I dare to summarize my impressions about Cuba in one word: refreshing!

The point about the experience you get in this island is much more of an attitude of its vibrant, colorful and proud people.

Just a short look back at what Cuban people have lived in the past 60+ years: end of a military dictatorship, rise of a revolution, adaptation to a new system, an embargo from US, a “Special Period” (name given by Fidel) where no help would come from Soviet Union anymore, which was a three years time when all its people lost over ⅓ of their body weight.

And yes, a touristic boom after easing the US embargo, to which I happily contributed.

Along the way I stayed at casas particulares (homestays), took a 15 hour train ride from west to east and met all sorts of people. For instance, taxi drivers and waiters who were during daytime medical doctors, dentists, architects. After all, monthly salaries top up at around U$25 a month.

How are they living like that?

Well, usually they cannot afford expensive imported goods neither overseas flights. But they do have access to free medical services, housing, transportation and quality education.

Indeed it is hard to answer this and many other questions in great detail. In the end I was only a tourist there and might have a biased impression. Please forgive me if so. What I am willing to do here is to share some interesting insights Cubans gave me as souvenirs.

1. Money can’t buy it all. Try finding eggs in the supermarket (there is apparently none) and when you find them, you need a special card that just Cubans have to get them.
2. It doesn’t matter what you have studied, be creative with your sources of income.
3. If someone asks you for one piece of information, take the time and give them even more details and options.
4. Be proud of what you are and where you come from.
5. Think about family, have as many children as you want, things will be just fine (let’s try to leave the discussion about economical and societal issues that might arise with this sentence out of the scope this time).
6. There are many opportunities to make some extra income. Do it with a smile on your face.
7. Know your neighbors, they will need your help and you will need theirs.
8. If there is a crisis in the country, everyone takes part in solving the problem.
9. Stop by and greet people. Others behind you will understand you need some time to have a short talk.
10. Supermarkets can be almost empty, so when you find something you like or need, don’t miss the chance.
11. Begging for money is not acceptable. Everyone has access to the basics for a decent living in addition to leisure e.g. cinema, theater, sports, considered to be a right of every citizen.
12. Speaking other languages is important “to break the barriers” as a local told me. Even if you don’t intend or can’t travel abroad.
13. Know your country and its history. You might need to tell it to curious people when they get to know you.

In order to give you a bit more context, barely any Cuban had a cellphone in the mid-2000s. Since 2011 they were allowed to sell and buy cars and houses for the first time in the past 50 years. The majority of them were not entitled to travel abroad till 2013. At this point of time, 2% of the population has access to Internet at home.

I am not romanticising about how amazing it is to live under such a regime. Nor I am judging it. My only intention here is to recognize the beauty in the differences. Perhaps to figure out where and if we are missing the point back at home, within our capitalist societies.

Having options at the supermarket, a thousand models of smartphones, one income source that stresses one out, paying mortgages: I, citizen of this reality, haven’t asked for it all. I enjoy it as much as I can afford few luxuries, but I know that this way of life has consequences. Even this way I – and I guess many of you – found our ways to live within this system.

For those who might think that time has stopped in Cuba I could not agree less. Their clocks are ticking as fast as ours. The only difference I see is that they learned another way to live with the good, the bad and the ugly.

Source: my observations and some help from my Lonely Planet guide Cuba, edition of October 2015. I had short access to internet connection when I wrote this article in Cuba.