Yogi travels
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” — Dalai Lama
CRUISING THROUGH CUBA
March 31, 2020
Out of the blue, I received a random invite to join a friend on a cruise with a 2 day stop in Havana, Cuba. Somebody else cancelled, so there was a free spot. Perhaps, a bit of serendipity? I thought so for sure. My schedule was clear so I said why not? The stories , photos and past knowledge of the country made me eager and thirsty to want to learn more about the island of Cuba.
Anthony Bourdain said this about travel, “ It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully you leave something good behind.” Oh Havana how you have left an imprint on my memory.
It was September 2018, our Norwegian cruise ship docked into the Havana harbor. My bag was packed for a day trip and I could not wait to leave the waters and get onto land to finally see what I had only known through Ernest Hemingway novels and stories from friends who had been there.
The minute I disembarked from the ship, I was met by a man dressed in what appeared to be an old school 'night on the town outfit. He was clean and stood with the best posture, which put out a very proud vibe for all eyes to see. The vision of him seemed clearly out of an old movie from the 1950’s. He insisted in Spanish that I take a picture with a real Cuban man. I laughed politely and replied, “ No gracias.” Hey, I respect anyone’s hustle. Who knows his story. Probably he had a family to feed and the next tourist could mean a difference in putting food on the table. After all, the average salary in Cuba is equivalent to 35 dollars a month. I knew I would give back to someone who needed some cash that day but I wanted wait until the right moment.
Immediately, I heard the sound of horns honking near the sidewalk and roundabout. I opened my eyes to all the classic shiny colorful cars that I already had seen in photos. Now , suddenly they were lined up in front of me. Bright pinks, cool blues and canary yellows. Seeing them in person felt like I had stepped back into time. It was amazing. So, my first instinct as an impulsive visitor was to grab my camera and snap a picture. I managed to get a few but I remember a man driving a horse and buggie who waived his finger at me. No question a scolding gesture. It was a reminder that not everyone in Cuba is so eager to be part of a memento. A few minutes later, I met William my tour guide and others for a day tour of Old Havana. William was a Cuban man who worked as a teacher and tour guide. He was handsome, very well spoken, smart and charming. All attributes which benefited him greatly and our tour group took to him right away. Before we ventured out on the cobbled stoned streets, right off the bat William had a message for us. He said listen,” you will be bombarded by people wanting to sell you things.” He advised us if we planned to buy coffee, cigars or rum. We might want to buy those goods from government run stores. He said , “everything else you are on your own but use your discretion.”
Right away, I was taken with the art. The music echoed throughout every cobble stone plaza. Lively Afro-Cuban jazz was a stark contrast to some of the aged dilapidated buildings which clearly were going through some growing pains. It was a place in transition for sure. Still, there was a strong sense of identity and culture. If the walls of all the colonial buildings could talk, they would tell the stories of the Spanish settlers who conquered the island back in 1492. At the same time, one cannot deny the African influence on the island. After all, more than 800, 000 Africans were sold to be slaves in Cuba from 1789 to 1820.
The U.S. State department estimates that 62 percent of Cubans are of Black and mixed heritage. Suffice it to say, Cubans are beautiful people. Cuba joins other Caribbean islands with a such a beautiful diverse population. The African influence can be seen in the art, the music and in the beautiful pigment of the locals. While history shows, Afro-Cubans have faced discrimination in life ; what I saw this day was a great deal of pride amongst the Cubans. Having said that, I will never forget a man with deformed fingers sitting on the streets and a poor lady asking me for a dollar. Their curiousity was mutual. Not sure if they sensed that I myself have some Caribbean blood running through my veins. My Dad’s family is from Puerto Rico. Nonetheless, I stopped for cool drink on what was a typical humid sticky hot Caribbean day. The waiter at a cafe was eager to bring me a cold drink and inquire about my visit. When I left a nice tip on my bill, he grinned in appreciation.
Our tour guide , William gave us the low down on faith on the island. I always thought Catholicism was super strong in Cuba. After talking to William, Santeria which means Way of the Saints is a widely practiced religion in Cuba. It’s an African religion that came to Cuba through the slave trade. It is estimated that 80 to 90 percent of Cubans consult with Santeria priests. Many Cubans believe equally in the powers of Santeria and the Catholic church. We walked by many beautiful churches during our tour.
During a walk through town, we passed a number of hospitals. William shared his knowledge of healthcare in Cuba. He told us pregnant women and elderly people are cared for very well . The Cuban government operates a national health system. There are no private hospitals or clinics because all healthcare services are government-run. While some numbers show Cuban has performed better than other countries on infant mortality and life expectancy ; some experts have stated that official statistics provided by the government should be treated skeptically. I couldn’t help but give a thumbs up to the idea of free healthcare being available to all citizens. William painted a very attractive picture on that front. We walked a bit more and I stopped to buy a chalk painting from a Cuban artist. It was a small piece of work of all the charming buildings. He smiled and carefully wrapped it for me.
My last stop on the tour included a bus ride to an open air market in a big loft-like building. My eyes were drawn to a beautiful creme colored hand sewn sundress. You could tell so much time and energy had gone into this work of art. I had to have it. I offered an elderly Cuban woman what was equivalent to maybe 40 or 50 bucks. She wrapped it and smiled. I took my bag and headed back to the ship.
Once our group departed, everyone tipped William’s basket. By the end of the tour, he had a nice stash to take home. At which point it occurred to me that William also had a hustle just like the first man at the dock. He gave a great tour. Leaving Cuba was bittersweet. My trip was way too short but long enough to instill a desire to return. I got a small taste of the heart and soul of an island with such a unique history. Beautiful Cuba.. Ciao for now but see you again for sure.
