As Fidel Castro and his brother Raul slowly ease their grip on Cuba, allowing imported technology and private enterprise, there is an increasing sense amongst travelers that you have to “go there now – before it all changes”. Everyone is keen to get a glimpse behind this modern Iron Curtain at one of the world’s last communist states. Cuba's self-sufficiency, rejection of capitalism and socialist welfare state have resulted in a virtually classless society, with unsurpassed healthcare and free education for all. Years of isolation and trade embargoes have created a nation of expert recyclers; 60-year-old cars rumble on, clothing and shoes are repaired endlessly. Oxen - rather than tractors - plough the fields, and dominoes dominate over computer games and iPads.

But it’s easy to idealise. Communism does not prize entrepreneurship, and virtually everyone is employed on a meager state salary, subsidised by pitiful state rations. Those that do get their hands on the sought-after CUC “tourist” dollars will find little to spend it on – the empty shops are hard to miss. Cubans are also not allowed to leave the country – for its citizens it may be beautiful but it is also an island prison.

So – understand that the “changes” that creeping capitalism may bring will actually be welcomed by many Cubans, proud as they are of their history and independence. And many visitors, once they see the reality of life on a Cuban ration book, accept and welcome this too.

Most travelers will only ever use CUCs – Cuban Convertible Pesos, which are equal in value to the US dollar. Cubans get paid in CUPs – Cuban Pesos; worth just 4 cents each. CUPs are used to buy simple items such as street food, theatre tickets and bus rides for tiny amounts of money – often costing just a few pence. As a result, many visitors do choose to change up a few CUPs to have access to cheap pizzas and old school taxis.

However, the system has also created a new class system. Most Cubans are employed by the state and earn around $15 - $25 per month. However, the introduction of CUCs along with self-employment options in paladares, casas particulares and as taxi drivers means that some Cubans now have access to these tourist dollars which has skewed the wealth astronomically; a 10 CUC tip is equivalent to two weeks’ salary.

For this reason, you will often get chatting to your casa host or taxi driver only to find that he/she is a qualified and experienced doctor, architect or engineer, who has chosen to work in an unskilled sector to earn many times more than the pitiful state salary. There is talk of the dual currency being abolished in the near future – so keep an eye on the news.

Cubans have scant access to manufactured goods, no matter how hard they work or how much they earn. Clarita Derwent, from our supplier Cuban Adventures, explains: “That’s the difference between Cuba and most developing countries; you can be in a very poor African nation, but if you have money you can still walk into a shop and buy what you need, even if millions in that country can’t. But in Cuba, because of the blockade, it’s not that they haven’t got things because they haven’t got money; it’s that they haven’t got things in the country at all. Once I was in a town and people were getting really excited about drinking glasses coming into the store. Everyone flocked there to buy them until they’d sold out, as there might not be more for another six months.”

What you can do
Take items to donate - whether to your hosts, hotel staff, in schools, residential homes or hospitals. Many items simply don't exist; and for the brief time that they do they may be obtainable only in sought-after CUCs. The list is endless: pens, pencils, exercise books, toiletries, umbrellas, clothes, shoes, guitar strings, over-the-counter medicines, sticking plasters, sunglasses, reading glasses, kitchenware...

If possible, don't deposit all your gifts in Havana. This is where most stock arrives anyway; it's also where most tourists arrive, and donate their gifts. The poorest area is the southeast around Santiago de Cuba - items here will be even more warmly received. But in any of the provinces you will find poverty is higher, tourist jobs scarcer, and the need for donated goods greater.

Even those who speak no Spanish will learn the word ‘jinetero’ pretty quickly – the word literally translates as ‘jockey’ but it refers to the people who hassle tourists in Cuba. As well as people asking for donations in the street – pens, toothpaste, soap – the jineteros may want to show you to a friend’s bar, restaurant or casa particular, where they may get a cut of your fee, or a hefty bill will be run up. Others may ask you to buy formula milk for their baby – you can buy some for $20 in a nearby shop, which will later be returned with the proceeds split between the jinetero and the shopkeeper.

Men and women are targeted equally, and the jineteros may be male, female (jineteras), couples or friends – which makes the scams difficult to discern. To make things harder, Cubans are generally gregarious and curious about the foreign countries they have never been permitted access to, so there are plenty of people who genuinely want to enjoy a drink with you or give you a tour – without a cent in return.

What you can do

• There are some opportunities to watch and swim with dolphins in Cuba. For in-depth tips on how to choose a responsible dolphin tour, take a look at our 2-minute guide to watching and swimming with dolphins.

---

Photo credits: [Paladare cooks: Laura] [Empty egg shop in Havana: Paul Keller] [Recycling: Vicki Brown]