My Heart is in Havana

The power of music and dance is so amazing. We may not speak the same language but through the sounds of his guitar, the shake of a beautifully crafted handmade maraca, and this rhythm (that somehow always takes over you while roaming the streets of Havana), the language barriers were broken and the time of our lives was made! 

Welcome to Havana, Cuba. Where not only the architectural structures and the classic cars have been preserved, but so has the culture, the arts, and the energy! 

When anyone asks about my trip to Cuba, the 1st thing I have to discuss is the people! So warm, so open, so positive, so classic. It’s like everyone you meet takes a small piece of their good vibes and amazing energy and loans it to you to keep for your entire stay in the country. 

It was so amazing to walk the streets of another country and see people who look just like me. All so different, but so similar! We were accepted as sisters. We ate with them, we danced with them, we exchanged stories, and shared photos of our families. I felt so connected. “Look at us, we are the same color,” one of our new Cuban friends told us. “It isn’t you are American, I am Cuban, WE ALL BLACK!!! WE ALL FAMILY!! ”

I felt those words throughout my stay. He shared a lot of stories with us, even stories about a time he moved to the states to live in the ghettos of Cali for a few years. He then proceeded to quote a ton of Tupac quotes as he had been doing when we 1st met him! Lol He was the biggest Tupac fan I had ever met. Even the bag he wore had Tupac quotes written in permanent marker across every inch of the bag. An older spunky, hilarious, conscious and very talkative wild man. It was like he spoke 3 languages….Spanish, English, and Tupac, but he kept us engaged and we were happy to listen. 

We were sharing a table with Roberto, our new Cuban friend we had met the day before, who had become the most magnificent tour guide for us. He knew all the spots that locals hung out at and his friend, introduced me to sugar cane, his favorite non alcoholic beverage, made fresh here in his hometown of Havana.

Roberto was visiting home from London. A pure gentleman, with good energy, and a great deal of knowledge on all the hidden gems in the city. We had met him the previous day, and the location we were currently sitting at was actually in a perfect little afrocuban area he had suggested we visit. This turned out to be one of our favorite areas in all of Havana! It was vibrant and artsy, full of culture, dancing, and mojitos…..very good mojitos. (Just don’t let your ice cubes melt 😉)

There was little to no WiFi or cell phone service throughout the city. In Cuba the internet is regulated and can only be used if you have purchased a WiFi card. You must also go to a “WiFi Park” or a hotel to pick up service once the card is purchased. In my head the “WiFi Park” was going to be similar to a little bar or library area that you go to use your cell phone service. I was so wrong. The WiFi Park meant exactly what they said. An outside park with dirt and trees where you go and browse the internet for a short period of time. 

Due to such scarce internet service, you are forced to communicate with one another on a different level than we do back home. When we wanted to meet up with new friends we had to schedule a meeting point and a time, or just hope we bump into them at some point in the day. I actually loved this. We take for granted how accessible we are to one another in the US. It makes for a much more joyous moment when you just stumble across an old friend or someone you’ve been hoping to see. 

One of my fondest memories of Havana was going out on the balcony of our AirBnB to enjoy the beautiful views of what some may see as worn unkept building, and others historic preservation of amazing art. As I walked of bedroom and onto the balcony I saw a older gentleman, who we would soon know as Mr. Joseph, hanging his clean clothes on the line to dry. When he made eye contact he yelled over to us, “Buenos Dias!!” My Spanish is a little rusty, but I know enough greetings and basic words to not end up completely clueless in conversation with those who speak the language.

Mr. Joseph spoke no English, yet we managed to get to know one another and enjoy almost an hour of dialogue about his grandchildren and his love for his country! There was lots of exaggerated hand gestures and repetition of words, but there was also a lot of effort from both sides. I thoroughly enjoyed his conversation. A little effort(or in this case a lot of effort) goes a long way when trying to understand someone who may be different from you. 

I left Havana with so much more than I  came there with, and none of what I am speaking of included material items. I left with a greater appreciation of life, joy, communication, unity, celebration, and the simple things. I left Havana a better person.