Of course, determining the cost of anything here requires one to factor in all the hassles of waiting in lines and for items that are scarce or in effect nonexistent; the money of most non-Cubans and certainly of the average tourist is hassle-free.
“…many Cubans were arrested just for being at the wrong place at the wrong time, gawking from a street corner. They would spend days or weeks languishing in prison…”
I saw what looked like the only decent shot, pulled out my smaller camera, and took one shot. Immediately the prior guard yelled at me, “Ay!!!” I pretended to not hear and briskly continued my circuitous path, not sure if or when a patrol car would pull up to me and I would be again interrogated for such an innocuous action.
The driver soon confided in me that he was former military intelligence officer. “I know about every U.S. military base,” he claimed, and recited the names of some. “But if anyone ever found out I was telling you this, I could go to jail!” I promised to keep his secret.
I was surprised to see individuals with their faces covered by the “nasobuco,” as the device is called there, even when riding horses in the countryside or in remote villages.