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Published: February 9th 2015
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We're really enjoying our GAdventure tour of western Cuba entitled "Cuba Libre". We've got a great group of 8 people and are having lots of fun together. We have Nicola and Natalie from Australia, Nicole from the U.K., Ben from Montreal, our tour guide Andy and our bus drive Jose from Cuba. We travel around in a 24 passanger bus so we've got lots of room to spread out. Unfortunately another couple from Australia didn't show so we were down to 6 which is quite samll compared to the average size of 12.
Our local tour guide "Andy" is such a fun and friendly young man and is a wealth of knowledge about Cuba and its way of life. We were interested in hearing what life is like in Cuba under the communistic system. He said he doesn't like to get in to polictics too much but was willing to answer any questions we had. He said he is very happy living in Cuba and has no desire to leave a persue a different lifestyle. He is proud of his country and obviously well educated. He himself is hired by GAdventures in Canada. The tour company pays the government in
Cuba his wage and the Cuban government in turn pays him the standard Cuban wage. So you can see the government takes a heafty cut!! However, there are many other factors that come into play. Usually each person on the tours tip the guide about $25 for the week so that would add up especially if it was a large group. However, again some of their tip money is taxed by the government and some is used to assist schools or other government projects. Here is some information we learned from Andy about Cuba's economic and social system that we found interesting.
• Cuban people have mixed feelings about the imprending increased US relations. They do believe there will be change but just aren't sure how it will effect them
• people receive about $25-30 per month not matter what their job is
• people in the agriculture business give about 90% of their crops to the government, the rest is theirs
• a similar system is in place for people who own a business
• people in service business claim a certain portion of their tips
• all housing, health care and education is free
• Cuban people receive food supplements to cover their
basic needs (rice, chicken, pork, vegetables, fruit, oil, eggs, bread etc). Each person receives 5 lbs of each food per month. Anything else they have to pay for themselves. There are food distribution centers that keep track. Andy doesn't feel the food subsidy is quite enough. Infants receive special food as well as people with diet restrictions and those over 65.
• toiletries/detergent etc. are very expensive and many cannot afford
76% of Cuba's economy is based on tourism and service (including Cuban workers in other countries). The rest comes from tobacco, sugar cane, rum, nickel and fruit. And yes, baseball is Cuba's national sport!! Hope you found some of this information interesting! Thanks for reading. Mallory and Warren
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Kim
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Thanks once again for writing your travel blog. You provide such insight to both the countries and the daily lives. I really enjoy your writing and your photos. Every time I say ' I want to go there!'