The Difference Between Being a Tourist and a Cuban Citizen in Cuba

The purpose of this article is to update the information of those who are interested about Cuba correctly, which has recently become a very popular destination in the world and in our country, and is changing, accompanied by claims such as it will return to capitalism. Many writers and bloggers have written articles about Cuba. There are things that are true and things that are not known…

I have been to Cuba 4 times. I have made friends there during these trips. I have taken basic Spanish lessons at Cervantes and I have improved my Spanish by constantly practicing with my Cuban friends and this has helped me a lot in understanding the Cuban people better. Because there are very few people who speak English in the country. During my trips to Cuba, I stayed at the homes of my friend and his family for periods of 1-2 months and had the opportunity to live like a real Cuban.

I lined up with my friend's report card to receive the free food distributed by the state every month, I traveled on municipal buses and trucks, I carried the leftovers collected at home to give to the neighbor's pigs, I joined their lively conversations and domino games under the streetlights. During this time, I made serious observations on important issues such as family structure, human behavior and relationships, and the realities of the country, and as someone who lived with them, I felt the need to write such an article. For 4 years, I have been living with their customs and traditions, almost like a half-Cuban.

Being a Tourist in Cuba / Visiting as a Tourist

I first went to Cuba, the country of my dreams, as a tourist in 2012 on a photography tour. We went to different cities and took photos as part of a 10-day tour program. First of all, it is necessary to make this determination; being a tourist in Cuba is one thing, living as a Cuban is something completely different.

Those who are going to Cuba for the first time to travel, when they do a little research on the internet and read blog posts, the general picture is as follows; old American cars are everywhere, people are playing live music in the streets, dancers, beautiful girls, cigars, rum, historical colonial buildings, everything is beautiful. Is all this wrong? Of course not. This is the view that almost all tourists encounter. But this is one side of the coin you are looking at.

You can buy a tour from a tour company for an average of 2000-2500 Euros for a trip to Cuba. The local tour company meets you at the airport and you get on air-conditioned buses and go to your hotel, which is considered very luxurious for Cubans and which no Cuban will ever go to in their life. The hotels are generally all-inclusive. The meals at the hotel are open buffet meat, chicken, fish, vegetables, fruits, desserts and drinks. Although the furniture in the rooms is a bit old, there are clean towels, sheets and everything you need. You can find similar comfort in many houses rented for accommodation under state supervision. Especially in the houses in Miramar and its surroundings.

You start your Cuban adventure with a Havana city tour with classic American cars, and your trip continues in cities like Pinar Del Rio, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Santa Clara, Varadero. You have lunch in touristic cafes or restaurants, take lots of photos, buy souvenirs, rum, cigars, etc., do the classic left fist in the air pose in Revolution Square, those who want to do salsa and Latin dances in music clubs at night, and then you finish a week and are transferred to the airport with air-conditioned buses again, and a Cuba tour ends where you have lived every moment to the fullest and everything looks beautiful to your eyes.

You start your Cuban adventure with a Havana city tour with classic American cars, and your trip continues in cities like Pinar Del Rio, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Santa Clara, Varadero. You have lunch in touristic cafes or restaurants, take lots of photos, buy souvenirs, rum, cigars, etc., do the classic left fist in the air pose in Revolution Square, those who want to do salsa and Latin dances in music clubs at night, and then you finish a week and are transferred to the airport with air-conditioned buses again, and a Cuba tour ends where you have lived every moment to the fullest and everything looks beautiful to your eyes.

After this short tourist summary, let's look at real life information about how Cubans live, what they do, education, health, culture, art, living standards. Let's try to get to know this mysterious country together...

First of all, it should be noted that the heavy American embargo imposed on the country is still ongoing. Obama came and went this year, but there has not been much progress. Among the countries affiliated with the United Nations, there is no country that supports the embargo, except for the USA and Israel. Economic development is slow due to the embargo.

The leader of the Cuban revolution is Fidel Castro, but you rarely see large Castro posters or statues in Cuba. There are no pictures of Castro on the peso currency used by Cuban citizens, or on the CUC currency used by tourists. You see posters and objects of revolutionary commanders such as Che Guevera and Camillo everywhere.

Che Guevera has been and continues to be an important symbol of struggle and revolution for Cubans and many people. Fidel Castro's influence on this is great. After the revolution, it is thought that a symbol is needed to introduce the Socialist revolution to the whole world and ensure its permanence. In this sense, Che is someone who can be considered charismatic, handsome and has made great contributions to the revolution. Similarly, there are other commanders like Camilo. However, the biggest feature that distinguishes Che from them is that, despite being a citizen of another country (Argentine), he fought for the people, for equality and freedom on behalf of another country and put his life on the line for this cause. This behavior has been adopted as a symbol of socialism and revolution for the people of many countries in the world, especially in Latin American countries. Although nearly 60 years have passed since the Cuban revolution, it has become a symbol of struggle for many people who have adopted a socialist view and for public demonstrations in many countries from Africa to Europe. Almost every tourist who comes to Cuba definitely sees Buys a product with a Che image or symbol.

After Che, the most loved foreigner in Cuba is the recently deceased former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. He is loved by everyone in the country. There are posters of him in many homes and on some streets. He has helped Cuba a lot. He has given oil, built roads and helped the country, which was under embargo, breathe new life. In return for these services, Cuba has supported Venezuela by sending doctors and providing training in health services.

Cubans like to live calmly and slowly. You don’t see people running around in a rush. Some of our famous writers have written many articles about what is and is not in Cuba. There are some that are right and some that are wrong. Most Cubans want to live in better conditions. The general opinion is as follows; Basic needs such as education, health, housing should be free like in the socialist state, but there should also be internet, shopping malls, illuminated and colorful streets. However, unfortunately, such a form of government has not yet been formed in the world. In many countries of the world, if you have money, you can have everything, but if you don’t have money and social security, you will be miserable. In Cuba, even if you don’t have money, your child will receive a good education, you won’t be left on the streets, and most importantly, all your treatment and medicine expenses will be covered free of charge. It is not known whether Cuba will find a way, but if it does, it will be wonderful…

Education System in Cuba

Education begins at preschool age. If both parents are working, when the child reaches the age of 3, they are sent to state schools called CIRCULO INFANTIL. Families send their children to this school 5 days a week from morning to evening. Here, under the supervision of expert teachers, basic information and behaviors such as eating, toileting, getting along with friends, numbers, colors, etc. are taught. Children play games during playtime, eat lunch at school, and always take a 1-hour nap after dinner. Only children whose mother and father are working attend this school until the age of 6, which is completely free. If one of the mothers or fathers is not working, children start primary school at the age of 6.

Primary Education (Escuela Primera) Ages 6-12

There are two types of schools in primary education. The educational programs and curriculum are the same. However, they are divided into two according to whether both parents work or only one of them works.

Escuela Seminternado

Escuela Primeria

If one of the parents is not working and is at home, the children of such families attend this school. There are two groups in this school: morning and afternoon students. Morning students go to school between 08:00 and 12:30, and afternoon students go to school between 13:00 and 17:00. There is no lunch or sleep in this school. Children eat their meals at home.

In primary education, education lasts 6 years in both types of schools. All school supplies such as children's uniforms, notebooks, books and pencils are provided by the state.

High School (Escuela Secundario) Between 13-15 Years

After primary school, high school education begins. There are two groups in high school: morning and afternoon. All school supplies of the students are provided free of charge by the state. Every child in Cuba must attend primary and high school. After high school, a child who does not want to attend can stop their education. Also, no child can be employed as a laborer until they finish high school. There is no child labor in Cuba.

Pre-University Education (Pre Univercidad) Ages 15-18

After high school, children who want to continue to university attend this school. Education here lasts for 3 years. The grade point average of each year is calculated, and a university exam is held at the end of the 3 years. The student is placed in university according to the 3-year grade point average and the score they receive from the university exam. Students can make 6 different choices. However, the state decides how many students will be accepted to which department each year. The required number for each department is determined according to the state's needs, and the students with the highest grades and the best scores in the exam are placed in the relevant departments. The state announces how many students will be accepted to which departments by making announcements on the boards in the schools.

Students placed in a university must go to the university closest to their place of residence. Students who are 4 hours or more away from home can study at these schools as boarders. All student needs at the university are met free of charge by the state.

Military Service in Cuba

In Cuba, all men who are healthy and not disabled or ill are required to do compulsory military service. Those who are accepted to university must do military service for 1 year before going to university, and those who do not go to university must do military service for 2 years.

Work and Wages in Cuba

In Cuba, almost everyone works for the state. Almost everyone who wants to work has a job opportunity. However, in recent years, due to the excess employment and the weakening of the state's economic power, there has been a small number of unemployed people. The lowest wage in Cuba is 10-12 Euros. This is generally valid for those working in unskilled jobs. Lawyers earn an average monthly wage of 15 Euros, engineers 15 Euros. Doctors earn the highest wage, which is around 40-45 Euros. If people want to find capital and start a business for themselves, for example if they want to run a cafe or restaurant, this is possible, but they have to give half of their earnings to the state.

The wages are quite low for us. But people somehow manage to get by. In Cuba, the state distributes free food to its citizens every month. With a ration card called COMIDA LIBRETA, 1 month's worth of food is distributed free of charge to each person in the family. What is given with this ration card? For each person: Rice, 1 kg; Liquid oil, 1/2 liter; Beans, 1/2 kg; Coffee, 1 package (about 300 gr); Sugar, 1 kilo; Salt, 1 package; Matches, 2 boxes; Pasta, 1 package (1/2 kg); Toothpaste, 1 tube. Also, 1 kg of chicken is given every 2 months. Contrary to what is written, meat is not given.

For Cubans, the cost of many things is quite low compared to us. If we look at the average monthly expenses; electricity costs between 2.5-4 Euros per month. If there is air conditioning and electrical appliances at home, it can go up to 4 Euros. Water is cheap, around 0.25 Euros per month. If there is a landline at home, it costs 1-2 Euros for local calls, and up to 8 Euros for long-distance calls. In other words, it is a reasonable price if you don't talk too much. Natural gas is only available in Havana, other cities use bottled gas and electricity.

There are markets selling food, drinks, etc., but most of them do not have fully stocked shelves. Since almost everything is imported, many things are too expensive for most Cubans to afford. People generally prefer small neighborhood markets set up in open areas. In fact, many things are sold on the streets by street vendors.

It is forbidden to slaughter large animals such as cows and calves in the country and is punishable by imprisonment. Only the state can slaughter them. There is no such restriction on lambs and chickens. Beef is sold illegally, some people steal animals from farms and slaughter them and sell them. The price of a kilo of beef sold this way is 2 Euros. The price of a kilo of lamb is 1.5 Euros, and the price of a kilo of chicken is around 2 Euros.

Although Cuba is an island state in the ocean, fish is very expensive. Most people cannot eat it, fishing is prohibited because of the fear that people will escape on boats. Only the state can hunt and it exports it to other countries. The most preferred meat by the people is pork. It costs 1.5 Euros per kilo. The people can also raise it and sell it.

Transportation

Cubans generally use public buses for city transportation. Tickets are very cheap, around 10 cents. Minibuses are around 50 cents. Taxi-dolmuşes, which use old American cars, are a bit expensive. In many cities, horse-drawn carriages are used as public transportation. In Havana, there are also coco taxis and single-person bicycles.