Out of energy before I run out of money, I sit
under the palm trees in the Plaza Mayor where slaves
were traded. Hibiscus scents the air beside my bench as
a small boy giggles when I say, “Hola.”
Recorded music is blasting from the open air café
across from the plaza, but I’m partial to the trio who
sang “Bésame Mucho” at lunch and the up-tempo men
who belted out an ode to Ché Guevara at dinner. Music
is ever present in Cuba. I pick up CDs for roughly $10.
Matanzas
Brief, but beautiful, my hour at the Ediciones Vigía
(Plaza de la Vigía) is delightful. I watch this artist
collective recreating Cuban books into one-of-a-kind,
limited editions, all by hand. Gathered around a table
piled with reproduced images, they illuminate with paints
and crayons as well as dried leaves, yarns and beads. I
know I’ll take home one of their adult or children’s books.
Santa Clara
With Revolutionary hero, Ché Guevara buried in a
massive mausoleum in Santa Clara, the atmosphere
could be conformist. Instead, I find La Piedra Lunar
(Calle Luis Estévez 217), an independent Spanish-
language bookstore. Our dialogue with UNEAC writers
covers copyright, time management and e-books. We
listen to short stories, essays and, most compelling, a
poem by a goateed young man about his autistic son.
Wilting in the heat, we move the afternoon session
to the Centro Provincial de Artes Visuales where I steal a
few minutes to admire the galleries featuring landscapes
and metal sculptures.
Last stop on this road trip is Villa La Granjita, an
eco-lodge. Horses graze across the road from my solar-
powered, hexagonal cabin. Chickens wander next to
the swimming pool. It’s a peek at rural life, yet the
buffet meals are cruise-ship worthy.
Adios
Drinking my last mojito, I hum “Bridge Over Troubled
Water,” the background music at the Centro today.
Shaping the song into a metaphor, I envision waters
smoothing under a span strengthened by diplomacy.
Evolving connections link the past and a rapidly-
approaching future. Next time I pass this way, I’ll find
a new Cuba.
Feature Story
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WINTER / SPRING 2016
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