Life on the edge

by Arianna Kemis

Havana, Cuba

I have never been so comfortable to walk in a city. Furthermore, I have never seen a balcony lifestyle anything like that which is in Havana.

The Strength of Faith

Thomas Pankau

Reporting from Havana

The morning after we arrived in Havana, I walked down to the hotel lobby, eager to begin the daily schedule of events in the city. I was intrigued at the prospect of reading the Cuban government's official news, so picked up the Granma, the state-controlled newspaper, at the front desk one particular article caught my eye. It was all about the religious freedoms Cuba offers and it discussed the wonderful religious life Cubans enjoy today--no discrimination, lots of diversity, etc. Now I was really interested--was this just propaganda, or was there some truth to the Cuban government's claims of being a land of religious tolerance? Knowing that implementation of communist policy commonly included state-sponsored atheism as a main tenet, I began to wonder if this was one of the many liberalizations that was occurring in the last decade.

However, the prominence of religion was not something that was only found in the newspapers. Our excursion to Old Havana a few days later was divided into various squares with different historical backgrounds--some dealing with the markets, some dealing with religion. Walking around, I was struck by just how prominent the religious imagery still was in Cuba. There were a number of old churches and large statues of religious figures which seemed to indicate that Cuba's religiosity was a respected part of its past, in spite of the country's three decades as an officially atheist state. My own previous travels to Central America had taught me that Latin America is religiously dominated by Catholicism, but I was still surprised at the extent to which that is still true in a nation that was once so adamantly communist. Not only is Catholicism still dominant in Cuba today, but religious diversity is celebrated with synagogues and Afro-religious
practices having their own places in modern Cuban life. It seems that Granma wasn't lying--in fact, the Cuban government's support of religious freedoms would have been the opposite stance taken throughout the Cold War. I asked our tour guide about any conflicts between the state and religion that existed in the past, to which he replied that there were many at first. His face indicated that he was trying to find the right phrase in English to explain the situation today, and at last he eventually said, "Time heals all wounds."
                                         

The fear that drives them

By Kelly Montgomery, Havana

Monday, May 13-Day 3

            We started off Monday with a visit to the  U.S. Interests Section in Havana where we spoke to Economics-Political officer, USIS, Havana Thomas Palaio. There was a wide array of topics covered as people asked questions regarding the embargo, the economy and the process Cubans go through to come to the U.S. Here, we learned that Cubans receive approximately $19 a month in remittances from the government. Because everyone is generally paid the same no matter what, there is a lack of motivation to work. Why work for your $19 a month when you will receive it without working?

Authentic Cuba

Nick Detorre, reporting from Havana                       

 

 

About two hours east of Havana is the town of Varadero. Signs along the highway suggest an "Authentic Cuba" awaits. I could hardly contain myself.

This bridge crosses a valley in Matanzas, about 60-
miles east of Havana. It is the tallest bridge in Cuba.

We passed through hilly farmland, crossed a scenic valley, eventually arriving along a rocky coastline with the occasional oil derrick. Beyond it all - glimpses of the Caribbean.

As we drove along the Via Blanca highway, the imagery used on the billboards changed. One of them showed two dolphins - which I'm sure are present in these waters - each kissing a tan, blonde girl on the cheek. The second shows a group of dolphins jumping through a set of rings.

Authentic Cuba? We hadn't been in Cuba long, but the only blondes I'd seen were sitting behind me on the bus. Where did they get these pictures, Sea World?

A couple miles further, signs for the Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport. Another international airport, less than 90 miles from Havana?

The beach from Mansion Xanadu.
(Photo: Ed Rabel)

Our driver paid a toll at a stop on the highway before continuing to our eventual destination, the former DuPont Mansion, Xanadú, where we were scheduled to eat lunch.

By now, the scenery had changed once again. Far behind were the herds of cattle and oil wells. As the hotels appeared, so to did the sandy beaches. Architecturally, the buildings were unimpressive. They were large and there were several of them, most were on the water.

With only six rooms, Mansion Xanadú is an exclusive hotel with restaurant. Also on the property is the Varadero Golf Club, Cuba's first 18 hole course.

Further down the road, several more hotels. Between us, a beautiful white sand beach littered with hundreds of tourists like me.

Lunch at Mansion Xanadu.
Fish, ratatouille, and rice.

After lunch - which consisted of fish, ratatouille and rice - we made our way to the beach. For two CUCs - Cuban tourist dollars - you could rent a chair and umbrella for the afternoon. Compared to the $50 dollars these chairs would cost at similar beaches in the states, we were happy to pay and enjoy our afternoon in the sun.

Enjoying the beach at Xanadu.
(Photo: Madison Horner)

A group of us sat together. We talked about baseball, Havana and school while smoking cigars, pausing for an occasional dip in the Caribbean. I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of "authentic Cuba." Still, the only blondes were in our group, and I'd yet to see any dolphins. There weren't many Cubans either, save for the handful sitting in the shade of a tree next to the parking lot while their children played in the water.

On the ride back to Havana, I wondered if the people staying in Varadero truly believed they were experiencing "authentic Cuba," or if they too were still waiting to see the dolphins.

 

Life is a highway

The view of the capitol amidst the bustling city streets and early haze of the morning traffic. 

A bicitaxi driver haggles with riders for a price. 

by Arianna Kemis

Havana, Cuba

Sometimes, all it takes is a mile to see a difference.

While we rode the winding streets and highways still within the borders of the city, I saw a vast array of vehicles by which the citizens traveled. There were bicitaxis, all owned by private riders who decked out their bikes to make one more appealing than the competitors’. 

The Good and the Bad

Thomas Pankau
Reporting from Havana


The sun beat down on the beautiful beach of Varadero and I could see through my sunglasses that the rest of my group was getting ready to pack up and head back to Havana.

 Four of us were in conversation as a French-Canadian couple took interest in us, asked where we were from, how we liked Cuba, and insisting we drink with them. The woman seemingly knew nothing of US policy towards Cuba as she learned of the embargo and travel restrictions for the first time from our mouths. The man was clearly drunk as he forced mojitos onto us and talked about their plans for drinking alcohol and laying on the beach all day. They were astonished to learn of the high price we Americans had to pay for our Cuban experience.

Do you like Pina Coladas?

Jasmine Goodwin
Reporting from Havana


HAVANA, Cuba - On our way to visit the beach in Veradero, our tour guide made a special stop for us at an outdoor shop that only sells on thing - pina coladas. I was under the assumption that I did not like pina coladas because one of the major ingredients is coconut, which is not a food I am a fan of in the slightest.