🇬🇧 Mum, Dad, my boyfriend is Cuban!

…is like having any other boyfriend basically. However there are few obstacles we´re facing that other couples don´t have to even think about.

There are o lot of stereotypes that Cubans are looking for foreigner girls to get married and escape from the island legally rather then crossing the Gulf of Mexico on homemade boats. And if you go to any party place you´ll find indeed a lot of Cuban boys talking to tourists. If they´re looking for girls to get the passport or just having fun it´s not my role to judge.

Me and Fidel met when I was traveling around Cuba. I was renting a room from his sister in law – Tita, and that´s how we met. At home. Not at the disco, not at any tourist spot. At home. He asked me out for some salsa dancing (nope, I still can´t dance salsa) and this is how it all started. I stayed in Viñales for longer than I was supposed to and after coming home we always stayed in touch.

Cubans don´t have Internet at homes, there´s no such service. Most of the cities have spots with Wi-Fi so all you need to do is to buy an access card. 1h of Wi-Fi costs 2 CUC (and 12 CUC is an average salary). Most of the time we comunicate by short emails and sometimes by app called IMO – very popular among Cubans who have somebody abroad. But no, we can´t speak every day and sometimes, when he runs out of CUC´s there´re no emails for days.

When visiting Fidel I wasn´t allowed to stay with him. Cubans can´t host foreigners at homes. If the autorities find out they would have to pay huge fine. So every time I´m visiting we have to stay in Casa Particular and get registered as guests (Fidel as well). A bit annoying I must say.

We knew that this long distance relationship is not for us. He can´t visit me, I have holidays once a year and the Internet in Cuba is expensive and not always working. We decided to get married so I could stay in Viñales living with him. Otherwise I can´t work or stay more than 6 months.  We thought I have more chances to succeed in Cuba than Fidel in Europe. I speak Spanish and Fidel…speaks only Spanish for now.

My parents are not the happiest people ever knowing I´m moving so far but stey´re getting used to the idea I´ll be leaving in a socialist country. Me too…