Daily Archives: September 19, 2023

Today I continue my Hispanic Heritage Month project of sharing some highlights of the Latin American countries I have visited, by sharing about one of my favorite countries: Cuba.

Puerto Rican poet and revolutionary patriot, Lola Rodríguez de Tió, once wrote a poem which has the following lines:

Rodríguez de Tió captured this way the closeness between the histories of her — and my — native Puerto Rico, and our beloved sibling, Cuba. Indeed, the history of the two islands is closely related. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why I always felt attracted by Cuba. Since I was a kid, I wanted to visit our sister island. I had the first chance to visit as part of a religious delegation to work with local churches. Since then, I have visited Cuba a few times in different capacities. Always learning more, and always exploring more places. Havana, Matanzas, Santa Clara, Holguín, Bayamo, and Santiago de Cuba, are some of the most recognized places I have visited in Cuba. I have also been to small towns and communities that are not as recognized, and visited places that are either off limit to tourists or that are not as well known outside of local circles.

Once I finally visited Cuba I understood how close my country and Cuba really are. The people, the food, the colonial architecture, the popular sayings… there is so much in common! No wonder Cubans have been migrating to Puerto Rico for centuries, even before the Revolution. Moreover, the accent of eastern Cuba is quite similar to the mountain accent of Puerto Rico — which is my natural accent.

I have loved every inch of Cuba that I have visited. But continuing with the goal of sharing just a few highlights of my favorite places, I will focus on the places I have enjoyed visiting the most.

Havana is a place that every Latin person should visit at least once in their lifetimes. The city is filled with the resiliency of the people who live in this beautiful island. Walking through the streets of this Caribbean metropolis is stepping into a piece of history of our beloved Latin America. Each building is the still life of a time that is no more. As the rest of the continent moved forward after 1960, Havana stayed there,

frozen in time. The structures, like the people, have witnessed all types of change with bravado and resiliency. Some buildings, like some people, have given in to neglect. The old cars carry the dreams and hopes of a community that desperately claims for some respite. Everyone has someone to blame: the Revolution, the system, the murderous USA blockade, etc. The truths is, as always, more complexed than what we want it to be. This is also reflected in life in Cuba. All these feelings can only be understood if you really listened to the people… both what they tell you publicly, and what they imply subtly through their words. Havana is the place where you will feel this the most.

Walking along the Malecón, you will experience the reality of Cubans. People pacing back and forth. Some looking for their friends. Others just wanting to escape for a few hours from their homes, work, or any other responsibilities by enjoying the sound of the waves and the music coming from all around. Others walk around hoping to fall madly in love with the person who will finally offer them the ticket to liberty. While others, just walk around hoping for a client with whom they can escape their reality if only for a few hours, while also making a buck to bring food back to their families. Havana is a city of raw emotions and complexity.

Santa Clara is the city with which I really fell in love. This city is filled with art, and music, and innovation. Wherever you turn, there is another new experience to have. The pace of the city is slower, calmer, more reflective than in the big city of Havana. It was in Santa Clara where I first experience the inventiveness of the Cuban people. It was here where I fell in love with the art of a local artist who is now famous and lifting Cuba’s artistic heritage up around the world. Santa Clara is one of my happy places, and I can’t wait to visit again.

Matanzas is the city that reconnected me to my Yoruba ancestors. It was the place where I came face to face with the Orishas, who called me back home to their protection. Matanzas was also the place where I learned of the potential that Cuban theologians have to really transform the face of Christianity should the blockade wasn’t there. Their voices are clear, filled with wisdom rooted in their realities, and centered in love, affirmation, and empowerment. Perhaps I wouldn’t have left the church had I studied with these theologians instead of where I went. It was also in Matanzas where I felt for the first time the “summer love” feelings so ubiquitous of teen romance movies. Matanzas keeps one of my most beautiful memories of deep connections with one of the most fascinating human beings I have ever met and whom I will always love.

Finally, Santiago de Cuba is a place that will always be in my heart. Not only does the city and I share a name, but there is much more we share. The eastern provinces have a similar accent to the Puerto Rican accent. It is here where I can visit any place and be welcomed as one of their own. In Santiago, I am just the other wing of that same bird. In Santiago, I am no longer just Puerto Rican, I am Cuban too. It is from Santiago de Cuba where the Bacardí family hailed. They moved to Puerto Rico where they finally established their rum business. Funnily, I have been three times to Santiago and have yet to visit the Museum Bacardí. Each time I visit, the museum is closed for one reason or another. An inconvenience for me. The reality of a tired system for them. Santiago has the fortresses that remind me of home. It is the place where I can eat like a local, in local establishments not for tourists, pay with Cuban pesos instead of the currency for foreigners, the place where I can visit any museum without even having the show a national identity card because they take for granted that I belong there. If there was a city I can call my second hometown, it would be Santiago de Cuba.

There are, of course, many other beautiful places to visit in Cuba. Throughout my years traveling there and nurturing friendships in the island, I have visited the beach town of Guardalavaca, the Bellamar Caves, the Martin Luther King Jr Center, and so many other wonderful, hidden gems. Cuba really is the Pearl of the Caribbean.