raining

It's raining today. A very rare event this time of year. I should've expected there'd be some colder weather to usher me back to Britain. In fact I am quite happy about it. The last few nights of 25 degree weather has made sleep quite unpleasant, if I slept at all.

A little rant about money.

So here are some equations:

In Cuba...

1 USD = 0.89 CUC
1 CAD = 1.14 CUC
1 GBP = 1.79 CUC

(where USD is US dollar, CAD is Canadian Dollar, GBP is UK Pound and CUC is Cuban Converable Peso)

Now on international markets...

1 USD = 0.98 CAD
1 CAD = 1 CAD
1 GBP = 2.03 CAD

Cuba blocks the use of US Dollars, for obvious reasons (thank you George W Juice). So if you use a USD you will get charged 10 cents on the dollar as a fine. Not a problem, I don't need US dollars. When I came here I was told to bring pounds. Why? I should have brought CAD because in fact CAD to CUC is favourable, in fact like 20% more valuable than the USD and like for like 15% more valuable than the pound.

Clearly the exchange rates here are based on the fact that almost all goods here come out of Canada so Fidel likes to stockpile CAD.

All of this seems reasonable, except for when you try to get money off your UK or Canadian credit card. You get charged a 10% fine. Why you might ask? Because the credit card magically turns your Canadian or British money in to American money THEN in to CUC.

Why? I am not sure as US banks do not operate in Cuba. Oh, but wait, they own the VISA name and force all international transactions to operate through their highly overvalued currency.

I can easily see why: a) the entire world hates America and b) why you would easily go bonkers living in Cuba because of such things and the heavy handed communist bureaucracy.