Cubans have spirit but they need money

Cubans have spirit but they need money
Saturday - Dec. 12, 2015
By Carl Hiaasen
Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, 9:00 p.m.

HAVANA

In the oldest part of the city, near the famed Parque Central, stands a
building that's being restored from top to bottom.

The project has been underway a long time. It might have began before
the last time I was here 21 years ago.

One can only guess the height of the building because it's been
swallowed by vines that obscure all the scaffolds. From blocks away, it
looks like a masterpiece of topiary.

Much of Cuba is like this — exotic and deceptive at a distance. Some
things change. Some things remain stuck in a time warp.

American tourists are here now, practically everywhere you go. They are
enchanted and sobered by what they see. They're coming in droves.
Thousands upon thousands of Cuban Americans make the trip to visit family.

The hotels in Havana are packed. Every charter flight from the states is
full. This is new and revolutionary.

It's never been better to be a taxi driver with a '52 Chevy, because
Americans are suckers for old American cars. The one I took to Morro
Castle was powered by its original inline-six engine, a point of pride
for the driver. (Some of the Detroit classics here have been refitted
with dubious Russian parts.)

Two decades ago, it was hard to find anybody who was optimistic about
the future. The economy was a wreck and Fidel Castro had declared a
"special" time of sacrifice for the people.

Roadblocks were erected to prevent farmers from taking their vegetables
to the city and selling them on the streets. One night, my friend and I
were stopped and our car was searched by soldiers.

Things have improved a little. Raul Castro is allowing some private
enterprise — restaurants and room rentals, for example. A tobacco farmer
told me 80 percent of his family's crop goes to the government and the
rest is his to sell.

Most people seem relieved that President Obama wants to normalize
diplomatic relations and are happy the American flag is on display again
after half a century.

The main complaint is that change isn't happening fast enough in Cuba, a
place where nothing happens fast.

"Only when Raul and Fidel are gone," one man asserted.

Basics are strictly rationed (each person gets five eggs per month) and
the pay remains shockingly low. One man talked about his sister, a
cardiologist earning the equivalent of $35 a month.

She left for Colombia. He said he'll probably go, too.

Because of the tips, the best jobs in Havana are in tourism. An
engineer, 43, recently quit his job to drive a taxi. A machine worker
who made auto parts did the same thing. He shares a small house with a
grown daughter and five grandchildren.

Parks where the government has opened Internet cafes are packed with
people willing to pay $2 an hour for limited Web access. The median
monthly salary in Cuba is only about $20.

Cuba cannot rebuild without American trade, and even then the effort
would take many years and many billions of dollars. There's simply no
money here.

What exists in abundance is a spirit as magnetic as the architecture and
landscape. Americans are streaming to the island because it's a place
with a truly beautiful soul. You understand why those who leave feel
they have no choice and you understand why the others stay. Havana
creaks and coughs, yet still casts a spell.

Some things will never change. Some things shouldn't.

Carl Hiaasen is a columnist for The Miami Herald.

Source: Cubans have spirit but they need money | TribLIVE -
http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/9584342-74/american-cuba-havana#axzz3uCq9WS5a