Havana

The best way I can think to describe Havana is to call it a city of faded glory.  At one time, the city had beautiful buildings in many architectural styles from all over the world.  Now, some of them have been restored or maintained, but in the downtown area, there are buildings with vacant window openings, crumbling surfaces and sagging roofs.  Some of it is a result of past hurricanes, but most of the decay is the result of a once wealthy nation suffering hard times.  New modern hotels are side by side with classical beauties and ruins.

Since the American embargo over 60 years ago no automobiles, and very little else, has come into the country.  You see a mixture of some foreign cars I do not recognize, tour busses, ancient looking city busses, trucks, horse carriages, bicycle-like vehicles with a back seat for 2, and lots of cars from the 1930’s to the 1960’s.

I had an interesting day.  Our tour bus, one of 6 from the ship, drove 3 hours on moderately bad roads to get to Havana.  After touring and eating lunch, we rode for another 3 hours to get back to the ship, but now it was dark.  The drivers had to slow down to avoid cattle beside the road.  At rural intersections groups of people waved flashlights, hoping to hitch a ride.  Gas is over $6.00 per gallon and diesel is not much less.  A car costs almost as much as a house.  All transactions are cash, so you do not buy a house and pay for it over 30 years.  You save until you have the entire cost and then find someone who has a house to sell.  You could buy a house from the government, but when you want to sell it, you must sell it back to them for 50% of the purchase price.

Everyone must work or go to jail.  If you cannot find a job you like, the government will find something for you.  Wages are very low, with most people getting paid the same amount, no matter what the job.  On the bright side, education and health care are free for everyone.  The literacy rate is 99.7%.  You do not pay for electricity or utilities.  However, most houses have a rain collection system on the roof because government water is only available during certain hours.  This is a socialist state.

On the other hand, the people we have met are friendly and happy.  People will smile at you on the street.  The largest industry is tourism, and people are happy to be in that sector.  They get the standard government income plus tips from the tourists.  Both our guide yesterday and his wife were guiding groups while her mother took care of their children.  They were able to save enough to buy a house.  Most of the elegant old houses, at least the ones that are intact, have become restaurants or hotels.

It is an interesting country, but I would not want to live here.