Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | A thousand words (almost)
Cuba is a marvelous place, with beautiful warm countryside, beautiful warm people, and beautiful hot music everywhere. Our tour, put together by Carolyn Brandy and Rhythmix, took us places tourists seldom go to meet people relatively unspoiled by the modern world. We took drumming, dancing, and singing classes from teachers who are there at the source, and we saw performances that were incredibly moving. We shared music, meals, and spiritual experiences with elders and youngsters who universally loved Americans but disliked our government. We humbly agreed.
The Cuban people are suffering because of our embargo, but they don't let it get them down. They have an amazingly positive spirit, and they have much to teach us about what's important in life. It seems that everyone in Cuba is a musician, a singer, a dancer, and/or an artist. The arts are revered by the people and supported by the government.
Much of the music we experienced on our tour has roots in Santeria, the traditional African religion that is an important part of Afro-Cuban culture. Cuban spirituality is a fascinating mixture of traditions from Voodoo to Catholicism with a dash of Marxism thrown in. Many supernatural stories and practices that might seem strange in the Pacific Northwest somehow seemed natural in the context of the Cuban culture.
The combination of the US embargo and Fidel's non-capitalist government makes for a country that seems lost in a time warp. People get around using bikes, horse carts, 50-year-old cars, and mostly their feet. If you need a taxi ride you might end up in an old Studebaker, a Coco Cab that looks like a cross between a golf cart and an Easter egg, a horse buggy, or a big covered tricycle with two passenger seats. Many of Havana's classic buildings from before the revolution are in a serious state of disrepair, but the city still feels like the tarnished jewel of the Caribbean, and the country is rapidly rebuilding the old city to prepare for the coming tourist boom.
The Cuban economy is the most complex and confusing we've ever experienced. The government provides free health care and (by most accounts) excellent education for everyone, although modern equipment and supplies are in short supply. A massive police force and a strict legal system make even the biggest cities seem safe in comparison to ours, but street scams are common in tourist districts. Most people have adequate food and shelter, but many have trouble paying for "luxuries" like new shoes. Everyone officially earns about $16 a month working for the state, but nobody can live on that, so everybody has side businesses, legal or otherwise. The dollar is revered as the currency of choice for luxury items like New Balance shoes or Benetton clothes. Many street vendors in the tourist district take home more money than doctors and lawyers do. But Fidel seems to have fairly broad support, and most people disdain the excesses of America's corporation-run capitalism. Still, things are changing rapidly, and it's hard to imagine how the Cuban culture can survive the steamrollers of corporate capitalism and world youth culture once the embargo is lifted.
The first two weeks we toured Western Cuba with a group of Americans and Canadians (and a couple of Cubans) in a big bus. The group travel experience was wonderful; it's hard to imagine a more compatible group of travellers. We stayed in Havana a week after the tour ended, and had a chance to get to know a few Cubans in their home environments. We felt a strong connection with these people, and look forward to future visits to their country. We'd like to play host to some of our Cuban friends if our government would let them cross our borders.
For me, the low point of the trip was, ironically, our experience with the overzealous US Customs official when we tried to board our plane from Canada to "the land of the free." Even though our Cuban trip was licensed and legal, we were harassed for several minutes by Mr. Perez, who even asked if we were carrying any writings by Fidel or other communists. He finally relented and let us catch our flight home, but I'm confident that our travels in "enemy" territory have been duly noted by the Ashcroft army.
After spending three weeks in Cuba, I can't imagine that US lawmakers really believe that the embargo and travel restrictions are serving any purpose besides appeasing the Miami Mafia, which still resents losing its Havana playground two generations ago. The embargo may win a few Florida votes and campaign contributions for politicians, but it doesn't further any rational foreign policy.
One of the performers we saw on our trip won a Grammy Award in 2002. Citing terrorism concerns, the US Government wouldn't let him attend the ceremony. Happily, our tour leader was able to deliver the award to him. I'm convinced that the people of Cuba and the people of the US will find ways of communicating with each other regardless of what their governments do. Still, I plan to let my elected officials know that I think it's time for a change in our failed policy toward Cuba.
--George Beekman, January, 2003
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