There is a lot of excitement in the US surrounding Cuba these
days. Since President Obama announced at the end of 2014 that he would take
several steps to put an end to the embargo with that country, it’s been a
recurrent topic in the news and Americans have reportedly been traveling to the
island in increasing numbers…everyone wants to go there first! Even Mr. Obama has scheduled a visit next month, making him the second US president to
do so in over 80 years.
I’ve had the luck to visit such a charming and
special island twice, both times when I was living in Mexico. The first
time was about 12 years ago and I only spent a few days in the magnificent but
very much deteriorated Havana…I was really transported in time, to say the
least. There are countless reports on the feeling that time froze in Havana so
I won’t focus on that. Instead, I’d like to tell you how much I enjoyed staying
at a “casa particular” in El Vedado, very close to the famous malecón and,
ironically, a few blocks away from the US embassy.
Getting to spend time with a Cuban family was
such an incredible experience! I will never forget the discussions over lunch
or dinner about their daily struggles and how they felt regarding Castro and
the regime. It was pretty obvious then that the older generations, faithful to
Fidel Castro and the revolution, had such a different perspective from the
younger ones, eager to have social, political and economic freedom. To me, that
was definitely the highlight of this trip.
Then I went back at the end of 2008 on a work trip, which
took me to other places in the island aside from Havana, such as Trinidad (a
magical colonial town) and Varadero (home to the best beaches in the Caribbean and,
hence, all the resorts where tourists get to spend their vacations).
On both visits, I had the opportunity to interact with
locals and I was constantly reminded of how privileged some of us are to have
options. Essential things that we take for granted on a daily basis when you
live in a democracy and/or a strong economy are true luxuries in other places,
from electricity and drinking water to the clothes you wear and the food
you eat.
In that respect, the Cuba I got to know also was definitely
no place for picky people and I’ll illustrate this with the following stories.
On my second trip’s last day in Havana, one of my fellow
travelers suggested we get ice cream. Out of excitement, I said “what flavor
should we have?” He looked at me and, on a patronizing manner, pointed out that
there was only one flavor to choose from. Indeed, they only had this sort of pinkish
beige ice cream and, interestingly enough, I couldn’t decide whether it tasted
like chocolate, vanilla or strawberry. It was actually several flavors in one!
Or perhaps, it was my imagination that created those savors in my mouth? Maybe
that is how it works when you have no choices…
Back in Mexico, a couple of weeks after that trip, I ran
into a Cuban colleague and his mom who happened to be visiting from Cuba. I
told them about my recent trip and how much I had loved the island and its
people. I also said to them, sincerely, that I thought Cuban flan was the best
one I had ever tried and that I had been told that the secret was that they
used three different types of milk to make it. The lady sweetly smiled at me
and replied: “in reality, we use whatever ingredient we are able to get.”
I love telling people the above stories because the first one
shows how simplicity can make you happy and even trigger creativity while the second
one summarizes the resilience that characterizes Cuban people as well as how
they approach everything with humor, resourcefulness and, of course, some
resignation. I am very anxious to see what will happen to Cuba once it truly opens
up to the rest of the world and we open up to its people but I sincerely hope that Cubans’
feisty and happy spirit never goes away!
Puedes leer este artículo en español aquí.