Cuba: Boating Shangri~La...?

[rustybarge]

Hi All,

I've often thought that It would be great to retire to a third word country.
Your 'dollar' would be worth a fortune, and you could live like a millionaire on a small pension.
Staff, cook, butler, chauffeur: no problem!

...but who would want to live in India, or Vietnam?

I just happened to notice this post on the Catamaran forum.....
Please take note of the wages in Cuba!!!!!

#10 Report Post
Old Yesterday, 07:11 PM
ForumAdmin's Avatar
ForumAdmin ForumAdmin is offline
Boat: St Francis 50 - Suliere
Administrator

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 50% Uk 50% on my boat
Posts: 5,108
Default Re: Out of Touch in Cuba
We are now heading out to explore th west by car then come back and are only allowed another 30 days - Canadians can stay 6 months all others two lots of 30 days.
WEe can sail; outside 12 mile limit for 24 hours then come back, check in and start the two 30 days sessions again.
Thew video will be dealing with the issues and how to overcome them - basically there is the official way of doing all and then there is the unofficial way. We will have to blank out faces etcv as well.
Cuba would not work without the unofficial way.
Cubans could not live without the unofficial way.

Did you know that you can drive your own moped etc but must have a permit from them ...... fair enoughg but as a foreigner in your own moped you are not allowed to drive threougfh tunnels If you d0 ther eis a $10 fine but then nobody is watching.

Chap here left his rib in the water overnight - its againsty the rules thaty nobody tells you. The rib had its engine stolen ... he reported it and they fined him $500 for leaving his rib in the water .... that muist hurt

We hope to discover a better Cuba this week. Theyc have nothing against americans and there are a nyumber here in their own boats but not flyinjg any flags.

Average wage here is $16 to $20 a month. Rationed food last about a week then you have to wait 3 weeks for the next ration ..... people have to find other ways to live. A bar of soap = a weeks wage.
__________________
Safe Sailing
Paul
Blog: www.suliere.com

 

[DavidJ]

We've just got back from a 10 day holiday in Cuba.
Lovely people (except for the corrupt police who will frequently stop you and demand money!) We drove ourselves and stayed in casas (B&B's) some wonderful, some not. They have really embraced capitalism in the sectors where it's allowed.....they love it!! Beware a scam at every corner, but done in a friendly way and they are not very good at it ....yet!
There is nothing to spend your money on! There is no middle class with no middle class shops. (unlike India where we have lived). You can't buy property (yet!) as a foreigner and food is limited to what's grown there (rice, bean soup and strange meat). Although you can hire a car (we had a Chinese MG which was actually very good) you will pay international prices.
The coastline is very Caribbean with beautiful beaches. We heard that the diving is OK but not great.
Great for a holiday to experience a really interesting and unique culture change. To live naaaa!
But the 1960's American cars....wow! They are not for nostalgia, it's the only way of getting 4 wheels.

 

[rustybarge]

We've just got back from a 10 day holiday in Cuba.
Lovely people (except for the corrupt police who will frequently stop you and demand money!) We drove ourselves and stayed in casas (B&B's) some wonderful, some not. They have really embraced capitalism in the sectors where it's allowed.....they love it!! Beware a scam at every corner, but done in a friendly way and they are not very good at it ....yet!
There is nothing to spend your money on! There is no middle class with no middle class shops. (unlike India where we have lived). You can't buy property (yet!) as a foreigner and food is limited to what's grown there (rice, bean soup and strange meat). Although you can hire a car (we had a Chinese MG which was actually very good) you will pay international prices.
The coastline is very Caribbean with beautiful beaches. We heard that the diving is OK but not great.
Great for a holiday to experience a really interesting and unique culture change. To live naaaa!
But the 1960's American cars....wow! They are not for nostalgia, it's the only way of getting 4 wheels.

Agreed, not somewhere to live permanently; but as a livaboard destination it could make sense. say 6 months in Cuba, and then cruise across to the cayman islands for a few months.

Funnily enough my late step father's daughter lived in Cuba, and when my Mum went to visit they were treated like royalty, chauffeur driven car met them at the airport, special duty free shopping etc etc. She said the same as you, lovely friendly people, beautiful island.

What makes it so attractive are the low wages, I wonder how much a haul out and antifoul costs, £15?