I often take my travel privilege for granted as an American. I can hop on a Southwest flight and soak up the Santa Fe sun with the swipe of a credit card and a marginal dent in my FICO score, but in Cuba, many people save up all year just to visit the beach…. on the other side of the island.
And only now are they even allowed to vacation in their own country.
Raul Castro has lifted the ban against locals staying in hotels and frequenting its most pristine beaches.
Under Fidel’s rule, beaches and resorts were for foreigners only. How ass-backwards can a policy be? The exclusive Varadero Beach is on Cubans’ top “to-go” lists at the moment and the waterfront hotels are happy to accommodate their Cuban guests.
Even so, with an average $17/month income, most are still unlikely to be able to afford a night’s stay. And to add insult to injury, it must be paid in hard currency.
But at least its a step towards freedom. That, and the newly approved sale of cell phones and computers to citizens is if nothing else a sign that the days of Fidel’s heavy-handed regulation are coming to an end….
jordanwhitley
2 Comments
April 1, 2008 at 3:02 am
As long as raúl castro is dictator, there will be no room at tourist hotels for these Cubans.
April 1, 2008 at 10:06 am
After been through the journey of Cuba from this blog how pretty it is to have a perfect family vacation in Cuba.
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