Sam showed us different stores – ones operating in Cuban pesos – very meager and ill supplied – and decrepit. The stores dealing in CUC’s are modern, have a wider selection – but nowhere near a small grocery store, and very high prices. A few cuts of meat were on display in the cooler.
Factory workers – cigars and brewery for example take home and sell contraband supplies after giving the security guards a share in their take.
The health care is free, but the medical staff are ill- equipped. For example, if a dental filling is needed, the first option is to pull the tooth, because that doesn’t require supplies. If you can pay in CUC’s or provide a barter service to the dentist, they might find the supplies needed to fix your tooth. I suppose that applies to antibiotics and other treatments as well.
Cuba educates medical and educational staff and loans them (presumably for a fee) to underdeveloped countries around the world, and in former times, along with military force, to 3rd world counties not supported by USA for ideological reasons.
Some of the highlights of our tour in order as we left the resort:
Next to the resort is a Cuban nationals campground consisting of small concrete huts, most of which are in disrepair. In summer, Cubans are allotted free time to enjoy the beach, food and drink for a period of time. Of course they have to apply for and be approved for their vacation time. The beach is similar to what we have at our resort. On toward Havana, the shoreline becomes very rugged with coral.
We passed a number of non-functional oil well pumps. Apparently they were Russian built and as the Cubans can no longer afford parts to keep them all in operation, they take parts from some to keep others going. Apparently, when they run out of parts they’ll no longer drill for oil, or start over with new equipment. Canadian?
We drove on past Vera Cruz, hitchhiking stations and police checkpoints. Sam says that hitchhiking has taken over from Baseball as the Cuban national sport. We passed an oil refinery originally built by Americans before the revolution (1958), but nationalized now and being upgraded and expanded by Chinese. We passed a power plant on the route under similar circumstances. There is a Canadian company mining and processing nickel under some agreement with the government. Northern Cuba where we were has no arable land so sugar cane and tobacco crops were never seen on our tour.
The road was pretty good, except for some poorly signed locations where there were large excavations and traffic had to detour around in the opposing lane. There is a partially installed watermain alongside the road, with no workers evident at either the roadwork or watermain job.
We passed some “expensive” resorts and housing areas that resembled run-down Florida suburbs, but very crowded together. Along the roadside there are horses and cattle tied up grazing in the ditches. Occasionally there would be a small horse-drawn cart with a load of what appeared to be hay.
There are modern, flashy tourist buses and run-down buses for the locals. There are also commuter vehicles – trucks with covered freight areas and people sitting sideways on the way to & from work.
We passed athletic facilities constructed by the Cuban government a few years ago for the Pan-Am games. Sam said they are now exclusively used by elite Cuban athletes in training for international competitions. We saw a few of them jogging beside the road.
The following Pics are from later in the tour, but swem aqppropriate now.
Some Old Cars
Bicycle Repair Shop
Taxi
Moving Van
At Least it's Warm!
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