Creager is with the group of the first American tourists on a new
"people-to-people" cultural tour that started August 11. Except for a
brief window 2000-2003, it is the first time in 50 years the average
American can travel to Cuba.
HAVANA -- Someone please tell my family that my gift to them will be
photos, postcards and the smell of Cohiba smoke on my clothes.
That's because the hardest part for American tourists here in Havana is
the shopping – or more accurately, the lack of shopping.
Because of Cuba's hard times and policies, there is little to buy and
almost no stores. But even when there are things to buy, Americans can't
buy them.
According to the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba, we cannot bring back rum,
cigars, handicrafts, jewelry, revolution-chic items or virtually
anything else. In fact, the only things we can bring back are literature
and certain original artwork.
So my only souvenirs so far are three postcards and the "HAV" paper
luggage tag the airline attached to my checked bag,
Last night at the San Carlos de la Cabana fortress, we saw lots of
souvenirs – bracelets, bags, carvings, wooden boxes, dolls and other
gifts. We lingered, looked, then came back to the hotel empty-handed.
Why is this rule in place? It gives me a headache thinking about it, but
it is part of the prohibition on Americans spending money in Cuba.
Americans also cannot use any credit card or debit card in Cuba because
U.S. companies are prohibited from processing transactions from Cuba.
The point is to prevent American money from benefitting the Castro
government.
So, it's cash only. We brought cash, but there is nothing to spend it
on. Well, that is not exactly true. I don't smoke cigars, but some in
our group have been spending their Cuban currency ($1 buys .87 CUCs) on
Cohiba Robusto cigars. They are smoking them on the back veranda of the
Hotel Nacional on humid Havana nights.
Others have spent a little cash on jazz clubs and evening floor shows or
on mojitos or Cuban beer when they get a spare second in our packed
cultural tour schedule.
And did I mention that Carnaval is going on in Havana while we are here?
It is 7 nights of parades on the Malacon – the seaside road of the city.
We can see the whole thing from the hotel. Many in our group, after a
long day of museums, tours and walking, have gone down to mingle with
the masses, getting some genuine people-to-people interaction.
Tomorrow, I head out of Havana for Pinar del Rio, in the beautiful
western part of Cuba. Some of the travelers will go to colonial
Trinidad, while a third group will visit musicians in the eastern part
of Cuba. All the trips – involving about 30 people total -- are
sponsored by Insight Cuba, the American company running the very first
tours here this month.
Please tell my boss her present from me when I get back will be a piece
of very nice lint from Hotel Nacional.
No comments:
Post a Comment