Carlo Gebler

The decline of Soviet communism in the 1980s meant the end of Soviet subsidies for the Cuban economy. To help replace the subsidies, Castro opened Cuba's doors to foreign tourists. Swanky hotels and restaurants were constructed for their exclusive use. Tourist-only stores, where pesos were not accepted, were stocked with high-quality, reasonably priced merchandise. Meanwhile, the Cuban masses were forced to shop and dine at second-rate establishments that offered lower-quality goods and provided indifferent service.

Carlo Gebler was an English author who had become fascinated with Cuba as a youth. In 1987 he, his wife, and their daughter spent three months driving from one end of Cuba to the other. In this excerpt, they exchange dollars for pesos with black-market money changers in Havana. Then they dine at a pizzeria and ice cream shop that cater to...