My Time in Cuba Was Unforgettable

By Nour Alhawamdeh

My time in Cuba was unforgettable, the group that was a part of the trip was great and we became good friends over the course of the two weeks, which made every activity we did that much more fun. Looking back, I am not sure what my expectations of Cuba were, but whatever they were, once I arrived nothing was as I had envisioned it, and somehow that made everything better. When we arrived in Matanzas, we were greeted with fascinating architecture and colorful buildings. The hostel where we had all our meals was so aesthetically pleasing with its blue theme. I stayed in the Hostel Alma next door and my roommate, Sabine, and I were fast friends. The highlight of Matanzas, however, was not so much the places but the people, and we met some true characters. You could forget everything about Cuba, but the quirky writers and artists that you meet will linger in your memory. Like Michel, an insanely talented artist whose home functions as both his studio and living space. His paintings are colorful and intriguing, and just outside his home you can see his gorgeous, thought-provoking murals coloring the neighborhood. Or like Alejandro, the cousin of a local tattoo artist we met, whose legs are adorned with pop culture tattoos and all types of video game and movie references, such as Super Mario, Star Wars, and the Joker. Or Hector, a writer who works in the Casa Vigia, who has all eyes on him when he hits the dance floor with his energetic dance moves.  The people of Cuba are complex, intense, and intelligent and getting to connect with the locals was the most rewarding experience of the entire trip. In particular, we had a group of four Cuban locals who hung out with us in the evenings, and those evenings are when our craziest memories occurred. In Cuba, I had a lot of new experiences and I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and I could see my American peers doing the same, we were all willing to get a little uncomfortable and it was well worth it because we had a ton of fun.

In Varadero, I saw the stars for the first time, truly saw them. I was laying on the beach at 2 AM looking up at the sky with the sound of the waves and my friends’ laughter in my ear. It was a moment of such pure bliss that I know I can return to when I close my eyes. The beach there was beautiful, and the sun was scorching. The food, however, was so bad that it quickly become the funniest bonding experience of the trip. Talking about how bad the food was in the buffet, was so hilarious that we barely minded it.

I also got the opportunity to go on a day trip to Santa Clara to see where Che Guevara was buried. It was such a surreal experience visiting the town where Che claimed victory and seeing the memorial they built in his memory.

Every night in Cuba was a good night, but it was in La Habana where we went to the coolest place: the Fabrica de Arte, this place is at the intersection of hip and innovative. Inside is art installation after art installation, but the true art is all the attractive, young guys walking around inside. The environment was cool and fun, and it was a great opportunity to meet not only local Cubans, but also tourists from all over the world. I ended up chatting to people from Havana, Hong Kong, Madrid, and Dallas.

Going on this trip to Cuba was a culturally enriching experience, my Spanish comprehension expanded notably, and my understanding of the region and the people also grew. Living in America, it can be easy to pick up on the incorrect and ignorant perceptions that pervade our culture about this country but having seen it all for myself I can now reach my own conclusions. I hope one day soon, Cuba and I can reunite and pick up right where we left off.