Cuba, a country of vintage cars that still run. Next to that, the modest life of Cubans, who try to take from tourists by the handful. Photos of Cuban cars are waiting for you, plus a few facts about how Cubans live.
Cars in Havana
The story of these cars is tied closely to politics. It started in 1959, when Fidel Castro took power in Cuba and began nationalizing the country. He cut ties with the USA, and cooperation with the USSR followed.
In 1962 came the Cuban missile crisis. The USSR placed medium range ballistic missiles on Cuba, within reach of US territory. During the crisis Cuba was cut off from the world. An embargo went in, blocking companies from trading with Cuba.
Cuba had no access to new American cars. The cars already on the island had to be looked after much better. Mostly American classics from the 1940s and 50s.
Cuban cars are heavily modified. Over the years people simply drove them. They repaired them as they went, so the cars would keep running at any cost. With no original spare parts, they are not worth much to collectors. But does that matter?
For me the point is that these cars are on the road. They are part of the culture here. They look good against the old buildings, and they are an attraction on their own. That is a different thing from looking at a collector’s car which has barely ever been driven.
The cars stay in public use, mostly as ordinary taxis. We covered 200 km in one of them.
Walking the pavement along the “Malecón” in Havana is a pleasure. The frames you catch there look like film stills.
Ordinary cars pass you too, sometimes scooters, sometimes school buses that look freshly shipped in from the USA. It is a reminder that normal life goes on in Cuba.
Life in Havana
It varies. The center is packed with tourists, and the old town has its own mood. The historic buildings hide ordinary life well. Even the school sports field has a mood of its own.
In the center we went into a grocery shop for Cubans. Empty shelves, exactly like the shops in communist Poland. There is a monthly ration on food coupons: about 3.5 kilos of rice per person, a handful of sugar, some beans, a quarter liter of oil, some coffee, 5 eggs per person. Plus one bread roll a day from the state. Not much for one person, is it? Wages are very small too, around 15 to 20 dollars a month. So Cubans have to improvise and fight for every dollar. They are pushy and they like to approach you, they really like to approach you.
Tourists cannot help much. For them Cuba is simply expensive, and the lucky ones find the prices merely “normal”. Meat, restaurant meals, sweets, drinks and other “luxury” goods cost the same as in the USA. The state keeps the tourist currency high, while the second one, the Cubans’ currency, is absurdly cheap (1/25 CUC).
Go a little way out of the city and Cuban life looks very different. Run down houses, barely standing, sometimes closer to sheds. Children who run after you and ask for sweets. Before the trip I found opposite opinions. Somewhere I read it was worth bringing sweets, pens or markers, and elsewhere that things were not that bad any more. I regret taking nothing, because it did happen to us. We walked past the run down buildings and children ran up and asked. A sad sight.
Nothing gets thrown away in Cuba. Everything can be repaired and used again. New things cost a lot, so people repair instead. The cars are the best example.
I think people in Cuba are missing one thing. Freedom. The system here covers survival, but it does not give the freedom to live. Your basic needs are met, and the rest? Sort it out yourself.
My view is a tourist’s view. Someone who visited for a week. That is not much. For anyone who wants to know more, I recommend a very good article on the “Hola Cuba” blog: „Jak wygląda prawdziwe życie na Kubie.”
Summary
Can consumerism even be introduced in this country as things stand? Cuba is a magnet, it pulls tourists in perfectly. The state earns huge money on that. Absurdly, the history and the political situation are among the reasons tourists come so willingly. People may not be happy with their standard of living, but can you say they are unhappy? That is hard to judge. Cuba is changing fast, and government decisions show it. The borders were opened to tourists from the USA not long ago, which is why our flight came from Florida.
The next part of the article:
Beaches and palm trees. Cuba holiday part 5/5
You can always go back to the earlier parts:
Exploring Trinidad. Cuba holiday part 1/5
Havana, the capital. Cuba holiday part 2/5
Casablanca, Havana. Cuba holiday part 3/5
