Hello from Cuba (5) - Another Mind-Twisting Experience

Friday, April 08, 2005me up with the owner of his bed and breakfast who
Hello from Cuba (5) - Another Mind-Twistinghas a new mountain bike. For 4 days I have been
Experiencetrying to reach this individual until I finally connected with
Hotel Havana Libre, Friday, April 8, 2005, 2:47 pmhim yesterday and I rented the bike for $3 a day.
I am sitting here at one of the most famous hotels in allBut of course, you absolutely cannot leave the bicycle
of Havana, after I just withdrew Can$250 (200 CUC,alone anywhere because it will be stolen and resold in
Pesos Convertibles) from my Mastercard. No big deal,a second. As a matter of fact, I "tipped" my hotel
you say..... Until you realize that the average Cubansecurity guards a few dollars to look after my rented
makes between US8 and US30, not an hour, not amountain bike particularly well, because anything of
day, but for a whole month!value "disappears".
My professor for instance told me that she makesYesterday, my friend Pedro and I went to eat in a
about US$18 or so a month, so the amount I withdrewPaladar (a privately owned restaurant). As a gesture
is more than a year´s salary for a universityof appreciation for his time and his insights I had given
professor.... I am feeling really weird about this and Ihim a red baseball cap with "Toronto" written on it. He
also want to get most of the cash into a safe as soonforgot it at the restaurant, but within a minute and a
as possible. I am simply unable to walk around with ahalf we became aware of it and returned to the
year´s salary in my pocket...They talk about therestaurant. The baseball cap was already gone, which
"inverted pyramid" here, where a waiter in a hotelmade him very sad. He told me that it would be resold
makes much more (due to tips from tourists) than atoday for $8 (almost a monthly government salary).
brain surgeon in a hospital...For the most part, people here are unable to travel,
The economic situation here definitely is the dominatingeven locally. Due to the "periodo especial" since the
topic. Just standing in line a young black man started tocollapse of the Soviet Union (and the associated
speak to me and told me that he has a degree infinancial support for Cuba) gasoline is expensive and
physical education, teaches martial arts at the nationalscarce, and there is not even enough for the local
level and inevitably the conversation came back to theHavana transit system. So if you want to take the
dire economic situation: the local refrain is "Hay que"GuaGua" you sometimes have to wait for 2 or 3
luchar", - daily life indeed is a struggle around here.hours since there are so many people lining up for the
There is no toilet paper around here, so having readlocal bus and there are not enough buses available.
about the shortages I brought my own little KleenexHaving a private car or access to the Internet is a
travel packs from Canada. At the University and in theluxury that only extremely few people have access to
whole country there is tremendous shortage of writingand I have heard different stories on the street that a
paper. Basic things simply dont exist, or if they do, theyregular Cuban person actually is not allowed to have
cost a lot of money for locals on the black market.access to Internet. As a foreigner, it´s very difficult
As a result, a tourist is always pretty much a target.for me to gauge which of these stories are true,
There are "jineteros" who try to lure you to awhether it is truly prohibited or simply extremely difficult
restaurant or bed and breakfast (in return for ato get. Either way, I have noticed that people are still
commission from the owner), therer are "jineteras",very careful about what they say around here.
local young and good-looking Cuban women that seekOn the other hand, despite all these hardships and
contact with tourists, some of them straight prostitutes,limitations on personal freedom, I have noticed a really
others just looking for the occasional financial favouramazing friendliness and a great sense of humour in
and entertainment opportunity.the people. People approach me, ask me questions,
Many local tourist employees try to take advantage ofwithout the immediate possibility of selling me
their contacts with tourists and there are definitesomething or expecting money from me. There
rip-offs. 2 days ago I went to a state-ownedseems to be a natural curiosity about foreigners
restaurant at the far corner of the famous Coppeliaaround here, maybe because the possibilities of travel
Park. The food and service were horrible. I chosedon´t exist. The professors at the University have
Arroz Congri ($3), a salad ($3), and a mango juice ($1),been great and truly seem to enjoy the interaction with
totalling $7. When the bill came I saw a total of $9.85all the international students. When you get to meet
($4 each for the salad and the rice and $1.85 for thepeople one-on-one (not in a government-owned
juice). I made the waitress aware of the situation andrestaurant), it is indeed a fabulous experience.
she acted as if it had been an error and did correctLast night my friend and I took an extended walk in a
the bill after all. But a less alert tourist would have paidpark after sunset, talking, discussing, comparing notes
40% more than what was stated on the menu.about our respective cultures. And it was completely
Sometimes it feels like you are a "walking wallet" and Isafe, something that you wouldn´t dare to try in a
have developed a certain suspicion as to to thepark in Toronto. Even downtown, you see young, very
sincerity of some of the approaches by the locals. Onattractive women, dressed up in really sexy clothing,
the other hand, I realize, that with the $10 or $20walking around by themselves at 11, 12 at night.
people that people make here a month, they areImmersing myself in this ultra-unique contradictory
unable to live for more than a couple of days, so theirculture has been such a precious, unique and
economic reality forces them to try to make moneyparadigm-shattering experience, and even though I
any which way they can.have only been here for a week now, I feel like I have
Services for tourists and even locals barely exist. Iabsorbed and learned so much....
have been trying to rent a bicycle for the last 4 days.It is so different from regular life in Canada that it feels
There were 2 contact phone numbers for bicyclelike everyday I am entering into a foreign universe, a
rental places in my Lonely Planet Travel Guide. I havecompletely different world, but I have to say, I have
been trying to call both numbers numerous times - nonever felt so alive......
answer. A co-student of mine has been trying to link