Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunfighter
The biggest problem with money is the majority of their daily life things need to be bought with the Cuban peso which is different then the money you spend. They have to convert it to pay for daily life and these transactions are tracked, and they get hosed on the conversion. The hygiene products and such can not be bought at any price in the local currency this is why most of them will ask for these things. Baby supplies are the hottest commodity. Money is ok but not the best for them.
You need to remember that they live in a communist country and the government tracks just about everything in their lives.
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Not so, locals are able to spend CUC, they don't need to convert it. Not once were we ever asked for "items" when we were in Cuba. Everyone wanted money. The only items we took were to donate to the church where they distribute to those in need outside of the tourist areas. Gifting has become redundant now with so many people traveling to Cuba, how many little bottles of shampoo does a maid need? We also learned after the first trip that not everyone deserves a tip. If we didn't receive decent service, we didn't tip, no different than here in Canada.