Faces of Cuba (Part 2)

People fascinate me.

How they look. How they talk. How they smell (gut, not all people smell “fascinating”). But the local people are definitely one of the major things that I observe and analyze while traveling.

Interacting with the local people & discovering how they live life forms an integral part of the travel experience. Es dauerte nicht zu lange zu erkennen, dass das Cuban people were certainly a highlight of the country.

Spaziergang durch die Straßen von Kuba kann man alles sehen,: a blonde-haired women with brown eyes, a black man with blue eyes, oder ein mulatta mit hellgrünen Augen. Years of interracial mixing have resulted in a rainbow-spectrum of Cubanos.

Aber es ist nicht nur ihre körperliche Schönheit, “ins Auge” (bekommt Ihre Aufmerksamkeit), ist es auch ihr Glück ansteckend & resiliently optimistic attitudes, trotz der täglichen kubanischen Kampf. Denken Sie daran, dass die meisten dieser Völker’ offiziell monthly salary is between $15-25 USD, meaning they must find some other way to earn money & put food on the table.

I was inspired, so I decided to start a project called Faces of Cuba. I took pictures of various people, und versuchte, die meisten treffen & discover a little bit about them. These people left an impression on me, und ich hoffe, durch diese Bilder & brief descriptions you can begin to use your imagination & Stück zusammen, was sie tatsächlich wie eine Person sein, or what type of life they might lead.

Faces of Cuba

Dailin. 21 years old. Pre-med Student. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Dailin was the next door neighbor of a friend who I spent a lot of time with in Santiago. One day I was really tired & wollte einen Kaffee, so my friend told me to go over to Dailín’s house to ask for some. “Egal” (Es spielt keine Rolle) is what my friend dismissively replied when I told her that I felt a little weird asking people I don’t know for coffee.

Dailin & her mother brewed some coffee up for me right away when I reluctantly asked for them, & invited me into their home. We talked & schlürfte Kaffee für einen Bit-, Dann verließ ich. Over the next few days, I couldn’t even walk past Dailín’s house without them inviting me in for more coffee. A few times they even prepared food for me, und jedes Mal hatten wir interessante Gespräche. By the time I left Santiago, they had redefined what it was for me to be a “guter Nachbar.”

Reynier. 26 years old. Ökologie-Ingenieur. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Zufällige Schachspiel in den Straßen von Havanna, Cuba.

Pedro. 24 years old. Koch. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Margarita. 53 years old. Kellnerin. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Margarita was a waitress at a restaurant where I sat down to kill time waiting on the bus. She wasn’t my waitress, just another waitress on shift, but that didn’t stop us from talking for quite some time.

When I asked for her name, age, and occupation (the standard Faces of Cuba bit) she also wrote down her entire address for me, making me promise her that I would come back someday to meet her family. She had never met an American before, and wanted her family to see that just because the schools & government taught them to view Americans a certain way, didn’t necessarily mean that it was true.

Lachen, während draußen sitzen ihrem Laden. Havanna Vieja, Cuba.

Alter Mann rauchen Zigarre in seiner Haustür. Havana, Cuba.

Drialis. 21 years old. Kunstlehrer. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Herrschaft. 61 years old. Kuh-Melker. Gibara, Cuba.

I met Norma in line at the same restaurant where I met Ruben from Faces of Cuba 1. I didn’t understand when Norma first told me that she was a cow milker.

“Dann, Sind Sie ein Bauer?”

“Also, Du bist ein Bauer?” I asked her.

She reassured me that she was only a cow milker, and then proceeded to tell me about the delicate situation regarding cattle in the country. In Cuba, only the government or authorized personnel are allowed to kill cattle, und in der Tat, unbefugte Töten einer Kuh kann jemand im Gefängnis bis zu landen 10 years. This is due to an extreme cattle shortage on the island because of the US trade embargo & Dürre. Each & Milch jeden Kuh, & eventual beef production must be carefully calculated & unter den Menschen rationiert. Many Cuban children have not been consuming enough milk, was zu Unterernährung, physical underdevelopment, & Gehirnschaden. Herrschaft, zusammen mit Tausenden anderer Kubaner, have been tasked with maximizing milk production in order to combat this very real problem facing childhood in Cuba. Norma treats her job with the utmost seriousness & rightfully so.

Folklore-Tänzer. Plaza de Los Dolores, Santiago de Cuba.

Flucht vor der Hitze. Boca Yumurí, Baracoa, Cuba.

Luis. 34 years old. Plummer. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Luis hing mit seinen Freunden auf jemandes Veranda 1 Tag in Santiago de Cuba. They called out to me as I walked past because they could see that I was a tourist with my camera hanging around my neck like a good gringo. I surprised them when I answered with,“¿Que bola aseres?” a typical Cuban greeting which means the equivalent of “What’s up dudes?” They invited me up on the porch for a Cuba Libre (rum & coke). When I told them that I was traveling alone, they insisted that I come back later that night to go out on the town with them, and that’s exactly what I did.

We started off the night by putting a speaker in the middle of the road in front of Luis’s house and blasting Cuban reggaeton & salsa at full volume. They taught me some dance moves so I could be “more Cuban” and then we went out. Throughout the course of the night, they took me to a festival, and to a few local, Cuban-only bars where normally extranjeros (foreigners) aren’t allowed. It felt good to hang out with a group of locals after having traveled alone for a while. They instantly accepted me into their group, and I felt like I had been one of the “aseres” for years.

Gabriela. 35 years old. Verkauft Kleidung auf der Straße. Am Bus zwischen Holguin & Guardalavaca, Cuba.

Traditionelle afrikanische Folklore-Tänzer. Caribbean House, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Ines Maria & Christopher. 56 & 2 years old. Casa particular Eigentümer & casa particular baby.

Casa particulares are the designated houses of particular Cuban families who have been granted a permit by the government to host foreigners overnight. It’s considered a valuable money-earning privilege to have this permit, so these Cuban families are on their best behavior to ensure tourists enjoy their stay. Señora Inés Maria went above and beyond with her hospitality, and was probably my favorite señora de la casa (woman of the house) in all of Cuba. She wasn’t just a joy to laugh & converse with, but she also always went above and beyond with her desayunos (Frühstück).

Having big breakfasts in casa particulares throughout Cuba is nothing rare, but usually breakfast quality & Größe sind das erste, was zu leiden, wenn Reisende schaffen, Räume für sehr billig zu verhandeln. We managed to haggle Inés down to $16/night for a room we split between 4 Reisende. Ich hatte erwartet, das Frühstück, eine Banane sein & a “that’s-what-you-get” look from Inés every morning. Instead, we always arose to more fruit, extra coffee, and chunkier tortillas (Cuban for egg omelets) than the day before, all dished out on the table in front of us with a beaming smile on her face.

Christopher hat uns Stunden nach Stunden der Unterhaltung, being the baby king of the house. Watching Inés spoil her first grandson at any time of the day was heart-warming, and it was impossible not to take part. For me, there was no better way to digest one of Inés’ hearty breakfasts than by getting down on the floor and rumbling with the big guy himself!

faces of cuba

Highly recommended to stay here if you travel to Baracoa, Cuba. Other Casa Particulares in Baracoa may have the big breakfasts, but no one else has Christopher!

Casa Inés María Hernandez Hernan. Adresse (address): Flor Crombé 110 entre Frank País y Marabi. Baracoa, Cuba. Telefon: (+53) 21645698. Mail- (email): yurimafabre@correodecuba.cu

Beobachten Straßenleben von ihrer Haustür. Martí-Platz, Cienfuegos, Cuba.

Adriano. 56 years old. Professionelle kubanischen Rastafari (arbeitslos) Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Lass uns ehrlich sein, from the first time I saw Adrian beebopping through the streets of Santiago, I knew he had to be a part of Faces of Cuba. Wie konntest du nicht bemerkt, dieser Kerl? But it wasn’t just the largest dread of all time, folded back in forth on top of his head like a giant pile of spaghetti noodles on a fork, but also his infectious smile that effortlessly reflects his worry-free lifestyle.

Normalerweise sind die Menschen, die ich zufällig auf der Straße zu stoppen entweder zustimmen oder nicht, um mir ihre Aufnahme zu machen lassen, meine Fragen zu beantworten höflich, and then go on their way – but not Adriano.

“¡Claro hermano! ¿Pues, denn ich will nicht alle meine Sachen in meinem Zimmer zu zeigen?”

“Natürlich Bruder! Well, warum nicht ich zeigen Ihnen, alle meine Sachen in meinem Zimmer als auch?”

Am Anfang war ich ein wenig zurückhaltend, eine Einladung in ein fremdes Zimmer, das ich gerade erst kennengelernt hatte, zu akzeptieren, aber nach der Suche Adriano Gesicht für einige Spuren von Flüchtigkeit, Ich nichts anderes als "one-love" auf mich starrte zurück finden konnten,. After introducing me to his family who were all huddled around a 20″ TV in the living room, Er führte mich in sein Zimmer auf der Rückseite, and swept aside the doorway curtain with a look of pride.

“¡Bienvenidos!”

He proceeded to show me a bedroom that looked more like a shrine to Bob Marley than a place to sleep.

Er arbeitete sich durch den Raum, Erläuterung der Bedeutung des Songtexten auf seinem Wände gemalt, his artwork, die Grundlagen der sein Weltbild, etc.

You see, Santiago de Cuba is actually closer to Jamaica than to Havana, meaning that rastafarian culture is deeply entrenched in various Cubans’ lives there. Adriano told me that there is an extensive brotherhood of rastafaris throughout Cuba. Even though Jamaica is just right off the southeastern shores of Cuba, he had never been, but fiercely longed to visit his “homeland.”

Adriano gave me one of his painted gourds to remember him by, let me take as many photos as I pleased, and gave me the biggest hug when I bid farewell. I didn’t leave a converted rastafari, but I can’t deny there was something powerful in his beliefs & convictions.

And for all those wondering, the answer is yes, Adriano did let his hair down for me:

I’d say there were a solid 10-12 feet long!

Alexis. 45 years old. Verkäufer von Grunderzeugnissen in regierungseigenen Shop. Havana, Cuba.

Che Guevara Zuschauen Zufallsschachspiel in Straßen von Havanna. (Ich mache nur Spaß)

Namibia. 22 years old. Prostitute/call girl. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

After catching the one bus out of town to El Castillo de Morro & spending hours climbing all over the UNESCO fortress, ich hatte 45 minutes to kill before the return leg looped back around. I really craved a cold beer, and popped into the only real restaurant around.

Namibia was immediately recognizable by her exotic look and forward presence, no doubt assisted by her being the only person in the portside bar not wearing an establishment uniform (see: Bikini). My motives were never compromised, aber ich kann nicht leugnen, es war ein interessantes Gespräch. I sat down with my Bucanero beer, bestellte Essen, und dann höflich Ablenken ihrer Fortschritte für die nächste halbe Stunde. Plus it made for great Spanish practice. She wanted to take me swimming at first, dann setzte er sich an den Tisch mit mir & das 2 other waitresses to earn her tip.

“Und Ihre Freundin, Was? ¿Dónde está ahorita? Como sabras con quien está y que está haciendo? Hay que vivir en el momento, papi.”

“Und was ist mit Ihrer Freundin? Where is she now? How do you know who she’s with & was sie tut? Sie müssen sich im Moment zu leben, papi” she kept whispering in my ear.

“Ist es, dass tu me encantas, tu me encantas. Solo quiero probar tus labios, nur ein Kuss, un recuerdo de Cuba para tí.”

“I really like you, I really like you. I just wanna try your lips, nur 1 Kuss, a memory of Cuba for you.”

Wenn ich an die Kellnerinnen sitzen über den Tisch nach Hilfe zu suchen, sie gerade mit den Augen rollen und mit den Schultern zucken, begierig, unsere Chat starten. When she finally got the picture that I was only paying for fried fish, Kochbananen & Bucanero she gravitated over towards a new table of young guys, und ich bekam zu wissen, Margarita & Uberlinda better.

Yilian. 21 years old. Verkauft Sandwiches & Spaghetti. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Parade zum Tag der Arbeit (Tag der Arbeit). Baracoa, Cuba.

Familienunternehmen Souvenir-Shop. Havanna Vieja, Cuba.

Ich warte immer bis zum Ende meiner Reise auf Souvenirs laden & Geschenke für andere, so nutzte ich meine letzten Tage in Havanna & went-a-hagglin.

Wandering in & von den Geschäften in Habana Vieja, you can usually tell how much selection a store will have based on the size of the Che Guevara painting out front. This store didn’t have any Che paintings, or much of a selection at all for that matter. Whether business was bad, or they were just awaiting a new shipment of products, I’m not sure. But the shopping experience there involved the entire, friendly family helping me, and for $10 I walked away with 4 Schlüsselanhänger, a traditional Cuban fedora, und 2 bracelets.

Klimpern die 6-saitige Lebensunterhalt zu machen. Camagüey, Cuba.

Dayanis. 21 years old. Bleib zuhause Mama. Inzwischen Isabella. 1 Jahr alt. Zuhause Baby. Baracoa, Cuba.

Uberlinda. 44 years old. Kellnerin. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Uberlinda war die einzige Person im Restaurant, wo ich Zeit getötet warten auf einen Bus (the same place I met Namibia the prostitute & Margarita) dass ich eigentlich sollte worden, um auf eine einheitliche Grundlage zu sprechen. She played an odd, dual role of waiting on me & Sprich zu mir, while somehow taking Namibia under her wing in a motherly type of way. I’m not sure if this was because Namibia was a “regular” who helped “entertain” restaurant clients, or if it was just some sort of social dynamic of the accepted & widespread prostitution in Cuban society that I didn’t understand. Sie tat einen fairen Job wartet auf mich, but a fantastic job of keeping me entertained with jokes & stories.

Rumba Band. House of Suche, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Lianne. 39 years old. Ökonom. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Lianne has the most decorated Couchsurfing profile I’ve ever seen (based on number of positive reviews). This is especially impressive because the basic idea upon which Couchsurfing is built, providing free accommodation for travelers at your house, is illegal in Cuba. Not to mention Cuba is one of the few countries left without widespread internet access.

Lianne, or “Mama Chicken” as she’s affectionately known on Couchsurfing, has found 101 other ways to help travelers: connecting backpackers with cheap & trustworthy casas particulares, picking up travelers from the central bus terminal, helping partially or completely plan itineraries for others, taking people out to the best salsa clubs, etc.

She does it all out of the goodness of her heart, a desire to meet people from all over the world, and a desire for people all over the world to fall in love with Cuba. Considering I fell hard for Cuba, and the city of Santiago de Cuba in general, I’d say she’s done a pretty good job. I hope that in the future, the Cuban government will relax their restrictions on letting citizens leave the country. Then she can maybe have the freedom to travel to the US one day where I will return the favor. If you ever travel to Santiago de Cuba, don’t hesitate in contacting Mama Chicken.

Gauging the ripeness in Havana Vieja, Cuba.

Friends going to fish in Baracoa, Cuba.

Rodovaldo. 37 years old. Blinden Sänger außerhalb La Bodeguita del Medio. Havanna Vieja, Cuba.

Jede Reise nach Kuba ist nicht komplett ohne einen Besuch in Lieblingskneipe des verstorbenen Earnest Hemingway & Urheber der Mojito, La Bodeguita del Medio. But when you finally round the corner out of Plaza de la Catedral and see the sign, the first thing you’ll be greeted by is a beautiful tenor voice floating through the air, the voice of Rodovaldo.

Rodovaldo is a blind musician who makes his living playing acoustic guitar right outside La Bodeguita. Considering there’s usually a mob of people spilling out onto the street in front of the bar with everyone waiting their turn to go in and try a mojito, Rodovaldo nahm eine ziemlich anständige Stelle. The 2 Male, die ich besucht La Bodeguita, I saw numerous people put tips in Rodovaldo’s hat in appreciation for making their wait more enjoyable.

La Bodeguita will always hold a special place in my memory – for the Hemingway signature behind the bar, die Live-Salsa-Band, the picture of Hemingway and Castro shaking hands hanging on the back wall, die teuer, aber köstlichen Mojitos, but also for Rodovaldo’s captivating talent on display right outside on the sidewalk.

Das kubanische Volk – Schönes Innere & Aus

Vor einiger Zeit, National Geographic veröffentlichte einen Artikel über What Americans Will Look Like in 2050. Well, das ist, was die Kubaner aussehen, rechts jetzt.

Aber Kubaner sind nicht nur körperlich atemberaubenden. Cubans are, despite all the adversities of life in Cuba, einige der glücklichsten Menschen, die ich je getroffen habe. Sadly, many foreigners never get to know Cubans because they are intimidated by the directness of jineteros (Stricher) auf der Straße. If they’d only dug a little deeper…

“Es ist nicht einfach” (Es ist nicht einfach) ist ein beliebtes Sprichwort hören Sie Kubaner sagen Tages, and it describes life in Cuba perfectly. With limited products due to a trade embargo, begrenzte Freiheiten aufgrund ihrer Regierung, & praktisch keine Luxusgüter, noch verfügbare Einkommen, it could be easy to think that Cubans would be bitter & resentful people. Instead, I met one joyful & content person after the other.

Traveling through Cuba reminds you to be happy with what you do have & to appreciate the simple things in life. It’s a stark contrast with the dangerous cycle of consumerism which characterizes many other countries.