03-08-2015, 02:45 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-08-2015, 02:47 PM by Westenders.)
Tim
I thought I'd respond to your other post seeing as you directed it at me.
I don't think I am being negative about Cuba at all, I am just raising a point and asking why members think that Cuba is being hailed as a place that would attract en masse tourists that previously frequently visited jamaica.
I also made a few points that are a reality in Cuba, just like how you perceived your posts to be in the thread about crime in Jamaica. In that thread, you were accused about being Mr negative, which you took great affront to. To then define my post as negative, kind of surprises me.
I'm not negative about Cuba, I think you'll see I said it is a wonderful place with wonderful people, and encouraged anyone to go visit, it's worth the experience.
I can't comment in the fish in the sea around Cuba or jamaica lol,not my thing
totally agree, the beach the sun, the sea are beautiful, and I have often told friends here that Cuba is one of the most visually beautiful countries that I have visited.
We did the whole tourist thing when we went there, horse riding, jet skis, swimming with dolphins, cigar factory , sugar caning etc.... ( can't wait to see people start complaining about the jet skis and horses.. I feel sorry for Cuba when that all starts) but AI is not my thing either, but had my daughter with us, so had to put up with it)
I spent two weeks at Brisas so think I'm able to trump you with a personal opinion of that hotel, rather than a day visitor, and yes I think it is up a notch from club amigo lol...recall we looked at club when booking but the reviews were a bit iffy!
I made no comment about crime against tourist being low, or that this was a bad thing. I said and meant that the crime rate for Cuba is low, in fact I am aware that they have an extremely low crime rate, which I think is excellent, especially for the safety of the Cubans. My point was focused on the fact that I think this may change when the regime becomes more relaxed.
Poverty is intriguing to me in Cuba. With our western values we look at this country and its people as impoverished., when in actual fact they have a better infrastructure for protecting the quality of life for its people than many countries, certainly jamaica. With free education and healthcare, housing, transport systems, and the food ration system, where every person is entitled to a weekly amount of rice, flour, and veg, provided by the government at the ration shops. No one is without access to these basics in Cuba , unlike jamaica, and some developed countries. I'm not a fan of communism, but like these elements of it.
I didn't like the army standing at the entrance to my plane on guard with the rifles cocked in the air, you might be okay with it, but that's not something that is the norm in England or places I visit.You said that you saw this at Disney, this has added one more reason to my list of a thousand reasons to never visit Disneyland ..lol
There are a few small shack bars near the brisas, you are right, but they are nothing that would entice me back there. Okay for a short time. Personally I like more choice, but it's horses for courses. In my opinion, the visitors to jamaica that post on this board are the more adventurous type who like to get out and about a country they visit...sitting in and in close proximity to an AI is more TA than the yellow board... Did you go off into Cuba at night??? Same as jamaica the AI tell you not to, and they don't have the level of taxis that we might be used to. Havana is also not recommended without it being a guided excursion.
I did experience beggars, you may not have, but we did. The black Cuban hotel staff even asked my daughter for her hair and make up products, saying they struggle to get them in Cuba ....same hair and skin tone.
We were also swimming in the sea one day and some Cuban gypsies were floating around, asking us and other tourists for clothes. The cleaning staff asked us for clothing as well. I haven't experienced this in jamaica. I'm not saying it's widespread, but it was definitely there.
So this ended up being long, but to clarify Tim, I am not down on Cuba, I enjoyed it there, but I wouldn't go back...too boring for me...but I admired a lot about their way of life....my point in my other threads is that I don't think all the positive aspects will remain once the trade embargo relaxes and visitors are allowed in.. Although I think that is decades away!
Once Cubans are allowed free movement and unrestricted access to the Internet, and enjoy access to things like mobile phones....life in Cuba will not remain the same...but change is inevitable... But let's not put Cuba on a pedestal. This is not the Cuba that will exist in the future when US visitors are allowed to visit. I stress this is just my opinion, !!
Enjoyed your photos by the way, hope you don't defect from jamaica, and you get chance to enjoy it again how you once did.
I thought I'd respond to your other post seeing as you directed it at me.
I don't think I am being negative about Cuba at all, I am just raising a point and asking why members think that Cuba is being hailed as a place that would attract en masse tourists that previously frequently visited jamaica.
I also made a few points that are a reality in Cuba, just like how you perceived your posts to be in the thread about crime in Jamaica. In that thread, you were accused about being Mr negative, which you took great affront to. To then define my post as negative, kind of surprises me.
I'm not negative about Cuba, I think you'll see I said it is a wonderful place with wonderful people, and encouraged anyone to go visit, it's worth the experience.
I can't comment in the fish in the sea around Cuba or jamaica lol,not my thing
totally agree, the beach the sun, the sea are beautiful, and I have often told friends here that Cuba is one of the most visually beautiful countries that I have visited.
We did the whole tourist thing when we went there, horse riding, jet skis, swimming with dolphins, cigar factory , sugar caning etc.... ( can't wait to see people start complaining about the jet skis and horses.. I feel sorry for Cuba when that all starts) but AI is not my thing either, but had my daughter with us, so had to put up with it)
I spent two weeks at Brisas so think I'm able to trump you with a personal opinion of that hotel, rather than a day visitor, and yes I think it is up a notch from club amigo lol...recall we looked at club when booking but the reviews were a bit iffy!
I made no comment about crime against tourist being low, or that this was a bad thing. I said and meant that the crime rate for Cuba is low, in fact I am aware that they have an extremely low crime rate, which I think is excellent, especially for the safety of the Cubans. My point was focused on the fact that I think this may change when the regime becomes more relaxed.
Poverty is intriguing to me in Cuba. With our western values we look at this country and its people as impoverished., when in actual fact they have a better infrastructure for protecting the quality of life for its people than many countries, certainly jamaica. With free education and healthcare, housing, transport systems, and the food ration system, where every person is entitled to a weekly amount of rice, flour, and veg, provided by the government at the ration shops. No one is without access to these basics in Cuba , unlike jamaica, and some developed countries. I'm not a fan of communism, but like these elements of it.
I didn't like the army standing at the entrance to my plane on guard with the rifles cocked in the air, you might be okay with it, but that's not something that is the norm in England or places I visit.You said that you saw this at Disney, this has added one more reason to my list of a thousand reasons to never visit Disneyland ..lol
There are a few small shack bars near the brisas, you are right, but they are nothing that would entice me back there. Okay for a short time. Personally I like more choice, but it's horses for courses. In my opinion, the visitors to jamaica that post on this board are the more adventurous type who like to get out and about a country they visit...sitting in and in close proximity to an AI is more TA than the yellow board... Did you go off into Cuba at night??? Same as jamaica the AI tell you not to, and they don't have the level of taxis that we might be used to. Havana is also not recommended without it being a guided excursion.
I did experience beggars, you may not have, but we did. The black Cuban hotel staff even asked my daughter for her hair and make up products, saying they struggle to get them in Cuba ....same hair and skin tone.
We were also swimming in the sea one day and some Cuban gypsies were floating around, asking us and other tourists for clothes. The cleaning staff asked us for clothing as well. I haven't experienced this in jamaica. I'm not saying it's widespread, but it was definitely there.
So this ended up being long, but to clarify Tim, I am not down on Cuba, I enjoyed it there, but I wouldn't go back...too boring for me...but I admired a lot about their way of life....my point in my other threads is that I don't think all the positive aspects will remain once the trade embargo relaxes and visitors are allowed in.. Although I think that is decades away!
Once Cubans are allowed free movement and unrestricted access to the Internet, and enjoy access to things like mobile phones....life in Cuba will not remain the same...but change is inevitable... But let's not put Cuba on a pedestal. This is not the Cuba that will exist in the future when US visitors are allowed to visit. I stress this is just my opinion, !!
Enjoyed your photos by the way, hope you don't defect from jamaica, and you get chance to enjoy it again how you once did.