#53 - Cuba

Everything about Cuba is a little unusual. The history of the island is just amazing, as it the continued resilience of the revolution. The question that comes to mind immediately, is how long can things go on like this and when will it finally turn into a “normal” country?

It would be easy to label Cuba as just another odd ball failed communist state. It has all the trappings, from the monumental architecture to the slogans promoting the state all over the country. On the other hand, there are so many features that are much more like a regular country.

A handy test of how messed up a country is can be found by looking at the money. If the country is a dictatorship, the dictator will usually be on the money. If the country is dirt poor, the money will be worn, grotty and all notes. None of these tests apply in Cuba. Fidel is nowhere to be seen on the money and all the notes I came across were crisp and clean. This compares to Myanmar where the notes closely resembled used toilet paper. Indeed, the only odd thing about the Cuban money was the presence of a three dollar note! That’s just weird.

I was also surprised at the ethnic diversity of the people. I was expecting it to be like Mexico, where all the people are some mix of indigenous people and the white colonisers. Not in Cuba. For a start, there’s a lot of black people, due to the slave based sugar industry. What surprised me though, was the huge number of white people. This makes perfect sense given the history of the place, but it came as a bit of a surprise. It’s a testament to the government that all these groups seem to live together in such harmony.

The government also has a good record on providing free healthcare, free education and various other initiatives. Indeed, the Cuban medical system is so advanced for the region, that using Venezuelan petrodollars, the Cubans are now providing help to poor people from other countries in the region.

Despite all the positive aspects of the revolution, there’s no getting away from how dirt poor the people of the country are. The houses of Havana are all falling to bits, as are the cars they drive around. There are few shops and what’s in them is pretty poor. It’s all a bit depressing.

I’m glad I went to Cuba, but I don’t know that I’m in a hurry to ever go back. Everyone says to go see Cuba before Fidel dies. Well, I’ve done that now. Let’s hope that if I go back in ten years time that things will be much improved.