Comparison Cuba and Dr

bob saunders · #1 03-19-2005, 12:20 PM

We recently went to Cuba for my baby brother's wedding(married a Cuban girl)
We arrived and stayed in Santiago de Cuba for several days before heading to Jamel(Baracoa) We found Santiago worst than any place in the DR for beggars, Tigeres, Putas...etc. The city has beautiful buildings and the roads are good. The streets were much cleaner than a comparable DR city. The people have almost nothing, and police(Castro) presense is everywhere, A decent restaurant was not to be found. Beer was good.
In Jamal(a village of about 3000) we found that the real Cuba, away from the goverment. The people were very much like Dominicans,very friendly and a lot of fun(Good food too). There was a active underground economy, very carefully hidden from the government. A friend from New York. who had been to Cuba many times before had told us to expect the DR 40 years ago. He wasn't far off, according to Yris. Dominicans are so lucky that they didn't go the way of Cuba. There the Government controls everything.You can't ride in the Car of a Cucan and you can't stay in their homes over night. I'm sure that most Cubans would prefer the GARBAGE AND CORRUPTION of the DR, just to have freedom. My brothers wife make a grand total of $15 per month as a high school teacher, with no hope of making more. The Dominican Republic is a land where with hard work and brains, you can make your dreams come true, not so in Cuba.

stallion · #2 03-19-2005, 01:46 PM

In Cuba everyone is in the poor class category with the richest and upper class being Fidel Castro himself only. Forget about them wanting freedom, they are not even allowed to speak their minds politicaly. They even want to charge people taxes on using U.S Dollars. They are so behind. They are still using horse carriages. Their cars are in the warp zone of he 50's. Having a V.C.R is is considerd a luxury item. Locals who give rides to tourists in their personal vehicle and charge a small fee get harrased and fined/arrested by police. The police there are very strict and are not corrupt. The only hotels there are the all inclusive types. At their airports they go throught your suitcases like they are looking for explosives. They go through everthing and charge you duty on everything besides your personal clothes. The onlything I give credit to cuba that DR does not have is a Railway trains. In cuba prostitution is considered illegal and in DR is legal. Car rental in Cuba is like $100 us dollars per day. University education in Cuba is free but the honoured graduates can make like $25 per month. The cubans who flee cuba can neve return to cuba or they face harsh and lenghtly jail sentences. All tourists and tourist vehicles have a class of their own on their vehicle license plates. For locals the licence plate reads Particular and for tourist's their plates read Tourismo. Passolas in cuba cost a furtune where by in dr they cost close to nothing. No american jet lands in Cuba. The restrications in cuba are endless....... DR is far by better than Cuba.

NALs · #3 03-19-2005, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob saunders

We recently went to Cuba for my baby brother's wedding(married a Cuban girl)
We arrived and stayed in Santiago de Cuba for several days before heading to Jamel(Baracoa) We found Santiago worst than any place in the DR for beggars, Tigeres, Putas...etc. The city has beautiful buildings and the roads are good. The streets were much cleaner than a comparable DR city. The people have almost nothing, and police(Castro) presense is everywhere, A decent restaurant was not to be found. Beer was good.
In Jamal(a village of about 3000) we found that the real Cuba, away from the goverment. The people were very much like Dominicans,very friendly and a lot of fun(Good food too). There was a active underground economy, very carefully hidden from the government. A friend from New York. who had been to Cuba many times before had told us to expect the DR 40 years ago. He wasn't far off, according to Yris. Dominicans are so lucky that they didn't go the way of Cuba. There the Government controls everything.You can't ride in the Car of a Cucan and you can't stay in their homes over night. I'm sure that most Cubans would prefer the GARBAGE AND CORRUPTION of the DR, just to have freedom. My brothers wife make a grand total of $15 per month as a high school teacher, with no hope of making more. The Dominican Republic is a land where with hard work and brains, you can make your dreams come true, not so in Cuba.

I have always said that Cuba is what the DR would have become if it would have gone communist.

The DR is what Cuba was before it went communist.

And Puerto Rico is what Cuba and DR would have become if it would have gone the commonwealth route.

All three Spanish speaking countries are extremely similar in most aspects, only the last 40 to 100 years has history treated each with a different formula and the results are clearly visible today.

But, of the three islands, the DR is much more free than any other. In PR, too much regulation American style and in Cuba, too much regulation, prohibitions, and a bunch of other non-sense that goes in contradiction to human nature.

Hopefully the Cubans will be relieved from their Castro curse soon.

Hlywud · #4 03-19-2005, 04:05 PM

I can agree with Bob, Santiago de Cuba is not a nice city to visit, very unsafe even with the police presence.
People are very similar to the DR, friendly and when politics are talked they will tell you nothing but how wonderful El Commandante is.

I have been a number of times (4), never had a problem but was very wary.
I also never once did customs go through any luggage.

Stallion by the way US money is not accepted in Cuba anymore, anywhere , they are using a convertible Cuban peso (tourista money)

lsylla01 · #5 03-19-2005, 04:52 PM

I too have been to Cuba once and the DR as well. I also compared the too and based on what I see, I believe that Cuba is much safer to live in compared to the DR. I don't remember seeing any houses with bars on them or anything like that In Cuba. However, in terms of really being free to express myself or having the option to make more than "$15" per month, I prefer the DR!

juancarlos · #6 03-19-2005, 05:01 PM

"Hopefully the Cubans will be relieved from their Castro curse soon."

May God hear you, Nal0whs!

mwgarretson · #7 03-19-2005, 10:54 PM

I have been to both places, many times. For living, of course the DR is much better, although there are several "retirees" who do quite well in Cuba.

For vacationing, living history, and pure fun...there really is no substitute for Cuba. It is (in my opinion) hands down - MUCH - better than the DR for trips. No comparison.

Forget the McDonalds, the Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the crime problems.

Cuba is relatively unspoilt, a time capsule...nothing like it in the world...and I have never seen a happier group of people in all my travels, despite their material shortcomings.

MG

Escott · #8 03-20-2005, 05:38 AM

I was in Cuba several months ago. I wanted to see it before Castro croaked. The SOB can't live forever! Can he?

I was only in Havana and it was as beautiful a city architectually as any city I have been to anywhere in the world if you can look through 50 years of degragation and filth. They haven't seen a can of paint since Castro came into power.

The driver we hired in a 1950 Pontiac wouldnt talk to us for the first 3 days out of fear one of my friends was Cuban Secret Police. Not only can't you stay over in a Cubans home but they can't even speak to you without fear of JAIL for talking to a Gringo or non Cuban.

We had dinner at an outdoor cafe. There was a line formed to get scrapes left over from dinner plates scraped onto Newspaper sheet. There were plenty of prostitutes in the streets and plenty of Police.

The only currency acceptable was the US Dollar for everything. I think Castro changed this recently but haven't been back nor do I care to return under the circumstances that exist there.

I have always found Latin people friendly with an easy smile. I didn't get much chance to interact with Cubans as I have with Dominicans because of the fear instilled in the Cubans but I can't imagine that they would be much different than Dominicans.

Rocky · #9 03-20-2005, 06:07 AM

I believe that I agree with absolutely everything everybody said in this entire thread.
Still, Havana is a really kool place to visit, if you have the chance.
The nightlife and historical aspects of this city are like magic and it's a lot easier to get good food there than in Santiago de Cuba.

Chirimoya · #10 03-20-2005, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Escott

Not only can't you stay over in a Cubans home but they can't even speak to you without fear of JAIL for talking to a Gringo or non Cuban.

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.