Day 5 – April 2, Santiago de Cuba

 Yesterday was a full day touring Santiago de Cuba.  Hard to know how to start or what to say about it, but our initial thought is we felt for the first time in all of the many countries we have visited like the “Ugly American.” We had to wonder how everyone could be so nice to us. This trip is billed as a “people to people” exchange, but we are learning it is our money to the Cuban people exchange, however we can’t blame them. The poverty is so evident everywhere one looks. Santiago is a city of a million people yet there is not one stop light in the entire city; lots of horse and buggies, bicycles and a few motorcycles.  Of course you see the old cars, but they are a business for the people, not a means of transportation for the locals. The horses are in terrible condition, but so are the buggies.

    Our guide was very interesting. He explained much of the Cuban life under communism. Education is free for all, and if one does not attend school until ninth grade, the police pick you up. After ninth grade you have a choice whether to continue school or not, but if you don’t work, the police pick you up. Everyone must do something.  Men and women after high school must serve in the military for one year. If they can pass an academic test at the end of the year, they may leave the military and attend university. If they do not pass the academic test, they must stay in the military for three years and then work at a job chosen for them by the government.  Much better to go to university because then you have more choices job wise. Most Cubans never travel more than fifteen minutes from home. The schools are close; the job chosen for you is also close. Your food and water is rationed.

     A brief Cuban history: Santiago was the Spanish village in Cuba founded by the Spanish conquistador, Velazquez de Cuellar on July 25, 1515.  We toured Castillo San Pedro de las Roca, locally known as El Morro Castle. It sits at the entrance to the bay. It was originally built in 1590, destroyed, and then rebuilt in 1638. That time it was built on four different levels of rock taking 62 years to complete. After Cuba gained its independence from Spain, the fort was used to protect the bay from pirates.

     Cespedes in 1868 was a Cuban farmer who first led the War for independence from Spain by setting his slaves free so they could support the Cuban side.  Antonia Maceo Grajales was a black general who was a ferocious Cuban leader from 1869. He was wounded numerous times but just kept fighting on. There is a marvelous statue to him on his horse. The horse has two feet in the air symbolizing the fact that Antonia finally was killed in battle. On a statue, if the horse has one foot up, the person was wounded in battle and if the horse has all four feet on the ground the person died of old age.   

    We also visited San Juan Hill, the decisive battle of the Spanish, American, and Cuban War with good ole Teddy Roosevelt 1898. We learned Roosevelt was not the first one up the hill. He just had more money to write the story. However, the battle paved the way to Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. Also he did not charge up on horseback as depicted in paintings. By that time the Cubans were starving, so there were very few horses left. They did find one horse, pathetic looking as it was, and Teddy had his picture taken on that horse.

       We also visited Santa Ifigenia Cemetery where Jose Marti is buried. He is considered a Cuban national hero in Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain because of his writings. We saw the changing of the guard where they put on quite a show, goose stepping and all. Goose stepping comes from Russia and is most associated with Nazi Germany. It was designed to keep troops disciplined as they marched. Fidel Castro’s grave is also there, but the guards are not for him but for Jose Marti and two other national heros. Fidel’s tomb is a huge rock in the shape of a kernel of corn with simply his name Fidel on a plaque. Nothing else is written on it, not even his dates. The tomb design is Fidel’s own choice.

     Then we had lunch at a local Paladar. A Paladar is a restaurant that is not owned by the government. This started during what Cubans call the Special Period although there is nothing “special” about it.  When Fidel took over, he tried for American support, but we know that didn’t happen so he went to the Soviet Union. That worked well for Cuba until the Soviet Union collapsed, hence the “special period” commenced. People were once again literally starving to death. Some restrictions were loosened and if people could start their own business, good for them. Hence, the personally owned restaurants known as Paladars opened. At lunch, served family style, we had salad, rice and beans, chicken, pork, small lobsters, veggies all delicious and flan for dessert topped off with a shot of rum. Now the crime in our delicious lunch experience is that if a local were to purchase it, the cost would be about $30 per person with the drinks. Keep in mind that is about a month’s salary for even the best paying of jobs.

 “Imagination is a poor substitute for experience.” – Havelock Ellis

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Tom and Holly