Hoy es sies de Febrero and we are two weeks into the program with 13 weeks left in Cuba. As Julia our Cuban program organizer would say “siempre un aventura en Cuba.” Or it’s always an adventure here. There have been a number of instances or circumstances that just can’t be explained or don’t seem logical to us. Julia calls those moments “tropical surrealismo.”
Our taxi at the airport was the first thing that piqued my interest and confirmed we had not gone back to the 1950s as so many people had suggested we would be. It was a big KIA van that couldn’t have been more than four years old and equipped with AC which was essential for our hot and humid first day. On our way to our house we listened to the latest and most popular reggaeton from Latin America as I looked out the window. There were less classic cars on the highway than I imagined and the palm trees along the road reminded me of home. But they were full of coconuts still which would not be the case in Hawaii. When we arrived at the house that is Lauren, Merrill, Sage and my home for the next 3 months we were amazed by the neoclassical architecture. Built in 1916, the long hallway and rooms with high ceilings were beautiful and unlike most houses we’d seen at home.
We sat in the back courtyard, ate papaya and drank mango juice while our host showed us a map of Havana. He explained how to get around our new neighborhood and even gave us a quick history of the city. Our barrio Vedado is well planned which has been a blessing when trying to find our way home. I love our nuevo casa and I’ve enjoyed learning a lot about Cuba and the Spanish language from our hosts. But there have definitely been some challenges.
Food and water has been the most challenging for me. Our tap water must be boiled and/or purified before we drink it or we need to buy bottled water. Finding good places to eat that are also affordable is always an adventure. We went to one restaurant on a busy street that seemed popular and we liked it at first. In the morning not so much. But since then we have found a number of places within short walking distance that are yummy and reasonably priced. Time moves differently here and we’ve sometimes had to wait an hour or so for food. We’ve learned not to wait too long before we are hungry to find somewhere to eat. We’ve also had great luck at the agromercados. Which are basically farmers markets and are open most days. They always have lots of fresh fruit, some vegetables and herbs. I was stoked because they had lots of turmeric and ginger when we went last Friday. There is lots of guava everywhere in its natural fruit form but also as marmalade, juice and delicious ice cream at a place up the street. So there overall the food has been una aventura Cubana with struggles but also with perks.
I am very excited to see how the rest of our stay goes. I’m excited to explore and get to know the city better, to learn new words and practice my Spanish. So far it has been una buena aventura Cubana!
Hasta Luego!