Cuban Elder Lady

She was sweet as can be but I couldn't understand anything she said! But there are universal gestures to indicate acceptance and a smile will get you a long way :)

We had a fascinating meeting in the morning with Havana's historian, who walked us through the rather amazing history of the city. There would be much to relay on that topic but it would take me the rest of the evening. Suffice it to say it's a perfect example of the rise and fall of yet another great culture…

In the afternoon, we had a chance to visit Havana's ballet school and get a demo of their 'fusion dances' from several groups of students. The school's pros (who are also the teachers) tour worldwide and I can certainly understand their success. If you ever have a chance at catching them, please do: it'll be a treat.

In the evening, we met with Reuter's correspondent in Cuba. He's been here for many years and is married to a Cuban. We had a wide ranging and quite frank discussion with him about the changes in the offing and the prospects for Cuba. I had a chance to have a sideline conversation with him which was super. Again, so much to tell… Here are a quick few facts:

- the average monthly salary is $25/month; a brain surgeon makes $50/month.
- a can of paint costs $75
- each day, 5 buildings collapse or crumble from disrepair in Havana
- in the most recent floods, the city lost over 200 buildings
- Cuba's main export is services: they send doctors and engineers abroad (usually to Latin American countries)
- Cuba sent its agriculturalists to Vietnam when it was communist and taught it to grow coffee. Today, Cuba imports the majority of its coffee from Vietnam…
- Equality is pushed to the extreme: people can own their own apartments but no-one owns the entire building. As a result of this, no-one feels responsible for the upkeep of the building which results in things such as buying 18 individual hot water heaters instead of one for the building…

Tomorrow, a visit to a clinic and to Cuba's medical school before visiting Hemmingway's haunt in Havana, catching some typical Cuban tunes, and finishing off with a private dinner.

Again my thanks for your comments! :)