Anyone else visited Cuba?
I had the chance to go on an a cruise out of Tampa. Docked at 8am and had to be back on board by 1:30 am. It was one of those experiences that will definitely stay with me. The first impression from walking off the ship was of traveling back in time to the 60's. Almost every car was some kind of 50's model car. The architecture and condition of the buildings set the scene. We took a classic car tour in a convertible around the city. The people were friendly. I had filled a back pack with small toys like hot wheel cars, frisbees and inflatable beach balls. I had read that some children may have one toy. The reaction we got handing out the items were priceless. The $1 hot wheels car could have been the latest Xbox by the look on their face and appreciation. I didn't realize that I'd have to demonstrate a frisbee as many had never seen one. Or explain to an adult about the beach ball and how to inflate it. Things I hadn't really thought about. And as we walked the city, and people saw us hand out things to children, some would approach and instead of asking for money, would ask if we had any gum, or soap or shampoo. Truly a humbling experience. While we were told the salary for a Doctor is about $30 a month and a regular worker $16, people seemed happy, and took pride in their heritage. I definitely recommend it.
"Seemed" is the right word. I know many Cubans, some in my own family. People in Cuba aren't happy, unless they're in the top level military and government.
"In 1959, the Cuban Revolution unleashed the largest refugee flow to the United States in history, with approximately 1.4 million people fleeing the island after the toppling of dictator Fulgencio Batista by Fidel Castro’s guerrilla fighters. Since then, Cuba has remained one of the top migrant-sending nations to its northern neighbor, and the Cuban exodus has been oriented primarily toward the mainland United States. In addition, at least 300,000 Cubans have relocated to Spain, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico, and other Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as Canada and European nations such as Germany, Italy, and France."
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/cuban-migration-postrevolution-exodus-ebbs-and-flowsVery nice of you to come bearing gifts for them. You are lucky you weren't harassed by the local police for doing that, "espia Americano repartiendo propaganda Capitalista."
