Cuba; After the Revolution

The American media tells us Cuba is a "police state" and the people are poor.  Four tourist trips for me plus watching "Cuba and the Camera Man" give a different perspective.

Few can deny that before the Revolution, American corporations and the Mafia were exploiting the people.  Many do deny that Cuba is a deserving country.  Cuba is viewed as oppressive.

"Cuba and the Cameraman" (2017) showed a variety of images spanning over 50 years covering many changes.  Jon Alpert had struck a relationship with Fidel Castro shortly after the Revolution and visited the island several times over the following decades.  He even accompanied Castro to a United Nations visit in New York City.  Anti Castro television coverage was shown to point out the opposition to his regime.

My four trips to Cuba were very enjoyable and a little educational.  As tourists inside a protected environment we saw little to criticize, but we did venture out from our Veradero resort into town and even to Havana on two of our trips.  Poverty was evident as were some historical architecture and some signs of modernization.  Old vehicles were a a bit of tourist attraction, but a necessity for those who could afford them.

We were conscious of a barter system.  One of our tour guides pointed out that the number one export was medical expertise.  At the time they were sending doctors to Venezuela in return for oil.  At the resort I remember we got some Argentinian wine as they had made some sort of cash free deal.  Tourists were critical to their economy and tipping was encouraged.  We were able to give out branded toothbrushes from my wife's boss and knitted wear from a friend.   

One of our tour guides admitted that he had hated math and opted to learn English which gave him to opportunity to work in tourism.  He had  lived in Edmonton for awhile and pointed out Cubans hated the cold.  All the tour guides seemed well informed and gave us a Fidel Castro perspective on the politics.  As tourists we were well aware that Americans were friendly to and traded with China, Saudi Arabia and even Vietnam.  

Each night at the resort was an entertainment spectacle that we looked forward to.  Occasionally they brought in outside entertainment and on one occasion brought in the national synchronized swim  team who put on a show.  Cubans have given the world a lot of entertainment and I have included a lot in my musical collection. 

Politics is always a part of a Cuban discussion.  The Cuban diaspora in Florida was decisive in elections and both Democrats and Republicans were careful not to offend.   Many had been forced out of business and scared by "socialism."  I would like to ask many of the self righteous exiles how in fact they got the good things they were forced to give up.  Despite all sorts of economic challenges Cuba was able to offer free medical care, housing for all and extend education to boost their literacy rates to the highest in the Caribbean.  Their level of wealth looks dismal compared to United States and Canada, but perhaps we should be comparing them to other Caribbean nations.

On the other hand the film does point out things that are not easy to justify.  Castro at one point gathered  prisoners and mental health patients to leave for Florida. 

On vacation we met Cubans with relatives in the U.S.A. and kept in touch with them.   We met one Cuban (from Brooklyn, New York)  while in Quebec who told us he had visited home.  He had married a Puerto Rican.

Some say Jon Alpert was naive, others biased and we can all agree limited.  Jon focused on some particular locals, three brothers in in a rural area and the some others in Havana that he repeatedly visited. They still lack many things we take for granted, but citizens were able to criticize.  Jon took his camera to a Tropicana performance which impressed my wife and I  One set of scenes was about one of the farmers he regularly had visited had had his larynx removed and we got to see a hole in his throat.  The doctor explained that had saved his life, but they could not afford a voice box.  Jon on a subsequent trip was able to bring one and have the same doctor insert it opening up communication.

For those who want to criticize Cuba they will find material.  There was a lot of poverty Jon captured with his camera.  Over the years one difference was that the same Cubans that had looked scrawny in the early years put on weight.  Private businesses were opening up.

Gabriela, a woman at work married a Cuban and brought him to Canada after about a year.  At the time had planned to bring over his daughter from a previous marriage when she turned 16.  Her husband was amazed at Canadian Tire.  He was able to find work.

My trips to Cuba were very enjoyable including lots of interesting things to see.  I didn't meet any politicians and I am sure there was a slant to what was presented.   What I remember most is the people.  They were helpful and anxious that we get the most of our vacation. Three of my trips were subjects of a blog with lots of photos and stories.  When United States under Obama was trying to open up I wrote my thoughts at the time.  If you get the chance I feel confident you would enjoy Cuba as well.

After one of my Cuban trips I was talking to a business contact in Houston and suddenly realized I might be offending him.   He was actually a Mexican citizen working in the States, but assured me that he and Mexicans loved Cuba..

from previous visits  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/04/cuban-memories.html

2012 trip:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/03/cuban-memories-2012.html

my most recent trip (2013)?  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/03/my-silver-wrist-band-visit-to-cuba.html 

an earlier blog on the political atmosphere:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/12/obama-and-cuba.html

Cuban Memories

From "The Time Pardox" a gift from my daughter Heather, an important concept was that it is better to focus on good things in your past than just on your future. I interpret that to mean good things not only make you feel good, but can motivate you to want to repeat them in your future. Most recently I visited Cuba for the second time and would like to record the good memories (maybe a few not so good).

I have not really gone on many vacations and this time I chose to visit a place I had been to a year before. Money wise and temperature wise it seemed like good value. Part of me wants to seek out new experiences and part of me wants to be assured I won't be disappointed . Sharon and I both enjoyed the hotel, Arenas Doradas despite negative comments on Trip Advisor.

There were in fact a few minor complaints, but easily resolved. We got into a routine, but wasted no time in figuring out how to reserve beach space before eating.  As usual I took two books to enjoy--one, a Jane Austen novel, Mansfield Park and the other a philosophical book, "The Best Things in Life." We ate most of our meals at the main buffet at nite and for breakfast while using a dining area close to the beach for most lunches. Most evenings we attended some entertainment, some of which were very enjoyable. Several nights we saw a group of dancers that we enjoyed. One night we saw some singers and musicians that were one of the highlights--the singers were two men and one women who all were impressively individually and even more so together. They were backed up by four or five musicians including a trumpet player.--I liked them better than other entertainment, including at the Tropicana, a CD I bought and other live entertainers. I don't even know their names.

Before going any further one feature of this vacation was very important--people. At the airport waiting for our flight we encountered two women who it turned out were going to the same resort. We talked at the airport and later in the bus and the next day when we and others met our travel consultant from WestJet and ended up decided on two excursions. Debbie and Dorothy were two friends from Mississauga who we learned later had a connections through army cadets. I'll write about the two excursions, but as time went on we both developed a stronger relationship. Our first trip we met a lot of enjoyable people, but not formed any friendships. One interesting thing Dorothy did was to approach some of the dancers in the lobby and get them to pose. Debbie and Dorothy both went swimming with the dolphins and convinced us we should have done that (maybe next trip).

At the resort some of the staff really stood out, a few from our earlier trip. I took photos of Irwin, the bartender, Maria, now managing a coffee bar (and one of the best smiles I have ever seen), Raphael, our pasta maker, and our maid, Carmen who made some interesting designs on our bed covers. They all were friendly, and went out of their way to please us. Countless others also helped. They were not just doing their job, they were making our visit more pleasant.

Our first excursion was to the town of Varadero which we neglected on first trip. We visited  a market and  a restaurant (previously owned by Al Capone) with a gangster theme. Our guide Eduardo was very amusing--one theme was that as a student he hated mathematics and took English instead.  He was critical of many things, but recommended some restaurants. He seemed knowledgeable about world events and Cuban involvement. The highlight was a golf course mansion previously owned by one of the Duponts. The view reminded us of a painting in our bedroom of a sea view. One disappointment was that through a misunderstanding we missed a shuttle bus connection for a second visit.

Our second excursion was to a trip to Havana this time including the Tropicana.

A number of thoughts. Our guide was very good pointing out all sorts of things. He was knowledgeable about Cuba's position in the world. It is easy for tourists to dismiss a lot of what the guides say as propaganda not realizing that we too are subject to propaganda. The Americans have a extremely negative view of Cuba. To me it stems from the fact that for a big part of their history Americans exploited Cuba. At the time of the Castro Revolution in 1959 many of the exploiters were defeated and left any way they could. Many of them are the ones with resentment and having developed political power (most in evidence for the 2000 American election that was a travesty). Americans treat China and Vietnam better.  Cubans have suffered from the American embargo, but have done some remarkable things. They have medical service for all and that in fact is one of their most critical exports. They have respect for education.


What they also have is a lot of poverty. Tourism is one solution. Downtown Havana amazed me on previous visit with old buildings with the majortiy being rundown and worse. Rebuilding is going on all the time and many buildings are very impressive. Our guide had warned us about people trying to get money out of us. Indeed we were assaulted a lot. Before going we had packed one suitcase at an extra cost of $20 with things to give away including toothbrush (marked with Alexisonfire) and toothpaste, pens and other odds and ends. Pretty soon a crowd would form. At one point it became offensive with young boys demanding more. Another occasion some musicians had approached Debbie and Dorothy with songs and everyone seemed to be having fun. At one point I was asked for a tip, but I only had a very small amount left and the guy said it wasn't enough. Aggressive begging is a very big turnoff. We have decided if we go back to Cuba we probably will not visit Havana.

We did enjoy many aspects. Our tour guide suggested a place he called the Dark Camera--it turned out to be Camera Obscura. They had a unique camera that showed us directly what was all around us in great detail--very impressive and only 2 pesos. We enjoyed another restaurant. Saw lots of interesting things walking around--a peacock, musical groups, souvenir shops. One interesting thing was that I had decided I wanted a T shirt for Jose Marti instead of Che Guevara, however no such thing as a Jose Marti T Shirt.  I had taken a photo of a statute and on the way out saw a book on Jose Marti I would have bought if I had had more cash.

The group was taken to a hotel a few hours in advance of the evening entertainment. Only Sharon and I and Debbie and Dorothy were from Arenas Doradas and we stuck together. There were other interesting people in our group, however I would only mention two Chinese girls both working in Edmonton. They were interesting in a few ways. One of them was scared of dogs, but made an attempt to pet a dog at one of our stops. One had a mother in China who was texting her regarding a tsunami. They were both charming and likeable.

The show at the Tropicana was very impressive. It was an outdoor facility with many stages. A lot of very capable dancers, singers and musicians kept our attention for a good two hours. A very long day.

Except for these two excursions, most of our holidays were sunning at the beach reading, drinking (lots of rum and some wine and liquers), eating and enjoying our new found friends.

Photos on this entry include dancer in the lobby, the four friends, Carmen our maid, Irwin, the bartender, Maria and Sharon a view from the Dupont mansion and Raphael our pasta maker.

Would I go back? Yes.