The Cuban Revolution and me: love and freedom

I have something in common with the Cuban Revolution: 1959. Cuba was officially freed from Batista's bloody dictatorship in January of that year and, nine months later, I was born. 

We're both over 50 now, the Revolution and I, but we don't always act our age, and we certainly don't look it! Maybe I'm just speaking for myself. I'm not sure how Revolutionaries are supposed to behave after five decades as the Government. Maybe they're not sure either. And, regarding looks, well...most of those freedom-fighting young men who rose to power are now 80-something old men, if they're alive at all. So, no matter how well preserved they may be, they're going to have gray hair, wrinkles and saggy body parts – more than me! 

After 50 years, what's different? I can't speak for the CR, of course, but I tire more easily and sometimes wake up a bit stiff. My mind's still sharp, obviously (haha!), but I have noticed it's harder to remember names and what I was looking for when I opened the fridge. Again, I can't speak for the Revolution. Despite the significant milestone we share, I'm not sure how much the CR and I actually have in common, except for this: the love of Cuba and desire for freedom.

Cuba gained freedom from a cruel dictator in 1959 but, after 50 years, is the country truly free? That probably depends on who you talk to and how you define it. I think there are many different shades of freedom. It's not a black and white issue. Nor is it strictly red, white and blue. The U.S. embargo or blockade against Cuba, begun in 1960, has certainly limited the country's freedom to trade internationally. But, there are always ways to do business, if you really want to.

Wikipedia notes this: "At present [2011], the embargo, which limits American businesses from conducting business with Cuban interests, is still in effect and is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history. Despite the existence of the embargo, the United States is the fifth largest exporter to Cuba (6.6% of Cuba's imports are from the US). However, Cuba must pay cash for all imports, as credit is not allowed."

Cuba's relationship with the States is complicated, to say the least, but it can't be denied that Big Brother Sam carries a lot of world-wide weight and this embargo marathon has had a huge impact on the people of Cuba. I'm not a political scholar by any stretch of the imagination – mine nor anyone else's  – but, if I've understood the history of this correctly, the trade blockade was intended to gain freedom for the Cuban people. Hmm.... When does one say this plan is not working?

Whenever people talk about Cuba, the embargo looms large. That monstrosity, however, is not the only shadow on freedom. Americans have not been able to travel freely to Cuba since 1963. The U.S. government does not completely ban its citizens from traveling to Cuba but there are severe restrictions and, from my reading, spending money seems to be a primary concern. (Here's a good link on this topic: Americans in Cuba.)

Cubans, however, live with even more restrictions regarding travel than their American cousins, and the restrictions apply to everywhere – not just the hulking chunk of land to their immediate north. (Here's a good article from Havana Times about this: The (Non) Right of Cubans to Travel.)

I love to travel, especially to Cuba, and I wholeheartedly wish my Cuban friends could travel too. Some would want to come here to Canada to work for awhile, to help their families get ahead financially. Others would just want to visit Canada and other countries briefly because they are simply curious. Why shouldn't they have the chance to do both?

I've thinking about this a lot lately, wishfully, because I know of a little girl who was born with an illness that will dramatically shorten her life. She wants to know what snow is like. How can I explain "snow" to an eight-year-old Cuban girl? Right now, I have such a lovely landscape outside my wintry window, I can imagine her looking at it with awe and playing in it with glee. It would be wonderful if she could apply to Make-A-Wish International and be granted a trip to Canada to see this beautiful snow, and maybe Niagara Falls while we're at it. But, Cuba is not on the list of participating countries. Why? I don't know, but I did notice that the parent foundation is based in the U.S. Hmm....

I know changes are coming. There have been several significant changes in Cuba in the past year, and more are proposed. There is now greater freedom to buy and sell houses and vehicles. I hope more freedom to travel is on the list of what's to come, and I hope it will happen while my young friend is still able to travel. I'm just afraid it won't. Afterall, it has been over 50 years since the Revolution took power, and we are still only part of the way to full freedom for Cuba. If/when the American-made trade embargo is lifted, I'm sure changes will come more quickly.

There is little I can do to hasten change. However, I have come up with one small way to help my young friend understand what snow is like, aside from sending piles of pictures. When I travel to Cuba in April, I will be taking a very special present for her: a snow globe.

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If you are interested in traveling to Cuba with me in April, please send an email to jcgb@vianet.ca. I am organizing a group that will be based at Marea del Portillo, my favorite little resort. You can go for two weeks (April 5-19) or one week (April 12-19). Yoga on the beach, a Cuban-Canadian art show and many other optional opportunities for fun and frolic are in the works. I will provide prices and other details soon.

New project in the works: suitcase sponsorship!

A few years ago, I began organizing groups of interesting and interested people to travel with me to Cuba. But, we're not going just anywhere in Cuba; we're going to a very special place called Marea del Portillo, where many a Canadian tourist has left a chunk of heart. This is a small, low-key Club Amigo resort on the southern foot of Cuba. It's at the opposite end of the island from Havana and the opposite end of the spectrum from the posh over-stuffed hotel complexes of Varadero, and the laid-back atmosphere is exactly why I like it!

Club Amigo Marea del Portillo and Farallón del Caribe are the only hotels in this nook of the Granma province. The diminutive resort is set like a gem on the hem of a horseshoe bay, fringed by the majestic Sierra Maestra Mountains. This is a sleepy agricultural area, over the hill and far away from the relative hustle and bustle of mid-sized urban areas like Bayamo and Manzanillo de Cuba, where the nearest international airport is located.

If you travel with one of my groups to Marea, you will fly into and out of Manzanillo, which is about an hour and a half drive away from the resort. Don't worry - you won't need to hitch-hike! Once you board the plane in Toronto, you're in the hands of Sunwing, and you will be well taken care of for the entire journey. Air-conditioned buses transport you from and to the airport, and staff is ready to assist at every juncture.

The staff at Marea del Portillo are very good at their jobs and, in the tourist industry, that means keeping everyone as happy as possible. It can be a challenge at times but the Marea crew is generally very good at it! The high number of returnees attests to the quality of the care here, I think. Couple that with the glorious scenery and you'll begin to understand why so many people consider it their "second home." The accommodations here aren't the most luxurious but they are clean and well cared for – and when I say "cared for," I don't just mean in the physical sense. The staff really cares for this place and for the repeat guests who have, over the years, become genuine friends. That's part of the Marea magic.

It is, of course, in the best interest of those employed by the resort to care for this place because there's a lot riding on it. This tiny dimple on the massive cheek of Cuban tourism is the most significant employer in this region. Therefore, a lot of families rely on it in a time and place where there are not many other employment options. That's one of the primary reasons why I've placed it squarely in my sites for the humanitarian work I've begun. It's also why, in part, I lead groups in April and October, during the shoulder season for tourism. My hope is that the modest injection of business I bring will help to keep a few more people employed for a little longer at the beginning and end of winter. As well, I prefer those times precisely because it is less busy - nobody has to fight for a spot on the beach.

The All-Girl-Yoga Posse greeted the sun almost every day at Marea del Portillo.

YOGA INSTRUCTOR OFFERS CLASSES EACH TRIP

When my groups are in residence, the beach becomes our yoga studio! My pal bendy Wendy Martin will now be leading yoga classes during each and every group trip I arrange. She joined me for the first time last October and quickly understood why I'd fallen in love with the place and people – and she offered to team up with me twice a year, which is wonderful. She brings a gentle, gleeful and powerfully positive spirit to the group experience. I couldn't be happier to have her along!

When not in Cuba with me, Wendy operates her own studio - Sacred Breath Yoga, in downtown Huntsville (Muskoka). In October 2011, we offered the inaugural "All-Girl-Yoga-Posse" trip. About 40 women, spanning several generations, traveled with us and many participated in yoga on the beach at sunrise and/or in the late afternoon. The flat fee for the week of yoga was $60. The April trip is open to both men and women, and yoga will be too. The rate will be similar.

Yoga instructor Wendy Martin (left) loves doing playful yoga with kids!

Wendy and many others in Muskoka and elsewhere have been beautifully supportive of the projects I've launched to enhance the community surrounding Marea del Portillo. These endeavours are embryonic but, even so, we've been able to take a dozen bikes and hundreds of pounds of clothing and other gifts to the people of this impoverished, under-serviced rural region. And, I've got lots more good stuff ready to go! My house is becoming populated with boxes and bins full of clothing, shoes, toiletries and other simple household necessities, and a small herd of bikes is corralled in the car port.


MORE SPONSORSHIP & SHEPHERDING OPTIONS

I have devised a three-pronged system for getting bikes to Cuba, and it seems to be working pretty well. People can donate a bike (adults' mountain bikes are preferred), pay $30 to sponsor a bike (that's the fee Sunwing charges for a 20-kg box o' bike) and/or, if in my tour group, shepherd a bike (a bike box becomes part of that passenger's checked luggage). A "bike shepherd" gets to use the bike he/she has helped transport to the resort but, when the shepherd goes home to Canada, the bike goes to a new home in Cuba. It would be too much hassle to take a used bike back on the plane at the end of the trip anyway, right?!

Chacho received this excellent bike in October 2011.

Since this bike shepherding project has been working so well, I plan to riff on the theme and set up a similar system for suitcases. I already have a nice collection of donated suitcases, which I will fill with clothing and such. For $40, a Sunwing airline passenger can have a seating upgrade (to what's called "Elite Plus") that includes an extra 10 kg (22 lbs.) of checked luggage capacity. A group member can become a "suitcase shepherd" for one of these loaded bags and, as a perk, will get extra leg room on the plane. Once at Marea, these suitcases and their contents, as well as the bikes, can be left at a depot I've arranged at a friend's nearby home.

With this new suitcase sponsor/shepherd option, I will be able to get more clothing into the hands of people in isolated areas who do not have jobs in the tourism sector and, therefore, have little access to foreigners and their generous gifts. That's my goal: to spread the wealth of goods further afield.

I'm excited about all of this and quite eager to begin booking but, annoyingly, the prices are higher than I prefer for a week's all-inclusive holiday at Sunwing's Club Amigo Marea del Portillo. However, the two-week rates are better, so I may start there. I'm curious to see if there will be enough people interested in going for two weeks; to make a group booking viable, 10 bodies are required. I know some people can only escape for one week but...we'll see! The April 2012 group should be quite an interesting one, I believe. There will be a loose theme of "art and spirituality" on this trip, for those who want to participate – it's optional, as is yoga. I'll explain more about that later.

Meanwhile, my bags are packed (mentally), and I have extra suitcases full of free clothing, ready to match up with sponsors and shepherds. The dates Wendy and I have tentatively set are as follows: April 5-19 (two weeks) or April 12-19 (one week). Keep in mind that Easter falls during the first week, on April 8, which may make it easier for some folks to get away...but more difficult for others. It's impossible to keep everyone happy all the time, despite valiant attempts!

Keep smiling,
Jenny

Shepherding bikes to Cuba - my project is rolling!

In my hometown of Huntsville, Ontario, biking is a popular activity for about half the year – spring, summer and fall. The rest of the time, it's a bit of a challenge. Only the heartiest sorts keep their self-propelled machines on the road during the winter here, which typically extends from late October or early November into March or April. It's hard to find the proper snow tires for bicycles.

I know of only one guy, in fact, who is a regular winter biker and, by most yardsticks, he's irregular. At this point in his unconventional life, a car is simply not an option. He began biking year-round out off necessity but, before long, it became more of a personal badge of honor. Now, I think it's closer to a habit, if not an obsession. But, this friend is exceptional. He's hard-core. He bikes in any weather, as long as the snow isn't ridiculously deep or the roads aren't impossibly icy.

In Cuba, my second home (as regular visitors to Club Amigo Marea del Portillo are encouraged to consider it), biking year-round is comparatively easy. Okay, there can be some pretty nasty spells of rain and mud but that comprises a much smaller portion of the year than snow-ridden winter does here. There, biking is the most common, reliable mode of transportation. It may not be essential to survival but having a bicycle at one's disposal makes life much easier; I would classify it closer to necessity than luxury. For that reason, I've been taking bikes with me to Cuba whenever possible.

During my earliest visits to this modest resort in the Granma region, on Cuba's more sparsely populated southern shore, I observed other tourists transporting bikes. I learned that it was frequently done, usually without a hitch, and I saw how important bikes were for the local people. So, I decided to take one too. My plan was to use the bike while I was there and, then, leave it with a friend.

That inaugural trip-with-bike holiday proved to be more of an adventure than I'd anticipated due to my box o' bike being absconded with upon arrival at the Manzanillo de Cuba airport. (I now use the buddy system; when I have to disappear into the bathroom, I have a friend watch for my bike to appear, lest it vanish while I'm preoccupied.) Here's a link to my previous post about that first bike's little side-trip. All's well that ends well. That bike is now living with some friends in Pilon, a small town just down the road from Marea del Portillo. I visit them often and, if I need to use a bike, I know one will always be available to me at this home.

Bikes are usually available for use by guests at the resort but the supply is limited. So, when I organize groups of people to travel there with me, as I now do each April and October, we try to take a supply of bikes with us. This provides more bicycles for my friends and I to use during our holiday and, when we go home to Canada, these bikes go to homes in Cuba. I consider this my bike project.

Through Sunwing, which operates the Club Amigo Marea del Portillo and Farallon del Caribe resort, a bike can be shipped to Cuba for $30, as part of a passenger's checked luggage. However, the rule is one bike per person and that person must be physically capable of lugging an unwieldy 20-kg bike box around the airport. Thus, being "bike shepherds," as I call them, is not for everyone. Some people support this project by being "bike sponsors" – contributing $30 to cover the shipping cost – and others help by donating bikes. Many of these "bike donors" are not interested in going to Cuba; they just want their old bikes to go to a good cause instead of the dump.

Including that first trial-run bike, my friends and I have now taken a dozen bikes to Cuba. All of them have been freely given to me, so I am happy to freely pass them on to people who need them. It's wonderful to see the genuine smiles of appreciation when someone receives a bicycle. I know this simple endeavor is making a difference for these families.

If you want to be part of my bike project, you can sponsor a bike by using the "Donate" button at the right side of this blog. It is linked to a PayPal account. Sponsorship is $30 CDN but I would ask you, please, to kick in a few extra dollars to cover the PayPal service fees. Since I am not part of a registered charity, I can't offer tax receipts, but I can provide photos of some recent bike recipients.

Wilfredo was pleased with a sturdy CCM mtn. bike.

Farmer Juan-Luis holds his mtn. bike and a solar light.

Pirolo and his family will all benefit from having a reliable cruiser bike.

Chacho is comfortable enough with his masculinity to ride a pink bike.

 

Kocha has been told more than once that he looks like Eddie Murphy.

My Hotel Libertad experience in Santiago de Cuba

The following is a hotel review I just wrote and submitted to TripAdvisor.com, about my excursion to Santiago de Cuba with Martine, Maykel and Braulio. I hope to be able to visit this interesting, historic city again sometime soon, and explore it further.

As a special way to celebrate my friend’s 50th birthday, she joined me in Cuba for a week. We used Club Amigo Marea del Portillo as our base because we had both been to this wonderful little resort in rural Granma several times and absolutely adore it. From there, we drove to Santiago de Cuba with two Cuban amigos as our guides. It was a lot of fun but also proved to be a minor adventure.

We had been warned that the incredibly scenic coastal road between Marea del Portillo and Santiago de Cuba was also incredibly treacherous. Yes, I must admit, it was not without its perils. This road is not for the faint-hearted driver, or anyone without a significant degree of experience and confidence behind the wheel. I would highly encourage the use of a four-wheel drive vehicle, on a sunny day. Don’t try it after a rainstorm; the puddles can consume small cars!

I had booked space in advance at a hostel, using an online service, so we would be assured of accommodation upon arrival. It was clean and the rooms were cheap but there were other concerns, so we opted to relocate to Islazul Hotel Libertad for our second night in the city. It was a good move. I had read several reviews about this hotel and it seemed to have a generally decent reputation. I would not hesitate to recommend Hotel Libertad, although I cannot wholeheartedly raise two thumbs for the attached restaurant.

Breakfast was included in the price of the rooms, which seemed fine. However, the food choices were sorely limited by a lack of eggs, and the server was somewhat surly. When it became apparent that a second cup of coffee was too much to ask, we found a more pleasant place down the street. They were happy to serve us, even though it meant hastily dispatching someone to fetch coffee cups from another location!

But, back to Libertad...the hotel was clean and comfortable, both our rooms and the common areas, and all the non-wait staff were perfectly genial. After reading other reviews that touted room #214 as “best,” we had to ask for it. Alas, it was unavailable. We were given two rooms that faced the street and allowed us to look out over Plaza de Marte – great for people watching! I had been a little apprehensive about the possibility of having our sleep disrupted by traffic noise but there was really no problem. It’s a city; there will be noise. But, traffic sounds were offset by the gentle hum of the air conditioner. In my experience, it was not any noisier than some places I’ve stayed in North America, and I paid far less for the room in Cuba!

During our vehicular exploration of Santiago, I learned a few things about Cuba and Cuban men. Unlike the North American variety of the latter, cubanos are not averse to asking directions...every five minutes or so, in certain situations – such as when there are few road signs and the map you are trying to use does not seem to accurately reflect the actual streets. At any rate, we did eventually achieve our primary objective, touring El Castillo del Morro. And, along the circuitous way to the castle, we stopped at a random restaurant and had a very nice lunch.

While staying at Libertad, we were able to park our muddy little rental car in front of the hotel. It was perfectly safe and, in short order, also became perfectly clean, thanks to the zealous efforts of a nice young man with a bucket and a rag. From the hotel, we did a little exploration of the area by foot and, in the evening, strolled across the park to take in some live music. Since it was the slow season for tourism (October), the bar on the rooftop terrace of Libertad was not operating. Although there was no music, the view from the roof was spectacular, especially as the city was awakening and the morning mists were lifting from the nearby mountains.

All in all, we had quite a lovely time and it was truly a special birthday celebration. I would be happy to stay at Hotel Libertad again, when/if I visit Santiago de Cuba in the future – there are certainly many other historic sites in this grand old city I would like to see. Our drive “home” to Marea del Portillo was pleasantly uneventful, since we opted to return via the inland route, and there was minimal need to ask directions.