cienfuegos

February 26, 2007

This past weekend a few people from my group and myself traveled to a medium sized city called Cienfuegos. The city is located on a bay in the south central region of Cuba in a province sharing its name. We were able to get a ride to the city for $50 for the four of us each way, which was a great deal. Bus fares for tourists (or for people who would like to have a definite seat on the bus) from Havana to Cienfuegos run about $20 each way per person. For a cheaper bus fare it is possible to pay in Cuban pesos (about 65 each way) but there is no guarantee that you will be on the bus. Basically if you purchase one of these tickets you are able to ride the bus only if there are seats remaining after people pay in CUC…therefore if you have a set time table or a short period of time to visit a place it is much better to pay in CUC or get a driver. It was very interesting to see the difference between the city and the countryside. For the most part it looked a little like the Midwest United States during a small drought. The land was basically flat with an occasional hill in the distance, and the crops or lack there of were dotting the ground with patches of brown. The small towns that we passed through looked as if they had seen better days. The whole ride reminded me of the images we see during the American Great Depression of dilapidated homes and brown dusty fields. Although most of the buildings were not made of wood, as I would have expected but rather concrete which is probably to help combat the climate. The city of Cienfuegos itself is rather small but is rather beautiful. The streets are lined with buildings which all have front porches which stretch the entire length of the street. The main avenues have small parks lining the middle of the street with benches and trees, and are usually filled with people. An entire side of the city is bordered by the bay which is a bright blue manse of water dotted with barges and smaller vessels. We stayed in a small house called a casa particular. These are rented rooms in people’s homes which they rent as their jobs. They cook for you and basically allow you to live in their homes for as long as needed, at a moderate price. Ours were 25 CUC per room per night with meals for about 3-6 CUC depending on the meal. Hotels usually run you the same as they would in the states from 50-250 CUC a night but usually around 100 CUC for an average hotel and meals there or at any restaurant are going to be about 10 CUC. It is possible to eat for less from street stands but a nice home cooked meal and people to talk to is a definite bonus.

On Friday after arriving we walked around Cienfuegos and saw the few tourist sites it had to offer, and ate a relaxing dinner in a Moorish inspired ‘palace’ on the tip of the area known as Punta Gorda, which is basically a small peninsula which juts into the bay. The food was not the best but it was worth the cost to eat in the building and eat something other than rice and beans for a change. That night we walked around the area some more in hopes of finding something that was going on…unfortunately there was little to be found.

Saturday we decided to head to the Caribbean beach which was a short drive away (about 20 minutes). The beach was in an area called Rancho Luna, which had a nice view of the distant mountains and the ocean. We claimed a small palm hut and spent the day swimming in the turquoise sea and taking in the sun. I did attempt to go snorkeling however, not really liking sea life to begin with it was not a big success. I got to see a small school of fish but did not venture over the large patch of sea grass to the coral reef…perhaps later in the trip or later in my life I will charter a small boat for the day and force myself to go to the reefs. The experience just didn’t seem to be for me. After a long day at the beach we were ready to just hang out and eat a nice home cooked meal.

Sunday was a short day full of touristy photos and relaxation before our 3 hour journey back to Havana. The weekend was relaxing and the perfect break from everything, and it was definitely hard to start classes again but it must be done.

Food

I had a request to post about the food here so here goes. Basically the main staples in the Cuban diet are rice and some type of bean. There are numerous dishes which are basically rice and beans with maybe a little flavoring for example cristianos y morros (white rice and black beans). Rice and beans are eaten at every meal, unlike in the states there is not a large difference between breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods. Our residence cooks us eggs for breakfast and toast which is great but I get the feeling that most Cubans tend to eat whatever they have left over for breakfast. Lunches here are usually found at small stands on the side of the street. There are basically two options for food if you don’t want to spend a lot of money pizza or a sandwich both will run you less than a dollar (about 20 pesos on average). I wouldn’t say that they are the best pizzas or sandwiches that I have ever had but they work. Besides rice and beans there is meat in basically everything. Usually some type of pork. However there is still chicken, fish and beef, but they are not as common. Cubans don’t really seem to understand the concept of vegetarians. I think that our meals at the residence basically mirror what most Cubans probably eat.

Each month Cubans are given a ration card which allows them to ‘buy’ a certain amount of some items. They are allotted 10 lbs of rice, 11 lbs of grains (ie beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc…), some sugar, and coffee. If there are children in the family they receive a liter of milk every two days for each child. For other things like meat and eggs they need to pay for. Chicken costs 2.75 pesos/kg, Pork is 2 pesos/kg, and fish is 1 peso/kg. The Cuban salary is 295 pesos a month (about $12 USD a month). All fruits and vegetables are bought using their salary and are cheap (I think it is about 6 peso for a few tomatoes and the price of fruit is similar). The Cuban salary basically meets ones needs but there is usually not a lot left for entertainments or excess items. With people only able to meet their basic needs it is no wonder that so many people rely on the $100USD that families can send a month from abroad, or tourism. A simple job in the tourism industry, a waiter or maid will earn you more money due to tips by foreigners. A small tip of 1 CUC for a meal goes a long way for most Cubans.

With the access that some Cubans have to money from the rest of the world, through tips or through remittances it raises the question of is socialism really working? There is a definite difference in some Cubans lifestyles and others. Are the growing inequalities between people causing more dissent amongst the people? So far I haven’t seen much sign of it but perhaps it is lying just below the surface.

tourism

This week as part of our culture class we went to look at architecture in Habana Vieja. As we walked around and learned about various buildings and styles in the old city I couldn’t help but notice the disparity between building which have been restored and those that have not been. Our guest professor who works for the city planning commission explained that many of the buildings are being renovated to become homes and businesses. The first floor is often changed from public housing into shops or restaurants and the upper floors will remain homes. When asked what happens to the residents who lived on the first floor she explained that they are relocated to other parts of the city. Basically areas that were once rundown from neglect and overpopulated are being converted into tourist havens. About 30% of Habana Vieja has been renovated and that 30% is where tourists would be. It contains all the major historical sites of the old city and most of the small hotels, and is dotted with overpriced restaurants. I wonder how many of Havana’s tourists walk the extra block from the tourist sights to see the real Habana Vieja which consists not of brightly colored buildings and museums but rather overcrowded tenet homes that are in disarray. Our professor told us that there is a lot still to be done in Habana Vieja because every two days part of a building in the neighborhood crumbles. This is usually a balcony, a staircase, a porch, etc… She explained that rarely does an entire building collapse, but when one does the lot is cleared to be used as small green spaces where shrubs and trees are planted and small benches are set. As we walked around it was obvious that the majority of the buildings in Habana Vieja that are occupied by people would not even come close to passing building inspections in the US. It is interesting that here people and the government use unsafe spaces for housing, while increasing the number of restaurants and small unnecessary museums in order to create more state revenue, which can be allocated to other government projects, instead of rebuilding Habana.

Tourism has become one of Cuba’s largest industries and in Habana Vieja it shows. There is a troupe of performers who walk around the small squares and streets on stilts in brightly colored outfits playing instruments. They expect money from people who photograph them and are not performing as part of a celebration but rather to entertain tourists who think that they represent a typical Cuban or Caribbean celebration. Women walk the streets in brightly colored dresses with flowers and pose for photographs. These people take advantage of tourists to help them make a supplemental income and are in some ways encouraged to do so. Tourism has become the avenue for people who are not complacent with their state salaries to earn extra money by feeding on the ‘wealthy’ tourist population.

Currently living in a society where a lot of money is made in tourism has made me see the downside to using tourism for development. Here in Cuba tourists pour money into businesses owned in part by the government and enjoy artfully constructed vignettes into Cuban life. Most tourists only see the parts of the city that have been built up for tourists and take excursions not on the crowded buses and trains but rather in taxis and tourist buses which take them out of Havana and to smaller towns and beach resorts which have been crafted to make Cuba seem like a place that is beautiful and where no one suffers. Was there a better but perhaps slower method of developing Cuba and its society, without relying on foreign tourism which perhaps changes perceptions on what Cuban culture really consists of?

beach

The first week of classes is over, and so far I have yet to fall asleep in any them. Our professors definitely have an old school style of teaching. The classes are all lecture with very little discussion if any. This is a completely different way to learning for me. I am used to classes being very discussion based and professors answering questions throughout their ‘lectures’ versus holding a small question session for the last ten or so minutes of class. The new style will take some getting used to.

Last week a few of us explored more of Habana Vieja, which was nice. We went to the largest street market in Cuba. There were tons of artists, and crafters who sold a lot of the same things. I bought some jewelry for about a dollar a piece which I thought was a really good deal. Looking around the market I got the feeling that is it set up mostly for tourists given some of the prices on things. Nevertheless it is easy to strike a bargain, simply by asking. We spent about an hour walking around the market and talking to people before moving on to the Floridita, one of the bars/restaurants that Hemingway frequented. It is said that he would drink thirteen daiquiris without moving and then get up and leave without one stumble. The bar claims that he also wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls there, but I haven’t researched the claim. After we paid about $7 for a drink we hung out in one of the Plazas nearby which had a small book fair going on. Next week starts the main book fair for Cuba. It is apparently huge and authors from the entire world, especially Latin America are represented. We have been told by many people that it is a must.

Yesterday we went to the beach for the first time. It is about a twenty minute drive from the edge of the City of Havana but about thirty minutes from our residence. Having never been to the Caribbean or anywhere tropical, the beach was absolutely wonderful. It basically looked like a postcard image. Many things struck me about the beach. The first was that it is not built up like I had expected. There were no huge resorts lining the beach, but rather only a few small ones. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that farther down the beach from where we were there was a small resort and police patrolled it. We thought this might be due to the laws that forbid Cubans from talking at length and ‘hanging out’ with tourists. It was obvious that the resort was all tourists and since we were not staying at the resort we were on the Cuban section of the beach. I don’t know if this is the exact reason that it is patrolled but it seems to make sense, and would explain why some of the group’s Cuban friends who came with were stopped at least once by the police and questioned briefly. The dynamic between tourists and Cuban’s due to the law is very interesting. Little contact is made except with the Cuban’s who work in tourism.

Despite the laws we have not had too hard of a time meeting Cubans. By now most people in our neighborhood know that we are not tourists and usually people ask who we are. Once they know that we are students and are living here they have no problem speaking to us or showing us around parts of the city. Everyone is friendly and wants to be your friend so they almost always ask where you are from and why you are in Cuba.