| I am sitting here at one of the most famous | | | | this individual until I finally connected |
| hotels in all of Havana, after I just | | | | with him yesterday and I rented the bike for |
| withdrew Can$250 (200 CUC, Pesos | | | | $3 a day. |
| Convertibles) from my Mastercard. No big | | | | |
| deal, you say..... Until you realize that the | | | | But of course, you absolutely cannot leave |
| average Cuban makes between US8 and US30, not | | | | the bicycle alone anywhere because it will be |
| an hour, not a day, but for a whole month! | | | | stolen and resold in a second. As a matter of |
| | | | fact, I "tipped" my hotel security guards a |
| My professor for instance told me that she | | | | few dollars to look after my rented mountain |
| makes about US$18 or so a month, so the | | | | bike particularly well, because anything of |
| amount I withdrew is more than a year´s | | | | value "disappears". |
| salary for a university professor.... I am | | | | |
| feeling really weird about this and I also | | | | Yesterday, my friend Pedro and I went to eat |
| want to get most of the cash into a safe as | | | | in a Paladar (a privately owned restaurant). |
| soon as possible. I am simply unable to walk | | | | As a gesture of appreciation for his time and |
| around with a year´s salary in my | | | | his insights I had given him a red baseball |
| pocket...They talk about the "inverted | | | | cap with "Toronto" written on it. He forgot |
| pyramid" here, where a waiter in a hotel | | | | it at the restaurant, but within a minute and |
| makes much more (due to tips from tourists) | | | | a half we became aware of it and returned to |
| than a brain surgeon in a hospital... | | | | the restaurant. The baseball cap was already |
| | | | gone, which made him very sad. He told me |
| The economic situation here definitely is the | | | | that it would be resold today for $8 (almost |
| dominating topic. Just standing in line a | | | | a monthly government salary). |
| young black man started to speak to me and | | | | |
| told me that he has a degree in physical | | | | For the most part, people here are unable to |
| education, teaches martial arts at the | | | | travel, even locally. Due to the "periodo |
| national level and inevitably the | | | | especial" since the collapse of the Soviet |
| conversation came back to the dire economic | | | | Union (and the associated financial support |
| situation: the local refrain is "Hay que | | | | for Cuba) gasoline is expensive and scarce, |
| luchar", - daily life indeed is a struggle | | | | and there is not even enough for the local |
| around here. | | | | Havana transit system. So if you want to take |
| | | | the "GuaGua" you sometimes have to wait for 2 |
| There is no toilet paper around here, so | | | | or 3 hours since there are so many people |
| having read about the shortages I brought my | | | | lining up for the local bus and there are not |
| own little Kleenex travel packs from Canada. | | | | enough buses available. |
| At the University and in the whole country | | | | |
| there is tremendous shortage of writing | | | | Having a private car or access to the |
| paper. Basic things simply dont exist, or if | | | | Internet is a luxury that only extremely few |
| they do, they cost a lot of money for locals | | | | people have access to and I have heard |
| on the black market. | | | | different stories on the street that a |
| | | | regular Cuban person actually is not allowed |
| As a result, a tourist is always pretty much | | | | to have access to Internet. As a foreigner, |
| a target. There are "jineteros" who try to | | | | it´s very difficult for me to gauge which |
| lure you to a restaurant or bed and breakfast | | | | of these stories are true, whether it is |
| (in return for a commission from the owner), | | | | truly prohibited or simply extremely |
| therer are "jineteras", local young and | | | | difficult to get. Either way, I have noticed |
| good-looking Cuban women that seek contact | | | | that people are still very careful about what |
| with tourists, some of them straight | | | | they say around here. |
| prostitutes, others just looking for the | | | | |
| occasional financial favour and entertainment | | | | On the other hand, despite all these |
| opportunity. | | | | hardships and limitations on personal |
| | | | freedom, I have noticed a really amazing |
| Many local tourist employees try to take | | | | friendliness and a great sense of humour in |
| advantage of their contacts with tourists and | | | | the people. People approach me, ask me |
| there are definite rip-offs. 2 days ago I | | | | questions, without the immediate possibility |
| went to a state-owned restaurant at the far | | | | of selling me something or expecting money |
| corner of the famous Coppelia Park. The food | | | | from me. There seems to be a natural |
| and service were horrible. I chose Arroz | | | | curiosity about foreigners around here, maybe |
| Congri ($3), a salad ($3), and a mango juice | | | | because the possibilities of travel don´t |
| ($1), totalling $7. When the bill came I saw | | | | exist. The professors at the University have |
| a total of $9.85 ($4 each for the salad and | | | | been great and truly seem to enjoy the |
| the rice and $1.85 for the juice). I made the | | | | interaction with all the international |
| waitress aware of the situation and she acted | | | | students. When you get to meet people |
| as if it had been an error and did correct | | | | one-on-one (not in a government-owned |
| the bill after all. But a less alert tourist | | | | restaurant), it is indeed a fabulous |
| would have paid 40% more than what was stated | | | | experience. |
| on the menu. | | | | |
| | | | Last night my friend and I took an extended |
| Sometimes it feels like you are a "walking | | | | walk in a park after sunset, talking, |
| wallet" and I have developed a certain | | | | discussing, comparing notes about our |
| suspicion as to to the sincerity of some of | | | | respective cultures. And it was completely |
| the approaches by the locals. On the other | | | | safe, something that you wouldn´t dare to |
| hand, I realize, that with the $10 or $20 | | | | try in a park in Toronto. Even downtown, you |
| people that people make here a month, they | | | | see young, very attractive women, dressed up |
| are unable to live for more than a couple of | | | | in really sexy clothing, walking around by |
| days, so their economic reality forces them | | | | themselves at 11, 12 at night. Immersing |
| to try to make money any which way they can. | | | | myself in this ultra-unique contradictory |
| | | | culture has been such a precious, unique and |
| Services for tourists and even locals barely | | | | paradigm-shattering experience, and even |
| exist. I have been trying to rent a bicycle | | | | though I have only been here for a week now, |
| for the last 4 days. There were 2 contact | | | | I feel like I have absorbed and learned so |
| phone numbers for bicycle rental places in my | | | | much.... |
| Lonely Planet Travel Guide. I have been | | | | |
| trying to call both numbers numerous times - | | | | It is so different from regular life in |
| no answer. A co-student of mine has been | | | | Canada that it feels like everyday I am |
| trying to link me up with the owner of his | | | | entering into a foreign universe, a |
| bed and breakfast who has a new mountain | | | | completely different world, but I have to |
| bike. For 4 days I have been trying to reach | | | | say, I have never felt so alive...... |