I simply bought again from spending 2 weeks (or 15 days if you wish to sound much more well-traveled) going across the stunning and maybe under-appreciated island of Cuba. This unique place – internet hosting each terrain you would ask for – is right for its wildlife, unbelievable seashores, trekking and ideal if you wish to journey again to 50s America and see how vehicles used to look.
However Cuba doesn’t conceal away from its complicated historical past, one which has left them being one of many few self-proclaimed communist nations on this planet. It’s this that, undoubtedly, brings its positives and negatives. Together with different capitalist traits – similar to tremendous markets and McDonalds – Cuba additionally lacked an actual drug tradition, as a matter of reality, it was virtually an anti-drug nation.
Over the two weeks, regardless of desirous to, I averted taking any substances in any way. Besides Rum and cigars in fact. At this time I’m going to take you thru my itinerary and provides an outline of why I imagine I had this expertise. A disclaimer as at all times, I’m just one particular person, with my very own solo expertise, it is likely to be totally different for different folks. This was my journey.
Communism in Cuba
I might quite not get right into a debate over whether or not communism is or shouldn’t be a superb political system. It at all times ends the identical. One particular person says that communism sounds nice in principle however merely can’t work in apply – they’ll give examples similar to Stalin and Mao. The opposition will then reply with one thing like: “however these folks weren’t true communists. They had been dictators. Communism has by no means been given a good trial”. In a way, each opinions are proper. As well as, it’s not as if capitalism is working both – with the quantity of homelessness, unemployment and our eventual route of local weather catastrophe.
Nonetheless, Cuba is a communist state – in accordance with them. It’s primarily based on the concepts of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, which advocate for a classless society wherein the technique of manufacturing are collectively owned and managed by the working class. In Cuba, this has been applied by way of the nationalization of industries and land, in addition to the implementation of a deliberate financial system.
The federal government, led by the Communist Get together and began by Fidel Castro after the revolution in 1959, makes selections about financial and social coverage. Nevertheless, the implementation of communism in Cuba has been criticized for its lack of political and financial freedom, and for its failure to offer for the essential wants of its residents. There have been protests in opposition to the federal government, which have been harshly handled by authorities. The New Yorker writes:
“Cubans throughout the island have change into pissed off by their authorities’s incapacity to offer them with even such primary facilities as meals and drugs”
Energy cuts had been a major concern even for my temporary 2 week journey. I additionally had fascinating conversations with locals who wanted the capitalist state that lots of the West dwell in. Nevertheless, it’s straightforward to behave like capitalism is a vibrant different, when in actuality there’s an power disaster, large quantities of unemployment and homelessness too. Maybe a hybrid of each ideologies is the best way ahead.
Drug Legal guidelines in Cuba
Drug legal guidelines in Cuba are extraordinarily strict. There aren’t any indicators of even the smallest of progressions, similar to medical hashish or hashish vacationer markets – like these of California or Amsterdam. Possession of medicine in Cuba is illegitimate and may end up in extreme punishment, together with lengthy jail sentences. The sale and distribution of medicine are additionally prohibited and carry even harsher penalties.
The Cuban authorities takes a hardline stance on medication, viewing them as a risk to the nation’s social and financial stability. Many authorities web sites warn in opposition to buying unlawful substances in Cuba because of this. One of many newer instances was a 20 year old woman from Florida who was imprisoned for smuggling a small quantity of artificial hashish by way of airport management. Though, she suffered from studying disabilities and plenty of imagine she was arrange.
Regardless, the Cuban authorities weren’t lenient. There additionally appears to be little or no precise substances in Cuba, particularly once you evaluate it with South America, Mexico and North America. As an island, they’ve been capable of efficiently preserve a strict drug coverage. This doesn’t imply there aren’t medication, it simply implies that they’re arduous and dangerous to seek out. Plus, there’s a excessive probability that the substances themselves could also be dangerous high quality. While I used to be on the market, I met two Australian guys who had tried to buy cocaine however got one thing that was undoubtedly not that substance. They wasted 50 {dollars}, felt nothing and ended up with horrible hangovers the day after.
2 Week Cuba Itinerary
My travels lasted 15 days, starting and ending in Havana. It’s fairly a typical route and ensured that I noticed quite a lot of totally different landscapes. Though you would undoubtedly spend months in Cuba and nonetheless not absolutely take in the entire great thing about the nation. In every place I had some kind of dialog with locals about medication, and in every of those locations I didn’t handle to get my arms on any substances. Right here’s why.
Havana
Havana actually is every part you count on it to be and extra. It has the hecticness of any capital, combined with the soul and sounds of salsa. All over the place feels prefer it might burst right into a Buena Vista Social Membership track at any second. As you stroll the streets, you’re greeted by virtually everybody. They ask the place you’re from, how you’re or whether or not you need to go to a fictional cigar competition this night. While it isn’t many, there have been nonetheless mentions of drugs. Just a few provided cocaine and hashish, nevertheless it was a deep whisper that was hardly audible. In the event that they had been to be caught, it might be instantaneous jail time.
It was in Havana that I’d heard the Australians’ story and was postpone from trying to buy something there. They’d additionally talked about that the sellers didn’t enable them to attempt the substance earlier than shopping for it both, evidently highlighting the dangerous high quality of the drug. While first rate substances weren’t straightforward to seek out within the capital, rum at a low value was mainly popping out of the faucets. Consuming glass after glass of pure rum within the Hemingway bar in Havana jogged my memory simply how a lot of a drug alcohol is. Why did we ever want different substances anyway?
Vinales
The subsequent cease was Vinales. It is a small countryside city in the midst of nowhere. Quite a lot of cigar making occurs right here, with a considerable amount of tobacco farms. If I used to be travelling in some other nation on this planet, I might presume this sort of laid again way of life would breed hashish sellers. Nevertheless, but once more, medication weren’t an choice. After a day of biking across the caves outdoors of Vinales and zip-lining over the mountains, we attended a Cuban road social gathering. It was loopy. Locals danced salsa and drinked Mojitos, while us vacationers solely actually knew the best way to do the latter with any grace or experience. Though, we did attempt to salsa as finest we might. Even right here, with mountains of rum on provide and the scent of cigars within the air, there have been no indicators or whispers of some other substances. Pina Colada is all they appeared to wish.
Playa Laga
After just a few days in Vinales we headed to the seashores of Playa Laga. That is additionally, traditionally, very near the place the Bay of Pigs battle came about throughout the Chilly Struggle. The seashores had been unbelievable, with the sand as white as stone and the water translucent. Cuban music brushed by way of the palm timber with, as at all times, rum being poured as often and freely because the tide. Nonetheless no indicators of some other substances. In truth, in Playa Laga, I might virtually go as far to say that there have been no unlawful substances in any way. It simply didn’t really feel just like the place. There’s barely any eating places or bars, not to mention sellers with extra medication to promote. So but once more, I waited for the subsequent cease. Though my ardour for locating medication was undoubtedly diminishing, the soul of Cuba and the alcoholic drinks had been sufficient for me.
Cienfuegos
Cienfeugos felt like a spot that will have had substances inside its streets. It felt like a mini model of Havana with a French twist. Though elements of it – similar to the primary boulevard – felt a bit like Los Angeles in a bizarre method. It was one more odd Cuban metropolis that I immediately fell in love with. Aside from a gaggle of boys making an attempt to make me pay them 5 pesos to make use of their lighter, I wasn’t too eager on that. One evening we discovered a small bar with a pool desk however had been unable to play on account of a gaggle of scary Cuban males occupying it.
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After some time, shyly and fearfully standing by the bar, I used to be the primary of my associates to muster up the braveness to talk to them. In the long run, they had been a really form group of men and allow us to play with them. Don’t belief first impressions. I requested the ringleader, so to talk, how arduous it was to get ahold of medicine in Cuba. He instructed me, once more in hush tones, that it actually exists and is feasible, however is just too costly for the standard. He stated that sellers are few because of the danger and the precise quantity of medicine on provide. It isn’t actually a helpful marketplace for anybody – the customer or the vendor. Though he did say he had a man that he might name if we needed one thing. We weren’t too eager after that.
Trinidad
Our closing cease earlier than going again to Havana was Trinidad and this beautiful metropolis was undoubtedly my favourite place. With cobbled streets, horses trotting about and unbelievable European model city homes, it felt like being inside Disney’s Encanto. One night there was even an influence minimize – the celebs had been magnificent and all you would hear was the sound of music and the scent of cigars. In the previous few days of my journey I had given up on discovering medication in Cuba. There actually was no level in my eyes. The place had sufficient. Behind some issue in transportation and Wi-Fi, not one of the best meals choices and frequent energy cuts, Cuba has an unbelievable zeitgeist. It truly is unmatched by something I’ve seen earlier than and it highlights simply how nice a rustic it’s to go to. Trinidad was a tough place to go away.
Conclusion
While Cuba will not be one of the best place to go to for drug or meals tourism, it has the best soul of any nation I’ve been to. You may stroll the sun-lit streets, drink high quality low-cost rum and let the cities take your breath away by themselves. You truthfully don’t want medication. Even should you really feel such as you do, you’ll discover it too arduous to seek out them to have some other choice however to exist with out. Both method, travelling Cuba for 15 days was a tremendous expertise, and felt like a excessive in itself.
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