You can call this a rush.
When I saw United Airlines offering its new route to Cuba for the first time, I made no hesitation and decided to go. I’m glad I did.
If you think of Cuba, you might thought of the Cuban crisis and Fidel Castro, the decay architecture and the classic old American cars. The Americans are coming, a new hope for the many poor inhabitants living in country. Elizabeth runs a tiny homestay at her place in a rundown neighborhood. She speaks almost no English but I could tell that she’s hoping things will be better moving forward. “Americano Wisconsin, Americano Florida”, as she points to the room I’ll be sharing with two other Americans. She is installing an air conditioner in the room to be more competitive. Air conditioner is not a necessity in Cuba, it is more of a luxury for most.
As sunsets, I see people sitting by the steps to their apartment, chatting with neighbors while kids either play soccer or a game of cat and mouse. This is not just the way to play catch up with friends but to cool off from the afternoon heat in their apartments.
Walking along the Al Pedro Boulevard, which is probably a 5 to 6 blocks by American standard, I could see classics such as Buick, Chevrolet or Ford zooming by with tourists taking wefie in the cars, and waving at people on the Boulevard. An hour ride is probably 40 to 50 CUC, which is more than the average income for the people in Cuba. A pretty good thought to know that this would help the livelihood of a family, a bitter pill to swallow to know that the locals are unable to enjoy the way these tourists are enjoying.
At most stores, common things such as detergent or soap are not as plenty as the ones in any US cities, not to mention the selections we have in America. I see some give the storekeeper a slip of paper. I learned that later, it is a system that establishes the ratios each person is allowed to buy, and the frequencies of supplies, hence explained the slip of paper given to stores known as bodega and depots. Most fresh fruits like bananas and mangoes with skins darkened are being sold at market. These are fruits you might see being sold in bag for a dollar in the US. I did not see any refrigerators at some stores selling meat. I hope the meat will be all sold before the day is over.
There are two sides of the Old Havana. One is where Cathedral de San Cristobal and other residences of famous people are located. Here you find cafes, restaurants, hotels and squares.
The other one is yet to be restored, where you will see the actual life of its inhabitants. Garbage, dogs’ poop and kids running in their neighborhood without the intrusion of tourists.
Before I came to Cuba, I did a little reading on the people of Cuba. They are friendly people and very helpful. Yes, they are, but not with a price to show your appreciation. However they are not as aggressive as one might encounter in other countries in similar situation where help is needed.
Despite the heat and discomfort at times, Cuba makes decay looks simply gorgeous and captivating. Cuba makes everything old looks new again. Cuba makes lack of personal electronic device a lot less significant in everyday life among its community.
These and everything else intrigue us all in Cuba for the first time.
