What We Know So Far . . .

Classic cars, Castro, communism, and cigars. I think most Americans still have a healthy dose of skepticism toward this island nation, which is one of the world's few remaining communist regimes. As these political caricatures in the Museo de la Revolución illustrate - our policies of embargos and sloppy diplomacy have only made it easier for those in power in Cuba to point the blame at the United States. So what is it like as an American to visit a country that has been effectively closed off to us for more than 50 years? Brace for one of my longest posts ever...

Cuba the Communist State:
While staying in Havana, one of the other guests at our casa was an economics professor from the United States who was studying the country and its struggles. Communism takes many forms and Greg and I were struggling to determine what form Cuba had adopted. The professor reminded us that throughout time Castro had made modest reforms that allowed private enterprise, only to take all the new businesses away shortly thereafter. This has led to an environment where nobody wants to take a risk. With Raúl now in power, reform is back on the table, but don't expect some fancy new department store to spring up from the smog filled streets.

Why is there a picture of a pizza here? Let's rewind to my trip to Vietnam. While things were certainly run differently over there, internet was everywhere, there was no shortage of food or beverage and long lines were not necessary to acquire these goods. Not so in Cuba. I ordered a Margherita pizza and this is what I got. Where are the tomatoes? Non existent. Elsewhere Greg was denied a chicken sandwich. On average, the sandwiches I ordered were missing about 2 ingredients. And by the way, Cuban sandwiches as we know them don't exist. The lady preparing breakfast at our Havana casa was fascinated by the professor's coconut coffee flavoring as if he had brought a bar of gold into the country.

When we were awaiting our delayed flight from Cancun to Havana, we witnessed some entrepreneurs attempting to import everything from wall fans to pipes to diapers into the country. The much needed gasoline that fuels the thirsty and aging cars is just as hard to acquire. We had to stop at three gas stations on our way out of Havana before we could top off the tank (which is in the trunk due to the original parts rusting out).

Any kind of branding or advertising is almost nonexistent. Thanks in part to the embargo, the only beverages for sale are all owned by the state. Choices just aren't there. It is far from the consumer culture that dominates the United States. That being said, homelessness is nonexistent. Everyone is doing something - albeit mundane. Dozens with machetes clear grass from the median in possibly the least efficient way. Farmers give 90% of their production to the state, though in recent years they are rewarded wages based on their output. But as you can see by this man's sweat-stained shirt, it's not exactly an easy or desirable job.

But what if the embargo gets lifted? Things probably won't change as rapidly as people think. Cuba would no doubt put up tariff protections to avoid the market being flooded. Imagine something as simple as Coca-Cola being put on the shelves as stores. Would people really choose the state's "TuKola" over a long forbidden American icon like Coke? Not a chance. But maybe if the Coke was $5 a can, they would think twice. And those old American cars driving around? If the Cuban government is smart, they won't allow wealthy foreign collectors to sweep in and wrestle them back to the states.

Cuba the Tourist Destination?
I admit that a large part of Cuba's allure was the fact that it was something unavailable to me. Our time there was limited to just two places, a short 90 mile drive apart. Or as the locals would say, "A very long and far drive!" That in itself demonstrates that Cuba has a ways to go as far as infrastructure and tourism services. One could theoretically go to Cuba, stay at a fancy hotel in Havana or a beach resort in Varadero and not have any of the issues that Greg and I experienced. But if one does their travels that way, they never really saw Cuba.

Because if you don't find yourself late, confused, at the side of the road, stranded, waiting in line, or locked in, you could just has easily vacationed in Cancun or any other caribbean destination. It takes a certain kind of tourist to see Cuba that way. Once the floodgates open, I simply don't see the average American getting excited for what will certainly be a very confusing adventure. That being said, I would have liked to visit a beach and relax. The problem was that neither transportation or money could be acquired easily. #communism

So how do Cubans feel about all this? From the interactions we had, everyone seemed legitimately happy to have us. And it didn't come off as a sort of false friendliness like it does in many other countries. People in Cuba were some of the most friendly I have ever encountered and harbored zero animosity toward Americans.

Despite internet being hard to acquire, people are finding a means to get information. Not all sites are blocked. I could easily get on facebook and major foreign news pages like the BBC. These sites were blocked in Vietnam.

It seems that a good portion of the population knows what it is missing and aspires to something more. Our guide in Viñales was quoting American TV shows, House of Cards and Breaking Bad and did an incredibly accurate impersonation of Donald Trump saying, "huuuuuuge." The information is out there if people look for it. Many don't. There is something to be said about a simple life. If you don't know what you are missing, life is easy. My landscaping job at DCA airport? One of the best jobs I've ever had. It was simple and carefree. I got to work outside and never had to worry about deadlines or big wig clients. I realized just how nice being disconnected was once I returned to the United States. A truck had attacked civilians in France, the PM of the UK had stepped down, Turkey was confronting a military uprising, and people in my own country are taking to the streets to either protest racial divisions or chase Pokémon. Maybe there is such a thing as being too connected. Can the U.S. and Cuba resolve our differences? There are many in congress who think the embargo should stand -- citing human rights violations. We don't seem to have that issue with China.

There is clearly no quarrel between the American people and the Cuban people. As our server in Viñales stated, "It's just the governments that have the issues. And they're always idiots." A change is long overdue. Love him or hate him, Obama was the first one to take the first steps toward normalization and I could not have taken this trip (at least legally) without his policies. I hope that our governments have the sense to continue working together for mutual benefit and don't go backward. I am confident that changes are coming, but you probably have to wait in line for them.