Part 26 Off to Varadero

After the Cigar factory tour, we took a taxi back to the hotel and packed up. I was sort of sad to leave the Nacional de Cuba, it's such a great place, and I do love hotels at the best of times!!


We checked out, which took all of 2 minutes, to my surprise, as I had heard nothing but horror stories about the checking out process at this hotel. So much for all the Trip Advisor advice. As a matter of fact, the reviews of this hotel on Trip Advisor weren't all that great either...sometimes I think people expect everything to be "like at home." I don't expect much when I travel, if I have a clean bed, hot water and a bathroom of my own, then everything else is gravy.


Anyhow, Cuba Time is like Tanzania Time, and for that matter, Italian Time also. In other words, be prepared for things to NOT be on time.


Our ride to Varadero was supposed to pick us up at 2:00 PM and it was much closer to 3:00 when it arrived. We hopped on, got comfortable and headed off to Part Two of our holiday.


Because Havana and Varadero are so incredibly, totally different, I'll give my review of Cuba here.


Cuba is a contradiction. For myself, growing up in a "free" country (with "free" being in quotations because nowhere is really free) I had preconceived notions as to what Communism really was.

It is Equality Among Citizens. That being said, it could be the same definition of Democracy. Neither of them, Communism OR Democracy work when in their purest form, but both have good ideas and good intentions...as well as not so good.

For example, in Cuba everyone has free schooling, and that includes University. But you might not have a way to get there...you probably won't have a car...or gas to put in it. Everyone has the same food. Citizens get a ration booklet, called a "supplies booklet" and you get all the food you need to survive...not enough to have leftovers or to waste. Our guide in Havana showed us her booklet, what you receive depends on the size of your family, gender etc. For example, children under 7, pregnant women and the elderly get a litre of milk a day.

You food is distributed at your local "bogeda", or convenience store that specializes in distribution. You always have to go to the same store, if you move, you need to apply for a new booklet.

The laws are very specific, and the penalties for misuse are severe.The Cuban government states this method of distribution serves to ensure each citizen a minimum intake of food, regardless of the person’s social and economical status. It also stresses that the booklet is not the only means of acquiring goods available to a Cuban citizen, as these and other products are freely available in the free market by themselves.

The government also says that rations are not used for political leverage, and distributes the subsidized food equally to all citizens, regardless of their political views or judicial status.

The medical care is fantastic there, and again, all free. The scientists are brilliant and are leaders in the development of drugs to help HIV/Aids as well as high cholesterol (thus the offers on the street to buy "black market" cholesterol medications) Why don;t we know this? Oh, because of the US Embargo...other countries are quite well informed.

That's also why the medical care and knowledge might be the best in Latin America, but you can't find Tylenol: the US Embargo. However, what the US often seems to not mention, is that Cuba does trade with Russia and China, as well as Spain, Germany and many other European countries.

People say that you can't have a classless society, there will always be "haves" and "have-nots", there will always be the rich and the poor, and I guess that's true, but it's not like we don't have horrendous poverty, homelessness and lack of decent schools and medical care in Canada and the US.

It's six of one and half dozen of the other.

I spoke to people who love it the way it is, and don't want to become "Americanized" and I spoke to people who would like to be able to travel more freely, and to be less "under the thumb" of the government. Some people wouldn't discuss it at all, and others just wanted to talk for hours.

I guess it's like anywhere, some folks are happy, and some are not. Myself? I found it fascinating and amazing and quite comfortable.