The Cuban economy

The Cuban economy is driven by the following export industries, in this order 1. Tourism 2. Medicine (Cuba sells doctors to the world) 3. Nickel 4. Sugar

Having tourism as the main source of income has a certain corrosive impact on the national character. Getting tourist dollars (convertibles or CUC) is imperative if you want to live. Thinking up a scheme by which to get them is the uncomfortable part. Tips are important, selling trinkets is big, operating as a blackmarket taxi driver is possible (but only if you are one of the very, very few people with a car), convincing people to come to dinner is another avenue. I can´t blame anyone for trying to get a few dollars from rich tourists, but it is really starting to upset me that it seems a good proportion of the nation have been turned into hustlers.

On the other hand, people are remarkably healthy, any complex medical conditions is dealt with very well, everyone have lovely teeth and is entitled to two checkups per year for free, there are few beggars, no one is illiterate and everyone is fed, even if it is just beans and rice.

There is no MacDonalds or Starbucks, we are not missing the advertising and shopping is a necessity rather than a recreational activity. We keep realising all of the things that Cuban does not have and many of them are things that we are happy to do without.