Thoughts on Cuba

I found my time in Cuba to be facinating, challenging, rewarding at at times puzzling. The tourism there is quite surreal. Most of it caters for 5 star resort style tourism where all it is about is getting the dollars, but bussing rich folk around and getting them to see what you want. It is quie difficult for an independent traveller. You almost always have to take the tourist services like buses espcially alloted to tourists, most of the time you can rent rooms in Casas but when you on you own you pay for the whole room. There seems to be a range of services here that are above and beyond what is available to the local cubans. And it is not so much to do with the finances, even if a cuban has the money they can never stay in most of the hotels. A lot of people have the opinion that everyone is so poor, but you have to remember that while the buildings are falling down, you may share the same house and or share that same room as several generations of the one family, eat not so fantastic ration food. But everyone has a house, a free and good education, and free access to some of the best doctors in the world. They just do not have some of the material possesions and freedoms that the rest of the world may have. I think this can give people some trouble or guilt at times. The two currency economy here I feel is already starting to create somewhat of a class society in what is a socialist country. Everyone wants to work in the tourist industry as this way through tips etc, you can have convertible pesos which are worth 25 times more than the national money, and allow you to do things such as go out to dinner in a restaurant. While the tourisim keeps Cuba running since sugar prices dropped. But I felt that at times, as it does in all places tourism has some negative effects, I guess these are more palpable in a socialist country. When there are shortages of English teachers, cause they make more money in tourism than teaching and when doctors drive taxis because it can earn more, and of course the prostitution. I like to think of myself a responsible traveller and sometimes when travelling in Cuba it was somewhat thought provoking. And of course there are the Cuban hustlers who are always trying to get the tourist money by being charming or helpful or just a pain in the arse. In some town even the kids are in on it trying to get lollies or pens from all the tourists. Sometimes you feel like a dollar with legs. I think I was very fortuate in that thanks to Pavel, his friends and girlfriend and some of the great families I stayed with a really got to get in touch with the real cuban people who are are intelligent, warm, funny and some of the most open hearted lovely people in the world.