Cuba is a very popular tourist destination; it’s perfect winter weather and hundreds of white sandy beaches are a perfect makes it such. Some of the country’s highlights include its karst landscapes and Spanish colonial towns. It’s music, vintage American cars, and art deco architecture lace it in another time.

Many times when tourists visit places on vacation, they forget that the places they visit are home to actual peoples; that the cultures they participate in are lifestyles for those around them. The country is desperately poor, and their connection to the rest of the world has only recently become a thing; however, this isn’t something people pay attention to on their vacations.

Almost 80% of the Cuban workforce is an employee of the state, all with an official wage of about 500 Cuban pesos ($20 USD) a month. Although the govt. provides housing, healthcare, food and staple rations, and education, the standard of living is still pretty low and basic products like clothes, electronics, and consumer goods are incredibly pricey.

The vintage America cars one sees are not “cool”, they are old cars with terrible fuel economy and safety; however, it is all the Cuban people can afford, as a modern car goes for more than most will ever make in a lifetime.

The all organic food grown is only GMO, pesticide, and fertilizer free because Cuban farmers can’t even afford a tractor, let alone any other agricultural necessities. It looses over 57% of its yearly harvest due to inefficiency.

The old world feel given by worn paint and crumbling architecture isn’t “so pretty”, it’s a reflection of the lack of affordability of proper maintenance. A jug of paint hasn’t been affordable for 3 decades, and the city sees four buildings collapse every day.

It is essential that those who travel recognize that there is meaning beyond the things that one sees. One must be empathetic, recognize that people live different lifestyles, and that not everyone has access to what consider to be basic human rights.

Associated with Cuba are its “classic cars”. The streets are busy with Oldsmobiles and Chevrolets, Buicks and Fords, and even Chrysler’s old Plymouth brand. These old-school American brand vehicles date back to the 1950’s making Cuba a car lover’s dream. That being said, many people don’t recognize why it is that Cuba has so many classic cars on its streets.

In 1959 (the end of the Cuban revolution) Fidel Castro came in to power. He promptly banned imports on foreign cars and car parts.  Prior to this, most new vehicles imported to Cuba were from the United States. This created a deep-freeze in Cuba’s car scene. Cars free from US technology were allowed to be imported, however they were hard to come by, and a permit was required in order to buy a car. Furthermore, with Cuba’s state salaries averaging about $20 a month, imported cars were priced too high for anyone to afford. In 2014, although a permit was no longer required to purchase a car, and car import restrictions were loosened, the new system failed when car prices were marked up to astronomical prices. A Peugeot family sedan is listed at about $262,000; for most Cubans, a new car wouldn’t be attainable within 100 lifetimes of saving.

Although the reasons for Cuba’s vintage car scene are political and rather bleak, it doesn’t take away from the pride that many Cuban’s feel as car owners. Successfully maintaining an American car for over 5 decades is no easy feat, and is an important piece to the countries’ vibrant scene. The deep rumble of the vintage cars, the rhythmic tunes of Son Cubano, the vivid colors of the old cars and architecture; all continue to live on through the streets of Cuba making it a place like no other.