Hello from Cuba (9) - Havana Neighbourhoods
Hotel Havana Libre, Sunday, April 10, 2005, 12:30 pm
Yesterday morning I had arranged to meet one of the women
from the from the university, a very nice lady in her late
50s, who agreed to show me around the Vedado area and take
me through some local markets.
Beautiful Vedado.
Vedado is a beautiful residential neighbourhood with many
mansions and villas dating back maybe 80 to 100 years or so.
Before the revolution it was the neighbourhood where all the
doctors, lawyers and business people lived, most of whom emigrated
around the time of the
Revolution. (Business people and professionals were expropriated
as part of the Communist reorganization after the Revolution,
as a result hundreds of thousands emigrated to the US, where
there are substantial counter-revolutionary and Anti-Castro
sentiments. The emigration of thousands of professionals in
the early 60s apparently caused a real braindrain in the country).
We walked through the neighbourhood and visited local markets
where they sell fruits, vegetables and meat. We saw local
vegetables like yucca, malanga, boniato as well as fruits
such as frutabomba (papaya), pineapple, mamey, mangos and
others. Most of the meat that they sell in the markets is
pork, and there is no refrigeration at all in the markets,
although the meat is inspected by the government. It is forbidden
to sell beef because beef officially is only to be used for
milk production. Equally forbidden in local markets is seafood
like lobsters since it is destined for big hotels and exports
only, but we were approached by a couple of people who were
selling both lobster and beef "debajo de la mesa" - under
the table. This is one of the things in Cuba, many things
are forbidden, but there is usually a way of working around
it.
Market life in Vedado.
I was also taken to a special market hall where locals buy
food at certain allocated times on their ration card. Food
is still scarce in Cuba and every person receives a "libreta"which
allocates a certain quota of basic foods such as butter, eggs,
cooking oil, flower etc at very low prices. I was told that
the monthly ration is 8 eggs per person and that if you want
an extra carton of 30 eggs, they cost about $2 (CUC) (about
Can$2.50), which is equivalent to about 1/10 of a person's
monthly salary. No wonder everybody tries to set up a little
side business to obtain extra money, since survival in itself
takes a lot of energy.
Meat, without refrigeration.
We also saw a local neighbourhood repair place, where they
repair shoes with sowing machines that look like they are
100 years old. This is definitely a society where things are
reused, mended, fixed and recycled time and time again, and
it's actually very refreshing to see a different way of living
that contrasts so strongly with our modern way of living where
we buy stuff we don't need, just to throw it out later. Of
course, the recycling here is due to necessity, but it does
feel like there is a great appreciation for life here, not
just consumer goods, despite all the difficulties.
This 2-hour walk was a great way of getting to know a little
bit about the authentic Cuban lifestyle and some of the practical
ways that Cubans try to make do in their daily lives.
Interesting and useful books about Cuba:
Related Articles:
"My
Post-Cuba Reflections: Appreciation and Balance"
"Cuba
is Calling - Why I selected Cuba as my language study destination"
Hello from Cuba (1) -
First Impressions"
"Hello from Cuba (2) - Rain
in Vinales"
"Hello from Cuba (3) - Hiking
Vinales and Exploring Nature"
"Hello from Cuba (4) - Bureaucracy
Galore - The University of Havana"
"Hello from Cuba (5) - Another
Mind-Twisting Experience"
"Hello from Cuba (6) - The
Student Experience and Political Insights"
"Hello from Cuba (7) - Fun
and Recreation"
"Hello from Cuba (8) - Bicycle
Rides, Camellos and Cannon Shots"
"Hello from Cuba (9) - Havana
Neighbourhoods"
"Hello from Cuba (10) - A
Country Excursion"
"Hello from Cuba (11) - Inside
a Cuban Home"
"Hello from Cuba (12) - Contrasts
and Contradictions"
"Hello from Cuba (13) - Exploring
Downtown Havana"
"Hello from Cuba (14) - Field
Trips and Interviews"
"Hello from Cuba (15) - Getting
ready to say 'Goodbye, Havana'..."
"Hello from Cuba (16) - The
final day"