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News
Spain, June 7, 2009
Travel to Cuba info
| Travel to Cuba: debate over US citizens travel to Cuba goes on |
Travel to Cuba: there is a growing debate about the lift of the travel ban of US citizens to travel to Cuba.
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Spain, June 6, 2009
Travel to Cuba info
| Travel to Cuba easier for Californians: New direct flights between LA and Havana, Cuba |
Travel to Cuba is going to be easier. A california firm is now selling again direct flights from Los Angeles, USA, to Havana, Cuba.
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Spain, June 5, 2009
Travel to Cuba info
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Travel to Cuba: rafters try to travel outside of Cuba |
While many people are traveling to Cuba, many Cubans try to leave their country by any means available and in this way escape from hunger and repression. Rafter sometimes are succesful traveling out of Cuba, but seven of them failed yesterday.
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May 28, 2009
Oscar Espinosa Chepe
Those traveling to Cuba should consider the news. In the middle of May the newspaper Granma, official publication of the Communist Party, began a series of articles about the worsening of the economic situation in the country caused by the international financial crisis. Two articles signed by the director, Lázaro Barredo, and another article in the first page of the newspaper reported the excessive consumption of 40,000 tons of fuels for the production of electrical energy.
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Spain, May 26, 2009
Spanish Solidarity with Cuba
| New version of the Tourism and Solidarity Guide to Cuba available |
A newer, better version of the Tourism and Solidarity Guide to Cuba is now available. It contains very useful information for the travelers, especially about Cuba´s real heroes and how to express solidarity with them.
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Cuban Spanish: The Traveller’s Cheat Sheet |
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Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world, and it is the official language for the majority of countries in Central and South America, as well as, of course, for Spain. The language in each Spanish-speaking country is different, though – each country has its own accent, common phrases and slang. Cuba is one such location with its own unique dialect. Here are a few tips for visitors to Cuba wanting to blend in with the locals.
Pronunciation/Accent
One of the most notable aspects of Cuban Spanish is what is called the ‘debuccalisation’ of the ‘s’, which is a common trait in Caribbean Spanish. What this means is the last ‘s’ in a word is often not enunciated. Instead, it is pronounced like an English ‘h’ sound. Also, when Cubans make a word diminutive, which is commonly done in Spanish by changing the ending to ‘ito’ or ‘ita’, it becomes ‘ico’ or ‘ica’ instead.
Slang/Useful Phrases
As a Communist country, the term compañera or compañero, which means ‘comrade’ is a common greeting between people instead of señora or señor. Qué bola? means ‘How are you?’ Similarly, Qué vuelta? is a way of saying ‘What’s up?’ Some other common Cuban phrases include: Le da changó, which is a way of expressing how amazing something is; and No cojas los mangos bajitos is an expression equivalent to ‘Don’t take the path of least resistance’. Additional words frequently used in Cuba and largely specific to the country include: asere, which means ‘friend’ or ‘mate’; fardo is the word for ‘trousers’; bemba is another word for ‘lips’, though it can mean ‘gossip’ or ‘the grapevine’ when used in certain contexts, such as ‘radio bemba’. Gringo, or yuma, is a word many visitors might hear – it is a term used generally for foreigners. Cuban slang is rich and varied, and anyone visiting Cuba will enjoy learning a few choice phrases to surprise locals!
Familiarising yourself with a country’s, or even a city’s, specific language and slang is highly recommended, even if you have studied the language formally. For example, the French you learn in a French language school back home is very different from the language you will speak if you learn French in France. Naturally, the same is true of Spanish, only there are more countries in which it is spoken, and as a result, there are more varied dialects. Being familiar with the local language eases travels and makes for a more enriching experience.
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| IF YOU TRAVEL TO CUBA, TRAVEL WELL
IF YOU TRAVEL TO CUBA, SUPPORT THEM |
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