​From Cuba with love

By Mike Dalager

The doors are finally open! After many decades of patiently playing the waiting game, President Obama has relaxed the laws regarding US citizens being allowed to travel to Cuban territory.

Following in the president’s footsteps, I went for a visit. The main reason for traveling to Cuba was to conduct an investigative report into the understanding of global politics of the Cuban people, focusing on the loosening of travel restrictions for Americans and the subsequent influx of tourists and what that means for the tourism industry.

It is true what they say about Cuba; it is full of the finest cigars, purest rum, and the most pristine of classic cars. But seeing as how tourism is one of the main forms of income for all Cubans it seems fitting that an embargo placed by the United States could cause such an interesting “country trapped in a time bubble” feeling that many nationalities would like to experience.

Thankfully the rules have changed in my lifetime and I got to go to the source and ask everyday people their thoughts about such a series of events.

Enzo Regalado Popa owns and operates (with the help of his mother) a hostel in an apartment building across the street from the Latinoamericano baseball stadium in Havana. He is in his 30s and runs a business besides having an engineering day job. I asked him to reveal his thoughts on the recent political dealings and he seemed to have a positive attitude towards change.

We talked of how the system currently in place was just not working; and that opening the country, via abolishing the embargo, would ultimately stimulate individual income as well as nationally-funded infrastructure matters. Enzo was open to the idea of allowing American business people to join forces with Cubans as long as the benefits were received by the Cuban people, not just the Cuban government OR just the American business interests.

Enzo’s girlfriend Marlys (in her early 20s) had similar thoughts about the sharing of business ventures but was not too open to the idea of a mass entry of people bringing their American cultural practices to the shores of her lovely country.

flamboyance with possible arrogance in addition to some blissful ignorance is what most people don’t like about the average American tourist and I would have to agree with that statement. There might be too many new influences that have a negative impact on the youth whose future may not be that bright already.

Will this relaxing of the laws bring hoards of the unwanted red, white and blues? I think over time it will happen, but that is biggest determining factor in my decision of going now…before the rest of the “Muricans” get there and ruin it. This was also a huge sentiment felt in other travelers (German, Israeli, Belarusian, Malaysian) I encountered on the island.

I also had the pleasure of chatting with a classic car taxi driver by the name of Richard. He informed me that the business partnerships and business ideas that would come with American investors is the only way forward. The people need money coming in and clients to come in and buy the products. Simply economics, I suppose, but he appeared quite ready to jump at the chance to start another business even though he was well into his 50s.

He also thought that the timing was right for a change as the world seems to be going through big changes lately too. Something for the future of Cuba and the future of his children’s children was his main emphasis.

After conversing with people of various backgrounds and ages, the majority of Cuban people appear ready and willing to accept a new way of thinking; more freedoms but with a Cuban style so as not to forget their heritage. The exact way in which all parties win may not be on the surface at this particular moment, but that ball has started rolling down a big hill and the future of Cuba will be shaped in the coming years.

Maybe I will patiently wait a few more decades to see the final results but I am more than happy to enjoy the self-indulgent luxuries this Caribbean nation has to offer in the meantime.