By Eduardo N. Cordovi Hernandez
HAVANA TIMES – In Havana, the prices of anything and everything have long since reached unaffordable levels, similar to what anyone in a major first-world capital would normally pay. The difference is that in Havana, salaries are much much lower. On top of that, it’s not just that prices are high; they are high because everything is scarce, which doesn’t happen in any other third-world city in the West, at least as far as I know.
A similar situation occurs with transportation. As of the time I am writing this —April 2024— it’s not just that there are few buses for public transport. The problem is also the lack of spare parts to get those out of service back running. The problem is the lack of fuel. The problem is that the buses lack seats; they lack the metal bars for the many standing passengers to hold onto. It’s about the same as how many windows are jammed and cannot be opened, making you suffocate from the heat during the long summers, while others lack glass or are similarly jammed and cannot be closed, so if it rains, you get wet.
As if that weren’t enough, given such a situation with so many inconveniences, drivers are so disciplined and respectful of the rules that the
