At 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, 1958 I flew aboard a Capital Airlines Vickers Viscount aircraft non-stop from Detroit’s Willow Run Airport to Miami International, then via National Airlines to Havana, Cuba, arriving at the luxurious Habana Hilton Hotel at 9:30 a.m.
As I waited for my luggage in my room on the 19th floor, overlooking the hotel’s artistic entryway, I watched a local school marching band parade past a growing crowd in front of the hotel – while Fidel Castro and his band of revolutionaries prepared to march from the Sierra Maestra Mountains in Oriente Province to Cuba’s largest city, to overthrow Fulgencio Batista’s corrupt and oppressive regime and form a revolutionary government. In August 1958, the Fidelistas began their approximately 550-miles long march from Santiago to Havana.
Cuba was a surprise, unique, exciting, beautiful, friendly, sensation-filled, life-changing and, ultimately, frightening experience for a 26-year old, skin-diving-crazy, unattached, adventure-seeking copywriter from the Motor City. Unknown to me at the time, Havana was the sex capital of the world, a haven for Meyer Lansky and his friends, home to the famous Tropicana’s topless dancers, 18-to-20 year old beautiful women in every bar, and all only 90-miles from Miami Beach. I thought I had died and gone to heaven—until that became a very real possibility. No one mentioned to me during my trip planning that there was a very real, bomb-throwing, gun-shooting, revolution in progress!
Castro was on his way, and the Cuba I visited was about to disappear forever.
Still, I made wonderful friends there. Some were killed soon after I left. Some of my memories bring tears to my eyes and my heart. Sights, smells, sounds, voices, I will miss forever. Scuba diving off Miramar under the watchful and threatening eyes of Batista soldiers; my room and luggage searched while I was distracted by a Cuban girl at the hotel bar; dinner at the home of a Cubana Airlines pilot and President of the Pan American Skin Diving Association; meeting—in passing—a 10-foot shark in the bay off Morro Castle; a local fisherman’s son who hugged me when I gave him the gratuity his father had earned but refused to accept. And the bomb that shook the ground the night I left.
At 1:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 6, 1958 I reluctantly, sadly, somewhat fearfully fled Cuba. Fulgencio Batista ran for his life on Jan. 1, 1959. On Jan. 8, Fidel Castro arrived triumphantly in Havana.
The adventures of Jac Flanders are available in an e-book titled, What I Learned On The Way Down on Amazon.com.
Cuba is one of the countries I want to visit several times before I die.
For all the little violent despot dictators worldwide who have taken millions of innocent lives in the last half century that US taxpayers have supported - to single out Castro is a joke. We were bosom buddies with Saddam Hussein until he defied the international banking system. Then we blew up his country and hunted him down like a dog. Let's call a spade a spade. Did I like Castro. Not so much. Did many Cubans like Castro? Sure. Castro achieved things for the Cubans that is often ignored by the mainstream press. We only get the opinions of the former Cubans who live in Florida. There are always 2 sides to a story. Always.
Not all the propoganda you hear about Cuba is true. Use your discretion. Do you own research.
All I ask is that you describe both sides to provide fair information. Tell us why so many Cubans living in Cuba loved Castro. And then tell us why so many Cuban in Florida hate Castro. Just provide both sides, as there are ALWAYS 2 sides to a story. Thanks, Jac. I appreciate the time and effort you put into your blogs.
Enjoy your day.
Cuban health care in many respects is equal to or even better than what we offer in the United States at MUCH LESS cost per percent of GDP. Cuba actually has an LONGER average lifespan than we do. Over 78 years in 2007. Cuba has a lower infant (children under 5 YOA) than we do. Disease (communicable and non-communicable) is contained in Cuba as effectively as it's contained here. What is most remarkable is that Cuba spends only about 6.5% of it's GDP on health care while we spend nearly 19% of ours on GDP. WIth this taken into consideration, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked Cuba #39 in overall health care in the world while we were ranked #37. So lets include ALL the facts, Things I Learned. I hope you learned something. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Cuba
You have no proof of that. Are you saying WHO is wrong? " hey isn't it awesome how America generates so much surplus wealth that we can afford to spend more on new innovative and aggressive health care and people come from all over the world for treatment here too because we arewere free I do I mean it is." You've been brainwashed. We have over a million Americans who are called "medical tourists" who go overseas to get surguries and major medical treatments since they can't afford it over here. An American can get a 4-vessel bypass in India by American and British trained docs in excellent hospitals in India and other nations for about $20,000 cash - while over here it costs $200,000. Morbidity rates are the same. It's common to have to wait 4-5 weeks in America to see a specialist after you get a referral from a primary care doctor. I know that from personal experience. For the money we pay the American health care system is one of the worst in the world for an industrialized nation. We are spending nearly a trillion dollars a year on health care. Medicare is essentially bankrupted now and it's only going to get worse. I don't cheer on the home team when we're headed down the road to disaster, Things I Learned. I actually sound the alarms to try to salvage what we have. But if you want to lead the cheers, be my guest.
Yes, you are correct, Things I learned. But there is a good and bad side to most things in life. You only emphasize the bad things about Cuba. That is clouding the truth. So if you promote your little quotes all we ask is that you live by them in a practical sense. In other words, walk your talk. Thank you.
Things I Learned, I consider that comment a dodge. I gave my initial opinion (as a contrast to the author's assertions) on Cuba's accomplishments and specifically pointed to their medical system. You replied with counterarguments. I challenged your counterarguments. Now you are supposed to tell me where I was wrong, not tiptoe around the debate by claiming that I failed to emphasize the positives of American style health care. After all, this article is about CUBA, not America. So let's stay focused and on-point. Unless you convince me that my previous comments are in error I will consider that I have won our debate on Cuba. Subsequently, we can focus on America if you wish. Thank you for your time, Things I Learned.
And it's pretty easy to find prejudiced and biased websites for any particular topic. I wasn't able to find documented information from Wikipedia that Cuba doctors it's infant mortality numbers. Got any unbiased sources? Again. Cuba spends about 6.5% of it's GDP on heath care. We (USA) spend about 19% of GDP on ours. And Cubans live longer. Top that, Things I learned. I hope you've learned a few things from me too! :^)
"Got any unbiased sources?" Strange comment from someone who has NO sources...