Cuban fashion model falls in love with Cayman on first visit Loop Cayman Islands

Black Immigrant Daily News

It is not unusual to hear accounts of people falling in love with Cayman on their first visit and never wanting to leave. In some cases, this choice is made after several rendezvous to various destinations which they compare Cayman to and then make a final decision.

In the case of Cuban fashion model and dancer, Cintia Mart?nez, however, the love story is a bit different as Cayman is the only place she has ever seen outside Cuba.

What made Cayman her choice

Explaining her experience to Loop, Mart?nez said that Cayman is “very different from Cuba”.

Regarding these differences, she said: “The economy in the Cayman Islands is very organized. In stores, they make offers that they don’t make in Cuba. The attention in places [here] is very efficient… in Cuba, in very few places, they take care of you well.

“Life is much more expensive in Cuba but [in Cayman], you have a decent salary that allows you to buy what you need.”

In terms of salaries, Mart?nez said she earned 10 to 20 US dollars per job as a fashion model and dancer in Cuba. With this, she could buy milk (which she said was not always available), rice, coffee, yoghurt and chicken. However, this involves waiting in “immense cues… many times for 7 hours, just to buy hotdogs and toilet paper”.

Mart?nez also dispelled the idea that sometimes, food is free in Cuba.

She said:

They don’t give free food. Only if a donation from another country arrives in the warehouse maybe once a year. [In this case], each family may get a package of spaghetti and two cans of tuna.

Beyond economics

After comparing the economics of Cayman and Cuba, Mart?nez spoke about people she met while in Cayman.

Mart?nez noted that in Cayman, people “always greet you with good vibes”.

She added: “Everyone here is very focused on their lives, people are very hardworking and there are also many places you can go.”

Motivated by this, Mart?nez said that she would love to spend “at least a year or maybe two” working in Cayman one day, maybe as “a Spanish teacher maybe in a school or maybe work with children in a nursery”.

Back to Havana

While she explores how to make her Cayman dream a reality and perhaps make her next stay permanent, Mart?nez said she will return to Havana this weekend with a renewed vision.

Explaining what she wants to see in Cuba after her trip, she said that she wished she could “change the lack of humanity between people, the government and some laws”. In addition, she said she would like “the militarisation [in Cuba]” to change.

Until the Cuban dream is realised in Cuba, Mart?nez is looking forward to returning to Cayman for another “relaxing and amazing” experience, in particular, on Cayman Airways.

Cintia Mart?nez enjoys the famous “Seven Mile Beach” on her Cayman trip

NewsAmericasNow.com