Why money isn’t everything

Ship: Roald Amundsen
Date: 12.02.2026
Position: Havanna
Nautische Position: 23°8′N 82°22′ W
Etmal: 0 sm

Days seem to start early here and this day was no different. We were woken at 6:30 a.m. and boarded a bus to Havanna. We drove through quiet streets and past nearly empty hotel complexes. That’s when you begin to wonder: Is money really everything? Do we need huge hotels if so few people are staying in them? Should money be our highest priority in life, or is it possible to live without constantly chasing it?

Yes, money is important — but does it truly make us happy? Do we need expensive cars or luxurious hotels to feel fulfilled, especially when they stand half-empty? Or could a well-kept car from the 1960s be enough? Do we really need a five-star hotel, or is a simple room with a bed sufficient?

When we arrived in Havana, the atmosphere felt vibrant. The sun was shining, and not a cloud was in the sky. Despite the economic hardships many people are facing, there was warmth and vitality in the streets. Life seemed to be about sharing time with others rather than competing over who earns the most. Money matters — but joy, connection and the love of life often feel more valuable than anything money can buy.

At the same time, daily life in Cuba cannot be separated from its political and economic reality. For decades, the country has been affected by the US trade embargo, which restricts access to international markets, finance, and many imports. In recent years, sanctions have tightened and Cuba was again placed on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, further limiting financial transactions and foreign investment.

At the same time, US pressure on Venezuela — Cuba’s main oil supplier — has reduced fuel deliveries, contributing to energy shortages and blackouts.

But external pressure is only part of the story. Cuba’s centrally planned economy struggles with low productivity, limited private enterprise, and heavy state control. Bureaucracy, inefficient management, currency reforms, inflation and dependence on imports have made the situation worse.

The collapse of tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic removed one of the country’s main sources of income. All of this together has led to shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and basic goods.

You begin to notice the care and pride people put into seemingly ordinary things. The struggle to buy something as simple as a banana because prices have risen so sharply is hard to imagine for someone from a stable economy — yet for many in Havanna, it is reality. Although the social system aims to provide equality, not everyone’s needs are met and some people struggle to survive.

And yet, there are moments when money fades into the background. At a rooftop restaurant where we had lunch, music began to play and we started dancing. At first, we joined in for fun, but soon a Cuban man stepped into the center of the restaurant and danced with such energy that everyone followed.

It didn’t matter that we didn’t know the lyrics. What mattered was the rhythm, the laughter and the shared experience. In that moment, there was pure joy — and money was irrelevant.

It made me reflect: Is a world without money even possible? I realized that in that moment, what truly mattered was not wealth, but the happiness and connection we shared. Even now, when I think about it, I smile because of those memories. We stayed at the restaurant for hours and by the time we left, dusk had fallen. We walked through dimly lit streets; some streetlights were not working and the city felt quiet and shadowed.

Perhaps you need money to survive. But you do not need wealth to experience joy. Money exists because we must exchange it for what we need. In Cuba, I came closer than ever to the idea of living without constantly measuring life in financial terms. Yet reality remains complex.

There are people who benefit from tourism or private businesses and others who search through trash bins for something useful. One street can feel lively and full of restaurants; the next shows clear signs of poverty. In some areas, you feel cautious — not necessarily because of greed, but because economic pressure leaves people with few options.

Lastly, I want to say that in Germany we often do not realize how secure our situation is. For most of us, money rarely determines whether we can meet our basic needs.

In Cuba, you can see how a combination of long-standing sanctions, political tensions, structural economic weaknesses, and global crises has shaped everyday life — and at the same time, how much dignity and resilience people show despite these challenges.

Grüße:

Sarah: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag Papa❤️❤️🎉🎉 Ich denk‘ an Dich (auch vom anderen Ende der Welt in Kuba) und hab‘ Dich ganz doll lieb.