For some reason, I want to call Cuba a miracle island, about which it is sung in the song “Chunga-Changa”. But is it really easy and simple to live there? Is life in Cuba bad or good for Russians and, in Russian opinion?
Everyone has an opinion on this. And they say about the Cubans: "Beggars, but proud. Half-starved, but dying with laughter."
The country itself is seductive. There are beautiful natural landscapes: extensive beaches, inaccessible mountains. Havana is bright and colorful. All these different people at different times spoke about one country - about Cuba. Such is it to this day.
Before socialism
Cuba was a big gambling house. There was a huge number of casinos, fabulous sums of money revolved. All this was in the hands of a handful of foreigners, mainly Americans. They also owned the industrial enterprises of the island and most of the land. In power was Fulgencio Batista - the most cruel tyrant. For ordinary people, life in Cuba was a real horror. Famine, murder was the norm in those years.
Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro is an ambiguous personality for Cubans: some consider him a liberating hero, others consider him a dictator.
In 1953, the 27-year-old Fidel Castro first entered the country's political arena. The son of wealthy parents who had friendly relations with the president, having brilliant prospects as a lawyer, decided to put an end to injustice in the country. On July 26, he, with a small detachment of daredevils, including his brother Raul, stormed a military garrison in the city of Santiago de Cuba. The operation ended in failure and arrest. Castro and his associates were tried as rebels.
Sentence - 15 years in prison. But in May 1955, Fidel went out and left for Mexico with his brother. There, Che Guevara joined them.
In 1956, the rebels returned to Cuba with a detachment of 16 people. Very soon the detachment suffered the first loss - there were 15 rebels left. A guerrilla war broke out on the island. More and more ordinary people joined the liberation movement.
The standard of living in Cuba was so low that people simply had nothing to lose, and even a drop of hope pushed them forward to fight against tyrants.
In 1959, Batista left the country, the government that he left did not last long, it was forced to surrender to the rebels.
Fidel Castro demanded respect for the prisoners. They were forbidden to insult, rob. They could dine at the same table with the rebels and communicate in a very friendly manner.
The country began to build socialism under the leadership of Fidel Castro and his associates.
Having distributed the land to the peasants, fighters for popular interests proceeded to the nationalization of industrial enterprises and banks.
Dissatisfied with the new government were subjected to repression.
The rule of Fidel Alejandro Castro Rus continued until 2006. Further, his successor was brother Raul.
Castro still led a fairly active political life, as far as his health allowed.
The commandant, as they called him on Liberty Island, died at the age of 90 in 2016. By his order, the cause of death remained a mystery.
Characters
Ordinary Cubans idolized their ruler, because he freed them from the tyrant and ensured a very good, by their standards, existence.
People in the country to this day honor their liberators. Throughout the country you can see posters and portraits of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro. On the streets of cities you can find musicians singing songs about the revolution and their glorious rulers.
Cubans are very friendly and sociable. They are ready to talk around the clock, especially if they see the interlocutor’s interest and if they are not connected by any vows or fear to the special services.
The people of Cuba are very responsive. They will certainly come to the rescue if they see that a person needs it.
Cubans' favorite games are football and baseball. The baseball players of this country are happy to play in the teams of neighboring countries, including America.
Food
The standard of living in Cuba today remains low, but this does not prevent indigenous people from feeling happy.
To this day, Cubans use cards to receive basic food at low prices.
And these include rice with black beans with or without meat, sugar, and some vegetables. Other products can be bought in villages near the city. Although it happens that on the streets of the city you can see chickens or black pigs walking around and getting their own food on lawns and lawns, and in the evening returning home on their own.
Cows, as in India, are idolized. They are forbidden to kill. The animal must die its own death. The owners call special services and the carcass is taken out and buried. Violation of this rule is punishable by a serious fine.
For all foreigners, these same products are sold at completely different prices, many times more expensive.
The salary of Cubans is 12-20 dollars per month in national currency - peso. Moreover, civil servants receive $ 20, and this can be called high income.
Cuba is famous for rum. It is sold in different varieties, in different shades. The darker the rum, the better.
As well as cigars - they are, perhaps, known throughout the world. Their export from the country is limited to 23 pieces. The country and coffee are famous, but here it is very expensive.
Education
Life in Cuba today is possible with such low salaries for several reasons other than grocery cards. At all levels - from kindergartens to higher educational institutions - education is free and public, although recently there have been attempts to open private educational institutions. Its level is currently low, although earlier Cuban schools were famous for their teachers. Now, the old teachers have retired, and the new ones are former school graduates who do not have the proper education.
The medicine
Another aspect that helps maintain a more or less acceptable standard of living in Cuba for the local population is medical care. It is also absolutely free for Cubans, including dentists and abortions. Moreover, good specialists have been preserved here, which also attracts foreigners to the country who need inexpensive medical care from good doctors. For many years, Cuba has been a supplier of medical personnel to third world countries.
Life span
Life expectancy in Cuba is quite high. An example of this is the commandant who has survived to old age.
The reasons for this fact are called the lack of synthetic foods, all food is natural and simple. They eat at home here, it is not customary to go to cafes and restaurants. They often cook right in the courtyard at the stake, as the house is too hot.
Again, affordable health care plays a role, despite the fact that pharmacies have a very modest set of drugs.
Another reason is the low development of industry, that is, a favorable state of ecology.
It is amazing that Cubans smoke almost from early childhood, and in large quantities. Their pockets are literally stuffed with cigars. At the same time, addiction does not particularly affect their health.
A positive attitude is another huge plus for a long life expectancy. Despite the modest life in Cuba for most of the population, people never lose heart.
Only foreigners who are found on city streets look sick here.
So you can talk about what kind of life in Cuba you want. The inhabitants of the country themselves are quite happy, since they have not yet been spoiled by the benefits of civilization, which, incidentally, may change in the near future.
Money
The monetary system in the country is completely unusual for most residents of other countries. There are two currencies: local and for foreigners. The first is the peso. Local money is a privilege. Paying in stores and for services, owners of this currency buy everything at completely different prices, much lower than owners of cookies - this is how the local currency is called for foreign visitors to the island.
In Cuba, they do not favor American dollars, as well as the Americans themselves, but they are happy to use the material assistance of relatives living in America. Tourists are advised to take with them the currency in euros, preferably in cash.
Currency exchange is best right at the Havana airport. There are exchange points both indoors and outdoors.
Moreover, those who have been here are advised to exchange smaller money. Tourists say that tips are expected everywhere, even in exchangers. Many, leaving about how life is in Cuba, reviews, indicate the amount of $ 400 left to tip in various institutions of the country.
Transport
The country has poorly developed transport links. To leave one settlement in another, people can stand on the road for several days and wait for some kind of opportunity to turn up for them.
There are very few regular buses. They drive here by any transport, including open trucks. There are no traffic jams due to the lack of cars.
The main share of cars falls on the American brands of the 50s and the Russian "Lada" of the 70s.
Often they have a very shabby appearance - rusted bodies to holes, broken glass, broken headlights. These "miracles of the automotive industry" often break right on the roads, where they are left until the opportunity. Spare parts for the road, it is difficult to get them. Here the ubiquitous Chinese come to the rescue, so little remains of native parts.
Use in Cuba and tractors. They are also very few, they are driven only mainly in rural areas.
Local residents use bicycles, also very old, sometimes more like a bunch of scrap metal, to connect between nearby settlements. Looking at them, one can only wonder how you can ride this transport.
Another mode of transport is a horse cart. Slowly but reliably. It happens that bulls are harnessed to the wagon, but few, except the owner, risk using such a means of transportation. But riding a horse around the city is easy.
How city transport works here and something similar to a three-wheeled moped with a roof, which does not save at all from rain and wind.
For foreigners, taxis run around the city. Local residents rarely use them, since pleasure is not cheap, primarily because of the high cost of gasoline.
There are rail links between major cities, but trains also run infrequently.
In this regard, Cuba does not indulge its citizens; the lives of ordinary people cannot be called easy. Many even have to hitchhike to work.
Weather
For many, life in Cuba seems like a paradise because of the mild climate. In July and August, the hottest time is when temperatures reach 35 degrees. In January and February there is coolness. The temperature drops to 20 degrees. In autumn and winter, the sea is often turbulent. From May to September there is a rainy season.
