Three Principles for Building El Puente Seguro (the Safe Bridge)

We call it the "safe bridge" because we will travel above the sharks.

The safe bridge will keep part of La Isla Grande looking special.

Here's a Question:  What do you think of Costa Rica?
a) nice place
b) no danger of a revolution or coup d'état
c) stable prices
Here's a story:  Two professors at the University in Costa Rica eventually left the country because they were so disgusted by what they saw in tourist hotels:  under-age girls wander the hotel lobbies with names like "Fifteen" and "Sixteen."  How old are you?  "Thirteen."  Disgusting.
How can we ensure that Cuba will not become overrun like Costa Rica?  We can't.  But we can build a safe bridge using these principles:

1.  Bring something useful with you.  Leave with empty hands.
a computer with educational videos on the hard drive
(no political videos or ebooks)
a camera
ballpoint pens (especially retractable pens)
More lists 

This is the Plaza of the Revolucion
The bus station is north of the Plaza

2. Make time to speak with locals.   Many people come to Cuba for the museums, Habana Vieja, the music, the shows, the beaches.  Fine.  Enjoy them.  But visit the University of Havana.

Go to the corner of 19 de Mayo and Ayestaran.

Know where to stand.  Look for the Foreign Language Faculty (near the national bus station and about three blocks east of the Plaza de la Revolución).   You have what 10 million people want:  The U.S. accent.  You can help them improve their English by talking with them, by listening to them and by sharing what you know.

The station is on the left, the Faculty of
Foreign Languages is east on 19 de Mayo street

Look for a snack shop on 19 de Mayo Calle (east of the national bus station) in the photo below, west of Ayestaran.

The Plaza de la Revolucion is southwest of this photo

3. To Canadians, Asians and Europeans and others who can bring money into the country:  If you invest in Cuba, keep the profits in the country.
You can find a plot of land for $10,000, an apartment that has withstood fifty years of hurricanes for $50,000 or less, well, you get the idea.   Those prices will increase in the future.  Why not buy two, hold for ten years, rent one of the units, use the rental income to pay for your retirement in the first apartment.

In the photo above, Ayestaran is the north-south street
on the right side of the photo.   The east-west
street is 19 de Mayo.  Go one block west on
19 de Mayo and you'll find an excellent snack
shop on the south side of the street.  University
students gather there to get snacks and that's where
I struck up several conversations.

Click here to see an example of "bring something useful"


Learn about the life.  Read Connor Gorry's blog.
HereIsHavana.com


Here is an extract

THE RULES
Yes, please click and subscribe.  If you want to build El Puente Seguro, you will aid that work by popularizing the blog of HereIsHavana.com