This past summer I had the opportunity to travel to a place where the people and food were amazing, the buildings and artwork outstanding, the weather hot and the politics, well interesting- this was Cuba. Arrival: 48 minutes. That’s how long it took for our group of excited students and chaperones to leave Miami and touch down in a place that has not been legally allowed to host Americans for over 50 years. As I stepped off the plane my heart pounded, I realized I was in Cuba. I was ready to explore, but first- Customs. Customs: Where is it? I reached in my left and right pockets only to feel a mint wrapper and a Chick-Fil-A receipt. I became more frantic. Then it hit me, my red sports bag and, in the middle pocket, my Visa. …show more content…
For appropriately 60 CUP ($71 after exchange fee) you receive a spacious room with marble like floors, two beds; a bathroom and shower (lukewarm); a TV in which every station is in Spanish, except for Forensic Files. Also, the hotel had a stunning outdoor pool, as well as, a breakfast buffet. Every morning I would find myself planning how much food I could eat. The Food: One of my favorite parts of traveling is the food. However, with most places having such a heavy American influence, original and good tasting food can be something hard to find. This was not the case in Cuba. Each meal at restaurants (which the average Cuban cannot afford) came with a drink, the house appetizers: black beans, rice, fried plantains, fresh fruit, salads, one entree of your choice and a dessert always served with a hot espresso. The Environment: I felt as though I was in the 1950’s as cherry red Thunderbirds and baby blue Chrysler's stormed by. (In Cuba the cars always have the right of way.) I remember street vendors, women, in big and colorful dresses asking if you wanted to take a picture with them (expecting 1 CUP or $1). I remember the tall 1940’s and 50’s era colorful buildings along the stone and wood streets. Cuba is something that simply has to be …show more content…
The average Joe had to either steal or get a side hustle to earn money. Being a communist government Cubans are provided with food and clothes. Secondly, capitalism is frowned upon. If one were to own a business it would have to be shared and overseen by the government. The government owns everything, from your house to the food you eat. Lastly, the treatment of the Cubans, especially those of the darker complexion: Cubans are banned from things that others were allowed to do. I remember when our group was ready to go scuba diving our tour guide was banned because she was Cuban. It was not until we bargained with the Scuba instructor was she finally allowed to come. Also, I remember going into a restaurant with a couple of people on the trip, when I entered, an employee shooed me away mistaking me for a Cuban. Although, he apologized, the incident really opened my eyes to what life in Cuba means for everyone. My trip to Cuba was truly life changing in that it gave me a different perspective on the world and how different people live. This was truly one of those trips you remember for
Cuba’s government is a totalitarian-socialist regime from a communist state. Fidel Castro is Cuba’s leader by default, but many Cuban’s dislike Castro’s ruling and cannot wait till the end of Castro’s rein. Castro also has his own army, which help him keep everything in order in and around the country. Fidel’s army is also known for brutal attacks on its citizens. Cuba’s religion is 85% Roman Catholic and many take their religion seriously.
Generations upon generations of people have been thriving in Spanish speaking countries. Cuba is no different, through traditional clothing and special holidays they always are in tune with the past. With flamboyant traditional attire, that rivals the suns bright color and Spring flowers, coupled with fun to watch free flowing up beat music like Guaguancó or Pachanga, the Cuban culture is very exciting. In order to start to describe my family ties with Cuba, I will use an analogy: With every spin of a vibrant dress it seems as if the hands of time slowly turn back time. As the clock goes back so does my family history. In the early 1920's my great grandmother and her family made the trip from Spain to Cuba. Ever since then my family has had bearings
Cuba has been the source of controversy for decades. Between events such as the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s and the country’s ongoing Communist dictatorship, this island nation has not always been thought of as an appealing place to visit. However, Cuba’s physical and human geography, especially when coupled with the lifting of the US embargo, give it the potential to be a prime tourism destination.
Among my international experiences, I especially value the two-month study abroad in Spain. I chose to go there because of my interest in Spanish language and culture that was originally developed through a four-week Spanish beginner workshop during the summer break prior to my study abroad trip. In Spain, I lived mainly in Salamanca, a small old city in northwestern Spain, which was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thanks to my parents, who had the confidence and trust to let me go
The Cuban culture has many interesting behaviors and ways as any other culture. To other cultures, their way of being and living may seem strange but it is the way that differentiates them from other cultures. There were many aspects within the Cuban culture that were interesting and unique to me being from another culture.
The common cuban-american tradition of diners, lingering for hours followed by nostalgic storytelling of life back in cuba, have always intrigued me. Having never traveled to cuba,
It also says that shops will have a large range of products, however there are still large shortages of food. Rations are sometimes not even guaranteed to be delivered and if they are they will be very late. In 1991 the grain supply to Cuba from the Soviet Union since it collapsed which also caused the cattle to not be able to be fed. Since they could not feed the cattle all of the products and bi-products were very rare like the milk, beef, and eggs and chicken. Since a lot of the fuel was in a shortage the crops had to be harvested by people which made the production of food slow to crawl. They have improved the production but the shortage is still very common and no they are starting to resort to non-rationed stores and even the black market. The actual food/cuisines of Cuba come from many cultures like the Spanish, Africans and Caribbean, One very small part but slight influence is from the Chinese also. Some of the most popular foods include varieties of meat and rice with black beans. The traditional type of Cuban food can also be called criollo. Some of the most common spices and seasonings used are things like garlic and onion and common ingredients are things like lettuce, pork, eggs and tomatoes and more. One product of Cuba is also Coffee which is normally sold to other places and the coffee that Cubans normally drink are from places like
My experiences with Cuba are divided into two segments of my life. The first segment was during my eight years of living in Boca Raton, FL which I will refer to the first as the “tangible” segment. The second segment was during my time living in Washington, D.C. prior to Colgate and post Florida. This second stage will be referred to as “information” segment. My reasoning behind these names relates to the ways I experienced Cuban culture at that given period. During my stay in Florida, I was able to see, hear, touch, eat, and experience Cuban culture first hand. While in Washington, D.C., this changed as most of my knowledge based around Cuban culture was taken from movies, video-games, or my general thirst for knowledge from the internet.
What does it mean to be in control of people? Do you only control them by the laws? Or do you go out of your way and control every aspect of their lives? A totalitarian government works this way, they allow no one to have freedom. Freedom is considered nothing to people within these governments, they know nothing about it and usually will never.
Cuba is a country located in the Northern Caribbean. It is south of the United States and the Bahamas. Cuba is very diverse and is considered to be multiethnic. The population is approximately 11.2 million people. A few of Cuba’s natural resources are beans, coffee, sugar, tobacco, fish and fruit. The history of Cuba is very interesting due to the one party system and the wars and actions under the leadership of Fidel Castro. The United States imposed an embargo on Cuba in October 1960. This was the beginning of one of the longest sanctions against a county. Currently the U. S. has relaxed some of the restrictions for travel and in 2016 the government allowed two Americans to build a factory in Cuba.
One of the most interesting and exciting places I have had the pleasure of visiting was the Island of Puerto Rico. Getting on the plane and arriving on the island was the easy part, but learning to navigate the island and getting reliable transportation was a whole other ball game.
According to CNN’s Will Ripley, Cuba’s crumbling infrastructures don’t seem to be ready to welcome a surge of tourist; as there has already been a shortage of hotel and other accommodation. There are also some other noteworthy tips to remember if you are considering to travel to Cuba soon. Including the unconventional Cuban convertible peso currency for foreigners and tremendous tax slapped on U.S. dollars. For details, have a look of the video:
Cuba, quite a large island nation in the Caribbean known for their cigars, beautiful beaches, and rum. In fact according to an article on info please with a research on Cuba, the country is in fact “the largest island of that of the West Indies group.” The climate in Cuba is one of semitropical, except for deep in the mountain range area. Most of the fCuban land is flat but also has the areas around the country that are filled with hills and mountains of limestone and other various rocks. The capital of Cuba is Havana and behind that 59 other city’s reside out all around the vast country of Cuba. Cuba is also split into 15 different provinces, with the last modification of the provinces approved in 2010.
The majority of people living in Cuba were of African and Spanish ancestry. They lived in high rise apartment buildings. Their diet consisted of rice, and it was usually served with beans and/or mixed with tomatoes. Many Cuban foods are spicy.
The story of Cuba is a very interesting one. Most are familiar with it as a small island in the Caribbean. Those who have not been completely negligent over the last half a century have probably also heard the names Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara. These two men were very pivotal players in the history of Cuba and its revolution. Literary and cinematic reenactments are a great method for providing historical knowledge. However, they can be heavily biased and much of the factual evidence can be “silenced” throughout the films and novels. Cuba has always been a region of great interest due to its location in the Caribbean Sea. The nation resisted capitalism for over forty-five years and aside from North Korea, is the last to be