CUBA...!!! a weird experience...!!

Cuba was a weird experience. A country full or contradictions, where so many things are forbidden and yet the country seems beautiful.

I already knew the ugly reality that that country has ‘cause I had had the opportunity to talk to some Cubans overseas and hear stories from them, and because since the moment Chavez started to use Cuba as an example to follow I definitively sat and read as much as I could to understand Chavez’s psycho socialist-communist principles. But anyway, it is different to hear something than to experience it..

I went last year with some European friends. On our first night there, they –my friends- realised why an Italian friend back home wanted us to bring back a Cuban woman for him, the guys and girls are tall and good looking, although some are a little skinny, this is probably due to the ration tickets system still in place and the very very very low salary they are on.

We were shocked to find out that tourists are treated differently, the country relies on tourism as a major income and yet forbid us to talk with Cubains, that is except for those who have a job related to tourism. Internet access is illegal so there are very few cyber cafes and they cost way too much; phone calls abroad cost 8€/min so contact with the outside world is nearly impossible. Contacting my brother while I was there for his birthday was an expensive challenge!.. Everything is controlled by the state and the huge amount of propaganda all over the country makes it difficult for them to see how "unfree" they are. Most of the people we talked to told us they had a socialist system and not a communist one and that they were very free. However they are not allowed to sell or buy a house so are stuck in the same town for their entire life and have such a small salary (on average 15€ per month) that they are unable to travel outside of the country. The people were nice but seemed to lie a lot or at least tell stories, maybe to make their life sound more interesting. I know what is like anyway, it is easier to see the problems from an outside point of view, but when you are there in the middle of the struggle it is easy to become blind and pretend that nothing is going on, it is something that people tend to do unconsciously.

Cuba was an expensive country to visit as life for tourists costs the same as in Europe, but worthwhile as a mind opening experience.