Well everyone is asking me about Cuba and I promised to share my thoughts of this just completed trip. First the food was terrible, but I didnt go for the food. Second most of the bathrooms had something really wrong, like NO toilet paper, or seats, but I have enjoyed far worse where I have gone. What I went for were the people, and they were spectacular! Warm, friendly, open, giving and kind. The people and the experience of their company is why I travel. The sights and sounds come second. The Cuban people earn nothing, really compared to us or any developed country. However their overhead in most cases is less than nothing. A construction worker I met engaged me and told me he earns about $8 per month. His overhead is $3 per month, so to him he is doing well. A top cancer researcher earns $100 per month so he is doing very well. There is a lot wrong with the way the country is run and what the people are doing without but still, their love of life, family, music and their inherent joy is abundantly clear. We had the honor of stumbling upon two different 15 year old girls dressing up and celebrating their Quincinera. One girl was changing outside a church in Havana and she was thrilled when a group of 13 foreign photographers decended upon her and photographing every step of her experience. The same for a young girl celebrating the same event inside a church at night. They openly welcomed us in and encouraged us to record this special event. Who could ask for more. Who could ask for a more rewarding trip than what I just experienced along with the countless encounters with strangers along the way in the early pre dawn hours to late into the night. Cuba is a country I hope many of you get the chance to experience soon.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 20:05:32 +0000