“Horses are used for everything…they do all the work that machines do for us in the United States. And they are used for everyday transportation.”
“We flew into Havana. It was beautiful in terms of
architecture and culture but also busy and smoggy,” Rose continues. After a few days in the city, the pair headed for a more rural location. Viñales is a small town on the western part of the island, known for its scenic beauty and traditional Cuban culture. There they stayed on a farm where they enjoyed delicious homegrown food and got to experience farm life in Cuba, which was very different from living on a farm in Oregon.
Cuban Food and Culture “The food in Cuba is just amazing,” Rose says, recount-
ing breakfasts of fresh-picked citrus fruit, coconut, guava, papaya and plantain, along with coffee ground from beans grown right on the farm. “There is literally no processed food available there so everything is fresh and organic. Pesticides are rarely used in Cuba. If available, they are extremely expensive. I gained eight pounds in a month!” She also learned about the Cuban food system, which
is very different from what we know in the United States. “Everyone has ration cards and different food is avail- able on different days. Beef is only for children and the sick. Cows are prized; the bulls are used in the fields and the heifers for milking, so the penalty for killing a cow is many years in prison,” Rose says. After the Cuban Revolution, which began in 1953 and ended in 1959, land was (and mostly remains) strictly controlled. Those who farm tobacco must sell 90 percent of their crops produced to the government at a reduced rate, Rose explains, while the remaining 10 percent allows for private enterprise. During her visit, she saw meat and vegetables sold on the street by the farmers-turned- vendors who produced them, offering them the chance to earn a little extra money. In a social system where every- one is paid the same salary, she continues, such opportu- nities were clearly important to the Cubans she met. “Everyone found ways to make extra pesos,” she says,
“small things that can increase their income.” She notes she saw few class distinctions and that
education and healthcare are provided to all citizens. She also learned that crime against tourists—who seemed welcome everywhere—was minimal. She was surprised to discover that Canadian currency
is prized above all others. This, she explains, is because the Canadian government continued to do business with Cuba when the U.S. cut ties to the island nation. “So the Canadian dollar is worth even more than the euro in Cuba,” she says. “U.S. dollars are penalized 20 percent, so don’t bring them to Cuba!” The Cuban currency is called the “CUC,” or Cuban convertible peso. Throughout their trip, Rose and her
24 July/August 2017
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