La República de Cuba
Before I even get into all of this, if any of you ever need a tour guide in Cuba, please, PLEASE, contact me. I'll drop anything to go with you, just give me the date.
On another note, I want to acknowledge that I went to Cuba with the purpose of studying the political climate in a country like Cuba. In this post I won't be discussing my observations and inferences on that subject, and I'm doing that with intention. I'm considering doing a second post, but it's a lot to discuss and I'm not sure how to go about it exactly. If any of you have tips on covering these types of topics on a public platform, please comment or submit a message, I would love to speak with you and get some advice!
One of the most important aspects of an international experience is the your accommodations, and Cuba is no exception. Our Airbnb was phenomenal for a lot of reasons- its central location, great breakfast cooked for us in the morning every day, old Cuban design with high ceilings and a Riyadh style opening in the center. But above all of that, our Airbnb was great because of our hosts. Even with my limited Spanish, I could understand just how much they were helping us navigate Habana, stay safe, and learn a lot more than we would have without them.
If you go to Cuba, I urge you to make every attempt to stay in some type of host situation rather than in a hotel. You don't learn anything in a hotel with other foreigners.
Habana's Museos
Cuba's museums are fantastically curated and they paint a very clear picture of Cuban history and culture.
The Museo de la Revolucion was fantastic. I've never been in a museum carved out of the remnants of a dead government before, but I was thoroughly impressed. Spanish influence was very apparent throughout. The decadence on Batista's government was put on display and critiqued heavily.
Then, Museo de los Bellas Artes (Fine Arts) was beautiful for similar reasons. It painted (haha, get it?) a clear of Cuban history and mentality, through art, as well as the Spanish colonial influence and identity. No pictures of that, I'm afraid. But I did catch some pictures of the view, out of the stairway windows!
Sun and Sea
To be completely honest, I'm mostly including this for the fun pictures.
But I have some tips: For the best beaches, head east on the tourist bus (5 CUC (5 USD) round trip) number 503 (I think. Go to the main square and ask the guys with the brochures. There's only one company so you literally cannot miss them). Take it to the last stop, about 45 minutes east of Habana.
Bring lots of sunscreen (I'll spare you the picture of Hannah's back).
Finally, get some banana chips.
Las Viñales
One of the most beautiful natural sceneries I've ever seen can be found in the valleys a couple of hours west of Havana. Our wheels to get there? A '52 Chevrolet with a couple of seats broken, and a horse once we were in the valley.
While there, we spoke with farmers who were very proud of their rural experience, seeing this as a very Cuban identity. The tobacco drying houses and the fields of sugar cane are, to them, the heart of Cuba. This was the point in the trip where I felt the most weird with my Longchamp backpack (though in my defense, it was a gift!)
To conclude this very, very touristy post, I'd like to say that Cuba is one of the most fascinating places I've been.
Economically, historically, politically, and even aesthetically. It is full of contradictions; pride in the independence, alongside pride of Spanish heritage; Chinese manufactured buses clunking down the street while cars as old as my father speed along; A communist regime that allows private businesses to run Airbnb businesses with high-ceilinged former homes of colonists.
Even after spending six days in Havana, I don't think I completely understand it. So, please, let me know if you're planning on going. I'm ready to go back.
Finally, here's a video made by my fellow club member, Rachel!