I
had been very eager about going to Cuba. It seemed like such an exotic and
unknown place. For me this was an exciting factor. What I was most fascinated
by was Cuban history and the condition of the Cuban people today. Typically in
the past I hear information from an American or Western perspective, so it’s
intriguing to go to somewhere with different views. I had this believe going
into this journey that I’d come out with stories to share for a lifetime.
Anywhere I am, I have a very unique story to share. I really appreciate the
opportunity of getting to visit Cuba to observe a different form of society,
learn about influential art, view Cuban perspectives, get more informed on
Cuban history, and enjoy some immersive experiences.
The airport in Havana was
very modest. Just immediately upon arriving in Cuba I noticed the influences
from the Soviet era. At the airport I noticed a distinct smell reminding me of
times I’ve visited Eastern Europe in the past. So many details were similar,
for me this was a comical observation. One remark a fellow student made was
that the airport “looks like a prison”. There was imposing barbed wire
surrounding the building perimeter. I had come to find that many buildings in
Cuba of a very government look. Many buildings were old without much change in
years. Leaving the airport the group met our bus driver for the week Jordan and
our tour guide/ translator Anais. Both wonderful people. The lessons about Cuba
began immediately upon our entrance to bus. Anais shared details of Cuban
history, government, and locations. This helped the group to get more familiar
with our surroundings for the coming week.
I immediately noticed
that the quality of roads and homes in Cuba was much weaker than in the United
States. Poverty and lack of funds has led to deterioration and erosion of older
constructions. Living conditions of the people was visibly more stressful with
sever resource scarcity. Vehicles in the streets were very old coming from all
the way back to the 1950’s.
Next
was arriving to the home with my host family. I’d be staying with Lili for the
week. She is a wonderful person. While I was in her home I felt a lot of
maternal care and attention. It made the experience very welcoming to have such
a wonderful “host mother” for the week. The home was very accommodating with a
gorgeous rooftop view and seating area. I was eager to take pictures, viewing
my first Cuban sunset. The sight atop was exceptionally beautiful. I could see
the tallest building in Cuba, a building still in construction. This building
will become a hotel with money from foreign investment. Most of the modern
constructions come from outside money, and only the rich can access the
services. Local Cubans working paycheck to paycheck can’t afford to enjoy the
services at the beautiful hotels.
My
first meal in Cuba was very filling. Despite resource scarcities, there are
substitutes found for food to maintain a complete meal. I really enjoyed
getting to experience different food that is exotic to my culture. I believe it
is key to the immersive experience. Rice was served on the first meal, and it
would appear at every home meal. The next morning breakfast also had rice,
which was served with some local fruits. Similar to America, Lili offered
traditional egg styles such as over-easy, scrambled, sunny side up, etc.
Breakfast was very hydrating, I noticed how much more dependent I became on
water from fruits and vegetables.
The
first educational visit was to Casa de Africa. I was eager to visit this
location as it was the specific site in Cuba, I was assigned to write a blog
report about. It was interesting to hear about place I previously researched.
The group met an elderly historian/ professor. He taught us about Cuban history
and how it relates to slavery and African descendants in Cuba. This museum
received donations from famous historians and rulers, including Fidel Castro.
There were several depressing themes throughout the museums. Slaves and their
descendants suffered through a lot. There was imagery of slave hardships,
torture devices, relics, etc. Another major then of the museum was slave
descendant religion in Cuba. These religions are practiced in Cuba to this day.
They have their unique gods such as the “macho” god and the “fertility”
goddess. There were also instruments from the tribes such as a large drum set.
This had a designed used for communication between locations, reaching miles
away. The elderly historian was very passionate about messages regarding civil
rights and equality. Later connecting his points to Castro. He expressed a
message about Castro’s goal of seeking unity and equal treatment in Cuba. He
was a proud Castro supporter and witnessed his reign. I find it very
fascinating to have an opportunity to meet a Castro supporter as it is not a
common interaction I can have in the United States. I can learn and hear
different perspectives, aiding to understand why history unfolded the way it
did. This museum was very informative on Cuban history and the goals of Castro.
I appreciate the passion of the museum historian. At the end of the museum
tour, we received a dance presentation in the traditional Afro Cuban styles.
The dance was very energetic, comical, and vibrant.
After
visiting Casa de Africa, we had some free time. Then we got pick up by the bus
to go to a fancy dinner at Hotel Nacional. This restaurant had a dress code and
a set meal order. This fine dining was what I imagine high society got to
experience in Cuba regularly back in the 1920s and 30s. At this point, I
noticed a common them in meals. The meat was commonly shredded and spread out.
Meat was a very scarce resource in Cuba. The economy has struggled for some
time especially with the embargo. Farmers do not have the money to build strong
livestock. Animals throughout Cuba are very skin. Honestly, a very depressing
common site there.
Next,
we went to the Hemingway House. I was anticipating going to this site as I have
previously seen Hemingway’s home in Key West, Florida. I was eager to compare
and contrast the two. Both homes had architecture from the same era but were
designed a little differently. In Cuba, the Hemingway home is only one story
with an accompanying tower. At both locations there is a pool. The most notable
difference was the presence of cats at the Key West home. The Cuban Hemingway
House had some sad history as he loved to be there. After the 1959 Cuban
Revolution, American restrictions forced Hemingway to leave Cuba. The Cuban
government including Castro, gladly would’ve welcomed Hemingway. But would’ve
have to give up being an American. Shortly after the Cuban revolution Hemingway
took his own life. Losing his home in Cuba was one of the last straws for him.
He has been struggling with mental illness for some time along with substance
abuse. He lost a place he loved.
After
the Hemingway house we got visit the Galleria. There we got to see a Cuban
rumba performance and some locally made paintings. The artworks were vibrant
with several bright colors. I received a mini-tour with some more historical
and cultural context about Cuba. I was coming to realize how art was a major
interest and passion in Cuba, being a hopeful means of success and
international travel. I purchased a small work from a local artist at the
galleria. We then got to witness a rumba performance. It was very difficult for
me comprehend what was occurring. The crown was into it though. The audience
was very passionate with some going to the stage. Dance, music, art go to
become a common popular theme throughout my journey in Cuba.
We
had free time for the evening until the bus came to pick us up for the colonial
era canon ceremony. There is a nightly event overlooking the city of Havana in
an 18th castle. It a is canon firing honoring the old military. The uniforms of
the soldiers were very similar to would be seen on a British redcoat. There
were differences in color, but the uniform shape, shape, hat, wig, and shoes
resembled that of what was worn by British soldiers during the era. This canon
firing can be throughout Havana. Locals Cubans told me that they could hear the
canon firing every night from their homes. Walking in the castle was very
fascinating. Everything has been maintained so well. Between the castle, the
ceremony, and the uniforms; I felt I was in an 18th century Cuba. A unique and
unexpected experience. Typically, I think Cuba purely in the modern era. But
there are hundreds of years of history and different eras in Cuba.
The
next day the group went to see a music history presentation by Alberto Faya.
This session was very informative on both Cuban history and music. The history
was shown in chronological order, sending powerful messages on how Cuba came to
be. There was mention of the indigenous people living here before Spanish
arrival. Similar to the Native Americans in North America, they were exploited
and wiped out over the initial years of European arrival. This part of history
was sad. Faya appeared glum when expressing the details. After the natives were
exploited, next came the African slaves. This section of history connected to
many points at Casa de Africa. Africans sold other Africans to Europeans to be
brought to the Americas. These Africans were exposed to harsh conditions
between the voyage and when landing in the West. Slaves in Cuba received harsh
treatment similar to the United States. Torture and cruel conditions were
common. Hearing about slave history once again but from the Cuban perspective
was very enlightening. I recognized many similarities to slave history in the
United States. Many themes were the same. Faya successfully expressed the
history through his instruments and music in the slideshow. There was a diverse
set of Cuban and foreign music played to show how music in Cuba took influences
from Europe, Africa, and China; then evolving into the music it is today. I
even got to exchange a few words with Faya. Apparently, he knew some Russian
and we both spoke in the language for a little bit. Older Cubans have more
Russian/Soviet exposure than the younger generations. I saw many older Cubans
dressed in similar styles to what I would see in Eastern Europe. I remember
seeing a strode owner writing his sales in Russian cursive. This was very
fascinating to as I once knew how to write in Russian cursive as a child. The
Russian/ Soviet connections were a very fascinating part of the trip.
Eventually the history and music arrived at the 20th century with a lot more
modern and familiar style. The means I which the history was presented was very
powerful. Faya did well at depicting emotions to express historic events,
playing moving music, and showing relevant images. I really enjoy these
informative meetings as there is a lot Cuban history to be learned, for me a
very fascinating part of the trip lectures.
Our
next stop was focused on learning more about Cuban film at Fundación del Nuevo.
I’ve watch many movies in my life, and I feel I have a great appreciation for
cinema. Hearing about films recorded and actors who were at the site was really
intriguing. I even got a new film recommendation “The Survivors.” This family
was based on Russian family in Cuba. Once again, another connection to Russia
and the Soviet Union. This location had a lot of historical connection from the
pre to post revolution era. After the revolution in Cuba, the government was
seizing properties from the wealthy. People either left and stayed, the
government took a lot of property from the elite classes. This reminded me a
lot of when the Soviet Union rose to power in 1917. My grandfather had Russian
ancestors who owned a lot of capital in Krasnodar, Russia. To avoid death, my
relatives gave up their valuables to the Soviet state. It is such an eerie
concept to me. To think of myself in the position of one of these revolutions.
All of the sudden everything I’ve worked for in life in gone. That would be so
heart breaking and devastating. Also at the Fundación del Nuevo, Anais, spoke
more on modern Cuban history especially emphasizing the difficult times during
the 1990’s that she personally experienced. When sharing information about this
time I could see that Anais was sad while speaking. After the Soviet Union
collapsed in 1991, Cuba suffered major resource shortages and famines. For
decades, Cuban had been heavily reliant on the Soviet Union for support. The
United States imposed embargo and sanctions against Cuba making it very
challenging for Cuba to form diplomatic relationships. Still to this day, Cuba
depends heavily on Russia; with China assisting too. The Cuban struggles during
the 90s is similar to what was occurring in North Korea and the post-Soviet
nations. North Korea saw grueling famine resulting in high death tolls. Many
post-Soviet nations faced economic downfall and mass poverty. Between Cuba and
these other countries, their economies collapsed when the Soviet Union ended,
due to the dependency on the USSR. It was not until the 2000s that Cuba started
seeing some economic upturn, leading to some optimism after a devastating time
period. Then in 2020 COVID-19 hit the world and that sent Cuba way back,
reducing significant progress. The visit to the cinema providing a lot more
context on modern Cuban history. It seems a lot of film and art in Cuba is
focused on the current events, history, and condition of the nation. Many works
have a message to the viewers about their perspectives. Artists in Cuba often
take great risk in expressing themselves. Some are making efforts in favors of
the government ideals, while others are forms of protest.
The
next morning the group visited the ISA National Arts School. This is the
premier art school in Cuba. It is highly competitive for artists to enter and
graduate through the levels. The potential artists are challenged to come up
some works to submit for various entrances and exams. Students can choose their
artistic niche, dedicating themselves to their passion. Those who go through
the system get more opportunities to have funded international travel and art
exhibitions. I’ve noticed throughout the trip that art in Cuba has a major
focus and passion. It’s appears to be one of the few opportunities that Cubans
have to travel internationally and sell at higher prices. The Cuban government
simultaneously invests in the arts and academies. There is strong artistic
passion in Cuba, I met several artists throughout the trip. While at the ISA,
we went to a couple art studios meeting some of the artists. We entered
the first gallery where there was a lot of painted sculpture art. A lot of the
art took inspiration from the human body. A lot of art in Cuba emphasizes parts
of both the male and female body, including the reproductive organs. In the
gallery many of the sculptures took the shape of a body part. Even the
buildings at this art academy focused on the body. The art gallery we were
inside was meant to be in the shape of a woman’s breast. When we went to
another gallery, it was also in the same design. This time the artist there had
art in simple Soviet blocky designs and some paintings with animals. I
recognized the Soviet inspired art and mentioned it to the artist. He was
excited to see that I was correct. The artist pointed out to me in a book where
and when the art he made was inspired from. There were many similarities
between his work and that of Russian artists. This art uses a lot of simple
shapes and colors. A lot of his work was in black and white. This style of art
originated in Russia after the Soviet Revolution. I once again made another
connection between Cuba and Russian history. It’s so fascinating to me to be in
the western hemisphere, while in a place with so much Russian/Soviet influence.
It’s a unique experience to have, especially in a Spanish speaking country.
After
visiting the prestigious art academy, we went to Fusterlandia. This site was as
building that was art itself. An artist made a colorful tile construction for
local and tourist attraction. It is a beatific site for taking pictures. The
artist dedicated years of his life to building this multi-level tile structure.
At the top level, there is a gorgeous overlook view. The group made sure to get
some pictures there. This site had become an attraction with other artists
setting up stations selling their own works to tourists. A theme I noticed
amongst artist selling their works, is that they often prefer to receive US
dollars or Euros for payment. The Cuban Peso is the national dollar of Cuba.
However due to the embargo and sanctions, the Cuban Peso is worthless outside
of Cuba. And local artist can charge foreigners at higher rates if they ask for
US dollars and Euros from tourists. Foreign dollars are highly desirable in
Cuba. Especially because Cuban cannot rely on the peso to maintain its currency
strength. Any day the government could completely change the value. In some
parts of the world, people hold on to valuables such as gold and jewelry. When
the government currency could default, less people hold onto the money. Demand
for foreign dollars throughout Cuba was very high. Whether it was at a
restaurant, store, vendor, and locals. When I needed to exchange money,
it was fairly easy. Local people give favorable rates. I imagine it being a
significant challenge to exchange money the other way. Being a limiting factor,
holding back the Cuban people. Since Cuban Pesos are worthless in other
countries, Cuban people cannot afford to easily leave on their own finances.
Cuban people in general have very little money, as the government collects the
vast majority of worker paychecks. This is a restricting factor to Cuban lives.
Throughout the trip resource scarcity was brought up multiple times. One result
of this is high inflation. There are so many financial elements holding back
the Cuban people. It’s unfortunate to see that there are so many limitations on
their opportunities.
The
following day we went to the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana. The museum
tour emphasized the value of art in Cuba and powerful messages they hold. Many
shared historical events and context. The tour displayed atrocities by the
Spanish in Cuba before the times of independence. There were also dedications
of the eras during the rulers such as Bautista and Fidel Castro. Some of the
paintings were anti-government. This surprised me as I did not expect to see
this kind of material at a government museum. This museum also depicted several
images of the human body. This visit provided an example of how emotional Cuban
art can be. With many themes around depression. Cubans have faced many hardships
throughout their history.
On
one of our final days, we visited a tobacco farm in Viñales. An interesting
fact I learned was about how originally the government purchased 100% of
farmers crops, but have now reduced that to 90%. It is intriguing to see the
government change its policy some. Favoring more incentive driven behavior. The
farmers shared that the government regularly pays them for their crop at a fair
price.
I
find Cuba to be a very fascinating place to visit. There is so much information
and learning to be had there. I gained so much more knowledge on history, the
economy, social issues, art, forms of government, culture, etc. A truly inspiring
trip. I feel like Cubans want to teach Americans about Cuba. So the Americans
and go back and inform others about the situation in Cuba. Such as the poverty,
economic hardship, the embargo, etc. I found Cuban people to be very kind and
welcoming.
