Something a little more upbeat

Cuba has been full of ups and downs. I’ve written about the lows—when I was perhaps feeling at my lowest—but there have been plenty of highs as well. There are moments when Cuba is everything you want it to be. Walking along the malecón, watching the waves break along the sea wall, a man with a trumpet offers to play you a song. Wandering the streets of Habana Vieja, music pours from every corner, every bar, every restaurant. You can’t go anywhere without hearing the sounds of Buena Vista Social Club or “Hasta Siempre, Comandante.” Those are mainly for the tourists though; when you wander outside the main streets, you’ll likely discover that Cubans prefer reggaeton.

Photo courtesy of Alex Roach

Havana is noisy, lively, and vibrant, but after a while, it can be overwhelming. Luckily it’s only 20 minutes by bus to escape to the beach. You can rent a lounge chair and an umbrella for 3 CUC and pass a whole day drinking cocolocos by the water—rum poured straight into a coconut, mixed with coconut water. When you’re finished, you find a man with a machete who’ll cut up your coconut for an afternoon snack.

After a relaxing day at the beach, you come back to discover that Havana really comes alive at night, with countless discotecas blasting music until the early hours of the morning. It’s not a myth that Cubans love to dance. People here dance with abandon. If you come to Cuba, be prepared to dance and to make a complete fool of yourself if necessary. Cubans rarely take no for an answer and they won’t let you hold back, so why fight it? This isn’t a place to be uptight.

Nor will you find the kind of self-consciousness that plagues North Americans, and women in particular. I was shocked the other day when a man asked me if I’ve always had such large legs. I’ve always been self-conscious about my legs, so to be asked that question so bluntly caught me off guard. I arched my eyebrows and responded that yes, I have. When it was clear that I was offended, I was told not to worry: “Here in Cuba we love women with big legs. After all, who wants to eat a skinny little chicken leg? Yo quiero comer tus piernas!” Dios mio! What more could I do but laugh and shake my head?

Ah, Cuba. There are highs and there are lows. You just have to take each as it comes.