Disclaimer

Five years ago I've been in the town Santiago de Cuba. Santiago de Cuba is situated in the South-West of Cuba. There're not many toursits coming to Santiago de Cuba, so maybe the atmosphere in toursit centres in Cuba are different. Tourist centres are at  Varaderro, Havanna and the beaches of  Holguin. All the information on this page is only about Santiago de Cuba and is based on my own experiences. Also keep in mind that things can change in time.

General information

Cuba is a big island in the Caraibbean and is close to the USA. Cuba is a communist country and the leader is Fidel Castro. in a revollution Fidel Castro ended the awfull regime of the dictator Batista, that was supported by the USA. This made Fidel Castro very popular among the  Cubans and even now there're still Cubans that are greatefull for the revolution. Cuba does have a very bad relationship with the USA, because it's a communist country.  The USA have tried to conquer Cuba (Pig-bay) and  Cuba did have Russion nuclear missiles pointed to the USA  (Cuba-crisis). The USA boycot  Cuba which is bad for  Cuban economy. Unfortunately Fidel Castro is bad economist and therefore Cuban economy is not doing well. Cuba is not a democracy and there're political prisoners. But the regime also has good things: education is good; everybody can read; the healt of the Cubans is good because of good medical care and food supplies. Cubans know what's going on in the world, although everything is interpreted in the communist way.

Looks of the Cubaan

I've seen two kinds of Cubans. Cubans that are of Hispanic descent and Cubans that are descents of the slaves. Everybody does have the same rights, but Hispanic Cubans often have the better jobs. Cubans have no weight problem, maybe because of the food supply. (I did not see candy's or hamburgers etc in Cuba).

Character of the Cuban people

The Cuban looks gay and relaxed. Many Cubans are learning English, because tourism becomes more important. Cuba is a colorfull country with lots of music. It doesn't look as gray like the former communist countries behind the iron courtain.

A tourist in Cuba.

AWhen you're a tourist in Cuba you're rich. A Cuban earns about 10 dollar a month. Besides that, he also get free education, medical care, food supply and cheap rents.  (You can buy an appartment in Santiago de Cuba for 3000 dollar) So a Cuban does not really suffer but he just has no extra's. Whe you're a tourist you spend a Cuban month wages on a day. This explains that Cubans consider tourists as rich. I've not seen beggars, but sometimess one could descretely ask some money. Don't be affraid for robbery, there're very high penalties on that. Robbing a tourist means 20 years in prisson! Although a lot of buildings are in bad shape, I haven't seen sever poverty.

When you're a tourist in Cuba they act as if you're a king. Some exclusif luxe hotels ab restaurants are only for tourist or Cubans with a licence. I will give you some examples:

1:  Hotel Santiago de Cuba
This is a 5 stars hotel. I was dressed in a short, with slippers and a T-shirt. I wasn't a guest. I just walked into the hotel, went to the roof and took some photo's. Cubans that where dressed in suites where asked for theire permission to enter the hotel.

2: Chairs
I came into a bar and all chairs where occupied. I didn't concider this as a problem, because there was music and the pub looked nice. After a few seconds some Cubans left theire chairs and asked me to take their seat. You can't let a toursit stand.

3: Short trouser
I was walking on the streat in my bermuda and heared some music. There was a place where they played some music, so I wanted to enter. Entrance: 1 dollar. I was a bit curious, so I wanted to buy a ticket. The femal porter refused, because I was not wearing a long trouser. I said oke, and wanted to continue my walk. But some other Cubans stoped me and appologised. Please wait! They start heavenly talking to the femal porter and after that, she said, it's oke, you can enter.... Inside everybody did wear long trousers and was dressed very well.

4:forbidden places
The 4 stars restaurant  Casa Granda and the  5 stars hotel Santiago de Cuba are restricted areas for Cubans (unless they're in company with a tourist.)

Power supply

Power supply is reliable, but.......every thuesday and thirsday one side of Santiago de Cuba does not have power and ond monday and friday the other side doesn't have power. This system is to "save"energy. The five stars hotel Santago de Cuba does have power whole week.

Fidel Castro

Official everybody is in favor for Fidel Castro, but I think the general opinion is that he has had his best years.  People just wait until he will die. I don't think people really hate him, but I think they have the feeling like "why don't you stop, that would be better" For the poor people Fidel has done some good things.

Cuban economics are bad. There's a lack of almost everything, which has much to do with the American boycot. It is very remarkable that in all tourist hotels you can buy..... Coca Cola! I always thought this was an American product, but this coke came from Mexico. Tourist industry becomes more and more important for the Cuban economy. Downside for Fidel is, that Cubans see those rich tourists and realise that they are poor.

Good parts of the regime is that they care for the weak people. everybody does have a (simple) house and food, medical care,education and a "job". Cubans don't have to work hard and don't have much stress. Besdides the advertisments for the regime there're also posters that warn against venerial diseases. Cities are not spoiled with fastfood restaurants like Mac Donald, and you can see a lot of (old and paintless) colonial houses. These houses would be beatifull when repaired. In a lot of capitalist countries you have a few rich people and a lot of poor people. In Cuba you don't see rich people. 

The traffic

The traffic are pedestrians. Cuba doesn't make cars and Cuba doesn't buy cars in other countries. Cubans use theire legs or go by bus. You have to wait very long for a bus, and the bus is always with a lot of people. Most busses are trucks with banks in it. When you see a car it's a  Lada's or it's an American car from before the revolution. Cubans take care of their car, because you can't just buy another one. When you see a new car, its a rental car or a hotelbus. When you rent a car, keep in mind that Cubans are not used to cars and don't have much attention for the trafic. (Everybody walks) So don't drive to fast. When I was in Cuba I used a cab, which costs me about 0,5 euro a kilometer.

Price level and local products

You have to pay everything in dollars. Price level is low and normsa rate is 1 dollar. A cola cost 1 dollar, entrance money cost 1 dollar etc. A rum-cola is almost the same price as a regular cola, so when you like rum ..then it's cheap. On the streats they offer you sigars; quality varies from good to bad. People who work in a sigar factory sometimess take sigars. (And the chief get the better cigars.  I myself bought some cigars from somebody my guide adviced and my colleges in Holland where very pleased with the quality.

In Santiago de Cuba you can also buy musical instruments and woodcrafts. You can also buy a lot of communist books!

Phoning from  Cuba is very expensive.  There where no internet-cafe's when I visited Santiago de Cuba.

Music

In Cuba you hear mainly son and salsa. You don't hear much merengue. Cubans like music and on the street you sometimess hear music. There're a lot of places where groups play fin clubs. (Entrance: 1 dollar)

The weather

In Cuba  the climate is tropical. Temperature varies from  20Celcius till above 30 Celcius. Rainseason starts in may and ends in november. 

The temperature at this moment is:

 

Cuban embassy in Holland

source: www.minbuza.nl
Embassy of Cuba,
Mauritskade 49,
2514 HG Den Haag.
Tel. 070 - 360 60 61

Dutch embassy in Cuba

source: www.minbuza.nl
Visiting address:
Calle 8, No 307
Entre 3ra y 5ta Ave Miramar
Havanna
Tel. 00-53-7-2042511
Fax 00-53-7-2042059
E-mail: hav@minbuza.nl
Open: monday-vfriday 08:00-16:00 (Office)

Postal address:
Apartado 2282
Havana

Other info: embassadorr: Mw. Drs. C. Minderhoud
Area: Cuba
Time difference with Holland: -6
Pasports: yes
NL-identity card: No

Cuban embassy in Belgium

source: www.diplomatie.be
RUE ROBERTS JONES / ROBERTS JONESSTRAAT, 77
1180 UCCLE
Tel:  02.343.00.20
Tel:  02.343.71.46
Fax: 02.344.96.61
E-mail: mision@embacuba.be

Belgian embassy in Cuba

source: www.diplomatie.be
Calle 8 n° 309/3ra y 5ta Ave. Miramar Playa C-Habana
Tel:      + (53) (7) 204.24.10
Tel:      + (53) (7) 204.25.61
Tel:      + (53) (7) 204.48.06
Fax:     + (53) (7) 204.13.18
GSM:   + (53) (7) 880.50.68
GSM:   + (53) (7) 880.50.87
GSM:   + (53) (7) 880.50.09
E-mail: Havana@diplobel.org