Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Homeward bound......




It was an eye-opening trip. I’ve never visited a communist country before. We really got to see ALL of Cuba. By that I mean not just the nice things but the poverty, horrible conditions and decay. I must say though the people looked well feed and clothed. Their internet access is very limited and not accessible to the average person. Google and other sites were blocked and I could only get web-based mail. They are literally an island; not connected to the outside world. It’s like Cuba is frozen in time. It’s strange to see all the cars from the 1950s. Because the U.S. doesn’t have any trade relations with Cuba, they do not take any credit cards, only cash. Canadian dollars are preferred over American dollars. There’s a 10% fee to change American dollars into the Cuban currency (C.U.C.s). A tentative relationship is beginning to open up with these people-to-people cultural exchanges. I hope that we open trade relations with Cuba because it will benefit the local people and they sure need it. Jay was waiting for me at the airport. I was very happy to see him!!! I think he liked his new hat.......