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Cuba or not?


tiessa
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Boy, you northern neighbors are somethin' else!

 

What's the worst? Not a particular fan of MickeyD's, but after some of the unpalatable food I had in various paladares, restaurants and homes, that could actually be an improvement. LOL

(Glad I've had a chance to try traditional Cuban food in the US.)

 

No worries in the food department. I lived in a small town of about 30,000. Then it expanded like mad and in 5 years it was 80,000. The people moving in came in part because of the "small town" atmosphere. Guess what? After we all lived there, it wasn't. Independent businesses gave way to chains etc. Not all for the worse but it simply wasn't a small town with that charm anymore. Maybe that's all I meant so don't get your knickers in a knot.

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No worries in the food department. I lived in a small town of about 30,000. Then it expanded like mad and in 5 years it was 80,000. The people moving in came in part because of the "small town" atmosphere. Guess what? After we all lived there, it wasn't. Independent businesses gave way to chains etc. Not all for the worse but it simply wasn't a small town with that charm anymore. Maybe that's all I meant so don't get your knickers in a knot.

 

My comment was only to say that I don't think things are going to change much very soon because of a US tourist presence or even US business interests. And some changes might even be for the better, for both tourists and residents. Certainly the new cuentapropistas who can see the washing machines and French door refrigerators on the Lowe's commercials on Univision, but can't buy them even now that they can afford them, might think so. The strong culture and the people make the place unique, not some picturesquely crumbling Colonial buildings or some hard-to-keep-running antique cars. Maybe you ought to buy yourself some looser "knickers" that say Es Cuba and relax.

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My comment was only to say that I don't think things are going to change much very soon because of a US tourist presence or even US business interests. And some changes might even be for the better, for both tourists and residents. Certainly the new cuentapropistas who can see the washing machines and French door refrigerators on the Lowe's commercials on Univision, but can't buy them even now that they can afford them, might think so. The strong culture and the people make the place unique, not some picturesquely crumbling Colonial buildings or some hard-to-keep-running antique cars. Maybe you ought to buy yourself some looser "knickers" that say Es Cuba and relax.

 

Fair enough everyone deserves a shot at a French door refrigerator from Lowe's.

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Fair enough everyone deserves a shot at a French door refrigerator from Lowe's.

 

And they almost had just that. When we first visited Cuba back in 1978 we booked accommodation at Los Pino in what turned out to be a rather nice house. The previous owners were, I believe, to be found in Miami... The six bedroom home housed tourist from Canada who shared a living room, dining room, kitchen, etc. It was there that I noticed a rather uniquely designed refrigerator. Closer examination revealed it was manufactured in the USSR. That sent us to other appliances and TV's and found they were all make in the USSR. Had the Soviet Union not been abandoned I have to wonder if visiting Cuba today would be a much different experience, including perhaps finding French door refrigerators.

 

But experiencing the use of goods manufactured in the USSR prompted us to make plans to visit that country which we did in 1981 for two great weeks.

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I've been told by several people, including missionaries to the island that the people are wonderful, natural beauty abounds, but the infrastructure is not there yet to support tourism.

So, I agree with OP, I'll wait a few years.

 

A visit to Cuba now takes a certain amount of resilience. The hotels closest to what Americans are used to are the ones renovated by European corporations, primarily Spanish. (The Cuban government owns 51% of all hotels, even if outward appearances suggest European ownership.)

 

The flagship hotel in Havana, the Nacionale deserves to have the interior of the beautiful ground floor carefully removed and stored while the rest of the hotel is gutted down to the steel framing. At the Nacionale, if you stay in a room above the third floor, you can expect the water pressure to be too low to get the job done with a single flush. In fact, you'll be advised by the front desk to pump the flusher several times to bring enough water into the tank to even get that single flush. You can expect the mattress to be thin and hard. Ditto for the pillows. You can expect the amount of light in each room to be minimal.

 

My recommendation: Visit the Nacionale to stroll the grounds and have a drink in the historic bar or the beautiful patio, but don't stay there overnight or insist on a room on a low floor.

 

The food in the private restaurants, the paladars, is outstanding. Fresh. Delicious. Varied. Well-prepared. And reasonably priced. (Note: There are hints about the state of the Cuban agriculture and economy even in the best restaurants. The local beef is cheap and poor quality. If you want a quality steak, you'll have to order Argentinian beef and be prepared to pay dearly for it. If you stick to local fish/shellfish, poultry, and pork, the food quality is very good.) The food in the restaurants within a hotel is typically less successful.

 

The music scene throughout Cuba is amazing.

 

There are plenty of large, modern, comfortable tour buses imported from China for excursions. The drivers are courteous and safe.

 

If you want to see Cuba now, accept the fact that it is a balancing act. You'll give up some level of creature comfort and convenience in the hotels for the distinct benefit of seeing a more real version of Cuba. I have no doubt that some people reading my description will be even more determined to wait and other will be more determined to go. There is no right answer.

Edited by Pet Nit Noy
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Cuba is a communist country, we will not support a communist country with our money.

 

Have you been looking at the [Made In...] labels on the things you are buying every day? The word you should be looking for is CHINA.

 

And speaking of words, there has never ever been a "communist" country in this world of ours. The word you are looking for is Socialist.

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ONT-CA, over several posts on the subject on various threads, you have the most balanced way of looking at the situation, and put it into words so eloquently. Thank you for your perspective.

 

Agreed! Thank you so much.

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Hi. You Americans do realize that the rest of the world has been visiting Cuba all along right?.

 

Doubtful. Americans (I am one) seem to believe that we will change the lives and worlds of everyone as soon as we grace them with our presence. It's rather sickening.

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This one already has the topic: Cuba or not.

 

I just feel that there should be some explanation as to why or why not. We are often asked if we would like to go to Alaska. We would not, but just saying so does little for the conversation. So we explain that as Canadians who are beset with long and hard winters, the last thing we need, want or deserve is to travel to a location where one is surrounded by snow capped mountains. The disbelief exhibited by our initial answer is usually placated by the reasoning.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Now that RCI is stopping in Cuba, I'm interested in knowing what others think about this.

 

I grew up during the Cuban missile crisis and the Cold War. I obviously am curious about this place I have not been able to travel to. On the other hand, do I want to contribute to a government with such a terrible human rights record? I think my curiosity is outweighed by my morals.

 

How do others make the decision to travel there or not?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

If you travel by the government you should avoid most of the world.

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And if the worst came to the worst you could take a trip to Canada or Mexico and just jump on a plane from there...

 

...or take a trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. While there, hop aboard the Crystal for a trip around Cuba and upon your return, complete your stay in Jamaica before flying home

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  • 5 weeks later...

I don't understand all the negativity about going to Cuba just because of the government. I mean really, how many billions or trillions of dollars do we give to China in a year? Personally, I look for the "Mad e in the U.S.A. label whenever I can. However, I don't have a problem with spending my tourist dollars in Cuba where at least a little of it might go to someone who can truly use it.

 

I'll say right now that, if I can, I will take a cruise to Cuba. Hopefully, it won't get Americanized for a very, very long time because I truly enjoy getting away from the "tourist" areas and seeing the "real" areas of the ports we stop in.

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Which is, again, a good argument for a land tour.

Flights can be had for under $300 from the far Northeast US, maybe $400 from West Coast US. B&Bs are $30 a night and a nice shrimp dinner, about $7, for example. Tour guides charge between $20-40 per day to show you around. Transportation between destinations is easy and cheap.

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My husband is of Cuban descent (his great-grandparents were sugarcane farmers that lost their plantation in the Castro uprising / nationalization). He's wanted to visit since he was a child.

 

I'm an anti-money laundering professional. I am intimately familiar with OFAC and the embargoes. Of course, my rebellious streak has wanted to visit since I got involved in the finance industry.

 

We sail on the Empress of the Seas on October 21. The 20th is our 10 year anniversary, and we'll see Brad's dad (1st generation American) in Tampa before we embark the 21st. We are simply GIDDY with anticipation.

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