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Destination Cuba!

In 2013 faux cousin Liv and I traveled to Cuba on a 12-day road trip adventure with Insight Cuba, which took us from Havana to Santiago de Cuba and points in-between!

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Santiago de Cuba — Part 2

4/2/2013

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Back in Santiago de Cuba, we are running late so change up the itinerary and head directly to Casa del Caribe (Caribbean Garden), a gorgeous old estate in a charming part of town that was transformed, in 1982, as a place to study Caribbean life. As such, it organizes two large festivals each year — Festival del Caribe and the Fiesta del Fuego — as well as concert nights, and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon dance performances.
We are here for a dance performance by the Kokoyé Folk Dance Company, which was established in 1989 by Juan Bautista Castillo Mustelier. His vision was to create an artistic dance company that would principally teach tourists about the origins of the Afro-Cuban culture through dance. Juan Bautista is considered a prestigious dancer known for his complex variations of the rumba, a choreographer, folklorist, and cultural tourism promoter. He is a member of the Association of Scenic Artists, the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, and has received personally, and on behalf of the company, many honors and awards. In addition to performing locally in Santiago de Cuba, Kokoyé has toured throughout Cuba and internationally in South- and Central-America. One of the dances I particularly enjoyed had to do with the lives of poor Caribbean women and their daily role as washer-women.
A short drive away, we reach the home of artist, educator and national figure Alberto Lescay for a talk on his artwork. Best known for his large bronze installation across from our hotel in Santiago de Cuba's Revolution Square, "El Titan de Bronce," it celebrates the 19th century Cuban general Antonio Maceo Grajales. Lescay studied art at universities in Santiago and Havana as well as six-years spent further developing his art in St. Petersburg, Russia.
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El Titan de Bronce
Though one of the most successful contemporary artists in Cuba, his home/studio by design is modest and like a small museum filled with artworks by himself and other Cuban artists and artisans. He is an open and generous man, and very focused about his art,  commitment to Cuban culture, and how he can help younger artists. Unlike other accomplished Cuban men we've met, he is very low-key. He holds Fidel Castro and Ché Guevara as folk heros and is clear that their legacies will be eternal. During the course of our conversation he points out that perhaps we've already noticed that throughout Cuba are many statues memorializing military heros (Maceo, de Cespedes, Ché) and revolutionary thinkers such as poet Jose Marti, however, there are no statues of Castro. He shares that this was by decree, which helps Castro maintain a public persona as a man of the people; not better or worse.

When Lescay won the commission to build the Maceo monument in Santiago de Cuba, it came with a substantial cash award. He declined the prize money, asking instead that the government fund a foundation — Foundacion Caguayo para Las Artes Monumentales y Aplicadas (Caguayo Foundation for Monumental and Applied Arts) — he had dreamed of creating to pass along skills he developed. When he began the project in the 1980s, there was only one artist who knew the techniques needed to create such vast quantities of bronze, and he was over 80 at the time. That's when Lescay realized that to create the Maceo monument, Cuba needed to create a school as many of the earlier generation of artists were dying off, and fewer young Cubans were being groomed to take their places. The monument took nine years and a team of almost 100 additional artists. They melted over 100 tons of bronze.

Additionally, Lescay creates bold abstract paintings, and helped establish and continues to support the Galeria Rene Valdes, a space for artists to exhibit works and interact as part of the city's vibrant cultural community. ​
One more stop before  heading to the Hotel Meliá Santiago is to a war memorial commemorating the 1898 victory known as the Spanish-American War. The monument acknowledges and celebrates the decisive support given to Cuba by the U.S. Army.
After returning to the Hotel Meliá Santiago for showers and a change of clothes, we meet others in the lobby for a cocktail before heading to dinner at Zunzun, a small restaurant located in a once private residence.
Not ready to call it a day, some of us join Phllippe at the Casa del la Trova for a night of dancing — well, some dancing, mostly watching! The trova or dance club is something out of Saturday Night Fever . . . just think Cuban-style. The men and women are dressed in their best and most alluring attire. I can only imagine what their lives must be during the day. As the band plays traditional Cuban Son music, couples flood the dance floor — its hard not to — and we are lucky to have front-row seats. Clearly there is both camaraderie as well as competitiveness as couples vie for center-attention. The men are strong and commanding in contrast to their partners who are agile and willowy as they are partnered around the floor at a dizzying speed. The energy is electrifying and the music is fabulous! Our guide Phillippe knows many of the best couples dancing, and with little encouragement, he shows off his stuff . . . impressive! All fantasies about my being a great rumba and salsa dancer are shattered in the first moments, but Cuban men are very forgiving! This was an incredibly fun and unforgettable night . . .
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Santiago de Cuba — Part 1

4/2/2013

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Santiago de Cuba is the capital of the province of the same name and has more than 500,000 inhabitants of Spanish, African, Haitian, Jamaican, French and Chinese heritage. It is the second largest city in Cuba and the legendary home of rum as well as the birthplace of the Revolution.

This morning outside our hotel is a line of gleaming 50s cars — mostly taxis ready to whisk tourists around town. We, however, board our bus to begin our day's adventure. Today's itinerary has us visit a local public hospital. Our drive takes us past the Plaza de la Revolución. 
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At its center the huge statue of Antonio Maceo stands proud with 23 angled iron bars representing machetes to evoke the date (March 23, 1878) of the Protesta de Baraguá. Beneath the monument is the Museo Holográfico that shows holograms related to the independence wars.
Three doctors at the Polyclinico (public hospital) present a short program about Cuba’s socialist medical program. All Cuban citizens receive subsistence levels of food, income, free housing, medical and dental care. These medical professionals are rightly proud of their country’s choice to provide medical care for all. Staffing and sufficient funds to meet the needs of patients seems to be a universal theme no matter what the government stance is on health care. Our tour of the facility takes us to the dental area — makes we really glad that we have the modern technology and facilities in the US — though their commitment to care seems to be outstanding. Dental procedures are dispensed in a clinic-like setting, and the patient chairs are old and some very worn. We also tour medical check-up rooms, an X-ray room reminiscent of one’s I spent time in as a child during the 1950s. 
Our next stop is La Casa del Ron, a small museum that shows some of the history and techniques for rum production. There we also partake in some run tasting — wow, strong — one tiny sip and my head pounds. Thankfully, there is a quartet of four Afro-Cuban musicians playing wonderful ska music that gets our hips moving . . . and my headache disappear! Several in our group buy bottles of rum and pick up the Romeo y Julieta, Montecristo, Bolivar, Cohiba and Guantanamera cuban cigars for later. The later smell wonderful . . .
Rum on a near empty stomach is not advisable, and unfortunately our lunch destination is out of town at the great citadel of San Pedro de la Roca, known locally as “El Morro” (fortress), and a UNECO World Heritage site. Here we have lunch before self-exploring the fortress. This is a tourist restaurant. That said, its amazing cliffside location with sea views is worth the trip. Seated at long picnic style tables, we feasted on Creole-style soup, roast chicken and pork, cold beers, and dessert.
Considered the most complete and best-preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture, it was build on the rocky promontory (El Morro) in south-east end of the island of Cuba, in the 17th century, to protect the port of Santiago, which was of great importance because of its geographical situation, its favorable currents and its protected anchorages. This multi-level stone fortress is an intricate complex of forts, magazines, bastions and batteries (La Estrella, Santa Catalina and Aguadores).
This afternoon we head back to Santiago de Cuba for some very interesting and stimulating culture . . . stay tuned!
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Off to the Oriente ... Cuba Style ... First Stop — Bayamo!

4/1/2013

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Happy April Fools Day! Unfortunately, it is no joke that Liv and I are up early this morning to pack, have breakfast, and be ready to leave by 8 AM.  A very short sleep last night!

Today’s destination is Bayamo, which is located about 4 hours drive, in southeastern Cuba. It is the capital city of the Granma Province and one of the largest in eastern Cuba.  Founded in 1513 by Diego Velázquez, it is Cuba’s second oldest city. Our route takes us past agriculture and ranch land and in view of the rugged Sierra Maestra mountains, 
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​which we are told were a major base of Castro’s guerrilla army. Our 4 hour journey to Bayamo takes us through more agricultural and ranching areas, and through the small cities and villages. We also see the Sierra Crital and Sierra Purial mountains that contain a wilderness mountain rainforest — too bad we won’t be spending time in the mountains!
In the early 19th century Bayamo was the cradle of revolt against Spanish rule. So much so that in 1869 the town’s citizens razed their city to the ground rather than surrender to the Spanish forces. Many key sites remain and today the restored historic core is a national monument. Today, Bayamo is a world leader in sustainable transportation. A UN study found only about 15% of commuters use motorized transportation. Almost three-times as many people use licensed horse-drawn carriages (ciudad de los coches) and the rest travel by bicycle or our favorite — bici-taxis!
After being dropped off by our driver Hector, we walk to the main square, Plaza de la Revolución, which is a central meeting point and surrounded by pedestrian-only streets, making it very quiet and peaceful. Bayamo is recognized for its outdoor music venues, many of which take place at this plaza.
Our first visit is to Casa de la Nacionalidad Cubana (House of Cuban Nationality — CNC), which was founded in 1991 as a research center on the historical, social and cultural roots of of the country. The Center was founded by Onoria Céspedes Argote, who was also the first woman designated as a city historian in Cuba.

​We meet with and learn more about the history of Cuba with a local historian who shares that education was conceived as the fulcrum around which the Cuban Revolution’s economic, political, social and cultural programs would turn. On January 1, 1961, a National Literacy Campaign was launched sending 235,000 volunteers throughout the country. In just one-year they reduced the country’s illiteracy rate from 25% to 3.9%. Wanting to capitalize upon this wave of popular mobilization and eduction, Fidel and Ché launched the idea for art schools that would serve Cubans as a center for the education of artists and instructors and from which cultural literacy could be disseminated. Because of Ché’s international interests, the program drew students from Africa, Asia and Latin America in service of the creation of a “new culture” for the “new man.” In this way, the art schools would have the political objective to educate those artists who give socialism in both Cuba and the Third World its aesthetic representation.. They would also be experimental centers for intercultural educate and exchange.

Here, we also are treated to the beautiful voices of a local choir 
that has performed throughout Cuba and abroad.
Famished, we head to lunch at La Bodega, which is located on the plaza. Its rear terrace overlooks Río Bayamo tucked into a verdant landscape. Today we are eating family style with pork and vaca frita, a shredded beef, that the restaurant is known for ... along with sides and dessert.
After lunch we walk to the Plaza for an educate exchange with members of Project “Guerrilla de Teatreros", a multi-disciplinary collaboration between dance, theater, cinema, music, magic and the fine arts to bring artistic expression to the rural communities of the region. It carries out its mission with the precision of a military campaign. Participants have been known to walk between villages in the Sierra Maestra carrying little food or extra clothing. Additionally, they perform throughout the region visiting about 200 population settlements (many smaller than villages) to perform at schools, hospitals, labor centers and military units. Some of their performances carry messages about sex education, health, sports, and the value of the government party. Buerilla de Teatreros is one of the most prestigious theater groups of its kind in Cuba.
Next, we walk through the historic city center to the Oswaldo Guayasamin art school to meet with students and professors at the print workshop. Named after the late Ecuadorean artist Oswaldo Guayasamin, who was a dedicated socialist, supporter of the Cuban revolution, and close friend to Fidel Castro. Incidentally, Oswaldo was the son of an indigenous Quechua Indian father and mixed race mother.
Then, it’s back on the bus for a two-hour drive to Santiago de Cuba and the Hotel Mélia Santiago. During this portion of today's journey we rise in elevation and see the Sierra Crital and Sierra Purial mountains that are home to a wilderness mountain rainforest — too bad we won’t be spending time in the mountains! 
​Enroute, we stop at El Cobre, the most important shrine for Cubans and most famous church in the country. The spectacular triple-domed church with the mouthful name of El Sanctuario de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre was built in 1927. It rises on Maboa hill in the foothills of the Sierra Maestra near old copper mines that give it its name.

The faithful come from across Cuba on pilgrimages to pay their respects to, and ask for protection from, a black Madonna — the Virgen de la Caridad (Virgin of Charity). She is nothing less than the protectress of Cuba, and her image, cloaked in a glittering gold robe can be seen throughout the country. According to legend, Cuba's patron saint was rescued bobbing in the Bay of Nipe in 1611 by three young fishermen (or miners, depending on who's telling the story) about to capsize in a storm. The Madonna wore a sign that read: "Yo soy la Virgen de la Caridad"  (I am the Virgin of Charity). With the wooden statue in their grasp, they miraculously made it to shore. Pilgrims, who often make the last section of the trek on their knees, pray to her image and place mementos (votos) and offerings of thanks for her miracles; among them are small boats and prayers for those who have tried to make it to Florida on rafts. Ernest Hemingway, whose fisherman in The Old Man and the Sea made a promise to visit the shrine if he could only land his marlin, donated his Nobel Prize for Literature to the shrine, but it was stolen (and later recovered, but never again exhibited here). 

Her parallel figure in Afro-Cuban worship is Ochún, goddess of love and femininity, who is also dark-skinned and dressed in bright yellow garments. In 1998 the Pope visited and blessed the shrine, calling the Virgin "La Reina de los Cubanos" (Queen of Cubans), and donated a rosary and crown.

The Virgen sits on the second floor, up the back stairs, encased in glass. When Mass is said, the push of a button turns the Virgin around to face the congregation. The annual pilgrimage is September 12, and the patron saint's feast day is July 25.
The drive into Santiago de Cuba is typical scenery with lots of small homes on acreage in the rural areas and as we get closer to the city becoming more dense and Sovet-style bloc housing. Nearing our hotel, we have our first glimpse of the Plaza de Revolución with its huge statue of Antonio Maceo and equally impressive angled iron bars symbolizing machetes, which are metaphors for the Protesta de Baraguá that took place on July 23, 1878.

It is after 7PM when we arrive at Hotel Mélia Santiago — just in time to leave our things in our room and head to the hotel’s bar to order a drink and then hit the hotel's buffet. A very, very long day!
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    My "nuest'a name is Prism ... and like my name implies, my passion and dedication lie in collecting experiences, internal reflection, and dispersing light in its fullest complement of hues.

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