A Sunday Side Gig

HAVANA: From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday, friends Gabriel and Dani spearfish by the coast of a fairly well-to-do neighborhood in Havana called Miramar. In Cuba, most people have a few side-hustles to make ends meet. This is theirs.

If they catch an octopus, they could sell it to restaurants nearby for as much as $3.50 a pound. In a country where the median monthly wage is about $25, this is a lot. Especially if Gabriel and Dani get lucky and catch even just more than a couple.

It’s not all work though. A little after 1 p.m., they kick back for a little Sunday picnic lunch. They invite me to join. I politely decline, telling them I fly out in a few hours. 

"Come back soon," Dani calls out in Spanish. "We are here every Sunday afternoon. No exceptions!" ▪️