Tale #6 – How to make a grown man giggle

This post is entitled “Tale #6” because it is a continuation of the series of tales I began writing after returning from my October 2010 trip to Marea del Portillo, Cuba, with the All-Girl Posse. Unlike the previous tales, however, this will not be one big story. Instead, this is a small string of memory gems or mini tales, beginning on a beautiful island....

Everybody loves Cayo Blanco. Guests of Club Amigo Marea del Portillo are transported to this charming little island with a sandy white beach, where they can swim, paddle about with assorted water toys, enjoy the lovely scenery and generally loll about. A delicious lunch is prepared on the beach during each visit, including lobster, cooked over an open fire, grilled fish and fresh vegetables. Those with the VIP package have free passage to Cayo Blanco thrice weekly and, once a week, lobster is featured – always a culinary highlight for my taste buds!
 

Another happy highlight for many folks who visit Cayo Blanco is the snorkelling. Jelly-bean colored fishies frequent the area, just off shore. One can easily swim out to view them or, for a better array, go a bit further from the beach with the paddle boat and snorkelling guide Miguel, who seems to quite enjoy his job. In October, two gal-pals and I joined Miguel for some snorkelling near a garden of coral where the fish hang out. He tethered the paddle boat to an old under-water structure and took us by the hand, in turns, to lead us around and point out bright fish as they flitted by.

We had an excellent time! We saw a such a wealth of interesting fish and, with Miguel at hand, felt so safe in the rolling surf, that we three decided we wanted to give our gracious guide a generous tip. While Martine and I were packing up our gear, Karen was dispatched to take a 20 CUC peso note to Miguel, who spoke little English but was fluent in smiling. Upon her return to our beach-chair encampment, Karen reported that, when she handed him the money, Miguel had burst into the biggest grin she had ever seen and giggled. “I've never made a grown man giggle before,” she commented, grinning broadly.

That day on Cayo Blanco was a definite gem. Visiting the island usually is, even if you're not interested in snorkelling. Many visitors just like to relax on the beach. Others enjoy the birdwatching. Some rave about going for catamaran rides in the bay. On a previous trip, Martine and I had a wonderful time kayaking – circumnavigating the small island. And, in case you haven't seen any photos, don't worry, there are plenty of shady trees, a bar with an assortment of cold beverages and bathrooms, of a sort. The toilet facilities could be described as up-scale outhouses, at best. I'd advise taking your own toilet paper (but, I always advise that when going almost anywhere in Cuba) and, of course, don't forget your sun screen when heading out for a day at Cayo Blanco!

Martine and I quite enjoyed ourselves kayaking about the bay in front of the resort, too, on more than one occasion. On our first trip to Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, she and I took a tandem kayak into the mangroves along the left-hand lip of the horseshoe bay, when looking out from the beach. During the October 2010 trip, however, we went out with a guide, Elier, another gracious guy who has worked at the resort for many years.

Earlier, Elier had told me that, once upon a time, he led kayak tours into the mangroves to look for manatee. I thought some members of the All-Girl Posse might want to see some sea cows grazing, so I asked if Elier could guide a group; he was happy to do so. We didn't encounter any manatee but, nonetheless, everyone on the kayaking tour had a great time, got some good photos and found Elier to be quite charming, skilled and knowledgeable – the perfect combination for a guide!

Elier, who speaks English very well, is one of resort's sailing masters. His primary job is to take people out for catamaran rides – another freebie for VIP guests. (But, as with any service in Cuba, don't forget to tip, even if you get a free ride!) I make a point of going sailing with Elier whenever possible, not just because I enjoy the sport but also because he's a good conversationalist. And, it doesn't hurt that he's a nice-looking gentleman.

Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, in my opinion, is well stocked with gentlemen – and I mean that in the classic sense. The vast majority of the men on staff are gentlemen, whether they are working or simply passing you on the sidewalk. When someone is serving a guest in some way, naturally, a certain level of civility and gentility is expected. However, I have to say, the staff at this resort – both men and women – generally seems to be a cut above the ordinary. I'll never forget, for instance, how one staff member literally leaped from my balcony to my friend's one evening when she was locked out of her cabana and a key holder was not readily available. He most definitely gets top marks for providing above-and-beyond service!

In that case, it was grown women who were giggling in relief once Spiderman, our hero, had safely saved the day.

Best Christmas gift ever: all-inclusive trip to Cuba!

[PLEASE NOTE: Since this was posted, the booking deadline has been extended and the price has come down significantly! It is now (mid Feb.) about $600 for the VIP pkg. Contact me - Jenny - for current details:  jcgb@vianet.ca]

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It's a cold and dreary day but I'm smiling. Why? I'm going to Cuba – and you can join me! It looks like the group trip I'm organizing for April 14-21, 2011, is gonna fly. I'm seriously stoked!

Sunwing has given me a new quote, dropping the VIP Cabana price to $688 and extending the booking deadline to Dec. 21. We need a minimum of 10 people to pay a $150 deposit by that date in order to qualify for this group rate. People are beginning to sign up. The bus is rolling. So...if you're stuck for Christmas gift ideas for that special someone or want to treat yourself to an end-of-winter reward, get on board!

In addition to a much better price, another thing that has helped garner some attention for my little venture is that Muskoka journalist Andrew Wagner-Chazalon (an excellent writer and all-round nice guy) recently wrote about it. You can read his story online by clicking here. I am also anticipating the airing of a local cable TV broadcast of an interview by Melody Richardson (a wonderful writer and all-round great gal) on her show, "In Conversation." That should help us shift up a gear and accelerate the booking progress.

I've been calling this the "Write in Cuba" trip but I want to make sure everybody knows that it is open to anyone. You don't even have to pretend to know what a gerund is! However, I am most decidedly hoping that a nice clutch of writers will sign up for some sunny fun.

The side-bar options for writers are being put together by my capable co-leader, Karen Wehrstein. You can read all about the workshops she's cleverly devised by checking the preceding blog post. For those of you who don't know her, she's one of Muskoka's busiest writers – a highly skilled journalist, prolific blogger, multi-book author and occasional poet. She has been part of Word Swap, the monthly writers' group I started a few years ago, since its inception, and subs in for me as host when I am away...in Cuba, for instance. (Hmm, we may have to reschedule the April 21st Word Swap.)

We will fine tune which workshops will be offered, once we have quorum, so to speak, and see what the traveling writers prefer. The fee for being part of the writing activities is in addition to the $688 trip price, on a sliding scale that begins at $60 – if you are able to pay more, that would be appreciated. All of the money for the workshops will be going Karen, who will be taking time away from her freelance writing business for this trip; it is the only compensation she will have.

Both Karen and I will be paying our own travel costs. I have not added in a fee for organizing this group. All I will be asking is that, if you use my PayPal account to pay for the trip (conveniently linked to my blog through the "Donate" button in the right-hand column), you add on $21 to cover their surcharge. The other preferred payment option would be a money order, so there's no lag time for a cheque to be processed. Or, of course, if you live nearby, you can hand me a wad of cash!

One last thing I should reiterate is that the $688/week price covers pretty much everything except your tips. It includes your flight, accommodation, airport/resort transportation, all you can eat and drink, a fully stocked bar fridge, use of kayaks, catamaran rides and several excursions, including a triptych of daytrips to a beautiful island where you can snorkel and eat lobster. For more information about the resort, Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, click on this link. If you scroll down a bit on this site, you'll see a full list of what's included in the VIP package.

Well, I think that about covers it. Please check out the "Links I Like" in the right-hand side of this blog. I've added some links to online photo albums I've created that show the resort and surrounding area, as well as some of the people I've gotten to know there and a few of the wild women I've had the pleasure of hanging out with at warm and wondrous Marea del Portillo, in sunny southern Cuba.

Hope you can join me!

April 14-21 Write in Cuba workshop options

Hola, writers!

For those of you who are thinking about participating in the Write in Cuba trip, here are some workshop options that my co-leader, Karen Wehrstein, will be offering. She is also open to suggestions and requests. Our plan is that we will customize the workshops, seminars and exercises to fit the needs of those who sign up – your feedback and input is requested. Let us know what you want to do and we'll tweak the list of options.

Workshopping options with Karen Wehrstein

INSPIRATION – how to get those fires going and break through blocks!
    - Exercises: drawing from without (the surroundings don't get better than this!) and drawing from within. 
   - Writer well being: like any art, writing must be nurtured in ourselves.
   - The art of deadline use.
 
THE WRITING CRAFT – we can workshop any or all of these.
    - Plot: shape, tension, pacing, info-revelation, plot lines, plausibility, sweet spots, tricks.
    - Style: you can't break the rules properly without knowing them!
    - Characterization: THE technique for creating realistic, compelling characters, the three requirements.
   - Setting: creating the locations for the movie you roll in your reader's mind.
   - Prep: Research, world building, character creation, back-story.
 
PUBLISHING – getting your work in front of eyeballs!
   - Agents: what they do, how to get one.
   - Publishers: what they do for you.
   - Editors: how to deal with them.
   - E-publishing: it's changing everything!
   - Scams: how to spot them.
   - Nuts & bolts: manuscript format, cover letters, etc.
 
ONE-ON-ONE – personal time with a pro
   - Manuscript critique: subject to time limitations.
   - Writing problem-solving: not sure how to start/keep going/get through a part/structure the whole thing/handle an aspect?  Karen can help!

More thoughts on pending change in Cuba

When I think about Cuba, many images and emotions burble through my brain. I see classic American cars, clunky Russian tractors, Ladas and goats galore, yoked oxen working the fields and pulling wagons, horse carts, cattle trucks that double as public transportation, bad roads and good friends, bicycles, bright flowers of many hues and beautiful people of almost as many hues, happy hugs, sincere smiles, music, sunshine, soaring mountains, swells of saltwater and warmth – best of all, the warmth.

Warmth is foremost whenever I find myself talking about Cuba, explaining why I keep going back. The physical warmth of the climate is what first attracted me, as well as the affordability of travel there. That was the bait but the emotional warmth of the people set the hook. I can’t say enough good stuff about the Cuban people. They are easy to love.

Naturally, no population is perfect; there are clinkers in every bowl of popcorn. However, I have to say, the majority of the people I’ve encountered in Cuba are worthy of great admiration and respect. Admittedly, my sampling has been rather small – mainly in the Granma region, around Marea del Portillo and Pilon – but my sentiments have been echoed by other visitors I’ve spoken with and guidebooks I’ve read. The people are wonderful. They are welcoming. They are curious about foreigners and proud of their own rich culture. They are giving, even though they have little material goods in comparison to many countries. They long for greater freedom, from what I’ve observed, but are patient; it will come one day.

Changes are now occurring in Cuba. The government is shifting its weight, reshaping the way it operates. There have been massive federal employment cuts and more are expected but, as a counterpoint, there appears to be greater openness to self-employment opportunities and private enterprise. The scales are finding a new balance. In the long run, I think the outcomes will be positive but, in the short term, I fear there will be many hardships, especially in remote, rural regions like Granma, where there are fewer options than in areas frequented by hordes of tourists.

It is the uncertainty of the upcoming transition that causes me concern, stalls my heart on behalf of the decent people who will likely struggle to survive during this period of flux. In addition to nationwide layoffs, there is talk of the ubiquitous ration books being done away with. These books entitle people to purchase a set amount of cheap food from government-run stores – not quite enough to live on but, by most accounts, vital to the majority of homes. What will families do without the accustomed rations? How will they be able to afford to buy enough food on the more expensive open market when the wage earners in many households have been laid off or had their work hours severely cut? Will theft born of desperation become a more serious problem? Some fear so. I hope not.

At present, tourists can feel reasonably safe from peril in Cuba, provided they take normal precautions to protect their valuables, just as they would at home. If the financial picture becomes bleaker, however, it could mean that visitors to the country become tempting targets for desperate, needy people who have run out of other avenues for survival. That, unfortunately, would only worsen things for everyone, since tourism is such an important part of the economy. One of the attractive elements of a Cuban holiday, in my opinion, is the feeling of safety, in comparison to some other places I’ve traveled.

Will Cuba still feel as warm? Will people still be as welcoming? Yes, I think so. I will continue to travel there, even if images of poverty begin to dominate my mental portfolio. Change will not happen overnight. In the next few years, I’m fairly certain that Cuba will need foreigners more than ever before. I just hope we are able to help the people as much as some of us would like to.

POEM: Love Poem to Cuba

I like playing with images when I write, particularly poetry. Here’s something recently written but not dated - atypical for me. When I wrote it, I wasn’t really sure I liked it, so I set it aside, intending to rework it later. In reading it over today, I’ve decided it doesn’t completely suck, so here it is!

Love Poem to Cuba

I want to absorb you into my pores
like saltwater and sunshine,
run my fingers through your sand
and let your waves lick my toes.
I want to nibble your pineapple,
sip the milk of coconuts and
let mango juice flow freely.

I want to know you as intimately
as the feel of my own hand.
I want to taste your essence,
suck the marrow of your bones
and understand why
you are you.

And when the night comes,
I want to lie with you, cradled
between mountains and beaches.
You are in my breath and
I am in your air, as we
inhale.

– J.R.C.
Nov. 21, 2010

Light at the end of winter: Cuba, April 14-21, 2011

[PLEASE NOTE: Since this was posted, the booking deadline has been extended and the price has come down significantly! It is now (mid Feb.) about $600 for the VIP pkg. Contact me - Jenny - for current details:  jcgb@vianet.ca]

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I am finally ready to officially announce that I am organizing a group trip to Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, April 14-21, 2011. It's being called "Write in Cuba" because there will be a writing-related component, but it's open to anyone!

So, if you're a writer, grab your favorite travel companion (not necessarily the same as your favorite travail companion), and sign up! S/He doesn't need to dress up and pretend to be a writer to be welcomed to the group...unlike the All-Girl Posse trips in October, when men aren't invited, even if they offer to wear dresses.

For this trip to fly, I need to have 10 people signed up by Dec. 15, complete with a deposit of $150 for each. The "Donate" button on the right-hand side of my blog will facilitate deposits by sending money directly into my "Cuba account" via PayPal.

The open quote I now have for this VIP Cabana package trip is $818 (including taxes and deposit) - that's right, it covers your flight, accommodation and all you can eat, drink and be merry! Writing workshops, off-resort excursions or daytrips, if you choose to participate in such things, would be extra.

However, the current price being quoted will likely drop. Sunwing offers a "one-time adjustment" option. This allows us to lock in a lower price, if one shows up on their website up to 60 days prior to our departure date. I'll watch the Sunwing site religiously!

I will be going for the preceding week (April 7-14) as well, and I will be using that time to finalize arrangements for some excursions I think our group would be interested in. For instance, a culturally rich and historically significant 2-day trip to Bayamo and La Plata has been discussed.

In Bayamo, we would see some sites pertaining to the city's history and art, then we would enjoy an evening of live music, followed by a night in a hotel there. In the morning, we would drive to a nearby national park and hike to La Plata, the headquarters of the Revolution. Several buildings have been preserved and, with a little imagination, I'm sure we'll see glimpses of Che and the Castro brothers hangin' out there. I think this will be an intriguing trip!

Other things I will arrange include a special welcome dinner for our group in a private dining area and guided kayak tours into the mangrove to look for manatees...and I'm not teasing! They have been known to graze near the resort.

Here's a list of the extras the VIP package includes:
• Fully stocked mini-bar with best Cuban brands (once upon arrival)
• 1 Gala dinner during stay with lobster and wine
• 1 Sunset cruise per stay
• 1 Lagoon tour per stay
• 3 Excursions to Cayo Blanco per stay
• Express reservations at à la carte restaurant
• Turn down service
• Safety deposit box
• Express check-in
• Different bracelet
• Welcome letter signed by general manager of the hotel
• Late check-out

 The clincher for me, as I'm sure it will be for you, was the "welcome letter" signed by hotel's GM. (Ha, ha!) Do they know how to sell the place or what?! Well, that's partly why I'm doing this - organizing group trips - I think the place (more correctly, the people of that area) could do with the added economic injection a nice gang of Canadians could supply. You could think of these spring and fall trips as booster shots in each shoulder season for the people around Marea del Portillo.

I know that the 45 women in October's All-Girl Posse were extremely generous in both their gifts and tips; I'm sure proud to have been part of that group! We had some adventures, as you can read about in other posts, and we had a lot of fun in the sun and under the moon. Perhaps I'll be able to travel with some of you again soonish, either in April or October of next year.

Meanwhile, I'll be looking forward to hearing from you and I'm happy to field any questions you might have about the resort, the VIP pkg., the pricing, the possible excursions, or whatever.

Adios,
Jenny

Tale #5 - Native idols, pop stars & a singing posse

After a crazy, later-than-planned night of hanging out at the Niquero police station, a gaggle of posse members were up bright and early to ride again. This time, we were transported past Niquero (waving at our new police amigos as we passed the station) for a hike in a beautiful and culturally interesting national park.

Cuba's Desembarco del Granma was designated as a national park in 1986 and inscribed as a world heritage site in 1999. Within this protected expanse of land – over 26,000 hectares – there is a quaint little fishing village called Cabo Cruz, which has a great lighthouse (photo opp!), a charming beach and a decent seafood restaurant (that is not open on Mondays). Also within the park, there's a historic region known as Las Coloradas, which is important for several reasons.

This was were the Cuban Revolution physically began. The Castro brothers, Che Guevara and 79 of their closest friends came ashore here – "desembarco" means "landing." When in the neighborhood, you should stop at the museum and see the life-sized replica of their legendary yacht, the "Granma." The boat is remarkably small!

When I visited the site on a previous trip, my friends and I hiked out to the actual landing site on the mangrove-snarled coast. (This time, that wasn't possible; I was told that some of the concrete walkway had been damaged during the summer's storms.) It's hard to imagine fighting one's way through that murky, mucky terrain, as those young revolutionaries did. It would have been incredibly exhausting and, since they'd landed in such an obscure location, there would not have been many options for getting a bite to eat.

On this trip, however, the group's goal was to hike into the Las Coloradas site that's immensely rich in archeology and native history. Here's an excerpt from an encyclopedia site that talks about this special place, explaining the cultural heritage:

"The area has a remarkable archaeological value as it was the original settlement of groups that belonged to the Taina Culture. In the area, the local population has strong genetic and spiritual links with this group. The El Guate archeological site includes a group of ceremonial caves. There is a well-preserved XIX Century lighthouse. Finally, most of the relevant milestones related to the Cuban Revolution took place in the area of Cabo Cruz. For instance, in 1956, 82 members of the Granma yacht landed in the area of Las Coloradas."

At the archeological site, stairs give you access to some of the most spiritually significant caves, containing several important idols and a couple of phallic stalagmites. En route to the caves, the terrain is quite rugged, so be sure you've got sturdy footwear...and plenty of water.

Our group was very glad to have two incredibly knowledgeable guides, Nelson and Leicy. They adeptly answered all our questions and provided many interesting details about the site, including the flora and fauna of the area. They both love to share information, and enthusiastically did so – particularly Nelson. In fact, the day of our excursion was supposed to be his day off but, because he truly enjoys talking about history and nature, he volunteered to lead our group!

After the hike, we ate lunch at the Niquero Hotel and, once again, Raul Lora appeared to us. I spotted him in the lobby and, like Leticia had done the day before, accosted him. He graciously agreed to let us sing Happy Birthday to him again (Oct. 17 is Raul Lora's birthday – send him a card next year!), and then hauled out a larger-than-life poster of himself as background for photos. Here's a link to the man in action – Raul Lora with El Abuelo (a different YouTube clip than the one linked in the preceding post, Tale #4). He still owes the posse a song, in my always humble opinion, since we sang to him twice!

Following lunch, we had a little free time to wander about the streets of downtown Niquero and absorb some of the atmosphere. This was the final day of the town's annual carnival, so there was a parade and a bit of dancing in the streets, not to mention live music and roasted pigs. It was fun to hang out, take pictures and get better acquainted with Leicy – another new friend in Cuba, whom I'll be looking forward to seeing again.

As we headed out of town, we waved, once again, to our cop friends. We were very glad that we didn't have to pay them a visit this time.

Tale #4 - To catch a thief, with great Cuban gusto

And on the fourth day, the posse got their man.

So, me and my posse – at least good chunk of the 45 amigas – went to Niquero to take in the carnival. This once-a-year hoopla draws a crowd, to put it mildly. When we arrived in the late afternoon, the parade was on and the streets were packed. We had to wriggle our way through the crowd, doing the odd limbo under ropes, to achieve sanctuary at the Niquero Hotel, where we were to dine that evening.

I looked around and saw some loonie-sized eyes. Culture shock in mild degrees. The crowd we were politely fighting our way through seemed somewhat surprised to see us slightly pink and white women passing among all the lovely brown people, in all their varying shades. This party was not being put on for the tourists; it was a genuine hometown hoe-down.

We'd been warned that such a crowd draws pickpockets, so I kept close watch on that purse of mine, as did the other amigas, all the way to the hotel. After a tasty and filling dinner, we turned about and headed back down the humanity-clogged street toward the open area where the bands were scheduled to play in a few hours. Some of us were very much looking forward to the live performances, although others were already tired from being in the hot sun.

[ASIDE: As a foretaste of music to come, we had the chance to meet Niquero's homegrown national star, Raul Lora. During dinner, Leticia, our quick-thinking tour guide, recognized him in the lobby, rushed out and invited  him to greet our group in the dining room. Cute as a puppy, he has a great smile and the camera loves him, as do most members of the female persuasion. We learned that his birthday was the following day, so the posse sang "Happy Birthday" to Raul. He grinned broadly but didn't return a tuneful note! Saving his voice for the concert, I guess.]

But, let's go back to the street. Following dinner and dessert (eye candy, that is!), we began wending our way through the crowd. One amiga, Karen, walked single file in front of her daughter, so Kaitlin could monitor her mother's backpack, which contained all their valuables. As I found out later, Kaitlin had smacked away the hand of a man who tried to reach into the backpack, and then felt her camera being yanked from its pouch, which was across her shoulder.

Kaitlin yelled "Help!" and dashed after the mugger, mother hot on her heels. However, by the time they charged past me, Karen was flagging. I saw her stop, panting and looking stricken. I followed her eyes and saw her beautiful blond daughter disappearing down a dark alley with about 20 men running along with her.

I did not know what had happened. Perhaps a purse or passport had been stolen. Was someone hurt? All I knew was that I could not let that child out of my sight – she was my amiga, part of my posse. I started running. (For those of you who know me, please pick your chins up off the floor and close your yaps.) Yes, I ran. After about 20 years of walking or skipping briefly, I ran. In my skirt and cheap, glittery thong sandals, I ran.

I caught up with Kaitlin as she was wearying. We held hands and kept running. The pursuing crowd had grown. Three dozen people, maybe more, were charging through the dark, muddy streets with us – or, by this point, mostly ahead of us. When we came to an intersection, some went this way and others went that way, leaping puddles in either direction.

Eventually, the perpetrator was cornered in a cement-block house that was under construction. He leaped through an unfinished window and darted into the bushes. I dug out my small but mighty Petzl headlamp and did my best to illuminate the shrubbery.

Within moments of the robber being trapped in the home's back yard, the police zoomed up in a trio of white Ladas . They had a much better spotlight. We had to leap out of their way as they sprang into action. Karen had caught up with us by then, so the three of us joined hands and stood, somewhat symbolically, beneath the sole street light.

Somewhere amid all this chaos, a woman from the madding crowd accosted me with agitated gestures. She kept saying "Dinero?! Dinero?!" Was I supposed to bribe the officers? It was not clear. Eventually, I ascertained that she was asking if money had been stolen – no, just the camera.

At one point, poor dear Kaitlin commented, "The camera is not worth it!" It was several years old, she said, and not in great shape. But, the crowd was eager to assist and the local constabulary had been having a slow night; once the wheels are rolling, there's no stopping until the mission is accomplished. And so, it was.

The bad guy was shipped off to the police station. We exhaled. Then, through vociferous hand signs, we were directed to get into the back a cop Lada. We complied. What else could we do? So, picture this: three normal-sized women with hips (we nicely filled the backseat) being asked to shove over so a large plain-clothes police officer could add his bulk to the rear payload. I think he must have been holding the door shut because, even with Kaitlin plunked on my and Karen's laps, I can't imagine how the guy closed the car's door. But, we were rolling.

Once at the police station, we quickly discovered that they spoke no English and we spoke no Spanish, to speak of. In my broken bits of sentences, I stated: "Un momento, por favor! El autobús. Translator." I dashed off down the street towards where our tour bus was parked, mentally calling to my friends to bring Leticia. They got the message; she and our bus driver, Jose Alberto, met me very near the bus.

The three of us hurried to the police station. By this time, mother and daughter had already identified the thief in a line-up. Pointing a finger is universal.

Leticia immediately availed herself and was closeted in the bowels of the building, along with Kaitlin and an assortment of officers, for the next two and a half hours. Meanwhile, Karen and I hung out on the front porch of the police station with Jose Alberto, intermittent officers, somebody's wife and a couple of random children. I passed out gum.

Somewhere along the timeline, an officer wandered in, carefully wiping a camera. Someone had found it in a puddle, where the thief had thrown it. Although the lens was shattered, Kaitlin was able to salvage her photo card, which was of most importance to her.

As the evening wore on, I hiked down the street a couple of times to check in the with posse occasionally. By about 11 p.m., they were getting understandably hot and restless. "Jose," I prompted, "el autobús – frio, por favor." Bright and handsome young man that he is, and unusually tall for Cuba, he got it. In short order, he'd moved the bus, parking it in front of the police station, and cranked up the air conditioner. Amigas were soon snoozing cooly.

The police paperwork was winding down. Later, Kaitlin told me, the interview time was protracted because the officer taking her statement typed with a slow form of the traditional international hunt-and-peck strategy. And, the official police printer got jammed as it was trying to burp up the proper sign-here documents.

By about 11:30 that night, we were finally underway back to the resort. It was later than we'd planned to return but nobody complained. En route, I passed my newly acquired cowboy hat among the amigas who were still awake and split the tips evenly between our dear driver and equally dear tour guide. All's well that ends well.

Yes, it ended well for us. The thief will likely do jail time. The thugs, hopefully, have learned not to mess with my posse!

For anyone reading this tale, I hope you will learn the same lesson as the members of my posse. Muggings can happen anywhere, we agreed. But, where in North America would you have dozens of people who don't know you dash off after a criminal? Where would you have so many people immediately mobilized to assist you? Not in Toronto, or even Huntsville!

People in Cuba are willing to help, no questions asked. They will help strangers as readily as locals. They will go out of their way to help. This was demonstrated to me, time and again, during my most resent stay at Club Amigo Marea del Portillo. Do I need any more reason to love this country, these people?

Tale #3 - Picking up friends on the Cuban byways

When in the rural region of Granma, where I love to travel in Cuba, if you rent a car, you frequently find yourself picking up friends on any roadtrip. In fact, it seems almost rude to roll with an empty car. However, Harvey, I play it safe – when I'm driving alone, I only pick up people I recognize, and women.

One afternoon, I stopped for a young man I remembered from a previous trip, and he remembered me too. At that time, he had wanted to practice his English, and he proved quite pleasant to chat with. Since returning home to Canada, we have become virtual penpals, and I am helping him with his written English. He's got a good head on his shoulders, even though he's never lived anywhere but Pilon in his 22 years, and doesn't particularly want to live elsewhere.

On another day while returning from Pilon, heading back to the resort, I invited a woman to sit in the front passenger seat. As I drove, I glanced over at her and saw that she was holding a dark blue cloth bag in her lap. Emblazoned upon it was my store logo: "reVIBE! ~ reclaimed clothing and eco-eclectics." I had taken about three bags there in April. What are the odds that I'd come across a woman I didn't know, happily using one?

Turned out, we had an amigo in common – Agustin! She pointed to her shirt and pants, explaining that he had also given her some clothing...from my store. Instead of going directly to the resort, I drove all the way into the village of Marea del Portillo, so that this new amiga and I could pay a quick visit to Agustin's  home. A delightful encounter!

It can prove quite intersting to pick up hitch-hikers and discover how frequently they become friends. And, you haven't truly lived unless you've dodged endless potholes and random goats with a full carload of sweaty bodies in a tin box with no shocks and wonky air-conditioning. Woo-hoo!

Tale #2 - More reasons to take Frisbees to Cuba

After a delayed departure from the Manzanillo airport, due to my temporarilly A.W.O.L. bicycle, the All-Girl Posse was finally on the road to Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, Cuba, where we expected to hang out, have fun and perhaps enjoy a few benign adventures.

Less than an hour into our journey, however, the bus broke down. So, there we were, more than half way to the resort but too far away to walk, and it's not advisable to hitch-hike, en masse, with a pile of suitcases. We were, for all practical purposes, in the middle of nowhere, on a scorching hot afternoon, completely unacclimatized and exhausted from flying out of Toronto at some too-early hour.

Most of us had had little sleep the night before, and we'd missed lunch. Tired, hungry tourists quickly get restless, then grumpy, when they have to stand by the side of a road, even if the scenery is lovely.

In the shade of a nearby tree, a small collection of children watched us with mild curiosity. They must have been thinking: why the heck are these white folks standing in sun? We observed each other stagnantly, shuffling our feet on our own sides of the road. Then – click! – I thought of Frisbees.

I asked the bus driver to help me pull my bike box out of the cargo bay. I ripped open a corner and wormed my hand inside, eagerly retrieving a Frisbee. I marched up the hill to the children and tossed the bright disk towards them. With some hesitation, one of them picked it up and awkwardly threw it back to me. Game on! They quickly learned how to properly hold and pitch a Frisbee, and were soon whipping it back and forth, giggling with glee.

Some of my fellow passengers grabbed their cameras and recorded the action. Others dug into their suitcases and pulled out school supplies and other gifts. The ice had been broken. They now felt free to interact with the children and the other people at the two small, clean houses beside the road. The children brought us fruit and I shared my secret stash of granola bars. It wasn't loaves and fishes but it helped to tide us over and keep us entertained. People relaxed and smiled. Puppies were cuddled. A Frisbee found a new home.

As our replacement transportation arrived and we heaved ourselves aboard, one woman told me that she thought the bus break-down experience would be one of the highlights of our trip. We had yet to arrive at the resort.

Later on in our trip, I had another opportunity to introduce the fine art of Frisbee fetching to another group. During a very pleasant day trip known as the "River Tour," I pulled out a Frisbee and got some of the amigas to play while we waded in the water. Several of the women who were our hosts gamely joined in but, at one point, the Frisbee sailed past the intended catcher and landed in the current.

Since I was wearing my sturdy, toe-protecting Keen sport sandals, I unabashedly dashed after it, diving into the drink and body surfing in a vain attempt to overtake the free-floating Frisbee. When the river rounded a bend, however, I galloped through the shallows, cut off the corner and got ahead of the rogue toy. Then I jumped back into the deeper water and managed to grab the frisky disk at long last.

I tossed it, one last time, to the woman who lived there, at the little farm beside the river. She smiled and immediately began using it to serve fruit.

Tale #1 - My bike had an adventure of its own!

I'm still working on getting into the Great White groove. I've been back in Canada for a little over a week but part of my mind is still walking in sunshine in Cuba, where I spent the last half of October. I was welcomed back home warmly by my hubby and pets but coldly by the climate.

On my second day here, trying to wade through the virtual mountain of e-mail, the power went out, the temperature dropped and it began to snow briskly. I couldn't help but think that, in Cuba, when the power goes out (as it frequently does), at least you don't freeze to your chair. I lit a fire and coped. Praise be to the coffee gods or goddesses for thermal carafes.

My most recent trip to my second home, Marea del Portillo, in the Granma province of Cuba, was so full of adventures, activities and interesting encounters that it's hard to know where to begin. Perhaps I'll just follow the musical advice of Julie Andrews as Maria in "The Sound of Music" - to start at the very beginning because it's a very good place to start. (Everybody sing along!)

In the wee dark hours of Oct. 13, the posse gathered at Pearson, Toronto's international airport. Forty-two women boarded the Sunwing plane and jetted off to Cuba. Destination: Club Amigo Marea del Portillo. Goal: all-girl fun! (No rude remarks from the testosterone department, please.) This was the inaugural All-Girl Posse trip to Cuba, which I expect to become an annual October activity. By the time we'd arrived, our ranks had swelled to 45; we adopted a woman and her two daughters who were pals of another posse member and just happened to be booked into the same resort that week.

The flight itself was relatively uneventful, our arrival at the Manzanillo airport was filled with the usual humid chaos and, in short order, the first adventure began. This involved my bicycle going on a journey of its own. It got to go for a ride on top of a Lada and visit a Cuban home! Apparently, while I was indisposed (in the baño), my bike box had been spewed forth onto the luggage carousel and subsequently disappeared. In its stead, a bedraggled-looking box with another woman's name on it stood in the arrivals lobby, forlorn and unclaimed. The search was on!

While the security guards were looking around and shrugging, some of my posse rushed in and reported that they'd seen a box with my name on it being loaded onto a car that hastily drove off. Of course, I thought, my bike box - which had been neatly taped together by the Algonquin Outfitters bike shop lads - would look like more of a prize than that other ratty box with its peeling red duct tape.

We tracked down the woman whose name was on that unappealing box and she explained that she had brought it for her son's friend, whom she didn't really know. Since she would be staying at the same resort, we agreed that she would try to contact the intended recipient, via her son in Canada, and endeavor to arrange a swap. I would, in effect, hold her bike for ransom. In order to promote international peace and good will, we decided to believe that the gentlemen with the Lada had erroneously taken my bike box and, naturally, would want to set things right. (I was not feeling as optimistic as I sounded.)

However, that was indeed the case! Before the bus had gotten very far out of town, the box-bedecked Lada caught up and flagged us down. The bike owner-to-be was very keen to exchange - and he hadn't even opened the box! When he got home, he explained, he looked in through a handle hole and saw Frisbees. If there were Frisbees inside, he knew his "special things" would not be in that box, he said. (Note to self: always pack Frisbees with your bike...sort of like companion planting.)

Soon, we were on the road again, smiling broadly and clinking cans of cerveza. Then the bus broke down....

Even in paradise there can be strife

PLEASE NOTE: I wrote the original bones of this posting while in Cuba and, since returning to Canada, have edited and added to it. My good friend Linda, who was with me for the second week of my visit commented that there seemed to be an air of sadness among the local people she met. Yes, despite everyone's best efforts to be gracious hosts and to make sure the tourists had a pleasant time, there were good reasons why many hearts were not as light and smiles were not as broad as usual. This community was dealing with a triple-header of tragedy and loss. I respect them all the more for not letting it completely overwhelm them, for dancing anyway, with spirit.

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This visit has been an interesting ride – and it isn't over yet! Mid-way through my second week, I am writing this on the balcony of my cabana, monster mug of cappuccino at my side, as the sun rises over the mangroves and the birds begin to dance and sing.

For all the good and positive things that have happened, the pendulum has also swung to the negative side. Bad things can happen anywhere. Last night, at the weekly Pilon street dance, my friends and I learned that there had been a murder shortly before we arrived; the party went on. Blood splatters on the floor of the open-air bar would soon blend with spilled beer and street dirt. The police had not closed the bar or sealed it off for further investigation. There was no need – there had been many witnesses, so they already had their man. Besides, the tourists were arriving for the evening.

Shit happens everywhere, in Canada and in Cuba, in small towns and large cities. Pilon is a “village”of close to 30,000 but it feels much, much smaller. People are involved in each others' lives in more profound way than in most North American communities; many smaller towns I have lived in don't feel this close-knit. It is easy to get to know people here, even peripherally. 

During my last holiday here, I visited the home of a lifeguard at the Marea del Portillo hotel – a brother of the murdered man, who was also a lifeguard there. More significantly for me, the man who stabbed him to death had helped me and my amiga when we needed transportation back to the resort one oppressively hot afternoon.

Nobody is all bad, nor all good. In this case, from what I have heard, I have to wonder if the man who committed this publicly violent act was mentally ill – but please keep in mind that this is only a guess, my personal assumption. When he was graciously helping my friend and me, I felt a slight undercurrent of something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Even though he was in no way immpolite or threatening to us, we kept our guard up and did not invite him to share our company any further, once the resort was in sight.

Apparently, this man had many problems and alcohol probably fueled his volatility on this unhappy Saturday night. From what I have heard, there were bad feelings between these two men and it was not something that involved tourists. It is not unexpected that fights occur at bars; that happens everywhere. But, in this community, it is a shock that it would come to this.

Unfortunately, this was not the first death that occurred this past week. Earlier, a child had been killed beneath the wheels of a tractor and wagon, near Mota. As is common, some people, were using an ancient farm tractor as transportation. The tractor hit an unavoidable bump and jolted the trailer so hard that it caused the mother to lose her grip on the child she was holding. I can't imagine the horror. The family will be reeling for a long time, as will many families in the area for many reasons.

In the preceding weeks, there have been other reasons for tears, mostly pertaining to the unusual amount of rain that deluged this normally arid area. Several homes were damaged or completely destroyed by flooding. Roads and streambeds are still in disarray. It will take a long time to repair or rebuild everything, because supplies are hard to get here and it is a very poor region.

Yesterday morning, two friends and I hiked up to a waterfall above the Marea del Portillo village to do an informal water ceremony. I had brought a small jar of sacred water from Huntsville, my home town; it had been blessed during a Water Festival in June, at the start of the G-8 Summit hosted in Muskoka. We added this special water to the stream connected to the reservoir that feeds the village. My wish, in doing this, was that the community would be blessed and protected. I should have saved some for Pilon, and for Mota.

Today, in Pilon, there will be a children's carnival. A little metal ferris wheel and other rides were already set up last night. The carnival equipment has seen better days. Most of the once-bright paint has peeled off, leaving only dull hints of tints, if there is any color at all. The children won't care what color the ride is. They will still laugh, play and be happy. 

Life goes on, around and around. Some say that one can't truly experience joy without understanding sorrow. The ride continues through sunshine and rain. The dance goes on.

I'm going to Cuba with a posse of 42 women!

In just over a week, I'm off to Cuba once again. This trip will be a bit different from my others; I'm heading up a group of 42 amigas. I think we will create a stir, to say the least, in modest little Club Amigo Marea del Portillo.

We will be occupying the majority of the cabana units so, if we were to vote on it democratically, we could take over the place! Or, we could start a peaceful social revolution based on smiling. I'll be doing a great deal of that, and I have a feeling the entirety of this group will too. They seem like quite an amiable lot.

I call the gaggle the "All-Girl Posse," and it all got started quite organically. After my trip this past spring, I was raving about Marea del Portillo - the scenic beauty, the relaxed atmosphere, the wonderful people - and I was already picking the dates for my next trip. People seemed receptive to my yapping, and to viewing the online slide shows I'd created, so I kept talking...and thinking.

Last October, I'd traveled there with three gal-pals and met a set of sisters (as in actual siblings, not like the "sisterhood" of the traveling swimsuit), whom we enjoyed hanging out with. It can be quite a hoot to hang with fellow females (yes, I know that sounds a bit oxymoronic but I'm sticking with the phrase because I like the aliteration). On my first trip to Marea with a different gal-pal, we'd met a whole contingent of women from Novar, near Huntsville, and the joke became that I had to go to Cuba to meet my neighbors. They were dubbed the Novarians.

Well, some of those same Novarians were kean as beans to go back. We started scheming, and I decided to put the word out that I was organizing a women-only trip to Cuba - who wants to join me? I thought, if I'm lucky, I'll get a dozen or so and that will be fine. It would be a minor economic boost in a community that needs it and we'd have a lot of fun.

There are now 43 of us going. Word of mouth advertising rocks, eh?!

As the numbers grew from 10 to 20 to 30-something, I began having men offer to wear dresses and join us. I had to use the N-word...the one I often struggle with...NO. It came easily this time. However, one guy was particularly persistent. Beyond feminine attire, he offered to lead writing workshops. Hmmm. The idea of writing in Cuba had been coming up in other ways too. It was worth some serious thought.

Once the ranks of the All-Girl Posse swelled to 40-ish, I felt confident in saying it would become an annual event. The concept seemed to have legs. And so it shall be: the posse will ride each October.

Since I'm attached to the idea of having relatively cheap holidays, I've been traveling to Cuba in the shoulder seasons - fall and spring. With the women's trip occupying the fall slot, that left the spring open for writers of all ilks and chromosomes. So, my writerly pal Martin Avery and I are tentatively planning a "Write in Cuba" retreat in April 2011. The exact dates have yet to be confirmed but will probably be around Easter.

As I envision it, this spring fling trip will have a different theme each year. Writing will be the first but, looking ahead, art may well be the theme for 2012, possibly followed up by yoga or photography. I should point out that, with Martin as our fearless leader, workshops will not be purely about writing; they will likely have a Zen edge, there may be a dollop of Reiki-like massage or walking meditation, and there will definitely be more than a dash of laughter. Also, this trip will not be purely for writers. Spouses or other preferred traveling companions need not dress up as writers to sign on; there will be no requisite for participating in the workshops that will be offered during the week. It will just be a creative blast, and bunches of fun for all.

Well, there you have it. I've come out of the closet as tour leader. It's in my blood. But, there is another hook for me and, possibly, for you as a potential traveler. I am planning to set myself up as the booking agent, working directly with Sunwing rather than going through a travel agency. The main reason for this is so that I can direct a small percentage of the fee into the fund I am building to help the people of the communities near the resort, Marea del Portillo and Pilon, who are struggling to survive. I certainly don't begrudge a travel agency it's cut but, by doing the booking myself, I will be able to assist more people in Cuba, as well as keeping the cost low.

For those of you who have noticed the brightly colored "Donate" button in the right-hand column, that's what it's about - adding to the account I've created to fund projects that will help Cuban people in need. (For more information about this, please read my earlier post: "Want to help me help...?") The PayPal button is intended for direct donations and, in the future, for trip bookings.

I'll certainly keep you posted, via postings, as things progress with planning. Meanwhile, if you're interested in joining me on a themed spring trip or becoming part of an All-Girl Posse in the fall, please leave a comment at the end of this post or send me an e-mail.

Thanks for reading! Now wish me happy birthday.

POEM: Humanity

Here's a little poem that bubbled forth this morning. Although it is not directly about Cuba, it was inspired by the humanitarian projects I'm beginning to establish there, so I thought it fair to include it here! The idea I was playing with is the concept of being passionate, in a generalized way, about something rather than an individual.


Humanity

I want to kiss you ‘til your head spins
and hug you ‘til you faint.
I want to teach you dirty words
and dance around you like a Maypole,
my ribbons ruffling your hair,

Love is a merry-go-round
and I am on the fastest horse.
Love is a widening circle
and you are the biggest sphere.

- J.R.C.
Oct. 2, 2010

In Cuba: Toilet seats? No. Medical insurance? Yes.

Every time I've been planning a trip beyond the bounds of Canada, to anywhere but the 'Untied States of Amerryca' that is, I've been asked if I'm going to get shots. I've always declined to do so. Now, in planning another trek to Marea del Portillo and Pilon, Cuba, I will still pass.

It's not that I'm vaccinophobic or that I like to live dangerously; I just don't feel it's necessary. Cuba has an outstanding record regarding medical care. In fact, one is more at risk from whatever nasty germs us foreigners bring in with us that what is locally grown. If I were going to a larger resort or a more transiently populated place, I might have myself inoculated against hepatitis and such things. However, where I like to go, to laid-back, low-key little Club Amigo Marea del Portillo in the relatively rural region of Granma, I'm not too likely to encounter health-related problems beyond a lack of toilet seats.

[ASIDE: After puzzling about the conspicuous absence of comfortable seating in many a loo, I finally asked a Cuban friend, as politely as I could, "So, what's the deal with toilet seats? Are they too expensive to replace or just hard to get?" He explained that it was both - they are a pricey luxury and, because some of the porcelain fixtures are American classics and other are neo-Russian, the seat styles are not interchangeable and, therefore, it's not easy to find the right kind.]

Lest you think I'm some wild child, throwing caution to the wind when it comes to protecting myself in a foreign land, let me quote from the Havana Times website:

"There is no need to get vaccinations, such as hepatitis or tetanus, etc. when coming to Cuba. Not only are these and other vaccinations NOT recommended, but Cuba is one of the healthiest countries in the world!

"For instance, it is one of the few countries in this part of the hemisphere that has managed to control dengue – an acute infectious disease, occurring in tropical and sub-tropical areas, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and characterized by fever, headache, extreme pain in the joints and muscles, and skin rash – to such an extent that its anti-dengue program has been recognized by the United Nations as one of the most efficient in the world.

"If you require any kind of emergency medical care or hospitalization while in Cuba, rest assured that the quality and level of care will be on a par with what you can expect in most countries. Throughout the country, there is a network of hospitals staffed with highly qualified medical personnel and state-of-the-art equipment.

"And, if you are in a rural area when a health problem strikes, you will immediately receive professional attention from local health personnel, be they family doctors at local clinics, until more specialized assistance is available. In fact, many visitors to Cuba have glowing stories about the quality of health care they’ve received when a medical problem has occurred during their visit.

"If you take prescription drugs, bring the amount you’ll need for the time you plan to stay in Cuba. If you use tampons, bring what you’ll need; although they do exist here, they’re not always readily available."

Being shot, so to speak, is an option, but it is really a matter of personal preference, not a requirement. Beyond that, though, it is now vital that you have medical insurance when entering Cuba. As of May 2010, legislation was implemented stating that: "For entry into the country, all travelers, foreigners and Cuban overseas residents are required to possess a travel insurance policy, covering medical expenses, issued by an insurance entity recognized in Cuba."

However, in the government's typically inscrutable fashion, there has been no specification as to what qualifies as a recognizable "insurance entity," as far as I know. Some people have said that a provincial health card is sufficient...depending on where you enter Cuba, who is at the gate, how well trained or educated the person is on the issue, whether he or she is having a good day or not, which way the wind is blowing, etc., etc. In other words, it seems to be somewhat subjective, given that guidelines on the subject are about as scarce as toilet seats!

Unlike getting shots, I've decided to dodge a potential bullet by taking a printed copy of my health insurance - the part that pertains to foreign travel coverage. Most insurance companies should provide this, or be able to supply a letter of some sort, assuring that you're insured.

If you have neglected to check on this or to get something in writing to prove you're covered - or if you like to live more dangerously than I do - there should be no real problem, nonetheless. You should be able to buy insurance upon arrival in Cuba, theoretically, at the airport. According to some of my reading on the subject, personal coverage will be available for as low as 2.5 CUC per day (1 CUC is currently less than $1 CAD). The rate goes up if you are planning on participating in "high risk" sports like "alpinism, diving, parachuting, etc." or if you are over 70 years of age, which also seems to be risky business.

So, if you've forgotten any papers proving appropriate coverage, flashing your health card may be enough...or not. If not, purchasing health insurance upon landing in Cuba won't likely be ridiculously expensive, just an inconvenient annoyance. I guess the bottom line is, don't sweat it - you'll be covered, one way or another. And, hopefully, you won't need to test drive the highly touted Cuban medical system anyway!

One final thought: as with toilet seats, the associated paper products are often inconveniently absent; I've learned to carry a clump of toilet paper with me almost anywhere I go...so to speak.

Want to help me help Cuban people in need?

I have just added a new element to my blog...over there on the right, nestled between "LINKS I LIKE" and "ARCHIVES," you will see a "DONATE" button. That's new, and requires explanation.

It is there because I am asking, humbly and hesitantly, for you to assist me with the various projects I have launched and will be launching to help the people of the community surrounding Marea del Portillo and Pilon. I realize it will be an act of trust for you to support my endeavors financially, since I am not set up as a registered charity, but I want to assure you that all donated funds will be used to directly benefit Cuban people in need.

Why should you trust me? If you've read my earlier posts, you will have a sense of who I am, and of how sincere I am about this "cause," if you want to name it as such. Why am I doing these things? To me, it's like some sort of humanitarian calling; it just feels right to be doing what I can to help the people of that region. And, if you want to help me help them, you will have my deep appreciation but no tax receipt.

I could give you references but I'm not sure that would really prove anything other than to demonstrate I have friends who will vouch for me. In my home community, I think it's safe to say, I have a solid reputation for honesty and integrity. I am involved with numerous not-for-profit groups and have been a volunteer with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity (I wish they were able to operate in Cuba!). I have my own small retail business and I work part-time at a shelter for abused women - the shelter's executive director has referred to me as "Jenny Pure-Heart," for what that's worth!

I'm not expecting money to miraculously multiply in my Cuba-project PayPal account but, if a few people choose to donate that way, it would be absolutely fabulous, wildly wonderful and incredibly awesome. One of the reasons I decided to add the "DONATE" button is because several people offered unsolicited funds to use for my modest endeavors. Some families in Cuba have already been helped but I want to do more.

For further information on the inception of the projects I am working on, please read an earlier posting: "Projects aplenty - past, present and pending." In brief, the main elements are the establishment of a micro-lending fund and some self-employment arts and crafts activities. In the Pilon area, getting supplies for almost anything - artwork, home renovation or whatever - is a special challenge because of the isolation of this impoverished rural region and, when necessary items are available, they are often financially inaccessible.

With the guidance of my friends there, I am trying to create new opportunities for people in Pilon, and to empower them to improve their lives. But, it requires seed money, and I can only supply a little at a time from my own resources. And, it's not something that will happen overnight; like the changes Pres. Raul Castro is currently making regarding employment (less government- and more self-employment), progress will take time.

Another long-term reason for adding that bodacious button is because of the themed group trip component of my multifaceted projects...I'll explain more about that in my next posting. Tune in again soon!

Fidel, Flipper & Jeffrey Goldberg

I sometimes wonder what I would say to Fidel Castro, if I ever, perchance, met him. I've thought about this in the general way that one does regarding any historic figure or world leader.

You can even make this into a parlor game: "If you were having coffee with __(fill in the blank)__,  what would you ask him/her?" For instance, if I were having coffee with Elvis, I might ask him, "Do you regret your jumpsuit phase?"

If I happened to run into Fidel - casually, let's say, in a parking lot - I would probably be completely tongue tied.  I would be afraid to open my mouth, lest I say something utterly ludicrous, classically ignorant or inadvertently insulting. I don't know much about politics; I'd be stepping in quicksand if I attempted even a general query. I have a very loose grasp of Cuban history; not enough to feel safe conversing with one of its biggest shapers about the subject.

I guess I would have to go with dolphins as a topic of conversation. When I was growing up, I was a big fan of the TV show "Flipper." (Whenever I think of him, I can still hear his fishy chortle!) Who doesn't like dolphins?!

In all honesty, I don't know much more about dolphins than I do about politics or history but I'd love to learn. They're almost as mysterious and intriguing to me as Fidel himself, although I don't have as many conflicted feelings about Flipper.

For more on Fidel and dolphins, please read this article by Jeffrey Goldberg:
Fidel: 'Cuban Model Doesn't Even Work For Us Anymore'

I found the link while cruising the always-interesting Havana Times site. And, when in Havana, be sure to put the aquarium on your must-see list. I have!

Projects aplenty - past, present and pending

In an earlier post, entitled "I chose to walk through an opened door," I alluded to projects I've launched with the help of friends in Pilon, a larger town next to Marea del Portillo. I want to explain more about these activities but they are evolving so quickly it's rather like trying to count tree leaves on a windy day.

At first, I thought it would be a breeze to set up a micro-lending endeavor, offering small sums,  free of charge, to people who wanted to improve their lives and make things better for their families - fixing up their homes, for instance. This was my original thought, in part, because I realized it's very hard for people to save up enough money to buy all the necessary supplies at once. An interest-free loan would allow families to repair their homes more quickly, I thought, and they could live more comfortably while they gradually paid it off.

That initial plan for extending micro-credit had to be revised. The local fund managers were very careful in their screening process, before approving loans. Money was only to be given to people who could pay it back. In discussing a loan, it was always made clear to the applicants that, if they did not repay the money, it would be impossible to help others.

Unfortunately, too many people honestly had to admit that paying the loan back would be next to impossible; they could not promise to do so. The recent employment restructuring by the Cuban government has made finances even more difficult for many people, particularly those who were struggling already. Micro-lending helped a few families but the inaugural version of the venture needed revamping; that process is still underway.

In the future, I think loan repayment will most likely be done with a blend of cash and sweat. Those familiar with Habitat for Humanity will understand the concept behind the term "sweat equity." That's an idea I want to steal and rejig for my own use in Cuba. Instead of putting in a requisite number of volunteer hours to assist with home building, though, I think it will work to ask loan recipients to help with a variety of activities that will benefit the community.

The people I want to assist and empower have more time, energy and skills than income. Therefore, to me, it makes sense to figure out ways they can work off some of the debt, rather than letting people struggle to make cash payments, no matter how incremental the amount may seem to North Americans. Keep in mind that the local currency is worth pennies, literally; one Cuban peso equals four Canadian cents. (For more on Cuban currency, you may want to read this post: "Money, money, money....")

It will be more challenging to set up a "sweat" system or, in effect, a way of bartering with one's ability to work, but I'm sure it can be done. This and related endeavors are still in the early development stages, so I'm reticent to even try to go into detail at this time. However, I will say that two projects involve art and craft production and one, which is now being tested, appears to be quite viable. Supplies for the pending project will cost more.

So far, any supplies we've needed have been minimal; some materials have been donated and, for purchases, I've been able to provide money myself or through unsolicited contributions from friends. But, I do have a few ideas for funding! When I return from my forthcoming trip to Cuba, at the end of October, I should be able to offer a more clearly developed picture of what's happening and a preview of what's being proposed.

Please check the blog every now and again for updates.

Reincarnation, spousal abuse & problem-free Cuba

All we know is now. This life is it. We don't know, really and truly, what came before or what will come next. Nobody does. Despite how vociferously some people may claim to know, it is actually only a guess, a belief or, perhaps, a hope.

In university, I recall some friends shaking their heads and stating, "You can't know everything." I think this was in regards to the outcome of a test that didn't go so well, but there's still a lot of truth in that simple statement. This is one of those things you can't know.

Is there an afterlife? Many people I know believe that there is, with all their hearts. Others simply hope there is. Some think there is another life to come, as there was before this one. Who can say for sure? We just have to decide what we prefer to believe.

More and more, I would have to say, I am leaning towards reincarnation. ("Before the Stars" is a poem I posted previously that's partly about this topic.) To me, reincarnation is the ultimate form of recycling. Mother Nature, Father Time and the whole holy posse seem to work quite well together to recycle almost everything else; why not souls?

I've often joked that I was something-or-other in another life. For instance, I've sometimes said I must have been a Boy Scout, since I'm almost always "prepared" for anything. I'm the one with the toilet paper and Swiss Army knife in my backpack and a mini Leatherman tool in my purse. I can't tell you how many men I've surprised when they've moaned, "If only I had a screwdriver!"

Lately, in trying to figure out why I have such an affinity for Cuba, I've found myself saying, "I must have been Cuban in another life." Perhaps I was just oppressed. Or,  maybe the connection and empathy I feel for the Cuban people is due to my involvement with women who have been abused.

For nearly two decades, I've worked at shelters for abused women and their children; that's the social work reference in my profile. Spousal abuse could be considered "domestic oppression." Living under any form of regime, if you will, that causes you to think twice before you speak or act takes its toll and makes its mark on your psyche.

People, however, are remarkably resilient and able to adjust to almost anything - now I'm thinking more about a society that has been under a powerful thumb for generations, rather than an individual who must walk on eggshells alone, in her own home. When all your friends and neighbors look over their shoulders before saying things that could be considered controversial or disrespectful to the powers that be, or they stroke their chins rather than mention a certain name, it becomes normalized. That's just the way it is. Oppression becomes a fact of life, as much a part of one's everyday purview as the sun coming up.

One sunny day on my most recent visit to Cuba, I met another guest at the resort who was having a disagreement with the management about some aspect of his bill. He kept talking about this problem that needed to be rectified and was frustrated that nothing seemed to be happening. He was met with shrugs and vague apologies when he tried to demand action.

I eventually came to the conclusion that this is a fundamental difference between the North American and Cuban societies. This Canadian man felt he had identified a problem and he wanted it have it fixed. That's what we do in North America. We protest. We lobby. We boycott. We use the media and draw on any other means at our disposal to fix an identified problem.

In Cuba, the problem is, there is no problem. That's just the way life is. If nothing can be done, why waste energy trying? If you risk being identified as a trouble-maker, why speak out? The ramifications for you and your family could be quite serious. That's not a problem, that's life.

Am I sounding cynical? I'm not usually a cynical person! Most people, in fact, would be more likely to label me as an infernal optimist or an eternal dreamer of good schemes with positive outcomes. I prefer to think of myself as an optimistic realist, but that may be me, looking at my bright side.

When I think about the Cuban people I've come to know, I have to smile. They are not down-trodden depressed. They are hard-working and happy, as a general rule. They are giving and forgiving, warm and welcoming.  They are survivors. That's what I love about Cuba - the spirit of the people. They have heart. Maybe that's why I feel such a profound, irrefutable connection. I've been through some difficult times, too, but I'm still willing to smile, and to work quietly for change.

For a poetic exploration of this topic, please read one of my earlier posts:
Worth a War

What are you doing on October 17?

The United Nations has declared Oct. 17 as the "International Day for the Eradication of Poverty." For the politically correct, October could be a very busy month, especially if you're Canadian!

Here in Canada, about 19 different organizations have laid claim to October for furthering their diverse and commendable causes, nationally and internationally. As well, each and every week of the month has numerous names attached, and close to a dozen individual days are internationally noteworthy. According to the list of "Special Awareness Months/Weeks" I found on the CharityVillage.com website, May is the only month that has more going on in this regard.

Canadians can spend the month of October becoming more aware of everything from autism and brain tumors to workplace health and women's history - with breast cancer, child abuse, lupus and SIDS thrown in for good measure. There's a LOT to be aware of! And, we have a multitude of special weeks to highlight and notable days to mark on our collective calendars.

The national special-week list I found starts with "Be Kind to Animals Week" and concludes with "Waste Reduction Week." Shouldn't we be kind to animals every week? Aren't we supposed to work on reducing waste all the time? Perhaps we just need to be officially reminded now and then. Awareness is a tricky thing; sometimes it's more peripheral than it should be.

I've been aware of poverty most of my life, sometimes peripherally and, at other times, profoundly. At some points, I would have been classified as living in poverty, due to my income - or, more precisely, lack thereof. I've stretched my budget by gathering worm-ridden windfall apples from rural ditches to make applesauce and apple butter; the latter became Christmas presents that year...I cut out the wormy parts! I've collected returnable cans and beer bottles in order to buy milk and bread. I've bartered (I still do, actually). But, at present, I'm doing okay and, because of that, I'm thinking about how I can help people who aren't.

I'm already thinking about poverty eradication. I'm glad the UN is too. I hope greater global awareness of this issue will help to make a difference in our international community.

On Oct. 17, I will be in Cuba with over 40 amigas (female friends). We'll be taking clothing, toiletries and other gifts, as many other Canadians routinely do. We plan to do our best to get these items into the hands of the people who need such things the most. A friend of mine in Pilon (a larger town next to the modest resort where we'll be staying), has agreed to help connect us with the most impoverished people of that community.

I'm not sure what day we'll be able to take our gifts to these people but I hope it will be Sunday, Oct. 17. That would be most fitting. By doing whatever we can, whenever we can, wherever we can - even if it seems like dropping a penny on a beach - we are working towards eradicating poverty.

Some day, I hope poverty will no longer be an issue in Cuba, or in Canada, or anywhere else. Perhaps one day, we won't need a special day.

Re: gifting...even small things matter!

In my reading about Cuba and life therein, I recall a noteworthy comment about the importance of personal cleanliness. I can't credit the source or quote it directly, unfortunately, but a paraphrase of the remark goes something like this: The Cuban people will tolerate many things but, unless you want a revolution on your hands, don't take away their soap!

That, I'm sure, is not intended to imply that they are docile, well-groomed sheep. Hardly! I would say that Cubans, in general, take a great amount of pride in their personal appearance, from hygiene to accoutrement. Some of my friends there are certainly more fashion conscious than I am!

Hygiene requires attention in any climate. However, it can be a particular challenge in the hot ones. Sweat happens. People perspire. According to my dear, departed mother-in-law, women "glow."

Imagine living in a hot, humid place where fresh water for cooking and bathing is sometimes in short supply. With me so far? Next, add a shortage of deodorant, soap, shampoo, etc. How are you feeling now? Getting ready to revolt? Maybe that would be going too far but I think you can grasp how this might affect one's outlook when facing daily temperatures hovering around 34 degrees Celsius (like this week in Granma). That's not factoring in the humidity, of course, or the lack of air conditioning in most homes.

Yesterday, I checked in with a friend in Pilon and asked him about shortages. He explained that one of the country's main suppliers of deodorant, soap and related toiletry products had closed down, making the situation quite dire. It had been hard to get deodorant when I was there in May; now, it must be next to impossible. I'd be feeling a bit desperate.

If you're planning a trip to Cuba, I'd encourage you to hit the dollar store and pack your suitcase with whatever soap, deodorant and other toiletries you can carry. And, if you tend to travel to places where they routinely stock the bathrooms with those cute little soaps and tiny bottles of shampoo, stash 'em and take 'em along to Cuba.

Even small things can make a difference in someone's life...but, if you have room for big bottles of shampoo and such stuff, go for it!

Money, money, money...pennies to pesos

I am trying to become more current on currency. In Cuba, the complicating factor is that there are two currencies and they're both called pesos! One, however, is worth significantly more - the one intended for visitors to the country.

The currency tourists primarily use is known as the convertible peso or CUC. The acronym is derived from CU for Cuba and C for convertible, like CAD is for Canadian dollars. The just plain Cuban peso (CUP) is actually the national currency. It's required for purchases from government-run stores, public transportation and other necessities of Cuban life. For residents, both types are essential.

The interesting thing to me is that, although the exchange rate for foreign currency to either the CUC or CUP fluctuates daily - just as the CAD to USD conversions do - the in-country rate for CUC to CUP has not changed since 2005. It continues to be 1 CUC = 24 CUP. When I recently checked the exchange rate (late Aug. 2010), $1 CAD = .88 CUC or .04 CUP.

Someone with a better grasp of math might be able to tell you if there is any financial benefit to tipping in CAD rather than CUC but I suspect not, unless you're giving big bills. I'd hazard a guess that it might be more of a hastle for the tippee if the tip is in Loonies or Twoonies because it may necessitate a trip to a bank; CUCs can be spent immediately.

When visiting Marea del Portillo, my recommendation is that you exchange money at the airport - most or all of what you anticipate spending during your stay. There are not a lot of banks in this rural region, especially not within walking distance of the resort. You can generally exchange money at the resort but the airport exchange booth's rate is ever so slightly better.

More importantly, you should be prepared for tipping before you even set foot in the resort lobby! And, you may want to buy a cold drink at the airport for the hour-and-a-quarter bus ride to the resort. Can you say, "Una cerveza por favor?"

A further monetary precaution pertains to credit cards. You can (if you must) exchange U.S. dollars for CUCs while in Cuba, athough it's potentially problematic and there's a significantly higher fee. But, do NOT plan to use a credit card that is affiliated with a U.S. bank. American Express? Leave home without it! Fortunately for Canucks, Canada has a wealth of home-grown banks; take credit cards issued by CIBC, TD, BMO or any non-American financial institution.

My information about money matters comes from several sources and, to the best of my ability, is up-to-date and accurate. Here are some relevant excerpts gleaned from the Havana Times website:

"Money can be changed in Cuba at either of two official institutions: Banks and Casas de Cambio (CADECA or exchange booths)...whether you are exchanging foreign currency for the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC or peso convertible) or CUCs for Cuban Pesos (CUP, moneda nacional or just plain peso)...While the exchange rates for foreign currencies to CUCs change daily, since December 2005 the exchange rate for the CUC to CUP has remained steady at 1 CUC to 24 CUP or pesos...

"You will need CUCs at hotels, many restaurants, for state-operated taxis, domestic travel (plane or bus), entries to museums and other cultural venues, and the so-called “dollar shops,” whereas CUPs or pesos are necessary for public transportation (guaguas or buses), agromercados, at some pesos-only restaurants and bookstores, movies, etc...."

"You can withdraw CUCs against your credit card – as long as the credit card is not issued by a US or US-affiliated bank...foreign currencies, however, including US dollars, are still accepted within the country as currencies of exchange for CUCs (Cuban Convertible Pesos) at banks and CADECA (Casas de Cambio or official exchange booths)...

"[However] the Central Bank of Cuba established an 8% exchange tariff on all currencies when they are exchanged for CUCs, with the exception of the US dollar which has an additional 10% tax that is applied before the 8% exchange rate is calculated, whether the US dollars are held by foreign visitors or nationals. In practical terms, this means an almost 20% devaluation of the US dollar against the CUC."

ONE FINAL NOTE: Don't forget to set aside $25 CUC, if you want to go home! That's the requisite departure tax that is paid at the airport as you exit the country. I don't know what would happen if someone didn't have this fee but I'm sure it would not be a pleasant way to end a nice sojourn in Cuba.

I chose to walk through an opened door

During the dreary winter of 2008-2009, I was desperate for a beach. I'd been to Costa Rica several times and was keen to go again but the gods of travel were not smiling on such an adventure. The cost of flights was soaring but my beach-sand budget was not. So, I sought a new sun spot.

More by fluke than plan, I ended up on a warm brown beach in Cuba with one of my dearest chums, Martine. We opted for Club Amigo Marea del Portillo mainly because it was cheap; being independent-minded women, we were hesitant to book into an all-inclusive resort. The concept was not our usual style or mode of travel but we talked ourselves into it because the place sounded very laid back and low key. It offered more outdoorsy options than a city-based resort would have and, best of all, it was very affordable. For less than the price of a seat on a plane to Costa Rica, we could spend a week by the ocean in Cuba and everything would be covered - flight, accommodation and the requisites to eat, drink and be merry.

At the end of the week, we both had sore cheeks from smiling so much. We laughed ourselves silly, hiked, swam, danced and had an absolutely fabulous time. And, we discovered, many Canadians considered this humble resort their second home; they returned time and again for happy holidays, warmly welcomed by friends on staff and in the surrounding community. I was not quite hooked yet but I was certainly pleased with our accidental choice of resorts.

That first trip was in April of 2009. By the following fall, I was booked for a second trip to the same place but, once again, it hadn't been at the top of my travel list. Another of my dearest friends, Penny, had finally been talked into going on a husband-free holiday - with me and her sister Laurie. We'd hoped to go to a resort Laurie liked in Costa Rica, in an area I was familiar with. However, prices to that part of the earth were still sky high, so I suggested Cuba. Since I'd had such a great time at Marea del Portillo and had a wealth of photos to show them what the resort was like, I could reassure them they would be quite comfortable there.

By this time, yet another of my dearest friends had signed on - Wendy, who is generally game to go to a beach just about anytime, anywhere. She didn't meet Penny and Laurie until our flight to Cuba but I assured them that all would be well and we would get along fine. It was and we did.

On this trip, Wendy and I got to know Maykel, whom I'd met on my previous visit. We were intrigued by his interest in social justice issues and impressed with his intellect. In one conversation, he mentioned reading Shakespeare and commented that the English was a bit different. Indeed! Wendy and I both had the feeling that he was at some sort of crossroads in his life, and we agreed to do what we could to support and empower him to choose a good path.

I began thinking of ways to work with him to improve the lives of the people of that impoverished rural region. Ideas about possible projects were rambling through my mind in the wee hours of one morning when, all of a sudden, there was a boom, followed by a rumble. Then the bed shook as if it was possessed by a "Magic Fingers" massage device on steroids. Seconds passed. I was now wide awake, so I went out on my balcony to see what I could see.

I saw Wendy on her balcony. (We had second-floor cabana rooms beside each other.) We didn't see a mushroom cloud or any type of smoke, so we concluded there had not been an explosion. It must have been an earthquake, we decided, but wondered if there would be a subsequent tsunami. Being naturally curious, we headed down to the beach to see what was going on. We were fairly certain there would be no tsunami since none of the local animals seemed at all alarmed; they were not heading for high ground, just going about their normal morning routines.

A resident hog hiked toward home, checking the odd garbage can on her way. A frisky filly frolicked. Goats, birds and lizards were doing their usual things. The resort staff was stirring. Wendy and I strolled along the beach and admired the rising sun. We got some great photos - our reward for getting up at 5 a.m.! We also had a good talk; I told her what I'd been thinking about when the earth shook.

I'm not usually inclined to look for "signs" but I couldn't shake the feeling that this was sort of a cosmic confirmation of being on the right track. I felt like my "ah ha" moment - my idea about how I could work with Maykel to benefit the community - had been punctuated by an exclamation mark from the universe.

A door seemed to have been opened and I chose to walk through it. Metaphorically, I'm hiking around in a whole new environment, and I'm lovin' it! I'm not planning on saving the world but I hope to help a few people. That's the impetus behind the projects I've launched and why I've set up this blog.

I'm learning Spanish from Alex Cuba!

No, he's not teaching me personally, I must reluctantly admit, but I am learning some very nice words and phrases from him, nonetheless.

This excellent Cuban-Canadian musician has cleverly printed his song lyrics in both Spanish and English on his CDs. So, I read along – my tongue still gets tangled when I try to sing along, although I can manage the odd melodic word or two.

I have to say, Alexis Puentes (Alex Cuba is his stage name) is one romantic guy! I enjoy his music but, in truth, I'm not sure if I'll ever use phrases like "amor infinito" in casual conversation. Still, it's fun to practice tuneful pronunciation.

I'll add a link to his website, so you can check him out...I mean, check his music out. Young as he looks, he's the father of three and, at last report, was living happily ever after in Smithers, B.C., with the woman who inspired him to immigrate and, undoubtedly, inspired many of his beautiful love songs.

I think you'll like his music, and the beat's bound to get your feet moving. Now, if I could only find someone to teach me to dance salsa!

GIFTS: What’s most appreciated?

Canadians, in general, are genuinely generous people. One of the first questions many people planning trips to Cuba ask is “What can we take as gifts?” Canadian travelers truly want to know what’s most needed or wanted by the Cuban people.

I’ve created the list below by blending gift suggestion lists I’ve found on other sites and tossing in a few of my own ideas. For instance, I took some solar-powered yard lights on my last trip and they were a big hit. One friend told me that his family uses them in the house when the power goes out, which is a frequent occurrence in Cuba. The Club Amigo Marea del Portillo resort is equipped with solar hot-water tanks but, for some reason, the technology does not seem readily available for smaller applications or for home use.

Another idea I’ve added is to take spark igniters (usually used for lighting welding torches, available at hardware stores). On my first trip to Marea del Portillo, I asked one fellow what he thought a useful gift would be, for future reference. With little hesitation, he said “Lighters.” I replied that I wasn’t really keen to encourage smoking but he explained that many people cook with gas and, in the humid climate, matches just don’t cut it. Since I don't want to contribute to environmental waste in Cuba by taking disposable lighters, I take the longer-lasting flint igniters instead.

I’ve tried to organize my list in categories, roughly in order of importance. During my previous trips to Cuba, I’ve asked a variety of people for their opinion of what is best to take as gifts. Clothing needs predominate. Much of the clothing and footwear available in Cuba, I’ve been told, is either pricey or poorly made.

Drug store items are also right up there on most folks’ mental lists, although some people are too proud or shy to ask, I’ve learned. Even what Canadians would consider common, necessary medicine-cabinet supplies are out of financial reach for many Cubans. So, hit the dollar store before you pack!

Here’s my list of gift ideas:

GENERAL APPAREL
- Clothing of any types, all sizes
- Shoes, laces & sports socks
- Hats, baseball caps, bandanas
- Pretty scarves, jewelry, hair accessories

HEALTH CARE
[Please check expiry date on pills or any health items.]
- Aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, other pain relief products
- Vitamins, antacids, antibiotics, anti-diuretics, etc.
- Gravol, Imodium, Pepto Bismol & such
- Thermometers, Band Aids, Q-Tips & razors
- Lipstick, nail polish & clippers
- Deodorant & other toiletries
- Toothbrushes & toothpaste
- Soap, shampoo/conditioner
- Tampons, pads or other feminine products
- Condoms (for medical personnel to distribute)
- Used prescription or reading glasses

SCHOOL/HOME/WORK
- Notebooks & other paper products
- Pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners
- Tape, glue, scissors, markers, etc.
- Coloring books, crayons, colored pencils
- Agendas, daybooks, calendars, etc.

SPORTS EQUIPMENT
- Ping-pong paddles, balls, nets
- Volleyballs, nets
- Soccer/tennis/baseballs, etc.
- Frisbees, skipping ropes, kites, etc.

MISC. & FUN ITEMS
- Spanish/English dictionaries to use & leave
- Solar yard lights (helpful indoors in power outages)
- Wind-up flashlights (batteries can be hard to get)
- Lighters (not matches) or igniters for gas stoves
- Nails, screws & simple tools
- Plastic containers or bags (Ziploc style)
- Insulated bags for food or beverages
- Umbrellas for rain or sun
- CDs for dancing & to leave at hotel
- Simple games for kids like jacks, puzzles
- Toys, dolls, stuffed animals
- Balloons, glow bracelets, etc.
- Gum & candy, especially chocolate

- Maple syrup – a nice Canadian touch!

A creative use for an unused condom - shooting pebbles!

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INFORMATION UPDATE:

At the end of August (2010), I spoke with a friend in the Marea del Portillo area about current shortages. I asked specifically about deodorant, which had been in short supply when I visited in May. He said the situation has worsened - soap, shampoo and related toiletries are all hard to get now.

One of the country's largest suppliers of these goods has closed, he explained, so very little is available anywhere. In the Granma province, however, the problem is exacerbated because of the region's isolation.

Marea del Portillo is off the beaten track, which is one of the reasons why I like it. Unfortunately, this can make vital supplies difficult to get and life more challenging for the residents.