Despite being a communist country, Cuba is also improving its diplomatic ties with the US, which hopes that very soon all Americans will be able to travel to Cuba as freely as they want. The world believes that Cuba is a mixture of different cultures and influences with a most extensive past. Some strange facts about the country you’ve probably never seen are here.
Hitchhiking Is The Norm
Passengers in Cuba can hitch a ride in government vehicles, if there’s space. It is encouraged to hitchhike because the country doesn’t have so many cars, and hitchhikers use designated areas. Drivers pick riders up on a first come, first serve basis.
Hitchhiking is simply getting into somebody’s car (or some other vehicle) and asking him to take you as far as he or she can. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, hitchhiking was necessary.
Ballet Is Big Here
For the most part, the dance scene in Cuba has always revolved around salsa, son, and rumba. However, according to those in the know, the Caribbean Island is one of the main stages of the world’s best ballet.
Ballet here took off after legendary ballerina Alicia Alonso founded the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1948, which is now one of the world’s most prestigious dance companies. Despite some early difficulties, the company received crucial assistance from Fidel Castro and his revolutionary movement in 1959, after Alonso lent him her support.
Not Internet Friendly
Since the list’s inception in 2006, Reporters Without Borders has designated Cuba as an “Internet Enemy.” Certain websites are blocked by the Cuban government outright. While blocking access to specific websites is possible, it is not very widespread.
The censorship of the internet has loosened in recent years. For example, in 2007, the general public was able to purchase a computer legally. Digital media is beginning to play a more prominent role in disseminating information about events in Cuba to the rest of the world.
Travel Restrictions
Since 1960, when Fidel Castro took power, the U.S. government has restricted travel to Cuba, and this restriction continues to this day, owing to the fear of communism here.
Journalists, academics, government officials, those with immediate family members living on the island, and others licensed by the Treasury Department were initially excluded from sanctioned travel. These rules were changed in 2011 to allow all Americans to visit Cuba if they were on a “people-to-people” cultural exchange tour.
Taking Pictures of Military Personnel Is Illegal
In Cuba, photographing military, police, or airport staff is prohibited. Law enforcement is sporadic, so if you want to stop rumors of spying or unpleasant interrogations from the police, don’t act rashly in front of them.
Except for government buildings and military personnel, you are free to photograph almost everything in Cuba. Cubans are eager to be the subjects of your most unforgettable photographs.
Cross-Dressing Is Illegal
Cross-dressing is illegal in Cuba, but it is fascinating like all things prohibited. Crossdressers often do it in secrecy, as those who do so afraid to be caught on the grounds that they could be imprisoned for it.
However, in recent times, cross-dressing participants could appear before a massive crowd of onlookers and tourists at the Gunilla Event.
Cuban Gar: The Manjuari Fish
The Cuban gar (Atractosteus tristoechus) is a fish in the Lepisosteidae family found only in Cuba. It’s a tropical freshwater species that can also be found in brackish water. It is also known as the manjuar and can be found in western Cuban rivers and lakes and the Isla de la Juventud.
Humans may eat the meat of the fish, but the eggs are poisonous. Seasonally, Cuban gar spawns in the floodplains of major rivers. The fish are edible, but the eggs are toxic to mammals and birds. Many people believe that gar is a bad fish to eat.
The Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Rent
The U.S. leased 45 square miles in 1903 and established the naval base there. The U.S. pays Cuba $4,085 per month in rent for Guantanamo, but the checks have never been cashed since 1959. Fidel Castro made this clear when he declined to cash the checks in defiance of the “illegal” occupation.
He revealed the checks tucked into a desk drawer in his office in a television interview years ago. The U.S. held 46.8 square miles (121 square kilometers) of land at the entrance to Guantanamo Bay in eastern Cuba for a naval base.
The Natural Home of Bee Hummingbirds
Do you want to see the tiniest bird on the planet? Then you’ll have to go to Cuba. If you arrive on the island, your best choice for finding the little wonder is to go to a forest edge draped in vines and bromeliads.
Everywhere, you can see the Bee Hummingbird hovering near the flowers. Even among hummingbirds, the Bee Hummingbird, which is only found in Cuba, is a miniature. It’s just two and a quarter inches in length.
Celebrating New Year’s Day
Many Cubans clean their homes thoroughly on the last day of the year and hold the filthy mop water until midnight. They pour the polluted water into the street at that time as a sign of washing off bad events in the previous year in the hopes of beginning the New Year with good, clean energy.
People in some places, primarily rural areas, burn a human-sized rag doll. This doll represents something terrible that happened in the previous year. People gather around the doll at midnight and light it on fire (like a puppet) to bring good luck for the coming year.
El Cocodrilo
The aerial view of Cuba is often referred to as El Cocodrilo because it resembles an alligator. The name “Cuba” comes from Tano, one of the island’s native languages. It’s either linked to the words Cubao, which means “abundance of fertile land,” or cabana, which means “a wonderful spot.”
The country has another Spanish nickname, El Caiman, which is derived from the contours of the island of Cuba.
Monopoly in Cuba
In Cuba, Monopoly had a large following, but Castro outlawed it. He ordered that all of the sets be destroyed. In this communist country, owning a Monopoly set could result in more than just a heated family argument.
Fidel Castro had all locations destroyed at the start of his regime. Before 1959, Monopoly had a sizable following in Cuba, with local printers also producing a bootleg edition known as Capitolio that openly circumvented the Parker Brothers copyright.
