Living in Cuba

Exploring and Living in Cuba

Living in Cuba

It is an insult to human dignity and intelligence to listen to Cuban dictators preach loudly and without hesitation that Cuba is a healthcare power when cases like these take place. Anyone with a single shred of dignity would find it very difficult to live in Cuba. It is certainly revolting to hear Cuban leaders speak of the virtues of their healthcare system, and to know they sell this idea with great success. These immoral rulers take advantage of the media to scrupulously wash their disgusting image that they then sell and export so successfully. I’ve been told many others want to emulate them in their countries, although I find that hard to believe. Yet I will not talk today about the poor hygiene and lack of food in hospitals. Nor will I discuss the great shortage of medicines, the unreliability of medical equipment, or the discontent of professionals and workers in healthcare (due low wages and terrible working conditions.) I won’t talk about the deficit of doctors due to the excessive exports of healthcare professionals— whose true purpose is to paint the dictators in a false image of philanthropy abroad. The tyrant’s mayor export is socialism, and up to…
Tuesday, 10 January 2017 14:34

Rum wars: Havana Club vs. Havana Club

Rum lovers and history buffs should visit Havana’s Museo de Ron while in Havana, Cuba. There are guided tours where one can learn all about the history of rum and the process of how it is made from start to finish. The tour is extremely worth while, but the guide we had spoke very poor English. My son and I are bilingual and would have been better off taking the tour with a Spanish-speaking guide. The tour showcases Havana Club rum, Cuba’s stellar brand and whose circular red logo is omnipresent on the island. Unfortunately, this Cuban version of Havana Club rum is not sold in the U.S. due to the embargo. However, this has not deterred visitors from the States who have been returning with their suitcases replete with bottles of Havana Club and cigars due to the somewhat loosening of restrictions for travelers. On Sunday January 2 2017, the program 60 Minutes aired a piece on the controversy around the Havana Club trademark and its distribution rights. Simply put, there is a turf war between Havana Club rum produced in Cuba and it’s counterpart that is made in Puerto Rico by Bacardi. The controversy has arisen with Pernod…
Monday, 26 December 2016 11:49

Cuba For Sale - People & Power

Half a century ago, when Fidel Castro's revolutionary forces entered the Cuban capital Havana, the new leader pledged to improve the lives of the poor by putting an end to capitalist excess. One of the revolutionary government's key measures was the elimination of the property market as a lucrative business. Housing was declared a human right, private rental was abolished and most Cubans were given free properties to live in. But with a US embargo declared on the revolutionary island and its finances dependent on an inefficient state-driven economy, the government ran out of money and vast parts of Havana fell into decline. In a radical move, Raul Castro opened up the economy in 2011. Property laws were reversed and Cubans were allowed to buy and sell their homes once more. The government says its revolutionary vision hasn't changed and that the reforms are aimed at safeguarding rather than dismantling socialism. But will the re-introduction of private property make Havana's urban poor worse off? And how will the government deal with the growing, wealthy new class that the regime once fought so hard to defeat? In Cuba for Sale, reporter Juliana Ruhfus and filmmaker Seamus Mirodan investigate the impact of…
Monday, 26 December 2016 11:08

El Viejo y el Mal

The title of this article is word play on the title of Hemingway’s prize winning novel, "El Viejo y El Mar." In this case the translation of the title is “The Old Man and Evil,” referring to the legacy of the late Fidel Castro. As a result of Castro’s dictatorship Cuba is truly an impoverished country locked in a time warp, where the average monthly salary hovers around $25 dollars and where there is no real freedom of expression, opportunities, dissent or human rights. Many of those who clamor for change are imprisoned. Because of this situation fifteen percent of the islands citizens are in exile in an effort to make a better life for themselves. The revolution was really about Fidel and his socialistic vision and not the Cuban people. He created a system of educated people who had little hope of getting ahead in life. I must admit that the man was a political genius to be able to stay in power for almost 50 years. The government that Fidel left to his brother does have its supporters among some of those who have lived under the system all of their lives and who do not know nothing…
Monday, 15 August 2016 10:42

Those Little Polish Cars

Cubans have had to make do with automobiles manufactured over 60 years ago. The 126 horse-power Fiat which is commonly called a Polski is very popular in Cuba. The year 2016 has been the year of these diminutive vehicles according to the president of Amigos del Motor, a Cuban car club. It is estimated that there are about 10,000 Polskis circulating in Cuba. Some of them are out of service while many are still running. Cuba’s self-taught mechanics have managed to keep classic American cars working for decades. Now they are putting their skills to use by repairing and customizing these relics from the cold way. Many of these cars now have improved suspension, more potent motors, new upholstery and improved sound systems. Considering the average salary in Cuba is only 25 dollars per month, not everyone can afford a Polski which only cost a few thousand dollars. Those fortunate enough to have some type of private employment or money sent by relatives who are outside of the country are the only people who canbuy one of these vehicles.
Moving to Cuba now is not for the faint of heart, but doable. Cuba will not be the ideal place to retire for everybody. If you are a special breed of individual who seeks adventure and a pioneer type, then Cuba may just the place be for you. Trends Magazine once predicted that Cuba would someday become the baby boomer's retirement haven of the future. An issue of the Miami Herald stated, "A mass new migration of retirees will start to settle abroad, lured by the low cost of living to stretch their shrinking pensions, reasonable health costs and warm weather. Cuba will possibly be the hottest destination due to its proximity to the United States and the relative lack of industrialization." However, anyone considering retiring in Cuba should definitely test the waters first. Cuba’s lifestyle is very different from that in Europe or the United States. Any foreigner who wants to retire on the island will need an adaption period to the local life, which is very different from being in the country as a tourist. Major differences are: The average Cuban citizen has a completely different lifestyle from the average American. Cubans are lucky if the can earn…
Thursday, 09 June 2016 18:46

The Young Men and the Sea

The title of this article probably brings to mind Hemingway’s famous novel, The Old Man and the Sea. Briefly, the book tells the story of a battle between an aging, experienced fisherman, Santiago,and the greatest catch of his life. It opens opens with Santiago having gone 84 days without catching a fish, and now being seen as "salado”, the worst form of unluckiness in Spanish. He eventually hooks a marlin and despite his efforts the fish is devoured by sharks. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, and his supreme ordeal -- a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. The books main theme is of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss. Written in 1952, this hugely successful novel confirmed Hemingway’s power and presence in the literary world and played a large part in his winning the 1954 Nobel Prize for literature. Hemingway’s love for the sea, for fishing and above all for Cuba are embodied in this masterpiece. Like Hemingway most Cubans have a love affair with the ocean since they are surrounded by it on all…
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Living and Investing in Cuba - Live in Cuba - Retire in Cuba - Retirement Tours in Cuba 

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