By: Pablo Olivos
Before arriving to the airport, I felt confident enough to travel to a new country, and I figured out that I would get along with everyone going on this trip, but I did not think that we would get along so well. Once we said goodbye to our families before departure, we headed to the VIP lounge where we began to talk to each other since most of us did not know each other. Everyone was very friendly and sweet. We even took some of the food from the lounge and snook it into our bags just in case we needed it in Cuba. We then boarded the plane and started talking about what to expect once we got to the island. After a couple of hours, we arrived at the airport in La Habana. It was rather small and it took a while for us to get our bags. I was mentally preparing myself for having no AC or WiFi during the time we were staying. Soon after, our Guagua arrived, a word used for “bus” in Cuba. The ride from the airport to the city of Matanzas took about 2 hours, which was nice and relaxing, just observing the green hills and fields all around us with the windows open and the breeze hitting my face as we made our way to our place of stay.
Once in Matanzas, we arrived to El Hostal Azul, the place where we would be staying at. We had dinner, which was delicious, and soon after we met with Hector, Adrian, Lorena, and Elizabeth, whom we would be hanging out with almost every day of the trip. Later, we went to Narvaez Boulevard, which was filled with beautiful bars and art galleries next to the river down the street from where we would be working a week later, also the area that we would frequent during our stay in the city. I loved the fact that the artists of the city took the time to beautifully remodel the bars on the street, filled with paintings and creative ways of making them look fancy and intriguing, from the statues to the decor to the lights and the music. The buildings were very old, and the architecture reflected the city's colonial past, along with taunting reminders of slavery and the country's involvement in the African slave trade.
On the first week, we were working from 9 am to 1:30 pm alongside editors and writers at Ediciones Matanzas, as we were helping them translate their own chronicles. We were explained the city's history by a national awarded historian, along with having visited the Museum of Decorative Arts, and toured the Ermita de Monserrate (a Catholic shrine and the city's/Yumuri Valley's sightseeing spots.) That same night we went to La Marina, an Afro-Cuban neighborhood filled with temple houses for afro Cuban religious followers and paid a visit to one of the homes, where we learned about different African gods and goddesses, traditions, and their survival journey during slavery. We also danced along to the Afro beat of the drums with the hosts of the home and we had a great time doing so. The next day we went to Ediciones El Fortín, in which the designer and director showed us his Handmade Books and his impressive works, and afterwards we took a stroll around the neighborhood visiting different art studios and galleries filled with amazing works of art. We would also go swimming occasionally in a natural stream in the home of one of the writers in Ediciones Matanzas, which was something fun for us all going to cool off and relax in the water. Every night we would also go out with our new Cuban friends to different bars, dance clubs, art galleries, karaoke, and we would have a blast and enjoy each other's company, which was awesome.
The following weekend we took the Guagua to the Cuevas de Bellamar, which were subterranean caves not too far from Matanzas, where the scenery was beautiful. After paying a visit to the beautiful caves, we headed straight to Varadero, a tourist spot filled with various resorts. The hotel was great, since we stayed at a 1950's style house big enough for everyone. The beach was beautiful and splendid, with its white sand, clear waters, and the sun shining bright. We took advantage of the beach as much as we could, as we took a swim in the water all day long. We went kayaking and snorkeling, which for me was scary because of the ocean waves and the possibility of getting eaten by a shark, yet a great new experience swimming with the fish. The first day we enjoyed the banquet of food offered at the resort, while the second day we realized that the same food was being served and reheated again, which was disappointing, but to make up for it, there was shows each night in which performers would dance professionally and woah the audience, followed by heading together with our group to the club next to the lobby to dance. We enjoyed every minute of the beautiful beach and everything the resort had to offer. The following week, after sadly leaving Varadero, we continued working on our translations at Ediciones Vigía back in Matanzas.
Throughout the second week, we visited a multitude of different places in the city, including the French Pharmaceutical Museum, a farm on the outskirts of the city where we had a talk about the ecological agriculture and development in Cuba, and went back to Ediciones Vigía for Salsa lessons. We also toured El Castillo de San Severino, Ruta del Esclavo, The Contemporary Theater of Cuba, El Centro de las Artes Escénicas, and we attended the Atenas Brass Ensamble concert. Then, the weekend came when it was time to say goodbye to everyone that we had met in Cuba, from the lovely people in our Hostal to our great new friends that we had met, worked, and hung out with during our stay. Finally, we left Matanzas to go to Havana. Despite me getting sick during the last two days, I made the most of it, as we went out together as a group to explore Old and New Havana, and went to places around the city taking pictures of the 1950's Chevys and the beautiful sceneries all around us. Cuba was definitely a place that I fell in love with, from the lovely people that we met along the way to all of the wonderful places that we got to go and explore together as a group. Cuba was definitely an adventure and the magnificent lived experiences are something that I will tell everyone about and that will live in me forever.
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