The People of Cuba

I have spent a lot of time this past week thinking about how to write up my Cuba experience.  I'm thinking it will be quite a challenge.  Cuba is very complicated.  One can't do it justice without some depth of understanding.  Given that I was there for only ten days, in a very small part of Cuba, following an agenda that had been set beforehand....  Well, I'd be silly to think I am now some sort of expert.  

      

The Presbyterian church in Luyano, a working class barrio in Havana, provides breakfast and an exercise program for senior citizens every morning.  Patricia from our group helped lead this exercise.

Also, Cuba is controversial.  One's politics provide the lens through which it is viewed, perhaps more than usual.  So I will disclose upfront that I'm an old commie.  That I supported the revolution led by Fidel and Che.  That I am still hoping that socialism will work there.  And I went with a group, Pastors for Peace, that has a long, committed history of helping Cuba to survive and thrive.  I am biased (and proud of it).

In spite of these challenges, I want to share my experience. I hope that this blog can engender some conversation about Cuba.  I hope people will take an interest in Cuba.  It is time for change.

The one thing I feel most confident about, the one thing that I brought home with me above all else, was the warmth and graciousness of the Cuban people.  The pride, the caring, the values that put the most vulnerable first.  The spirit, the smiles, the dancing, the beauty.    

I speak a little Spanish, enough that I was able to open conversations that would not have otherwise been possible.  I admit I didn't always understand everything that was said to me...

I remember the cashier at the store where I bought a T-shirt for my brother.  She thanked me for being there, told me how important it is for us to visit.  I thanked her for the warm welcome we had been receiving.  She responded that she hoped one day her grandchildren would be able to visit the U.S.

I think of the woman standing at her door as we were filing past, leaving one of our scheduled events and going to our van.  She held out her hand to each of us as we passed and gave us a big smile.

I can see the older couples strutting their stuff in the Danzon contest.  There is a real beauty in seeing a couple dancing together, so perfectly in sync that they truly move as one.  And they could dance!

I remember the wonderful program put on for us at Childhood Wonders, and the gifts the children had made for us.  It brought tears.  In spite of the hardship the U.S. Embargo has caused the people of Cuba for decades now, I never felt any enmity.  Quite the contrary.

Enough words.  Let me share a few pictures. 

( I intend to put up a new blog entry every week, until I run out of things to say.  Please check back if you are interested in being a part of this conversation.)

       

                               Cuba is full of music, most of it perfect for dancing.

      

At Bellamar Caves and Gardens, where we were given a tour of the farm where this family is putting permaculture into practice.  They also gave us quite a spread for lunch.  Maybe the best we had in Cuba, although all the food was quite good.

                               

           This girl stole our hearts away with her poetry at the Childhood Wonders project.

          A traditional Santeria dance at La Marinara Community Center in Matanzas.

                                        The Danzon contest in Matanzas.

        

At the Senior Day Care Center, Ramon told us about his time in Angola.  He lost his wife recently, and comes to the center for the companionship.

                              

The pastor and his wife at the Juan G. Hall Presbyterian church in Cardenas, explaining some of the many social outreach programs they have.

Santeria women outside the church at Regla.  The Santeria women dress all in white.

       

                                                   The streets of Havana.

                             

                         Salvador Gonzalez, the artist who started Callejon de Hamel.

          

Nacyra, the director of the Loving Care Home where we stayed, and the director of the Special School La Castellana. 

      

        

 

Cuba!

I recently returned from ten days in Cuba.  It was a wonderful experience.  I enjoyed every moment and learned a lot.  I went with Pastors for Peace, a well loved and respected organization that has been leading delegations and caravans to Cuba for decades.  We were received with affection and graciousness wherever we went.  In fact, I hope to return more than once!  But more about that later.  I will be blogging more in the next few weeks.  For now, here are a few photos.

We enjoyed the street entertainment in Old Havana.

We learned about and visited some amazing social programs.

We were entertained by talented and enthusiastic young people.

We saw alleys that had been turned into art galleries.

We saw permaculture in action.

We visited churches and learned about the Santeria religion.

We learned about the impact of the US blockade.  Translation: Blockade.  The longest genocide in history.

Camping in the southern San Juan Wilderness

A couple weeks ago, my partner Brian and I went camping in Treasure Canyon,  in the southern San Juan wilderness, about 8 miles northwest of Platoro CO.  We went for five days, and ended up stayng for ten.  Since we had neither cell signal nor wifi, that caused some people to worry, and we learned our lesson on that one.  But it was so beautiful, so peaceful that we couldn't imagine not extending our stay.

Our view as we drank our morning coffee.

Brain is an experienced camper, and this was car camping, not backpacking.  We had a luxury campsite, as you can see in the pictures below.  We had to deal with some interesting weather.  We barely got the tent pitched before it started to rain, so the first evening we had a quick dinner.  There was a storm that night that was a teaser for what came the following night.  Just a little rain and a little lightning.  The next night we had an electrical storm that was truly exceptional.  As Brian said, he saw more light from the lightning that night with his eyes closed than he'd ever seen before with them open.  The light was not only extremely bright; it also stayed light for several seconds.  The third night we had little rain, but 50 - 60 mile an hour winds.  Our tent made it safely through all of it!  After that, nothing could really bother us, except the one night when it got cold enough to leave a heavy frost in the morning.  But we were well prepared.

We had three dogs with us, and they tried to crawl in the tent with us when the storms came.  They found shelter under the fly and made it through okay.  One of the dogs, Homer, had seriously cut his paw right before we left for the trip, and he had to be tied up most of the time.  He made himself a little nest in the midst of some pine trees.

We passed our time hiking, enjoying the beauty of the surroundings, doing a little prospecting, getting to know the fish in the little pool just downstream so well we couldn't go fishing.  It didn't seem right to eat acquaintances.  When it rained we read, talked, played scrabble.  All in all, we enjoyed it so much that we decided to do an extended camping trip in Texas in October and early November.  So stay tuned for more adventures.  I also owe friends and family a blog about Vallecitos, the beautiful falling down village in northern New Mexico where I am now living.  Soon.

Iron mountain, on the road to Treasure Canyon.

Sunrises were spectacular.

The waterfall on Treasue Creek, also the headwaters of the Alamosa River, that fed the pool with the fish we got to know.

The big picture of our campsite.

Homer had to be kept on a leash due to his injury, but that didn't stop him from leaping about 7 feet to the top of this rock.

Desdemona, Brian's white German shepherd alpha female, on the Crater Lake trail up to the Continental Divide.  She kept guard over us constantly.

Jessie Mae, on the other hand, was most interested in getting her beauty sleep, when she wasn't  chasing rodents.

Brian made some delicious meals using his makeshift kitchen.

The skies provided constant entertainment. 

On the Crater Lake Trail.

Brian on the trail, with Jessie looking around to see what's going on.

Beautiful wildflowers everywhere.

Enjoying the sunrise.

Even taking care of biological needs was done in luxury.  And what a view!

But we ran out of dog food, even after buying the last cans they had in Platoro.  So it was time to head home.

So we loaded up and followed the winding road home.

As we drove home, we looked over at the mountains where we had just been camping and saw them encased in black clouds.  We stopped off at a hot springs on the way home, to warm up and clean up.

The Journey Ends, the Adventure Continues

"The simple and astonishing truth about India and Indian people is that when you go there, and deal with them, your heart always guides you more wisely than your head.  There's nowhere else in the world where that's quite so true."

Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram

It is with a great deal of emotion that I end this amazing journey.  When I came, I didn't know what to expect, and so I allowed myself to just be open to whatever happened.  I'm not sure how else one can immerse themselves in a totally new culture.  I never could have imagined just how much this experience would enrich my life.  In fact, even now I don't really know, because although the journey is ending, the impact on my life is only beginning.  So I return the way I came, not knowing what to expect, allowing myself to be open to what happens.

My loving hosts, Sheela and Ravi.  And me with my black eye.

I am sad to be leaving.  There are many people I will miss.  Most of all, my Chennai family - Ravi, Sheela, Shraddha, Shruti, Indrani, Praveen, Vignesh, Rani, and Google.  I had the best situation imaginable.  Living with a family gave me love, nurturing, security and allowed me to really get to know the culture.   I wasn't wrapped in a tourist bubble, interacting mostly with other Westerners.  In fact, most of the time I was the only non Indian around.  Yet I felt very comfortable.  I knew the Shankars before, but now they are family.  I know Ravi eats too fast, that Sheela giggles like a school girl sometimes, that Shraddha and Shruti are the most serious students I've ever met.  Indrani has become very dear to me.  Her beauty radiates from the depths of her being.  Praveen who just turned 15 May 6 is a fine young man,  and Vignesh is a new father.  His cell phone ring is now the sound of his daughter making baby sounds.  How I will miss them all!

And my Chennai friends.  Biking buddies Kannan and Lalitha, who are biking in Bhutan with their daughter.  Charitra, who kept contact with me while I was out traveling to make sure I was okay.  Uma, Shiv and Apura, who showed me around Chennai and invited me into their home.  Mahmoud Hussein who, at the age of 89, still does a 5 minute shoulder stand as part of his Yoga routine every day.   I hope to come back and visit them all again one day.

I'm leaving so much that I'd like to do, so much I've yet to see and learn.  For every place visited, there are a dozen more I'd like to visit; for every blog posted, one that didn't get written;  for every picture taken, a handful that I missed.  Yet I wouldn't change a single thing about my four months here.  Arriving with Dasa and Kelley, having friends to share the early part of the adventure with.  The early travels with Barbara that got my feet wet traveling with a companion.  The months spent in Chennai that allowed me to experience feeling like a resident, not a tourist.  Studying the Yoga Sutras with Ravi.  The solo trip in April that gave me a sampler of the diverse beauty of South India.  No, I wouldn't change a thing.

At the same time, I am eager to get home, to settle into a new home in my new home state New Mexico, which I've barely begun to know.  I look forward to seeing my family.  Erik mi querido hijo and his friend Judy.  My brothers and sisters in law, my nieces and nephews, my grandkids, Shelly and Kaya.  My friends in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Texas, New Mexico, Washington.  I won't try to name you all, because the list would be too long.  I'm eager to meet the new friends that I've made as a result of this trip.  Brian, my dear penpal who has been my steadfast cyber companion on so much of this journey.  Grail sister Ingrid who is planning to visit India soon.  I look forward to hanging out with Barbara, Dasa and Kelley who were with me at the beginning of this adventure.  To seeing my friend Rong from China, who I haven't seen in over three years.  I look forward to getting back on my bike.  Planning my next adventure with Shirley and Donna.  Doing for myself again.  Making a home cooked meal, washing dishes, grocery shopping, driving a car, working in a garden.  And playing - hiking in the woods, camping out, soaking in a hot springs.  Yes, there is much to go back home to.  It will be different than it was.  I am different than I was.  How, you ask?  I don't know.  I do know that I am intensely grateful for having had this experience.  India is now my second home, and I intend to come back soon.

Saying good-bye to Kelley and Dasa at the end of January.

A walk to the beach with my beloved Indrani and her son Praveen a few days before I left.

That day we saw a partial rainbow.  Certainly an auspicious sign, don't you agree?

I wonder if I will ever wear my sari again.  Without Sheela's help I'm not sure I can wrap it correctly.

Not everything is pretty, but I will even miss scenes like this.

We had the start of a woman's cycling group.  I'm sure Lalitha and Charitra will keep it up.

I became quite accustomed to seeing whole families on motorcycles.

Indrani was a beautiful bride.

Ooty is so green with all its tea plantations and other produce.

The simple living and strong dedication to caring for the earth and building community at Auroville appeal to me.

I hope to return to Bodhi Zendo, which captured my heart with the beauty of the surroundings, the soulful people I met there, the discipline and simplicity of daily life.

The beautiful scenery and the wildlife of the Nilgiris allowed me to see a different side of India.

The cliffs and beach at Varkala provided a relaxing place to end my journeys.

The colorful chaos of Chennai.  I will carry it with me.