Every time I travel to a new place, I learn something new about this crazy world we inhabit. For the past two weeks, I’ve been struggling with what I feel and want to say about Cuba. I am no authority on the complicated political and humanitarian situation, so I’ve decided that the best tact is to just share what I observed and heard during my visit, and let you draw your own conclusions.
My first contact with Cuba was when I was 10 years old and my father was on a flight that was hijacked to Cuba. From what I can recall, he was treated very well, fed, and shown books about Cuba for purchase while being held for a number of hours before boarding another plane and flying back to Miami. Later, in school, I learned a bit about the Cuban revolution and the Cuban missile crisis, and both of my sisters traveled to Cuba, peaking my interest in visiting the island.
Over the years, I have also noted the amazing wealth of creativity and ingenuity Cuba has shared with the world. As a former ballet dancer, I watched as Alicia Alonso built the Cuban National Ballet into a world class institution and trained dancers who have carried excellence all over the world. Salsa, Mambo, and Cha Cha Cha are all Cuban dance forms. Cuba has a rich tradition with all types of music – popular dance music of course, but also Classical, Opera, and Jazz. In addition, the visual arts and architecture are embraced and encouraged throughout Cuba, producing many fine artists whose work can be seen around the globe. Cubans’ ingenuity has enabled them to keep the famous American classic cars running for more than 60 years without American parts or supplies, and Cuban scientists quickly created multiple effective covid vaccines, despite shortages of medical supplies. And of course, everyone knows that Cuba produces the world’s best cigars and some excellent coffee. Given all this, I was very curious to see first-hand what makes Cuba so special.
Fifty-four years after my first contact with Cuba, I finally had the opportunity to visit. I was not prepared for the emotional toll Cuba would have on me personally. I felt very drawn to the Cuban people I met – their warmth, openness, kindness, and joy. I also felt their pain, deprivation, and frustration. It was palpable. I am still wrestling with what I feel about what I saw and learned, so I am going to share some of my observations with you.
Geologically, the island is gorgeous - the beaches, the mountains, the arable land – all breathtaking and photogenic. In recent years, tourism has surpassed sugar production as the mainstay of the Cuban economy. But there are two distinct tourism tracks – the government-owned or licensed resorts and hotels that are frequented by tourists from anywhere but the United States, and the private hospitality sector, which is what I was allowed to experience as a US citizen.
Since vacationing in Cuba for tourism is illegal for US citizens under the US embargo, my visit was classified as “Support for the Cuban People.” I stayed at privately owned casas (bed and breakfasts), ate at privately owned restaurants, visited cultural sites, artist colonies and workshops, and organic coffee and tobacco farms. I even had a salsa dance lesson. And all of my expenditures went into the pockets of the Cuban people, not the government.
Most of the Cubans I met were working in private hospitality – tour guides, casa owners, restaurant owners or workers, in addition to farmers and artists, etc. Perhaps because many of these people were involved in capitalistic pursuits, they did not express much commitment to the current government. They had a much higher income level than doctors, university professors, and other professionals, who work solely for the Cuban government and earn the standard salary of approximately $50 per month. It seems that a successful casa owner can net as much as $300 per month. Our Cuban tour leader repeatedly told us he earned very good money in his job, much better than the $40 per month salary he received as a university professor. Educated Cubans sell souvenirs in the town square rather than work a lower paying government job. Yet still, even those with higher incomes have to wait in line (or multiple lines) for their monthly meager food rations and have difficulty accessing gasoline for their vehicles and supplies for their businesses. They also need to contend with frequent rolling blackouts.
The Cuban people I spoke with believed that the revolution of 1959 was necessary and that Fulgencio Batista needed to be removed from power. They idolized Ernesto “Ché” Guevara and Fidel Castro as larger than life heroes who changed their country for the better, providing free health care and education for all and righting many of the wrongs previously visited on their ancestors. But they also complained that today, the Cuban government is corrupt, using government funds to build more tourist hotels, which in turn enrich the government, rather than taking care of the Cuban people’s basic needs. Independent farmers complained (jokingly) about being forced to sell 90% of their crops at a very low price to the government. They did not believe that the current government was serving them well or had their best interests at heart, and they felt free to speak about their frustrations.
There was resentment about the lack of governmental transparency and accessibility. And there was also a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness - a belief that nothing they could do would change the status quo, and that if they attempted to enact change, there would be personal retaliation.
The Cuban people I met blamed the US embargo, at least in part, for the shortages of food, medicine, and other goods. They believed that life would be easier for them if the 60-plus-year embargo was lifted or loosened. And yet, they did not blame Americans. Instead, they welcomed us warmly and strove to show us all that is good and beautiful about Cuba and the Cuban people, ostensibly so that we would share that with our fellow Americans, who would then travel to Cuba and spend money supporting the Cuban people.
As I said, I am no expert on Cuba, having visited for only 10 days, but I came away with a conviction that the US embargo is not accomplishing anything other than hurting the people of Cuba. It is time to lift or loosen the embargo and normalize relations between the US and Cuba, in the hopes that it will help the people in some small way to have an easier life. In addition, I encourage Americans to go see this beautiful country for themselves.
I captured loads of photos while traveling and will upload them to my website soon, creating a new Gallery for Cuba. If you have any questions about Cuba or how I traveled there, please feel free to reach out to me.
I welcome any discussion and differences of opinion.
More photos are available in the Cuba Gallery on my website.
Hi, Katie, it’s so wonderful to share with us, the country the people and culture… and the gorgeous pictures … Thank You!
Thank you for your snapshot of Cuba Katie. As usual your vibrant photos brought it to life for me
This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing your experience.
You captured so much of what I remember of Cuba, Katie. Makes me really want to go back! And I know that you wrestled valiantly with how to understand, or maybe--to hold, the economic and civil challenges that Cubans face today. I agree with you that the embargo serves only to hurt the people who live there (and for whom emigration is very complicated), and it has done so for far too long.
Katie, your photos are continuously stunning and it is so cool to read about your connection with Cuba. I have visited there, easy peasy for Canadians. But you really must get over to Portugal someday - I now know all the tricks or visiting Sintra cheaply! 😀