cuba

As a totalitarian nation, Cuba is very safe.  There is a strong police presence everywhere one goes.  We spent many hours wandering the city, meeting people and taking photos.  There were no problems except for some Cuban men making occasional cat calls toward the women.  Often we were asked where we were from, and invariably, the people were surprised to learn we were American.  Never, was anyone unfriendly, typically, we were greeting as friends.  Clearly, the Cubans we met look forward to a normalization of relations with the US.

A word about the currency.  Cuba has two different Pesos, one for locals and one for foreigners.  The convertible peso, the only currency we could use, is extremely valuable to Cubans.  For example, they cannot buy meat or butter with their currency.  On occasion, we did give locals a peso (about $1 US) for allowing us to take their photo.  To them, it was a huge amount of money, and they were grateful.  Cubans trade in convertible pesos for black market items which are pervasive and essential.  And don’t forget, Cuban Americans are allowed to send US dollars to their families in Cuba.  And this money is essential for their well being.