Welcome to Cuba

Interesting day visiting the beautiful old town of Havana, Cuba. What was once a thriving mecca of capitalism is now a struggling socialist country where the average monthly wage is $45/month, individuals were not allowed to own cell phones, computers, or cars until 2008, and although they may own property few can afford it. Banks do not offer mortgages in Cuba, and it’s difficult to save the money to buy the tiniest, most affordable $15,000 apartment, so many families combine the income of multiple generations to buy a single 2-bedroom apartment for three or more families to share. We heard stories of individuals marrying someone simply because that person has a car. Then they immediately file for divorce and ask to be awarded the car as part of the settlement!

Most of our time was spent on the bus, and little information was provided about the places we stopped, so I’m not able to share much information here. We saw beautiful buildings in Old Town, but there were no photo opportunities. We visited this cool old fort, but I don’t know it’s name or why it was important. Many of you have heard stories about the multitude of older cars found in Cuba. It’s true! I don’t think we saw a single new car. There are lots of 1940 and 1950 model vehicles, and a lot of WWII-era motorcycles with side cars that look pretty cool. ‘Course, that’s not why people own them. A lot of the cars (especially the Chevys from the 50s) look great from a distance, but up close you find that some have been painted with spray paint or paint brushes, there is a lot of rust, and few have their original engine. Most of them were built as hard tops but have been made into convertibles to attract more tourists. Many of the nicer ones operate as taxis, offering tourists a trip down memory lane as they ride around the island.