I was really happy that the homegirls ( Natalia, Mitzy, Maria Elena, Celsa and Christina) wanted to try Cuban ice cream after class. As we walked on 23rd street towards the historic ice cream parlor Coppelia I saw the old Hilton hotel which was renamed after the Revolution to Habana Libre. Eating at Coppelia made me realize that their is two Cubas. The country has two official currencies, the Cuban National Peso or the Convertible Cuban Peso (CUC), the CUC is used by foreigners and Cubans that can offered to use them. Coppelia is a favorite gathering place for Cubans especially in the summer time. Before the revolution Coppelia offered a wide selection of flavors and now with the triumph of the revolution only strawberry, chocolate and vanilla are served. What made it evident in the preferential treatment of tourists was the fact that my friends and I did not have to wait in long lines for ice cream. As a foreign visitor we had the privilege to not wait in line through the CUC express line. While eating my ice cream it was hard to enjoy while locals waited to walk into the ice cream parlors in long lines.
|
Archives
July 2015
AuthorSebastian Flores Categories |