24
JOURNEYS magazine
Volume III, 2014
be the richest nation on earth.
My Spanish is very limited, but
when they don’t speak English,
we communicate with each other
with smiles and laughter.
The US Government allows
American citizens to enter Cuba
on a people-to-people initiative,
arranged by a travel professional.
This is a cultural exchange in which
small groups (up to 16participants)
are escorted by a Cuban host
to the island’s cultural treasures,
seeing them in a way in which
they are immersed into Cuban life
during the stay. The trip includes a
people-to-people visa, charter flight
to Havana fromMiami, hotels, food,
ground transportation, touring,
and immersive experiences with
residents. The other way for
Americans to get to Cuba legally
is on an amateur athlete’s visa,
which is how I’ve come. And while
there won’t be another triathlon
anytime soon, there’s a marathon in
Havana on November 16, 2014, and
Americans can sign up to enter.
I don’t think there’s anything
more immersive than training with
real Cuban athletes. For the last
four days, we’ve swum laps with
them, biked up gigantic hills on long
practice rides, and run together
on the back roads and along El
Malecón, an esplanade where giant
waves splash over the concrete
seawall. Opposite the Malecón are
charming but crumbling colonial
homes. We Americans have the
best sports clothes and the most
expensive road bikes, while the
Cuban athletes have old-fashioned
bikes, torn clothing, and very worn
sneakers; but they have spirit and
Off The Beaten Path
f I had not wanted to see
Havana, I wouldn’t be doing a
triathlon, but as an American, I
have only a few choices to enter
the country, and this seemed like
the most fun. Canadians can book
a flight with no problem and see
the beautiful beaches and quaint
villages and old Havana that has
been trapped in a time warp since
the early 1960s; unfortunately,
sanctions prevent Americans from
entering the country except on
group trips and with special visas.
I’m here on an “amateur sports
visa” alongwith 35 other Americans
for a four-day triathlon training
camp and then the race. None of
us really care about winning —
we’re here to train side-by-side
with the Cuban athletes and
experience exuberant Havana.
Cuba is economically poor but
the architecture is stunning, the
residents joyous, and even the
streets pulsate with live music. I’m
glad I have the chance to see it
before the American sanctions
are lifted and the island loses its
charm and quaintness and turns
into a major tourist destination like
Miami Beach.
The Cubans are very poor,
and the coaches asked us to bring
soap, shampoo, clothes, sneakers,
and writing materials to give away
as gifts. And while they have very
fewmaterial goods, when it comes
to joyfulness and spirit, they must
above
No other place shows
more of the Havana’s
soul, or attracts more
locals and tourists,
than the Malecón.
