WED. JAN. 30
Today, our last full day, was packed with economics, history, visual art and dance. Lourdes, dean of economics at the University of Havana, was our morning speaker here at the hotel. Like all the other individuals who have shared their insights with us, she was both spirited and informative. The Cubans we’ve encountered up close have been passionate about their work, candid about conditions in the country, and yet able to present them with a touch of humor.
From her, we gained a better understanding of how wealth, or more often the lack of it, is distributed in Cuba and how rich Cubans rely upon their relatives living in the U.S. or abroad to send them money or goods. For example, salaries for academics are low given their education, and one might make as little as 22 pesos a month. We all wished we’d had more time with her to ask more questions about the U.S. embargo on goods and about her own story.
After our economics lesson, we went to the Museo de la Revolucion. This is Cuba’s version of the events leading up to Fidel Castro’s takeover and what followed including the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Cuba’s engagements with Russia and the rest of the world through the 1980’s. Outside the building, several military planes and vehicles are on display including, behind glass, the yacht Fidel Castro and 81 others came in from Mexico in 1956 to launch the Revolution.
Lunch at Ivan Justo was across the street from the museum and upstairs (as many restaurants are) and began with the usual mojito. (I think it must be the Cuban national drink since they have appeared at every lunch but one and several dinners!)
Today, everything was served family style. An assortment of appetizers (shrimp ceviche, hummus, fried taro sticks), followed by platters of luscious lamb stew, chicken thighs, and grilled fish plus white rice and black beans. Dessert was a dish of rice pudding. Normally, I am not a fan of puddings, but this was quite good with the sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
After lunch, we walked half a block to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana. There our delightful guide, Aylet Ojeda, a student who gives tours as payback for her free university tuition, highlighted the work of Cuban artists from 1929 through the 1990’s. She shared how early artists were heavily influenced by famous artists from abroad and then over time created paintings that were more reflective of Cuban society and more political in nature. The header photo is by a Cuban artist.
Music and dance are important elements of Cuban culture, and we had the treat of a short performance by Habana Compas Dance, a professional troupe of female dancers. Their dance incorporates aspects of Afro-Cuban music as well as flamenco dance steps from Spain. They study five days a week and learn to play several types of drums as well as other percussion instruments such as the clava, washboard gourd, and castanets. The troupe is unique in having incorporated small side chairs into their routines as yet another percussion instrument. Bursting with energy and enthusiasm, their short program was a welcome shot of adrenaline.
This was the day that never ended. After a brief break at the hotel, we went out again, this time to a dance studio to learn more about the steps that inform Cuban ballroom dancing. Initially two pairs of dancers did an elegant dance, then the dances got more animated and erotic as more couples joined the floor.
Next was a short salsa demo, and then the dancers grabbed our hands (no weaseling out here) and we ladies lined up behind the lead instructor and the men behind one of the male dancers. With great patience, the instructor demonstrated the basic steps, then they were put to music, and we got a partner. Some of us excelled while others got by passably. It was a fun experience!
Then, on to our farewell dinner at a glass-walled contemporary restaurant, OtraManera, that would have been at home in La Jolla. We had a choice of drinks (I went for the house white wine) and a look at the menu to choose what we wished to eat beyond the shared appetizers. Appetizers included croquettes, ceviche, and a lovely avocado and tomato concasse.
The Chief Penguin ordered the grilled red snapper and I had the Chinese style noodles with pork tenderloin graced with a few cherry tomatoes and broccoli florets. Also popular with our group were several of the salads, one with green papaya, and the lamb entree. It was a lovely meal in a lovely setting, ending with Alfredo providing a summary of what we’d done over the past five days. He was complimentary about our group and said we were a group he would be sorry to see leave.
Tomorrow we all go our separate ways. I’ve made a new friend or two, and my head is filled with images of art and architecture in this “city of columns.” I was charmed by the individuals with whom we conversed. I am also armed with a better understanding of Cuba’s history and its relations with the U.S. along with the challenges and opportunities this society faces. For sure, I’ll be sharing the magic and delight of this trip with my friends at home—it’s hard to let go! Thank you, Marlon and Alfredo.
Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved). Header photo is of Barco negero, 1976 by Manuel Mendive.
