Sunday, March 9, 2008

Daily life in Havana

Castro blames the U.S. embargo for almost everything. Crops are lost due to mildew or hurricanes: it is America's fault. Dengue fever becomes almost an epidemic: it is America's fault. There is not enough wheat or rice: it is America's fault. There is a shortage of paper: it is America's fault.

Rationing of food is strictly regulated by the government. Each person is issued a ration book, which gives them the right to buy the rationed products. You must still have the money to buy and a container to carry home the items. Each person is allotted the following per month: six pounds of rice, one pound of beans, 150 milliliters of cooking oil, five pounds of sugar, one package of coffee, one bar of soap, and one tube of toothpaste. In addition, each person can receive one bun of bread a day. Notice there is no protein rationed - there is very little. As foreigners, we were able to buy a wide assortment of food, but our host often gathered up our leftovers to help out her friends.

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