Cuba is as filled with ruins as Greece. No, there is no Coliseum or Parthenon, but all around the country, there are ruins of projects started with the hyper-excitement following the triumph of the revolution, or ruins of a wealthy colonial past existing no more. Ruins are as much a part of the Cuban landscape as the Malecon is. Lawrence and I took a spontaneous trip to the outskirts of the city the other day to Lenin Park and the botanical Gardens. We had heard from our Spanish teacher that they were the most beautiful space in all of Havana, and that because of this, she had taken her fifteenth birthday photographs there. Three buses, one pickup truck, and one maquina later, we were at the entrance of a giant ruinous forest. All around us were brick buildings falling apart into the massive woods. We were to only visitors to the park that day (it was raining so that may have something to do with it), and for the first time in my entire three months, I really felt quiet. No raggaeton beats lurking in the background, no loud maquinas, and nature! We were surrounded, as far as the eye could see, by fields and groups of giant trees. It reminded me of home. The only twist to this incredible scene were the massive ruins all around us. I am not sure if it was once a research institution or simply a tourist destination, but it felt like an abandoned theme park attacked by the forest. Ever seen Spirited Away? Exactly. The juxtaposition of urban ruin and nature was unlike anything I had seen in Cuba. I am accustomed to seeing deteriorating buildings all over the city, but seeing projects literally abandoned in the middle of the forest gave me a nostalgic feeling I hadn’t felt before. Yet again, Cuba has thrown me for a loop and surprised me with something I was sure didn’t exist.
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