Archive for the 'Cuba' Category

Song of the post (click the link to see why I chose this particular song):

On my last morning in Cuba I experienced the country at its most frustrating.  After eating a delicious Cuban breakfast at our casa and saying our sad goodbyes to Sergio, Miriam, and their daughter, we departed for the airport.  We checked in with the airline and got through customs with no problem.  I wanted to get rid of as much evidence as I could of me being in Cuba before returning to the U.S., so I spent my last few CUC$’s on a book (Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Year’s of Solitude” in Spanish) and a salsa DVD, only to find out 5 minutes later that our flight was going to be delayed for 7 hours.  !Ay Dios mio! Now, I was stuck at the airport with NO money for food or drink and I was going to miss my connection in Cancun.  Normally I would not have been too distraught over a delayed flight, since I am a seasoned traveler and have accepted that this is a part of traveling, however I had my final exams of the semester of Graduate School scheduled for the next day and they could not be missed under any circumstances.  I excused myself from Kristin and some other Americans that we had befriended and went to sit alone for a while to regain my composure.  I calmed myself down by listening to Buena Vista Social Club on my iPod and reading my book of the trip that was fittingly named, “Es Cuba: Life and Love on the Illegal Island,” written by Lea Aschkenas.

Travel did not protect you from the dark side as you wished it would.  It merely allowed you to experience everything, the good and the bad, more fully and deeply.

My companions during my looong wait at the airport: my book and iPod (if you look closely enough you can see I was listening to "El Chan Chan").

After a while I came to terms with the fact that there was nothing I could do about the situation and I did not want to let it ruin my unforgettable time in Cuba.  Those 7 hours in the airport afforded me a time to reflect on my trip.  The island was full of life and desperation at the same time.  Surrounded by tropical heat, the beat of salsa music, dilapidated architecture, and the constant presence of political unease; in Cuba I had the constant feeling that something was just about to occur, because in a place so full of uncertainty the only thing that was for sure was that something inevitably would happen!

As we were finally boarding our flight we discovered that the reason for the flight delay was due to the wheels of the plane catching on fire upon landing and they desperately had to search for new wheels to replace the charred ones.  If you find yourself on a Cubana flight in the future all I can say is buena suerte!

Prior to our trip, Kristin and I researched how to avoid getting our passport stamped twice in Mexico.  We both came to the conclusion from everything we had read and heard first-hand that the customs agents in Mexico would see our U.S. passports and know not to stamp them again.  Wow, were we wrong!  Apparently, you need to place at least 20USD$ in your passport when you hand it over to the agent as a bribe.  Neither of us had any money left and begged the agent to mercifully let us pass through without the stamp, but to her we were just 2 rich gringas that deserved a little lesson.  After much begging, she eventually let us choose which page the stamp would go on and we both chose pages that were covered in stamps in hope that the second stamp would go unnoticed by U.S. agents.

The U.S. State Department’s official policy has been that the embargo we have against Cuba  is purely economic.  Therefore, it is not illegal to visit the country per se; it is only illegal to spend money there, which of course we did and is completely unavoidable.  There is a hefty fine and possible jail time for those caught.  I was convinced that everything would work out in the end and I tried my best to convince Kristen’s troubled mind as well.

Unfortunately, the Jetblue counter was closed by the time we reached Cancun.  Thus, we would have to wait until the morning to try and get on the next possible flight.  I was determined to have Cubana pay for our hotel room and although it took over an hour to get my wish, not only did Cubana pay for our hotel room, but they also paid for our dinner and breakfast the next day!

Afterward: After the disaster we had the previous day, we needed good news and good news in abundance is what we got.  We left for the airport immediately after breakfast in order to be the first in line at the Jetblue counter.  For a small fine, we were able to get on the 1st flight out that day.  Miraculously, my cell phone, which never works in a foreign country, had a signal and I was also able to call my Graduate School and let them know that I would not be sitting for my exams.  I received a slap on the wrist, however they allowed me to make them up later in the week (and I passed!).

In the end not only did the U.S. agents not see our 2 Mexico stamps, but I was able to smuggle in my 30 Cuban cigars without getting caught!!!

Song of the post:

Playa del Blanco is a deserted beach with a wide strip of fine, white sand (hence the name) that slopes gently into the sea.  It had some of the calmest waters I have ever been in and was definitely one of those beaches that is so beautiful it inspires you to want to give up everything and live out the rest of your days there.

While I was eating lunch one of the captains of the catamaran started dancing with me.

In a song about tourism in Varadero, once a Cuban vacation destination and now off-limits to locals, the singer Frank Delgado lamented,

The last time I walked through this land, it was still my friend Cuba.  I did not need a passport.  I do not remember when the peninsula was taken from my hands or even whether anyone asked my opinion?

While I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Varadero, there was always a guilty pain in my heart of being somewhere that the natives could only dream of returning to one day.

In the evening the 3 of us decided to take salsa lessons from Sergio, whom had generously offered to teach us the basics for free.  Salsa is difficult to master, but when done well it is a mesmerizingly sensual dance.  I struggled to follow Sergio’s lead the entire time.  For me it was a challenge to combine the hip movements with the simple forward-back step.  However, even though I failed on the dance floor, I am really happy that we ended our trip on this note.  Instead of focusing on the sadness of leaving a place I had come to love; I laughed, sweated, and learned something new and essentially so Cuban.

Sergio teaching M. how to move his feet.

M. and I walked to a part of El Malecon and said our goodbyes.  I thanked him for enriching my trip in ways that were indescribable and as a token of my appreciation I gave him my Lonely Planet Cuba guide to use on his last days on the island.  We promised to see each other again soon and I knew that for once this was not one of those empty promises you make to those you meet on your travels in order for the goodbyes to be not as painful.

Afterward: M. and I did see each other again. . .a week later in Los Angeles!  I helped him celebrate the last destination in his round-the-world trip.  We could not stop talking about our adventures in Cuba the entire time together.  Oh, and I got my precious Lonely Planet Cuba guide back.

Song of the post:

We chose to leave La Habana yet again, this time we went on a catamaran around the peninsular beach of Varadero, which is located about 2 hours from the capitol in the northernmost part of the island.  It is the largest resort town in Cuba, where Europeans flock to in hundreds due to the fact that the city is made up of 22km of gorgeous beaches and islets.  Kristin and I were delighted to be spending the day in the most comfortable clothing that exists for us, our bikinis.

Our catamaran for the day.

Our tour included: snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, lunch, and then an afternoon at Playa del Blanco.

Kristin and I snorkeling.

Siesta time!

The best part of the day was completing something on my Bucket List, which was to swim with dolphins.  Of course it would have been even more special if it had happened in the wild, and it will happen one day with the amount of time I spend in the water, but for now my desire to get up close and personal with these beauties was satisfied.

One of the dolphin's I got to swim with.

After multiple kisses from my dolphins it was time to visit a beach I will never forget. . .

Song of the post:

The ride from the jungle to the river was about an hour and it afforded the 3 of us time for a quick siesta.

Some friendly Cubans saying hola!

3rd Stop: The River

As previously mentioned, it was comforting to be amongst the locals again, especially in such a serene setting.  In case you are curious, never once was I treated rudely or differently because I was American.  In fact, whenever a Cuban would discover that I was American they would get really excited and ask me a million questions.

The river we went swimming in.

Kristin, me, and M. under a waterfall.

M. jumping off the rocks.

After finishing the tour, we returned to the Nacional to use their glamorous pools and facilities.  We figured since M. was still staying there we should take advantage of his good fortune.  Then Kristin and I switched casas back to Sergio and Miriam’s for the remainder of our stay.  We decided to revisit Habana Vieja for dinner.  I wish that I could remember the name of the restaurant we dined at that night, but the name escapes me now.  The food was less than mediocre, which is what you will find throughout most of Cuba, however the atmosphere was superb.  They had various types of exotic birds roaming around the restaurant and an excellent salsa band (possibly to distract you from the food?).

Our dinner guest for the evening.

Stick to eating at your casas while in Cuba.  The food your hosts will serve you will be much cheaper and I guarantee will taste tremendously better, not to mention be more authentically Cuban.

Song of the post:

Needing a little break from the capitol, we chose to take an 8 hour tour of the city of Las Terrazas, which is located about 1 hour from La Habana.

Me and Kristin on the steps of the Nacional at 5AM waiting for our tour bus to arrive. Neither of us are morning people. You can tell this from our fake smiles in the photo, si?

Las Terrazas is an eco-tourism centered community.  It is situated in an area where a project of sustainable rural economy is being developed, based on the rational use of its natural resources.  Surprisingly, along the way we saw 3-5 star hotels, unlike the dilapidated apartments and houses in La Habana.  It was definitely a different side to the country!

Our tour included: a guided tour of a French coffee plantation from the 19th century, a coffee tasting, 3 zip lines through the jungle, lunch, and then an afternoon of swimming at a river with numerous waterfalls.  This tour was booked at Hotel Nacional.  I am sure there are other places to book tours more inexpensively, but we booked this one out of convenience, since M. was still staying there.  This was a great tour and I highly recommend it, especially if you want to get out of the city and into the country for a while.

My 1st view of the very lush and green Las Terrazas.

La Mariposa (the National flower).

1st stop: Coffee Plantation

The enterance of the coffee plantation.

Where they grow the coffee.

The view from the plantation.

Me cooling down after our coffee tasting.

2nd stop: Zip Lining

Our zip line instructor showing us the 3 courses we would be doing.

The 3 of us ready for our adventure in the jungle.

It was nice to know that Che was looking out for me.

There I go on my 1st zip line. Going, going...

...gone!

The coffee plantation and zip lines were of course off-limits to Cubans, however the river, where we would be going to next, was not.  Although I had had a wonderful time thus far, I was more than ready to be amongst locals again. . .

Song of the post:

El Malecon, the 7km ocean side pedestrian walkway, can definitely be seen as the heart of La Habana.  It is a place where minutes easily melt into hours, a place where you can leave all of your worries behind as you watch life pass you by, a place where the Caribbean saltwater air kisses your lips and intoxicates you.  No trip to La Habana is complete without at least one visit to it .

As we strolled down the walkway we saw all types of scenes — we saw men fishing, children swimming, lovers embracing — all while the waves of the ocean broke furiously against the wall.

Fisherman taking a break from work to play.

At the end of el Malecon is Castillo de la Real Fuerza de La Habana.

Once we made our way to the end, we all agreed that we were exhausted from the intense Cuban heat, thus we decided to retire early for the day in order to save up some energy for the adventures that awaited us.  It was time to leave La Habana!

Song of the post:

What a disappointment Revolution Day was!  We had each bought kick-ass Che shirts to wear in celebration, which we had imagined would be a mass of Cubans out in the streets marching and partying.  Unfortunately, the celebration was in another city far away and due to this, La Habana was now silent, as people were celebrating their holiday by sleeping.

Revolution Day is July 26th.

The decorations, however, were out in full force and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing and photographing them.

We decided to spend some time walking along El Malecon, but first returned to the Mission to check out the new flags the government had displayed for the holiday.

On July 26, 1959, Fulgencio Batista was ousted from his dictatorship.  Castro then replaced him as the new Cuban leader with the help of Ernesto “Che”Guevara.

I have been fascinated with Che even longer than with the island of Cuba.  I am fully aware that he is a controversial figure and I whole-heartedly respect the opinions of those who do not support the killings that he committed or encouraged, since I too devoutly believe in non-violence.  However, he stood for a concept that I also devoutly believe in, and that is social revolution.

Unfortunately, most revolutionary leaders throughout history have resorted to killing as the way to end oppression and tyranny.  And while I believe violence only breads violence, I am strongly drawn to Che’s relentless pursuit of creating an egalitarian world at the cost of even his own life.  He elegantly said,

Socialism cannot exist without a change in conscience to a new fraternal attitude toward humanity, not only within the societies which are building or have built socialism, but also on a world scale toward all peoples suffering from imperialist oppression.

Che was a healer, like me, and throughout his medical training he would travel to leper colonies and work with patients that other doctors would refuse to be in contact with.  His experiences there and with the poor during his travels had a key impact on the development of his political thought.  He became convinced that genuine equality could only be achieved through socialism.

Though he has been dead for many years, he remains an inspiration to those who feel ignored, underprivileged, and abandoned by their government, as well as those who desperately would like to see eventual peace throughout the world.

Then it was on to the glorious El Malecon. . .

Song of the post:

On our way to Playa del Este we encountered more propaganda signs.  We each had our eyes glued to the taxi windows in case we should see one, as we were completely enamored!

In the parking lot at the beach, there were a myriad of cars that just oozed coolness.

But, there was 1 that captured my heart, simply because of its color.

The funniest moment of the trip occurred later as we were at the beach.  I was engrossed in my sunbathing when M. announced that he would be back in an hour with both a kayak and food.  I thought he was joking (you know those Aussies and their sense of humor) and was just going for a walk.  But, to my delighted surprise, he returned an hour later with exactly what he promised.  Where he found a kayak in Cuba, one will never know?

The food though consisted of: chips, baby food, and melted chocolate, as that is all he could find.  The next photo is proof just in case you did not believe me.

After we devoured the “food,” Kristin and M. then kayaked in the ocean leaving me some time to digest the trip thus far.

Song of the post:

Kristin and I still felt like we had not seen everything we wanted to see in La Habana, so we decided to continue our walk around the city.  This time it was concentrated in Habana Vieja.  We followed the “Habana Vieja Walking Tour” that was recommended in my Cuba Lonely Planet guide; starting around Plaza Vieja and ending around Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana.  The walk took us about 2 hours in total.  Heads up, be prepared for photo sensory overload!

My travel Bible. I bring one with me on every trip!

The following photos were all taken within the vicinity of Plaza Vieja:

Plaza Vieja

Of course we took a little break in a shaded park to listen to a man croon Cuban ballads with his guitar.

"Besame, besame mucho, como se fuera esta noche la ultima vez..."

And then we continued on walking and all of these following photos were taken within the vicinity of Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana.

Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana

Needing to majorly cool down, the two of us met up with M. and headed to Playa del Este again. . .

We decided the plan for the evening would include: strawberry daiquiris at Hotel Inglattera, dinner at La Floridita, and salsa dancing at La Casa de la Musica Centro Habana.

First, we met M. at the Inglattera, which is another one of finest hotel’s in Cuba.  It is located near Parque Central and proudly holds the honor of being the oldest hotel in Cuba with an incredibly rich history you could spend days learning about.  Having said that, the Nacional is still my preferred hotel.

Hotel Inglaterra.

While we sipped our strawberry daiquiris a salsa band played and when the first intoxicating trumpet notes of “El Chan Chan” began it really hit me that I was actually in Cuba; a country I had been dreaming of visiting for such a long time.  In that moment I wished all of my loved ones could be there with me experiencing this as well.

M., Kristin, and I in anticipation for the fun night ahead.

Our 3 strawberry daiquiri's illuminated by the setting sun.

Me enjoying the cohiba that I had purchased earlier in the day.

A fabulous photo courtesy of Kristin.

Then we dined at La Floridita, or commonly known as “Hemingway’s hang-out.”  I love the simplistic way that Ernest writes.  He is able to vividly capture one’s imagination with only a few words.  Apparently, while he was creating “The Old Man and the Sea,” a novel about a Cuban fisherman who refuses to be defeated by nature, he would eat at the restaurant often.  And even though it was a tourist trap, as a beloved fan, I still wanted to visit the places that he frequented during his time in Cuba.

La Floridita Restaurant.

Señor Hemingway

The best drink in the world! Though Ernest's favorite drink was rumored to be a strawberry daiquiri.

Once satiated, we headed over to dance at La Casa de la Musica Centro Habana.  Along the way we encountered a Cuban man whom begged us to bring him in the club with us.  According to him it had been his life long dream to dance inside there and the only way a Cuban could enter was with the permission of a tourist.  M. told him that he would pay for his entrance fee under one condition: he had to discuss Cuban affairs with us over a couple of drinks.  The poor guy agreed not knowing what he was getting himself into!  M. and I could talk about that kind of stuff for hours and hours.

A photo taken on our walk to the club.

La Casa has a fantastic reputation for being the best salsa club in La Habana, as they bring in the top-name bands, but I was not really impressed.  It was not the real Cuba; I wanted to dance where the locals danced.  So, my only choice was to grab the fellow that came in with us to the dance floor to practice my terrible salsa skills.  Thankfully, he was not too embarrassed with my moves.  I vowed after that evening to take classes some time during our last days in Cuba.

The salsa band that played.

Me and my new Cuban friend on the dancefloor.

On our taxi ride back to our casa we noticed that the locals were out in the streets celebrating in full force.  Revolution Day was only a couple of days away.

The street scene from inside our taxi.

Despite the fact that the noise outside was quite loud, Kristin and I fell soundly asleep from our long, but completely unforgettable day.