I am a bit chagrined to have to report that, except for enjoying many views of gorgeous Gulf Fritillaries and Zebra and Julia Longwings, I didn’t do much serious butterflying in Cuba in January. For a variety of reasons I was just unable to do it. Because of strict limitations on allowed baggage I had to leave behind the excellent but cumbersome and heavy butterfly guide which I mentioned in my last Confession. But I did take along a fine, compact guide which serves well for anyone going to Florida or nearby places. Florida Butterflies by Gerbert and Arnett has most of the bugs one will see in Florida, at least on a brief trip. Many of those same species can also be found on the islands of the Caribbean.

I can report on two non-butterfly impressions about Cuba which were strongly reinforced this trip. First, Cubans are the most engaging, fun people I’ve ever met. They are putting up with their current hardships with amazing good nature. A fellow elder hosteler summed it up by asking me, “How can they be so happy?” Second, Cuba is rapidly becoming a two-class society, made up of those who can get some U.S. Dollars by serving us numerous tourists versus those who don’t serve us and who are therefore living in dismal poverty. Relying on tourism to keep an economy going is ultimately a corrupting course. But that’s what Fidel Castro is doing.

G’num2003Vol4No2

Tom O’Connell

Founding WBA Member, Former Board Member, G’num Contributor, former Bellevue College President