Transportation in Cuba

A sidecar

As far as I am concerned, the most devastating effect of the continued US embargo against Cuba, is to be seen in the transportation system.

On a recent visit to Holguin and Santiago provinces, Isaw the most decrepit and uncivilized forms of transportation as people were packed like cattle into anything on wheels, from wagons drawn by tractors, oxen and horses, bikes with side cars to trucks on which rough covering have been installed, at times allowing you to see only the eyes of the passengers in what would be prison like lorries in other countries.

Bicycle taxi stand

The roads are also full of very old American cars which run like a charm and a spattering of new cars and a number of Russian made Ladas.

In the cities the novelty is s.the bicycle taxis which all have umbrellas stashed away to be pulled out when the rain falls.

Of course, there are well organised tour companies run by the government and these have brand new airconditioned buses to take tourists around, but no such luxuries for the natives
I guess the only benefit of this terrible embargo is that because people have to walk and ride a lot, there are very few fat people around.

During our week long visit, we started to count the fat people and after only finding five in the first four days, abandoned the project!

Of course the benefits the Cubans get from exercise seem to be widely counteracted by the widespread use of cigars and cigarettes, but like us here, I guess they say, what the heck, who wants to live forever!