The 2 weeks that I spent with one of my friends in Cuba made quite the impression on me. I have never visited a place like it: a communist regime on a tropical island, stuck in a time-warp. On the one hand it is paradise, on the other a prison. From picture-perfect beaches, cheap cocktails and salsa parties to empty supermarkets and broken buildings. Get ready for my 5 observations on Cuba!

#1 Strut Your Stuff

Is cellulite something to hide? Should love handles be covered? Does it look better to hold your tummy in? The answer in Cuba is definitely ‘no’. Women are anything but shy when it comes to showing their bodies. They flaunt their curves. I have seen many women walking around in very tight and super revealing clothes – without coming close to a size zero. Let us say they do not leave much to the imagination.

Maybe it is the absence of western advertisements, magazines and media… Women in Cuba do not seem to care one bit about European or North American beauty standards. Whereas I am used to seeing pictures of skinny and photoshopped models, they are not exposed to any of this. Maybe they are even better off with with a more realistic idea of what women actually look like.

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When I first saw the clothing style of the Cuban ladies, I was a bit shocked. After all, I come from a culture where women go to great lengths to resemble what they see on TV and Instagram. The better I got to know Cuba, the more I started to appreciate the female sense of style. I might dress differently myself, but I like the fact that the Cuban women do not hide their bodies or show any embarrassment about it. The rest of the world could use a dose of Cuban self-confidence! Women should be able to wear whatever they want. Regardless of other people’s opinions.

#2 Cuban Men

The Cuban men definitely deserve a mention in this blog post about my observations on Cuba as well. I have never seen people flirt so openly and bluntly. On my very first day in Havana someone made kissing sounds to me and yelled “Te amo!“. I was completely taken off guard by it. Walking down the streets of Cuba’s capital made my friend and me feel as if people were undressing us with their eyes.

Eventually you get used to everything. The same goes for dealing with Cuban men. After a while we got beyond the flirtatious facade, as we got to know the staff of our guesthouse and our dance teachers better. I learned for instance that Cuban men are really into shaving. Everything. But okay, all jokes aside: they are pretty chivalrous. Opening taxi doors, politely asking for a dance…

Cuban men also seem to know about the importance of verbal communication. Without any shame in their game they will tell you to your face how beautiful you are and how they like this or that about you. One quote I heard from a Cuban man actually says it all: “Why are European women always traveling alone to Cuba? Are their men blind or something?“ Ehm… apparently.

#3 The Simple Life

Between the communist regime and the US embargo it is no surprise that life in Cuba is not exactly easy. Let alone abundant. There is not a wide variety of products available and supermarkets can be found half empty. What is available does not exactly come cheap. It is crazy to think that the average monthly income in Cuba is about 25 euros, while the prices are almost the same as in Europe.

The country side of Cuba is filled with tobacco, sugarcane and coffee plantations. Those products are actually widely available – though most of them are meant for export. The Cuban diet consists of rice and beans (called ’mores y cristianos’), guava, banana, papaya, meat and fish. It is not an easy destination for vegans or vegetarians. Not just because food is not easy to come by. Also because given the poverty and restrictions of life in Cuba, I felt it would have been really inappropriate to play the part of the privileged European that wants ‘special’ food.

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Not having access to many products, means that people get by with what they have. Clothes, houses and cars get repaired endlessly. Of course this is a sign of the struggles the Cuban people face. However, I do think there is something to say for the way they are dealing with it. In Western capitalist societies people easily get rid of their belongings without thinking twice. We do not seem to have that much appreciation for the things we own anymore. Everything is disposable. Poor planet!

#4 Music & Dance

I am doing my best not to generalize, but it is simply a fact that many Cubans enjoy expressing themselves through music and dance. In the evenings you will see people taking their instruments out on the street to blast a few notes. Not caring if anyone will hear it, appreciate it or even pay them for it. The joy that music gives Cubans is contagious. They seem to enjoy it from the very core of their being.

Then there are the Cuban dance moves. An unmistakable part of my observations on Cuba! In Europe we hop a bit from the left to right to the beat of electronic music. The Cubans (together with the other Latin Americans) put us to shame. They actually know how to dance: salsa, bachata, merengue, kizomba… I like it. There is honestly something really charming about a man asking you for a dance.

That being said: you can take as many salsa classes as you like, but you might never get the Cuban swag. When I went out to dance with my teacher, I got lost every now and then. Losing the rhythm or being unsure about the steps. When I would ask him what to do, he just put his hand on his chest. “It comes from the heart”, he would say. I guess I do not have enough salsa in my heart yet…

#5 Less Internet

The last topic of this blog post about my observations on Cuba is probably no news to you: internet access is limited in Cuba. You can buy a prepaid card that allows you to go online for 1 hour. However, this card is no guarantee for a good connection. Guesthouses and hotels with WiFi are rare. Even if they do have it; you will still need a card. There are a few public government ‘hotspots‘ where you find people glued to their phones like zombies. Is this what we have come to?

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Yes, I know Cubans would probably like to use the internet the way the rest of the world does. For me as a tourist it was a very peaceful experience though. I only used my phone to take pictures and set an alarm in the morning. It made me realize that we do not need our phones that much at all. Not to mention the sense of calmness it gave me. I have never been more present during my travels.

The Lonely Planet describes Cuba as a time-warp. I have to agree with them on that. I got to travel in a way that I have never been able to do – unlike the past generations. No previous bookings on Airbnb, living day by day and picking a random guesthouse in a guide book in the hope that they will have a room available. The internet has changed the way we travel tremendously. I am very grateful to have been able to experience traveling without it in Cuba!

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