My impressions of Havana (Cuba) during the embargo

by Daniel Moureira Fontes Lima (Netherlands)

Making a local connection Cuba

After an incredible week it is time for the sad return. In eight days in the Cuban capital, I tried to immerse myself and live everything that appeared to me to experience. Havana is a stop in time, with all its old buildings and cars. Right away when I moved around the streets that connected the airport to the centre I felt in the Northeast of Brazil due to the strong sun, trees on the sidewalks, houses with simple architecture and people sitting in front of their houses enjoying life.. The identification became even more specific as I got closer to old Havana, reminding me of Salvador in Bahia. Simple people with simple habits. History everywhere, unfortunately without the necessary care to preserve it all. Religion becoming an integral part of everyday life, with all the patuás (religious symbols) and references to the orixás, showing all the strength of santeria in those people. It is the exaggerated hospitality of the locals that can often upset those who don't like human contact so much. One thing is undeniable, Cuban people are unique and definitely have roots they cherish. My first trip in Havana was to the beaches of the East, which brought me again the memory of my dear Northeast in Brazil. However, it is evident here that everything is not for the majority of the Cuban population. The main beach on the east is Santa Maria and it is 30 minutes by bus from old Havana. Despite the proximity, the only Cubans found there were working. What caught my attention the most were the giant hotels with crude architecture, without elaboration, straight from the time before the Revolution in the 50s when Cuba was an USA summer playground. I could see a lot of basketball courts, like 6 blocks next to each other, completely abandoned. The explanation is rather simple, basketball was never Cuba's sport, those courts were really just a reminder that all those beautiful beaches were not for Cubans. Cuban culture and history are incredible. The characters of the revolution are idolized, loved, never dare badmouth of one of them to a Cuban. On an organized visit to one of the socialist symbols in Cuba, the Terrazas, I took a bus with a guide who started talking about the history of Cuba. It was the opportunity I was waiting for: during the travel I listened carefully to all the details of the Revolutions that freed Cuba first from Spanish and then from American domination. I heard about José Martí and saw the largest number of statues for the same person per square meter that can be found in the world! I also saw the guide get emotional when talking about Che Guevara, with tears falling from his eyes. But what really struck me was meeting the person of Camilo Cienfuegos, son of the land who mysteriously disappeared on a plane trip to create one of the greatest Cuban myths of all time. The major problem with such a recent history - Martí liberated Cuba from Spain in 1895 and the liberation of the USA occurred in the late 1950s/early 1960s - is that it blinds the population to several current problems. The political, economic and social system of Cuba has unfortunately been distorted, but the population holds on to the argument “before that than under USA domination” in order not to want to change and exactly because a good part of the population lived this domination in the skin, not only heard about . But in spite of all the difficulties and problems, the Cuban knows how to live his life - which again sent me to the Brazilian Northeast. They touch you, catch you, say "Hello" and "Buenos dias" with a huge smile on their face, happy to have contact with someone from abroad interested in their country. It is something profound, it is the thing of a suffering people who knows better than anyone that a smile can change a day. Cuba is not a suitable trip for everyone and that is exactly why I say that it is a trip that should be made by everyone. Your head changes when experiencing all that.