Cuba & the Winds of Change: A Bend Family’s Journey Through History

(Photo above: The Rosell Family in Cuba – March 2015 | Photo by Jill Rosell Photography)

In 1959, Fidel Castro spoke to the American Society of Travel Agents convention, held in Havana, Cuba. He stated: “We have sea, we have bays, we have beautiful beaches, we have medicinal waters in our hotels, we have mountains, we have game and we have fish in the sea and the rivers, and we have sun. Our people are noble, hospitable and most important, they hate no one. They love visitors, so much so in fact that our visitors feel completely at home.”

Not much has changed except for the decades of neglect, and the damaging effects of isolation from the rest of the world.

My family and I recently spent a couple of weeks experiencing this beautiful island country. Our intent was to beat McDonald’s and the influx of infinite American tourists that will arrive once the economic ban is officially lifted. Another objective was to share a true third world experience with our children so they could better appreciate the lifestyle we have back here in Central Oregon.

Our two week journey started in the capital of Havana. We then visited the verdant tobacco fields of the Viñales Valley – home of the world’s finest cigars. From there we dodged enormous potholes and cows on the empty roads on route to the pleasant colonial towns of Cienfuegos and Trinidad. A couple days before we left for home we took a vacation from our journey on the idyllic, palm fringed beaches of Varadero whose talcum powder-like sand and water clarity are unsurpassed.

We stayed each night in the home of a Cuban family, learning their customs and way of life. This was certainly an experience we will never forget. Although the bed springs spoke to us all night, the showers were cold and toilet seats were often missing their homes were tidy and exuded a warmth that welcomed us. My wife, Jill, captured the amazing culture through the lens of her camera.

Havana has a flavor all its own with an unmistakable aroma of tropical fruit, tobacco leaves and rum mixed with fumes from belching buses, rotten garbage and broken sewer pipes. This historical city is enchanting and yet disheartening as decades of neglect, grime and humidity have lead to mildewed walls of chipped cement and collapsing balconies. These once magnificent buildings now face decay of irrevocable damage.

Just strolling down the cobblestone streets requires caution. The relics of colonial era buildings resemble Madrid yet the crumbling and destruction reminded me of Karachi. It was hard to fathom the metropolis of Miami was just 90 miles to the north.

Cuba went to sleep in the late 1800’s and never really woke up. Little has changed in sixty years on the roads as classic Chevrolets, Buicks and Fords, that Cuba is famous for, share the streets with tin-like Russian Ladas. Only three percent of Cubans own cars. The rest rely on their feet, buses, bicycles, and even horses. We were fortunate to experience Havana in a 1957 Ford Fairlane convertible driving down the notable Malecón that runs along the wave battered shorefront.

I found Cuba to be intoxicating and I am not even eluding to their famous Havana Rum which is less expensive than bottled water. Locals and visitors alike enjoy sipping their famed Mojitos, Daiquiris and Cuba Libres. Music is everywhere – quite literally on the streets and in most bars and restaurants. Jazz, Cuban hip hop, and of course salsa keep Cuba’s beat. Sexy cabarets rival Las Vegas and Rio de Janeiro.

Cuba is also a land of head scratching contradictions as it can frustrate you one minute and inspire you the next. Here are a few of the contradictions I experienced.

A contradiction of architecture
Havana is like a living museum and must be one the most architecturally diverse cities in the world with a bizarre mix of colonialism, communism and capitalism all merged into one. Its style mirrors its rich social and political history. We walked down avenues of grand palaces with arches, columns and court yards. We saw churches that Novelist Alejo Carpentier stated were “like music set in stone.” We would then walk around the corner to view Cuba’s unfortunate flirtation with brutal and bleak Soviet-style architecture from the Cold War of the 1960’s and 70’s. Were we even in the same county? Unimaginative and soiled apartment buildings sprawl out of most cities and towns. Cuba is truly a mish mash of styles.

Economic Contradictions
The Cuban government provides significant subsidies for most facets of life. There are few mortgages, no healthcare bills or tuition for anyone wanting to attend college or graduate school. Their educational and medical systems are admirable as the country boasts an unprecedented 99.8 percent literacy rate and an infant mortality rate lower than ours in the United States. They have a love for books and Ernest Hemmingway’s favorite place on earth was his home in the outskirts of Havana. Even tickets for baseball – their national obsession or to the opera, ballet and cinema are subsidized by the state – considered a right of the people.

Although many might be envious of such benefits, a tightly controlled socialist economy and five decades of the American embargo have not been kind to this very poor country. Finding even Aspirin or any other medication is an arduous task. Monthly salaries for a doctor is the equivalent of $25USD. We were introduced to a researcher at the University of Havana through a mutual friend from Bend. She earns only $18USD per month.

Government run restaurants offer mundane and tasteless dishes of repetitive pork, chicken, rice and beans. Recent economic reforms introduced by Raúl Castro have ushered in excitement as well as trepidation of the unknown. Private restaurants called Paladares have been created to help resolve their food crisis. They have also enabled the food quality to skyrocket however only tourists and government officials able to afford such eateries. We treated ourselves to LaGuarida, a restaurant that Conan OBrien visited just weeks before we arrived. Cubans can now buy and sell homes and cars as well as consumer electronics for the first time since brother Fidel took control of the government in 1959. They are anxious for the internet to become assessable.

Anti-American Contradictions
My children had no idea of the historical significance of snorkeling in the Bay of Pigs -notorious for being the place where the Cold War almost got hot! This was the disastrous attempt by the Kennedy Administration to invade Cuba in 1961 and overthrow Fidel Castro. In my opinion the American Embargo was a complete failure as Castro has outlasted 10 US Presidents and numerous CIA assassination attempts. He and his family have lived high on the hog as his countryman have faced extreme hardships.

Pro-revolution propaganda is prolific with endless billboards reliving past glories of the bearded ones of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and Camilla Cienfuegos. Asphyxiating censorship – where speaking out against their government has been tightly controlled has lead to a politically paranoid society.

Everyone was animated when they discovered we were from the United States. They are more excited that President Obama is starting to open ties with the Cuban government. Isn’t it interesting that we have had Cuba on our terrorist list for alleged human rights violations and poor jail conditions and yet we admit to the use of torture in our leased prison of Guantanamo Bay- located in the southeast corner of their island? Life is often full of interesting contradictions.

Final thoughts
In many ways Cubans seem like first world people trapped in a third world country. Freedom of the press is nonexistent in Cuba yet the propaganda is ubiquitous. I am grateful to live in a country where one can openly express their thoughts and beliefs and distribute it as they wish. This was reinforced from writing my travel adventure/financial planning book, Failure Is NOT an Option.

Most Cubans live in diminutive houses and own very few possessions. Families don’t have cars, iPods, or IRAs. However I realized that most of the people seemed happy. While we may observe their lives as grueling and arduous, they seemed to smile and work together in harmony as a multicultural society forging racial equality. The Cuban culture is a mix of former African slaves, Spanish and French ancestry. The Revolution guaranteed racial freedom by law.

Can you imagine if I shared stories of the markets in the United States piled with food flown in from around the world, stories of doctors who gave out pills to stop people from eating, and stories of cars so abundant that they clogged the roads? They would never have believed me. And if they did, they might have considered us rich, but would they truly have considered us wealthy?

In a socialist economy people are provided with the essentials but it is mediocre at best. In capitalist societies we have to work for everything we have. This includes saving for our future so we can hopefully live the life we have always imagined in our years of retirement. The tougher we are on ourselves today the easier life will be on us later. I suggest adhering to the adage, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” Although some may criticize our system, I believe we are incredibly fortunate to live in a place where there are no limitations placed on us in regards to our personal economic potential.

Wayne Dyer often talks about the importance of being grateful for what we already have in our lives. My children fell in love with Cuba however, more importantly, our journey made them realize how fortunate they are to have been born in beautiful Bend, OR. By focusing on what they’re grateful for, I believe more of that very thing will come into their lives. Cuba will change fast. Travel Cuba, enjoy the people, their culture and appreciate what you already have right here at home.

David Rosell is President of Rosell Wealth Management in Bend. He is the author of Failure is Not an Option- Creating Certainty in the Uncertainty of Retirement. You may learn more about his book at www.DavidRosell.com or Amazon.com. Ask for David’s book at Costco, Barnes & Noble and in Bend at Newport Market, Cafe Sintra, Bluebird Coffee Shop and Powell’s Books in Portland.

Investment advisory services offered through Rosell Wealth Management, a State Registered Investment Advisor. Securities offered through ValMark Securities, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC 130 Springside Drive, Ste 300 Akron, Ohio 44333-2431. 800 765-5201. Rosell Wealth Management is a separate entity from ValMark Securities.