Phase 2 of Josh’s globetrotting took him, Betsy, and me to Cuba. We weren’t sure what to expect besides old cars, which we saw a lot of. What we did see was a country truly stuck in time trying to climb into the present. Much of what we saw was either very colonial, very 1950’s architecture, or very Communist utilitarian. Customs was a plainly painted room with very few lights, enough to get the job done. Highways were nearly empty, some sections simply ended and forced drivers to cross to the other side of the road. The cars were there as expected, many kept together with bondo and brightly colored paint. Paint and plaster were falling off of lots of buildings. Some buildings were being held up by scaffolding, their arches supported with wood. Everything seemed charming, even with their post-apocalyptic presentation. The word patina was thrown around. The small apartment we rented was across the street from the University. We had a great vantage point of a popular intersection where vintage cars either swooshed by or violently shook as they passed, threatening to fall apart at any moment. We took a walk around the University. Still posted in the quad was the US tank that the Revolution captured and Fidel Castro parked there during the revolution. We ended up speaking to two students, somehow getting on the subject of a group visiting from the University of Alabama, education, and technology. It turned out that there was a computer lab with internet in the building we were standing in front of, however, only the US students were allowed to use it. It was surprising to see these Cuban students stuck in the past only 100 feet from the future. They just weren’t allowed to get there.

Our first night we went to the Buena Vista Social Club show. Had I known it was that big of a tourist trap I would have passed, however, it was amazing to see old members of the group belting out hits and dancing better than I ever could well into their 80’s. Plus it was worth it to see Josh get sucked into the conga line. I wish I brought my better camera.

The next day we walked the long way to Old Town, taking in the sights of cars and buildings. Once there, we toured the Revolution Museum housed in the old Presidential palace. Constantly wondering what was true history or fantasy, it was impressive to see items tied to the revolution. Clothing, documents, technology, weapons, propaganda, etc. There was a smattering of “Imperialist American” propaganda as well. One afternoon we visited a cigar factory that makes many of the popular brands; Cohiba, Partaga, Romeo y Julieta, etc.The building smelled great and it was neat to see the process. We weren’t allowed to take pictures.

The owner of the apartment we rented happened to be a licensed tour guide and gave us a walking tour of Old Town the following day. He shared with us his knowledge of the area, relevant historical buildings and landmarks, as well as some perspective on life in Cuba. He was also not shy about showing us some of the colonial buildings that had been taken over by squatters. Some interesting things we saw on the tour included: Revolution Square; historical buildings; churches, including the one being prepped for Pope Francis’ visit; a grade school; an old pharmacy turned museum; the famous bar frequented by author and angry drunk Ernest Hemingway; a functional art studio; a house once owned by the artist Guayasamin (from Quito, Ecuador); the pawn store, now museum, that the revolutionaries raided to fuel the revolution; and one of Leonardo Davinci’s camera obscuras.

Our last day we went out on a boat for some good old fashioned deep sea fishing in an area that is legendary for its fishing, a first for all. After proving to the guards at the checkpoint that we weren’t trying to make the 90 mile trip to Florida, we were off. It quickly became apparent that there was no “catch-and-release”. These guys kept what they catch which we had to accept. We did catch one fish. Once it was close to the boat the landing process happened quick and was ‘exhilarating’. The saving grace was that the catch fed quite a few people. We coasted into the final evening reflecting on an inspiring trip. What was most impressive was the feeling of being back in time and seeing how the past fifty years has affected the people simply trying to live their lives like anyone else in another country. Josh had an early flight the next day and Betsy and I were off to our next adventure, Colombia.