A Cuban woman living in Germany shared a video on TikTok about her return to the island, where she recounted that what was supposed to be a vacation turned into an experience marked by shortages, blackouts, and difficulties in accessing basic goods.
"I went on vacation to Cuba, but who said that going to Cuba was a vacation? I went to visit my family, but I also went to struggle with the daily life of any Cuban: not knowing how to wash because there is no electricity and no water, having to go look for food and finding nothing in the stores because you walk in and all you see is the same goods repeated a thousand and one million times on different shelves," shared @tay_hechavarria.
In the same testimony, the young woman spoke about the difficulties of making purchases at establishments: “Having to wonder how to buy goods because you can’t pay with a card due to a lack of connection, and besides, you can’t pay in your national currency, the one from Cuba; you have to pay in American dollars, dollars that I also don’t have because I live in Germany; the only thing I bring with me is euros.”
In the video, you can hear him asking a store employee: “My love, when will we be able to pay with a card, do you know?” to which the woman replies: “It's just that we don’t know when the connection will come in.”
The young woman also described the situation of those who must travel long distances to obtain food or basic products: “Listening to the people who went all the way out there to look for food and essential items because they have no place to buy them, and to think that they went there for nothing and couldn't find what they were looking for.”
He also mentioned the health risks that exist on the island: “Vacationing in Cuba also comes with zika, dengue, chikungunya, agunya, I don't know how to say it, you know.”
Despite everything, he highlighted the moments of affection and the family connection he still feels in his country: “Being on vacation in Cuba is also about tasting your mom's cooking again, that delicious Cuban food that you love, that drives you crazy and reminds you how beautiful it is to be in Cuba with your loved ones.”
The video concludes with a reflection filled with nostalgia and hope: “In the end, we didn’t come to Cuba for a vacation; we came to see our loved ones, we came to see our land, our home, our house, we came to see the little that remains, but I know that soon this will change, and going back to Cuba will mean going back on vacation.”
The testimony sparked multiple reactions among users. One person commented: "That's my fear, returning to Cuba with two small children given how serious the situation and the diseases are. The only thing worth it is seeing my grandmother and my brother again." Another expressed: "The situation isn't easy." Other users downplayed the difficulties: "I exchange euros for dollars in Germany, and in Cuba, you can always find someone to exchange them. I'm in Cuba every three months, and the millionaires accept euros."
The video, published on TikTok, reflects the duality experienced by many Cubans abroad: the desire to reunite with their people and the frustration of confronting a reality that makes it increasingly difficult to truly enjoy a vacation on the island.
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