As an island girl...

...I always look for familiar things when I’m visiting other places in the world and I compare them to what we have in Samoa. With Cuba, being one huge island I found many similarities – they have many of the same flora and fauna; pineapples, mangoes, bananas, guavas, & plumeria to name a few and even the ginger flower or the teuila – our Samoan national flower. They also have a strong sense of family founded on a deep spirituality (surprisingly!) which is also at the core of Samoan society.

And that’s where the familiarity ends. Everything else, from its history to its people, to its music and its ideology is completely foreign to me. Their history is one of colonization just like ours, but it’s longer and more brutal with the sad element of slavery included. Their people, being a consequence of Spanish colonizers and African slaves is a huge melting pot of people. And oh my, they are a beautiful people I tell you. If you go anywhere in Cuba, there's way more mixing and mingling of ethnic groups than anywhere else in the world - at least in my opinion. There seems to be less discrimination and it was a nice sight to see, not to mention the men are really really really (yes really) handsome. Handsome, but alas not my type – they’re too unbridled slick for my liking…but I’ll give it to them - they know how to work it. After 10 days there, I thought I was the most beautiful woman in the world. They lavished attention on me, complimented me from my hair to my povi feet and gave me bedroom eyes everywhere I went. I can safely say that I don’t need a sperm bank if ever that is needed because Cuba is where many willing & drop dead gorgeous baby daddies await!! Although I admit, they’re probably more interested in my EU passport and my living in Switzerland because they must have a reason to leave the country, and a foreign wife is the perfect one… strange system I tell you!

And yes, as for their system and ideology, that was another eye opener. Cuba is the first (and hopefully not the last) socialist country I’ve visited and it shows everywhere you go. Well, no… let me correct that. The sanctions and embargo imposed by the US government shows. The decaying houses, the 40s and 50s cars still driving around are the more visible signs of the no-trade embargo imposed on them. They can only trade with a limited number of countries and this affects their development. But then, what is development really? A million billboards advertising one useless product after another? A McDonald’s restaurant at every corner? Fancy 5 star hotels which only greedy capitalists can afford and whose income only go back into other greedy capitalist pockets?

ANYWAY back on point – it was fascinating to see the advantages of being a socialist – free and excellent health care, education and social services and the security is top notch. As a solo female traveler I can walk around most places in safety - but then when you speak with the people, you also see why it doesn’t work – economically, they are hard up for everything and they’re allowed to say only so much…. And if you can’t hack it economically – that’s it. The system doesn’t work.

And what made me stop and think was the propaganda they had everywhere. There was no advertising whatsoever and all you saw were these slogans in big billboards scattered around the island. On one hand it was amusing to see slogans such as “More united and more combative: Defend socialism" or “The party or die winning!” but on the other it was a bit disturbing – because they’re drilling this message into people and not letting people decide for themselves.

It was very strange (for lack of a better word!) being there. I felt like I was at a point in time where history was JUST about to change. Cuba is on the verge of something major and I’m glad I was there before it happened. I gotta say I’m so happy to have made it to Cuba before Fidel Castro dies – I dunno, this guy is a legend and he’s seen it all and to be in the same country and pass his house knowing he’s there means something… at least to me! Did you know the CIA alone tried to assassinate him over 200 times in the last 50 years? Insane.
Oh and I went to the same church service as his brother Raoul, the current president – nowhere near as charismatic but he too is one for the history books. He is actually steering the country into this new phase of change and reform. I just hope when that change comes, they’ll be ready for it and will be able to discern what will work for them and their own future and stand strong against those wanting to make a quick buck at their expense!

Hmmm what else... yes, the music - oh wow. That was again something else. So free and pulsating and vibrant and full of life. I spent every night sitting outside sipping mojitos and listening to bands while fending off aggressive advances from horny Cuban men!.

There’s so much more I want to share but I think I'll continue with pictures and you can find pictures of Havana here. But hey, thanks for making it this far! LOL.