Our hotel included an extensive international breakfast buffet. One morning I had what tasted like a Swedish meatball and a piece of potatis korv (potato sausage—another Swedish food). I asked Lazaro what a typical Cuban breakfast was like. He said it would typically be a piece of bread with butter and perhaps jam and a glass of juice. Sometimes they would have eggs, but not every day. They don’t have large breakfasts. There largest meal is usually in the evening.
On the way to the airport Lazaro talked a bit about life in Cuba. The normal salary for Cuban's from the government is not very much. They do get free medical care, free college, and other services. But they still need to buy food and clothes, electricity, and other things. Lazaro and others in the service economy rely on tips to make more income. Most restrooms have an attendant and they have a dish for tips. We were quite willing to tip well reasoning that it was an important part of their livelihood.
We asked about religion in Cuba. There is broad freedom of religion and toleration of various forms of religion. The predominant religion is Christianity. There is, of course, a Catholic community. There are also protestant congregations and even small Jewish and Muslim communities. Some Cubans practice a blend of Christianity and African religions. One of them is called Santeria.
Caroline: Coming to Cuba was definitely an adventure. Naturally, We had no idea what to expect. Havana is a mixture of before the revolution, stagnation, and signs of progress, then back to stagnation. At first glance of the city it looks like any other large city. However, you will see a modern building then next to it a broken down building, throughout the city. Also in the mix you will see very poor areas. Every thing considered, Havana is a beautiful city. The architecture ranges from baroque, to present times. Many of the buildings are influenced by Spanish architecture. Then you have buildings that were built after the revolution by the Russians, bleak and very little character. It was a short trip but we got a glimpse of Havana and it’s history. While we dealt with 93f, Colorado was having snow and 23f, not sure which one I preferred.
Here are some pictures that show people of Cuba and other images of daily life.
