Our Trip to Cuba

Verdadero Beach, Cuba

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When we mention to other people that we’re going to Cuba, the reactions are mixed.

Some people think it’s not safe, and yet tourists from Europe and Canada and other countries have been visiting the island for decades. Only Americans have been denied the experience. It’s why the resorts and hotels are so expensive. It’s why there are tours offered for sightseeing spots all over the island. It ‘s why restaurants are divided between government run- and privately owned. The latter supposedly have the best foods and prices. It’s also why airbnb has such an active site for Cuba.

We have 4 days on the island and that means jamming a lot of stuff into that time frame. We’re targeting Matanzas for a day trip. We plan a day of exploring Havana, with some particular spots to see – the Santeria museum, the museum of arts, the finca where Hemingway lived, a restaurant bar where Hemingway, Neruda, Ezra Pound and Graham Greene hung out.

Beyond the city – Matanzas, the city Lonely Planet touts as the place to go. Just beyond Matanzas lies Verdadero, a beach town my Cuban friend Marina describes as the best in the Caribbean, with blonde sand and blue water so exquisite it’s a kind of paradise. There are some caves, too, that we hope to see, with petroglyphs and crystals embedded in the walls, and stalagmites that are nearly forty feet tall.

I hope to meet the descendants of Yoruba slaves who were brought to Cuba, who became the crucible of the Santeria and mystical culture of this island. On Sunday afternoon, we will be in a plaza in Old Havana, watching and listening as santeros play their drums. Lonely Planet describes this as “hypnotic.”

Internet and WiFi are spotty in Cuba, but stayed tuned….! We’re expecting a lot of synchros with this trip.