a lot of the housing I saw in Havana was something like this. like all these baller ass homes for the elites were taken and converted into multi unit apartments. looking at old photos you can see how these neighborhoods were once palatial homes all crammed next to each other, likely a single occupant or two with a domestic staff that lived in a more destitute area with poor infrastructure, bad roads, no parks. now they are full of people, chillaxing in balconies watching telenovelas overlooking shared kitchen gardens. looking over the city, it's easy to contemplate the rage the elites had and have for losing the crown jewel of capitalist excess to a bunch of workers. very much "how dare you take the things we forced you to build for us!"
construction materials are difficult to acquire due to the embargo, so most places' exteriors could use a little plaster and a coat of paint. but even lacking that, the people and common housing in Cuba are in so much better shape than the US allied western Caribbean countries.
when i went, cooking oil was what was recommended to gift the people we stayed with because there was a shortage that season. i went with a bunch of big brained academics who brought like little silly bottles of Fancy Lad's extra virgin olive oil and other bougie BS. i checked a bag with two bulk containers of veg oil from a restaurant supply place (probably 1.5 gallons total). the lady whose place i stayed at was psyched lol and made us a baller breakfast every morning, which i thought the others on the trip were all getting. nope, lmao.
a lot of the housing I saw in Havana was something like this. like all these baller ass homes for the elites were taken and converted into multi unit apartments. looking at old photos you can see how these neighborhoods were once palatial homes all crammed next to each other, likely a single occupant or two with a domestic staff that lived in a more destitute area with poor infrastructure, bad roads, no parks. now they are full of people, chillaxing in balconies watching telenovelas overlooking shared kitchen gardens. looking over the city, it's easy to contemplate the rage the elites had and have for losing the crown jewel of capitalist excess to a bunch of workers. very much "how dare you take the things we forced you to build for us!"
construction materials are difficult to acquire due to the embargo, so most places' exteriors could use a little plaster and a coat of paint. but even lacking that, the people and common housing in Cuba are in so much better shape than the US allied western Caribbean countries.
Everyone who visits Cuba should bring a can of paint and some spackle.
when i went, cooking oil was what was recommended to gift the people we stayed with because there was a shortage that season. i went with a bunch of big brained academics who brought like little silly bottles of Fancy Lad's extra virgin olive oil and other bougie BS. i checked a bag with two bulk containers of veg oil from a restaurant supply place (probably 1.5 gallons total). the lady whose place i stayed at was psyched lol and made us a baller breakfast every morning, which i thought the others on the trip were all getting. nope, lmao.