It is honestly unreal to me how eight weeks in Havana just magically flew by. I wish there were proper words for me to express how grateful I am for the experience, what I’ve learned from it, and how much it meant to me, but everything I write or say about Cuba seems to fall short. In this post, I’ll do my best to sum up the highlights of my time there, and perhaps through these specifics, my feelings towards this country will become clearer.

Sights and Experiences

The Malecón. Stretching eight kilometers along the northern coast of la Habana, the Malecón is a just a sidewalk lined by a sturdy concrete wall, decorated with squat triangular pillars (sometimes) every thirty yards or so. But it’s so much more; it’s shown in every Cuban movie and its name is heard in every reggaeton song. Runners jog down it every morning as the sun rises, while lovers meander along it every evening as the sun sets. On windy days, waves – massive, imposing, tall waves – crash over its walls and flood the adjacent highway, often shutting it down for hours. And yet, the walls stand strong and proud. The Malecón might arguably be the most iconic location in Cuba, at least for me. read more

I’ve entitled this post “Culture Shock” because I’m just going to dump a bunch of information on some of the remaining aspects of Cuban culture, which could easily each have separate posts. Here goes.

Cigars

Everyone told me that I had to buy Cuban cigars while I’m here. Everyone. As if I hadn’t heard all of the hype surrounding them – of course I was going to buy cigars. The question was: where to start? How do I know what’s fake versus real? I still don’t really have an answer. Here’s what I do know: read more

After my more serious last post, I’d like to move to a lighter note: Cuban style. Cubans certainly walk the walk and talk the talk in just about everything they do. Their confidence is refreshing; they wear what they want, when they want, regardless of what anyone else might think. Just being around them has made me feel more comfortable in my own skin, actually.

Women’s style is definitely the most entertaining. The women here wear absurdly tight clothing – dresses, shirts, and leggings – no matter their body type nor the sheerness of the fabric. They strut down the street with utter poker faces, never missing a beat in their high heels. In fact, the high heels might be the most impressive part of their outfits, when you consider how many sidewalks are cracked, uneven, and downright dangerous. To accentuate their outfits, many also don shiny, bold jewelry, with the usual range of hairstyles. Older women dress more conservatively, usually with simple blouses and Bermuda shorts or long, floor-length dresses. read more