Comparison Cuba and Dr - Page 2

bob saunders · #11 03-20-2005, 11:20 AM

[quote=Chirimoya]This, at least, is not the case. We stayed with Cuban friends in Havana and when we travelled to Cienfuegos and Trinidad we stayed in family homes which are licenced as B&Bs. Quote

Key word here is B&B. We were told specifically by the immigration/police/communist party secretary that we couldn't stay in a private house. The problem is the government will slack off on the rules, then for whatever, they will come down hard on the people. The driver of the car bringing my brother and his fiance(now wife) to the hotel to meet us had to pay a fine(stopped at one of many police roadblocks that appear at anytime in anyplace) This fine by our standards, was small, but more than 2 months salary for the average cuban.
I would have to say that if Cuba ever becomes a free country with a market economy, the DR better get its act together, because they will lose a lot of tourists and other business to Cuba.
As far as people talking bad about THE GOVERNMENT, if they know that they will not be overheard, They have plenty to say.

Chirimoya · #12 03-20-2005, 11:30 AM

[quote=bob saunders][quote=Chirimoya]This, at least, is not the case. We stayed with Cuban friends in Havana and when we travelled to Cienfuegos and Trinidad we stayed in family homes which are licenced as B&Bs. Quote

Key word here is B&B. [quote]

The point is although there are licenced B&Bs in family homes, there was no subterfuge involved when we stayed in our Havana friends' private house, which is not a B&B.

Escott · #13 03-20-2005, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chirimoya

This, at least, is not the case. We stayed with Cuban friends in Havana and when we travelled to Cienfuegos and Trinidad we stayed in family homes which are licenced as B&Bs.

You should also be aware that people tend to lay it on thick for the foreigners, a bit like the sankies here with their sick grannies.

Wow, I don't know how it would behoove the driver when we bought his services for a set price plus gas for 4 days to lie to us. My experience was completely different than yours for some reason. We asked a lot of questions when he finally realize we weren't or at least my friend wasn't Cuban Secret Police.

They ask you at the airport where you are staying. If you don't have a hotel booked they send you to a very expensive hotel.

juancarlos · #14 03-20-2005, 01:29 PM

Also, rules keep changing in Cuba. What was legal a month ago, is now ilegal. Fidel Castro's speech at the end of February is proof of that. Now he says it is ilegal for Cubans to accept gifts from tourists or to socialize with them. This applies both to employees, who can no longer accept tips, as well as to the population in general. I don't know how much longer he will allow the private homes to act as B&B. He has set in motion a process of going backwards and doing away with the very timid reforms that were introduced in the 90's. Every day Cubans wake up to a new set of rules.

drloca · #15 03-20-2005, 01:50 PM

All this negative talk about Cuba has just re-enforced that I am truly a DR girl at heart...am off to Cuba in 3 weeks time for a wedding of some friends from TO...why on earth did they pick this communist destination??? I think what will bother me the most is not being able to give things to the locals and distribute some supplies to local schools. I know we will all have a great time but I want to go to the cities and see how people live there and experience some local nightclubs.....I am less than excited...could be off to the DR that week....I know this is dr1 but any suggestions???? We will be in Varadero.....

NALs · #16 03-20-2005, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drloca

All this negative talk about Cuba has just re-enforced that I am truly a DR girl at heart...am off to Cuba in 3 weeks time for a wedding of some friends from TO...why on earth did they pick this communist destination??? I think what will bother me the most is not being able to give things to the locals and distribute some supplies to local schools. I know we will all have a great time but I want to go to the cities and see how people live there and experience some local nightclubs.....I am less than excited...could be off to the DR that week....I know this is dr1 but any suggestions???? We will be in Varadero.....

Well, always keep in mind that regardless of what happens in any of the Caribbean isles, they are still in the Caribbean.

Alot of evil has been witnessed by these most beautiful islands of the world.

How ironic is that! The most beautiful lands are witness of some of the most brutal regimes.

Ironic indeed!

Anyways, I truly wish Castro kicks the bucket soon. I think Dominicans have also given up on Cubans, which is not a good thing. Afterall, a Dominican (Maximo Gomez) actually helped the Cubans get their independence and Dominicans and Cubans have historically been there for each other.

I really detest the relationship our country has with Communist Cuba at this moment.

Cuba has outgrown it's Communist ideas, its time for good old Capitalism to make a come back.

Heck, the entire Spanish Caribbean should unite someday. We have more incommon among ourselves than anyother group of Spanish speaking countries on earth. We should unite someday soon.

NALs · #17 03-20-2005, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CIGUAYO

(Puerto Rico is what Cuba and DR would have become if it would have gone the commonwealth route.) ????????????????? what ??????? que ?????? what ???????

I thought that puerto rico was dependent country of USA which USA economy goes down......PR goes ruin too. If usa decide to cut the help to PR ..., PR goes to down too.

Nalow, tell me the PR industry, exportation or main sources in their economy to compete with latin america country.

back to the point, I dont see that Dominicana look like cuba or puerto rico like here claim. maybe PR and cuba are alike in history , culture, speach, flag, and custom. this explains cuban revolution in PR.

because some building look the same or house, it doesnt mean we are alike. have you ever been in venezuela, argentina, ecuador, colombia, etccc... they have some houses and tradition that we have, especially venezuela. this means spain influence.

I see myself totally different from Puerto rican culturely, food, tradition and speak. have youn ever seen PR food ingredient, they are the opposite from us and taste of food too.

I have friend cheef , one day, suddenly he told me " I dont know why people say that our food dominican food was the same like PR or cuba" then, he continues, the ingredient, taste and way to cook are totally different. I said, really,... he told me yes. he stated this in front a cuban and the cuban said yes. my friend finished the conversation with " our food is better in taste" and end of the conversation...... then I thought " why he told me that suddenly" .... why as soon he saw me the first thing that he told me was that...... I thought he might be discussing this topic with somebody else some hours or minutes ago and he get upset.. but I dont know it. make your own conclusion

There are some exceptions, but the similarities between Cuba-DR-Puerto Rico are more alike than any other trio of Spanish speaking countries anywhere.

Narcosis · #18 03-20-2005, 02:56 PM

Instead of comparing negatives why not look at the positives of each place?

The Caribbean is a magical place and every corner holds it's own charm and unique flavor and sounds. I wish people would start to see it this way and not put up barriers but explore each with an open mind and spirit.

Having travelled to almost every corner of the Caribbean I can say I hold dear memories of each place with their similarities as well as the differences, hopefully soon these barrires will start to fall as it seems some of our closest neighbors are so far away in spirit.

juancarlos · #19 03-20-2005, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drloca

All this negative talk about Cuba has just re-enforced that I am truly a DR girl at heart...am off to Cuba in 3 weeks time for a wedding of some friends from TO...why on earth did they pick this communist destination??? I think what will bother me the most is not being able to give things to the locals and distribute some supplies to local schools. I know we will all have a great time but I want to go to the cities and see how people live there and experience some local nightclubs.....I am less than excited...could be off to the DR that week....I know this is dr1 but any suggestions???? We will be in Varadero.....

Take your donations to the Catholic Church, they will distribute them better and you will not get anyone in trouble. After all, the Church runs the best comedores and asylums for the elderly on the island. They also distribute prescription medications to those who need them. As per the new regulations, Cubans are not allowed to receive gifts from foreigners or to socialize with them, they are even required to report anyone they know who has received those gifts. This I think is unenforceable and is meant to set a new atmosphere of strict dicipline and obedience to the government. But Cubans always find a way to circumvent those ridiculous laws.

Chirimoya · #20 03-20-2005, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Escott

Wow, I don't know how it would behoove the driver when we bought his services for a set price plus gas for 4 days to lie to us. My experience was completely different than yours for some reason. We asked a lot of questions when he finally realize we weren't or at least my friend wasn't Cuban Secret Police.

They ask you at the airport where you are staying. If you don't have a hotel booked they send you to a very expensive hotel.

It could be what juancarlos says, that the rules change all the time. They certainly did between my first visit (on an organised trip in 1988) and the second independent visit eleven years later. Things were noticeably freer and easier the second time. We were not asked where we were staying when we arrived at Havana airport as far as I can recall. We were met by our friends and taken to their house, much as would have happened anywhere else. We socialised with them, and their circle of friends in Havana, and hung out openly with all sorts of people we met during our trip to Cienfuegos and Trinidad - all Cubans, including a friend of a friend who met us off the bus and showed us round Trinidad, and the sister of Mr C's ex-girlfriend (who now lives in Miami) in Cienfuegos.

It is true, however, that our friends there chose their moments for saying anything too critical about Castro. One such time was when we were in a car, as opposed to out and about or even in the house.