This week marks two years since my trip to the beautiful country of Cuba. My senior year of high school, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Cuba on an educational cultural exchange trip. I was fortunate enough to visit Cuba before the embargo had been lifted, before the cruises started, before it became a viable vacation option. I traveled the country with a small group of students and two amazing teachers. From the city of Havana to the rolling hills of Viñales Valley, we saw it all. The good, and the bad. These are my thoughts on the amazing country I left two years ago, and what is to come for its people.
Walking down the steps of the plane, we were hit with a wave of humidity. We stood looking at the one story building in front of us, we couldn't believe it was the airport. It was so much different that the complex buildings and concourses we were used to. We waited in line at customs, had our papers reviewed, and went through a security checkpoint. I was so surprised by how young everyone working in the airport was. They couldn't have been more than a few years older than I was.
I later learned that once they turn 18, cuban men are required to commit 2 years of military service. Many of these customs officials were young men and women fulfilling their duties.
Walking out of the airport, everywhere we looked there was beauty. The tall palm trees, the green grass, the vintage cars, and even the people, full of vibrance and life. One thing that I will never forget about Cuba is its people. Everyone we met was so kind and welcoming. Some even invited us into their homes, having known us only a few minutes. Our tour guide explained to us that everyone in Cuba gets so excited to meet Americans, because they want to show us how kind they are and have us bring back good word to our country. They really care about restoring relations between our nations.
Our tour guide was amazing to say the least. One of the first things he said to us was that he was going to tell us the truth about everything, because we were from America, and that is what we are used to. He even said that he could be fired for some of the things he was telling us, but he would risk it in order to give us the full picture of what its like to live in Cuba.
He told us that while Cuba brags about having no homelessness and providing food and housing to all its citizens, there is still so much poverty.
Cuba justifies their extremely low salaries with the fact that they provide rations and housing for their citizens. Our tour guide explained to us that while they are provided with food and housing, many people cannot afford other necessities.
The average monthly salary for someone like a doctor or a lawyer, who would make a lot of money in the US, is about 30 c.u.c. (convertible peso, the Cuban currency which is worth one US dollar). Our tour guide explained that if someone wanted to buy a pair of nice sneakers at the mall, with this salary, they wouldn't even be able to pay with it with a full month's pay. He also explained that the real money is in tourism. Any job where you can receive tips is more profitable than the careers most coveted in most other societies, such as doctors or lawyers.
So what will happen to the struggling lower class as the tourism industry expands and the country becomes more commercialized?
Certainly more profitable jobs will open up in the tourism industry, allowing some to escape the lower class, but with tourism will come gentrification. I fear that this will create an even more prominent rift between the upper and lower classes in Cuba.
While I do think it is an amazing country which you should visit if you get the chance, I encourage you to try to keep Cuba Cuban, if that makes sense. If you go, shop at local markets, support the national economy, not just the tourism industry. Get to know the people, enjoy the culture, really immerse yourself.
Those are just a few thoughts on the country I grew to love in 8 days. I hope I could shed some insight into what it's really like to live in Cuba, and why the tourism industry may be harmful to the culture in the long run.
