Havana Nights

As August is fast approaching, I find myself excited and nervous for the upcoming school year. I am excited because I am FINALLY at a point in my life where I can do EXACTLY what I want. I am nervous because I have a feeling its going to be nothing like I thought it would be...

This summer was an eye opening experience as I travelled without my family for the first time to Cuba. I know Cuba is not a challenging place to travel to, but I realized that travelling is what I have to do to experience life to the fullest. Perhaps I learned this lesson when I was walking the cobblestone roads in Havana.


First of all, I love long car rides- especially when the route is scenic. The trip from Varadero, through Matanzas and into the city of Havana was no exception. It was magnificent. Mile after mile, I found myself falling in love with wildlife, culture and the people of Cuba- who don't have the most luxurious lifestyle, yet they wear the most healthy smiles.

Havana is one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen- (right before  Portsmouth, New Hampshire). Before entering the "big", "modern" city, we stopped in the "older" section of the city.
Our first stop was at  a museum. Here, we walked through what appeared to be a cross of a bird zoo, religion and war museum. The entire museum was in an aged stone building with an open concept. It was something I would imagine seeing in Europe. 

In what I think is the only museum in Cuba, there were pieces of old coal trains, bibles, medieval furniture, military uniforms and probably the most interesting thing: a peacock, who was entertaining all the tourists by roaming the museum and exposing its beautiful tail for its spectators.
When we left the museum, we walked into a cultural abyss of colour and life. I felt as if I had walked into a postcard or on to a movie set and in any second, the feeling of the warm sun on my shoulders and the colours before me would fade away, before my mind had the chance to take everything in. 
I was truly overwhelmed and a feeling of insignificance sent exciting pangs of electricity throughout my body. I felt so whole- because I was apart of the busyness that was buzzing around me and at the same time I felt insignificant because I was so small in comparison to it all. 
After walking past the book venders, beggars and trying to take pictures while pushing through mobs of the busy Cuban workers, the tour group stopped at a bright coral building called : Hotel Ambos Mondos. Being an English major and avid reader, who has a passion for literature, I immediately recognized that this was the hotel that Ernest Hemingway spent time at before purchasing his own place in Cuba. Our tour guide told us that he had always requested to stay in room 511. 
In my mind I pictured him in this tiny room, sitting at a small desk, facing a window with the view of the entire city. His grey hair, tossed messily down his back while his forehead dripped with sweat as he battled his ideas in his head and wrote them furiously in a frayed moleskin notebook- in the midst of creating another classic.
The hotel was very lively and many tourists visited the bar and ordered the famous Mojito. While touring the lobby, I noticed his autograph in several places, along with a worn out typewriter that once belonged to him. Needless to say, I was estatic! 

Just outside of the hotel was the famous bar where Hemingway created the Mojito. Looking back on it, I wish I would have tried one, but I am grateful to have seen it.
Next, we saw an old church. Travelling with an aspiring architect, we both noticed and loved the gothic style building with sharp details. Personally, I was more captivated by the churches I visited in Montreal. However, this particular church fit perfectly into the rustic setting- an area, which to me resembled a pocket of Greece. 

After touring "old" Havana, the group headed out for a fresh fish lunch at a beautiful restaurant on a hill, facing the ocean. It was the ultimate Cuban experience- because as we wined and dined we also listened to the sultry  voices of a live, elderly band of musicians and the strumming of their guitars. We sat with another couple from Toronto, who were also pleased with their trip. 


Back on the bus, we toured the more modern side of Havana, which had all of the similar makings of Toronto. It had a hospital, shops, apartments and even a China Town! 

The buildings here were stunning because they were so rustic. Apparently, the wind carries the salt from the water and it erodes the structures, making them crumble just as fast as they are constructed. 
Along the way we saw the Embassy and the place where Fidel Castro and Che Guevara had once addressed the people of Cuba. We saw the  beautiful, American cars from the 1920's and 30's, the ocean and the culture.

The only place we stopped was the Capital building- called "EL CAPITOLO" . Ironically, it was a neo-classical, "scaled" down version of the one in America- however, it is no longer a seat of Government (since the Cuban revolution) and today it stands as an Academy for Science.
Outside of the building, Steven and I took only a few pictures before we were too uncomfortable being harassed by beggars. 
It was here where I captured my most treasured photo of the vacation. 

Just outside of the Capital building there was a beggar, covered in red paint. He followed us around as we tried to capture photos of the more political side of Cuba. When I snapped this shot, he decided to pose for us. 
All in all, I will never forget Havana. Seeing all of the culture and the life really opened my eyes to understanding what a wise, high school teacher (who accepted my essay a day late) preached.
He would say that "outside of our little lives, is this huge world, filled with wonders and problems- it is up to us, to discover it all".
Perhaps the most important thing that I discovered in Cuba was not only is it important to see the world- but nothing is better than to have your world with you, experiencing it all.

That's all.

RE