My goodness there is still so much to talk about. Today we looked forward to what Suzanne referred to as “retail therapy” (we referred to it as helping the Cuban economy), Ernest Hemingway’s house, and Fusterlandia. Our time would soon be coming to an end in Cuba and it still felt as though we had barely scratched the surface of all there was to see and learn.
Once again our schedule was slightly changed by the film set of Fast and Furious. Our bus driver struggled to get around the set to get to us at the hotel. As a result our first stop of the day would be the market. We arrived as the market was just opening. Many of the shops had still not opened by the time we were leaving. This was the place we were told to leave anything in the bus that we did not need as this would be a place to meet pickpockets.
Our time was limited due to the itinerary change so we felt very rushed. As in any market there were several high pressure sales people that made it difficult to appreciate their wares. Painted canvasses were everywhere. As soon as we walked in I fell for a giant canvas of newsprint with a red classic car painted over it and the capital. It seemed appropriate that we should have a newspaper canvas. My husband wasn’t immediately enthralled so we started walking. A few vendors saluted my husband as we walked by and said “Commandant, I am so honored to have you in my home!” as they smiled and waved. He had this greeting in Old Havana as well. We decided it must be the beard as not many Cuban men seem to wear beards. Another bearded gentleman in our group had been treated the same way. I surmised the men did not wear beards in deference to Castro. We asked our guide who said, “No, they don’t wear beards because it is too hot here!” My husband also found himself compared to Ernest Hemingway, a comparison he much preferred as he would like to be as prolific and beloved a writer.
We continued to wander through the market where we picked up some trinkets and souvenirs to take home. I once again found myself drawn to a canvas, this time for my business. I am building a new building for my business, a veterinary clinic, and thought this will be perfect. I just couldn’t quite commit though. The proprietor told me it would be 50 CUC’s. I told him I would be back. I wasn’t sure how I would get it home. After wandering around and purchasing gifts for our family, our Cuban flag, and a sign for our fence we headed back. My original helper was gone and suddenly the canvas had gone up in price. The original proprietor came back and proceeded to call the artist to be sure he could honor the original price. After a bit of a production of course he honored the price. The canvas was removed from the stretcher bars and rolled up to go home. We were concerned that we would miss the bus. Suzanne was rounding people up. I told her I hated to regret leaving the other canvas behind. She said we had time to get it too. We ran back to the original canvas and began discussing it. We weren’t sure we wanted to pay the asking price and now husband tells me he needs to hang it in his office because he is a newspaper publisher. I am telling him that I was the one who wanted the canvas and we are on the “newspaper” trip together so it will hang in our house. As we are continuing to talk, the young lady starts dropping the price, putting her hands together and begging us to buy it. We felt so bad for her that we accepted and bought it. She dropped the price substantially and looked as though we had made her whole day. We left feeling happy that we had purchased the canvas so we would not have regrets and believing we may have truly financially helped that young lady.
When I took the canvasses to be framed at home I was worried about leaving them as they are irreplaceable to us. When we picked them up we were not thrilled with the way they had been stretched. We learned that our artwork was not on canvas but on fabric. This didn’t surprise us as fabric would be easier to attain. We also learned that the paint started to crack as they were stretching the art. We decided to take them as they were. I was fortunate that I had not yet taken the cat canvas to my business as I flooded three weeks ago. I would have been devastated if it had been in an area to sustain water damage or if it had been exposed to our moldy environment. I think it will make it to my business when the new building is completed!
On the way to the market our guide as usual pointed out sites to us. On the day of our walking tour I had asked our guide about veterinarians in Cuba. He had talked to us about the free education and colleges available. I of course was interested in veterinarians. He had explained that when a student finished school if their grades are good enough they can apply for college and they write down their top choices. So the application may consist of first choice – medical school, second choice – engineer, etc. It baffled my mind that someone would choose these types of careers not based on interest and abilities but what they could be chosen for. But I digress. Veterinarians must be a necessity due to the farm animals and public health issues so I assumed they would have a school. He told me they do have veterinary schools and that many veterinarians are utilized in research studies. On this day he remembered my question and was quick to point out a college of veterinary medicine as we drove by.
Being a veterinarian means animals play an important role in my life. As such I always notice them in foreign countries. One of the favorite parts of our vacation to Italy for my daughters and I was a trip to a feral cat sanctuary at the site of Julius Caesar’s murder. That being said you can maybe understand why I have so many pictures of dogs and cats. But I think it is a testament to the human animal bond that poverty or not people still find a way to have pets. During our walking tour of Old Havana I noticed several dogs outside a business with collars on sporting luggage tag type tags. I thought I was outside a humane society but quickly realized that was not the case. As I tried to see if this was the case I noticed a woman dancing with a dog. I later learned that workers of state owned companies in Old Havana came up with these collars and identity tags to save stray dogs. The collars help to identify that the dogs belong to someone and allow them to be cared for. At one point on our trip into the country our bus driver slammed on his breaks sending everyone forward on the bus. A dog had run out in front of us and he was attempting to miss it. The dog was not fortunate and our driver took it hard. Pets do enrich Cubans’ lives. I am glad I get to practice veterinary medicine here though. I am blessed to treat pets as family members. And I now plan to carry dewormer with me on our trip to Peru. I wish I had taken some to Cuba. That is one simple thing I can do to help the pets and the public health.
Back on the bus we were now headed for Ernest Hemingway’s beautiful former home, Finca Vigia (Lookout Farm). It became evident very quickly why he loved Cuba so much. As soon as we stepped onto the grounds of his beautiful estate we felt at peace.
I would not want to leave either. I have always been a fan of Hemingway’s. I reread the Old Man and the Sea prior to our trip. I was happy I had especially as I knew the captain of the Pilar, his fishing boat, had been his friend and inspiration for the story. Cuba is proud of Hemingway and in many ways claims him as one of her own. Their love for each other is evident. The home has been preserved as though Hemingway just walked away yesterday. To tour it you walk around the outside and look through windows at the perfectly maintained interior. After Hemingway’s death his wife was allowed to return to remove a few sentimental items but the majority remains as it was. One thing that stands out is the number of books!
There is an original Picasso as well as some interesting treasures. His bathroom may have been the most interesting room to me. One wall was covered in scribbles from his daily weigh in. According to our guide as Hemingway’s health declined he became obsessed with his weight and monitored it daily here. On a shelf sat two jars, one with a lizard and one with a bat in formaldehyde. Our guide told the story that the bat had been living in his house and when it died Hemingway decided to preserve it. Hemingway was an avid hunter and many of his hunting trophies were displayed throughout the house. The lizard was apparently a hunting trophy that he preserved for one of his cats. He watched the cat do battle with the lizard and when it won he told him he deserved to have his victory preserved. He was a quirky fellow.
A tower adjacent to the house was built in large part for his cats. Hemingway loved his animals very much. History says he had 66 cats that lived in that tower and it is rumored that he named each cat. He had a room for writing there as well but it is said that most of his writing actually occurred standing up in his bedroom. Near what was once the tennis court is the graveyard of his dogs who he also loved dearly.
The large swimming pool holds no water now. I swear it looks like a scene straight out of history and I almost expected to see a former movie star lounging beside it. The Pilar is dry docked where the tennis court used to stand. I overheard several people comment “Can’t you just see the old man sitting in that chair fishing?”
As we finished wandering the grounds we made our way back to the souvenir/bar area. Hemingway was known to be a drinker. I felt it only right to order the cocktail that was said to be his recipe.
I had wanted to purchase some books while in Cuba telling history from a Cuban perspective. I took this opportunity to do so. I was purusing a few books when one of the vendors came to help me. One book I was interested in did not come in English. She guided me to some others. As I narrowed down my selection she pointed out her favorite book. “So, as a Cuban, this is the book you recommend about your country,” I asked. “Oh yes. This is my favorite.” That was all I had to hear. Now I just must find time to read it!
Now of course it was time to head to lunch. Lunch today was at the beautiful El Divino. We had fried chick peas, fish, and our best dessert of the trip – coconut ice cream served in a coconut. We were meant to tour the rare plant garden but the decision was made to skip it as the heat was building and Suzanne wanted to give us an opportunity for some down time before dinner.
After lunch we headed to Fusterlandia. I wish there was a way to convey the feeling of this place. It is truly something that must be experienced to completely appreciate. Fusterlandia is the home/studio of world renowned artist Jose Fuster in Jaimanitas, a seaside village west of downtown Havana. He specializes in ceramics, paintings, and graphic design and is aptly named the “Picasso of the Caribbean.” Fuster’s work consists of more tiles and mosaics than most of us would expect to see in a lifetime much less to turn into such elaborate art. He has completely transformed his whole neighborhood with his art and revitalized the whole area. Entering his home feels as though you are entering a giant play yard. No matter how many times you were to visit I don’t believe you would ever see all that is there.
When we returned to our hotel we decided to try to get on wifi to check messages, e-mail, and check in for our flight home from Florida. As usual we were struggling to get on the internet. I met a young man in the lobby who was also frustrated and said it was always difficult at this time of day. He regularly comes to the hotel for internet access. He was a Canadian attending med school in Cuba. I was fascinated to meet him. Our guide had told us that in Cuba military service is mandatory for men for two years after secondary school. When they complete this service they may then attend college or go to work. While college is free Cubans must pay the state back by working in a “government appointed position” for two years after graduation then they are free to seek out any employment they desire. He said that foreign students may also attend university for free. They are just asked to go back and serve the poor in the countries. He also said that 10% of the population is college educated. And he did tell us that unemployment does exist in Cuba.
I was full of questions for this foreign student. I began with “are you attending school for free?” He quickly answered no. He planned to finish med school in Cuba then go to the U.S. to specialize. “Why did you end up here?” I had to know. He told me he had been working alongside American Doctors without Borders in Haiti and he met several Cubans. He fell in love with the Cuban people and wanted to come there. He had been living there for four years. We discussed several things about Cuba at that point. He told me that the health care system in Cuba is pretty good. Education is strong is science and math but they of course avoid philosophy and any subjects that teach you to think for yourself. He told me the Cubans love Americans and that the president’s visit scared the Cuban government. He said they thought they could run over him and were shocked by how well spoken and educated he was and that he would not back down. I told him the system clearly did not work and could not last much longer. We talked about the absurdity of the average salary ($20/month). Even medical doctors can only hope to one day make $67month. I told him I was shocked by the price for pants at the mall down the street as they cost more than a month’s salary. He says the government lives in a bubble and closes their eyes to the poverty around them. They believe everyone is communist. He said the people have a thirst for freedom and free enterprise. He agrees that the system must implode soon but he predicts a violent end. I wish I could have spent more time visiting with him but it was time to try my messages again.
Our guide had a thick accent so many times on the bus he would tell us about a book every Cuban receives each year. I thought each time that he was saying the Russian book. Clearly other people didn’t understand him either. This Russian book told the people everything they need to know for the year. I kept wondering why they still received free books from Russia and even asked what languages are taught in school (Spanish and English by the way). It later became evident that he was telling us about the rations book that is received each year. It gives families updated information on what they are entitled to and coupons for their monthly food rations. Our guide had told us that while salaries are low in Cuba they do have things we do not such as free education, free health care, and their food rations. Unfortunately food rations are in short supply. A typical ration amount would include seven pounds of rice, a pound of beans, a small quantity of sugar, 1 cup of cooking oil, five eggs and a packet of coffee per person per month, as well as 2 kg of meat (usually chicken) every 10 days, a sandwich size piece of bread every day, and a bag of salt every three months, some tobacco and rum. In addition milk is provided for pregnant women and children less than seven years of age. I do think I heard a little disdain in our guide’s voice as he told us a one week old baby is entitled to the rations – including the tobacco and rum unfortunately these guaranteed rations are not always available at the nearest market. Eggs are frequently unavailable. The rations are not enough to live on for a whole month but they are enough to avoid starvation. And our guide informed us that Cubans do not pay discounted prices at markets. So food purchased in addition to the rations is very expensive.
Back in the lobby and on wifi I noticed something strange. I never sign out of my messages on my iPad but I had been signed out this day. No matter what I did I could not sign back in. The screen to sign in would show up but it would not respond. Maybe I should not have sent my daughter those messages about the airport the first night. When we arrived back in the United States everything functioned normally again.
Once again we were off to dinner. We were told there was a slight problem and our bus had a mechanical problem. We were all content to wait. Then they took us outside and said pick a car. Seventeen classic cars awaited us Jeff and I ended up in a 1951 Chevy with a six cylinder engine. Our driver was Lester. Lester was very proud of his car. It had belonged to his father before him so was a family heirloom. Cuba has declared these cars to be a national heritage so they will not be sold and exported. They have in many ways been patched together to keep them running but they are beautiful. All of the cars had fun horns. Lester pointed out sights along the way in his limited English. This was fantastic; we were a classic car parade. It may have been the highlight of the trip especially since it was so unexpected. And yes we did experience the fumes of Cuba on this ride.
Tonight we would be eating at a new paladar, La Foresta Restaurant. It was such a beautiful setting and it made you forget that you were surrounded by the decaying city. Service was shaky since they were so new but the food was wonderful. 
This was the second opportunity to go to Tropicana but Jeff and I once again opted out. We had made plans to go to a jazz club with some friends and didn’t want to miss that. Our guide had recommended La Zorra. It was a short walk from our hotel. The club was definitely a favorite of locals and tourists. I believe we were the only Americans there. The band was great. The jazz was different than what we consider jazz, it definitely had an African influence to it. It was fun to see some of the instruments the dance club had introduced us to in use. We headed back to our hotel around midnight. It was a good day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gt2Sfla6aQ&feature=youtu.be