There is a vibrant art scene and artisan chocolates. The narrow cobblestone streets lined with balcony’s full of flowers make for great photos. Even the perfume shop is worth experiencing even if you don’t actually buy anything. There is also a lively night life.
BUT – All that goodness comes at a very steep price for the residents. A price that the Cubans we spoke with don’t think is worth paying. They are not free.
Every single thing they do is monitored and controlled by the government.
Food is rationed. Most modern technology is lacking. There’s limited (to zero) access to news from other countries. There’s virtually no internet and they cannot make simple decisions about their day to day lives – Including where they can travel to for vacation and even what they can grow in their own back yards. !!! Most Cubans cannot afford to enjoy their own country; the way we tourists do; even something as simple as eating out at a restaurant. Driving through Havana, the poverty is inescapable.
I’m guessing that this “ladder” wouldn’t meet safety standards in the US.
Roaming around in Havana was a treat though. We met quite a few people and struck up several conversations. We found the Cuban people to be very forthcoming and eager to both ask and answer questions.
We would encourage others to interact with willing Cubans as much as possible but don’t be fooled though, while there may not be a lot of crime, there are those who will try to bamboozle tourists out of money by offering “reduced price cigars” that are not so reduced. Make your decisions wisely and don’t be afraid to shop around.
Had to have a mojito! 
Possibly the best coffee I’ve ever had! 
Final Personal Notes
As it turns out, Cuba is not as opposed to the LGBT+ community as we had assumed. Shortly before we arrived in July 2018 same sex marriage was made legal and discrimination based on sexuality was deemed illegal. Whenever we travel, we are respectful of our hosts laws/traditions/culture. We do not go to other peoples countries trying to rock any boats or stir any pots but the guides we had were very open and made us feel very comfortable.
Deen: Cuba left me conflicted but it was absolutely worth going and I would have liked more time to explore/learn/EAT. Ultimately, I will say that I loved it there. But I do say that with a guilty pit in my stomach. Much of what I loved about it, is only possible because the people are so oppressed and I feel sad about that. Shaunie asked me while we were there if it was a place I would bring the kids to. Yes, I would. I do think if the kids were with us, we’d make more of an effort to spend time at the beach, for example, in addition to the walking tours and site seeing.
Shaunie: I’m glad we went and I’m happy for the experience, but I had a hard time putting the obvious poverty/struggles of the locals aside to fully enjoy the good parts of what Cuba had to offer. One highlight for me was introducing a group of children who were walking with their grandma to Fruit Loops cereal. It warmed my heart being able to do that. But it made me feel sad in way because things we so easily take for granted are seen as a special treat and was a whole new experience in this case. I would recommend that other people venture to the island so they too could have that experience though. I think after having some time to reflect on the experience, I can say it was a good learning curve and a reminder to not take freedom for granted as well as snacks 🙂 . At first, my reaction was to say I have no interest in going back, but I wish I could have gone to the beach and seen more of the island besides Havana – so I guess that sounds like I need to take another trip – and bring more cereal 🙂 .
If there is anything that we didn’t talk about here that you’d specifically like to know more about, please feel free to ask. We may just have the info you’re looking for 🙂
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