I am not really into writing long recuerdos of my trips because I start boring myself. So I decided that I might just write all my favourite moments. I hope they don’t lose their loveliness without the mundaneity in between. Just too many bursts of funny and goodness.
1. The curtain wall.
In Cuba tourists can either stay in expensive hotels or casas particulares, which really just are peoples houses. We stayed in these places because its cheaper and also because its really your only contact with Cubans. I think the government must provide a special allowance for these businesses to shop in and have special shops for tourist accommodation. I think this because everywhere we stayed had a curtain, but not a useful one, just one to cover the wall. Another common feature was the touch lamp.
2. The hissing boys. Generally odd boys.
At first I found this rather full-on but by the end I just found it funny, that people would hiss and kiss at you in the street. I feel super unattractive now I’m in Mexico…which scares me about how I’ll feel in Australia! Anyway, we did some tests and sent Gabbie and Jo down the street with 80’s or bad hair. Still hissing. Just a bit more controlled and interspersed with odd looks. One man on my last day tried to blow me a kiss and almost managed to plant it on my lips with his fingers, but I blew a dodge.
I managed to be exposed to 2 boys wanking in public in the space of 2 days. That was not so fun.
There was a really cute boy though…who tried dancing with me and it failed miserably. But we chatted a bit more successfully (minus the accent) and it was super sweet when he asked for a kiss goodnight, stuck his cheek out, I gave him one and off he ran.
3. The Police.
We happened to be in a taxi in Habana when the police were on their change over. We were stopped at the headquarters while 100’s of cars filed out. Our taxi driver explains, oh its the change over. Can you hear the music? We say yes. Confused by its classical/revolutionary sound I ask, but why? He tells us that about 1o years ago there was a series about police and that was the theme song. Ever since, the police have taken it as their own and now file out to the music.
4. Lawnmower car.
We one afternoon were looking for a taxi. Of course some Cuban with initiative asks if we want one. He asks the next car he sees to take us into town, and this random civilian likes the idea of a few CUCs and obliges. However, he has an old old car, with what could only guess to be a lawnmower motor. The noisiest car I have ever been in. It only broke down once as we made our way through the little back streets trying to avoid the police. It appears that capitalism is alive and well in Cuba.
5. The Moneda Nacional
Towards the end of our trip it was becoming clear that we had too many Cuban pesos. Jo particularly. Seeing as they are worth hardly nothing, we were all pretty keen to get rid of them. We tended to play games and find as many opportunities as we could to get rid of them. Jo was a real sport and really wins the award. The problem was, anything you can buy with moneda nacional is so cheap it doesn’t use much.
Cuba is a marvellous land. I do not get it. But I love it. It is so different to anywhere I have ever been. I am very nervous about what will happen when Fidel dies. VIVA CUBA. I admire their ability to try living socialism in a world that is not. And their ability to survive despite the embargoes the US has put on them. Cuba obviously has problems, but so do most countries. I say good on them for trying.
