I went to Cuba about 10 years ago. I loved it. I’ve been to other places in the Carribean like the Dominican Republic but you just can’t compare the two. Cuba has so much more culturally to offer. Also, there is such time warp feel when you go there. You really feel like you’re in the 50s or something. Time has kinda stood still there which is a reason on it’s own to visit.
Regarding poverty there, yeah, it’s not rich, but I didn’t see the kind of poverty I saw in Central American countries. I can’t remember seeing beggars on the street or abandoned kids sniffing glue like I’ve seen in other countries. I think there must be a government net of some kind. Their government healthcare and education system are excellent for one.
I went in to Cuba with a German passport and they didn’t stamp it. They give you this stamped piece of paper that you hold on to and give them back when you exit the country.
I’d definitely recommend Americans visiting. I assummed that there would be some kind of animosity towards Americans due to the embargo, but nothing could be further from the truth. A lot of cubans I met had family in the US and a lot of them depend on money sent from their families there, so America is a kinda lifeline for a lot of them.
Lastly, if you want attention from the opposite sex, Cuba is THE place to go. I was swatting away women like flies when I was there and I’m not exactly a Brad Pitt lookalike.
The only two negatives I had about the countries where the food and that you always need to be on guard for people trying to take advantage of you.
The food is so bad, I just couldn’t understand how they can’t make a good meal. You don’t get restaurants everywhere like you do in other countries. You get little sandwich shops and whatnot that have no variety whatsoever (cheese sandwich, ham sandwich, ham&cheese sandwich). I once found a place that did a spaggy bolognaise and was looking forward to tucking in, and it was overcooked pasta with a tin of tomato sauce poured over it. They just don’t get food for some reason, I don’t know why.
People in Cuba see tourist as fat cashcows. They know that if they can hang out with you, they’ll get some benefit from you somehow. If you’re travelling alone and want instant companionship (friend or more), Cuba is the place. Spend a day walking the streets of Havana and you’ll have about 5 people randomly strike up conversations with you and want to hang out with you. It’s nice in one way because they end up taking you to interesting places and you can find out about their country, but in the end they’re hoping for some benefit from you (whether it’s just you buying drinks all night long or them taking you on a tour of the Island, or you buying stuff from a friend of theirs, or bringing a gift to their family). This gets old after a while.
Another thing I found fascinating about the country and was a real experience was that basically anyone and everyone there is bribable. As an example, on what was meant to be my last day there, I decided just not to catch my flight. I was in a bar and having a good time and I said fuck it, I’m staying an extra day. The next day I bribed a doctor to give me a medical note saying I was too sick to travel, went to the airport, gave the airline guy $100 and he put me on the next flight.