Eco-village à la Cuba Style

In an attempt to be more productive and feel like we’re not just waiting around in Havana while our work papers make their way through the circuitous route of Cuban democracy, we decided to go on a field trip. The location we chose was described by the Lonely Planet as being Cuba’s oldest eco-village, started in the 60’s as a reforestation project and seemed to have been self-sustaining since then.

We looked into various options of how to get there and our new friends told us about a tour that happens through the Hotel Parque Central. After some inquiry and price comparisons, we settled on the Spanish tour, leaving at 7:30am on Thursday.

Thursday morning saw us managing an early wake-up, which included E making us some much-needed coffees and me making us a hearty breakfast to prepare us for our day of exploring the alleged natural beauty of the area.

The bus was leaving from the Capitolio, so we made our way there in two separate maquinas. E and I showed up first, walked by a dead dog that was lying on the sidewalk, ignored all the men trying to get us to choose their taxi, and found our little tour bus.

An upside to being up at such an ungodly hour is that it’s not unbearably hot yet!

Entonces, we all arrived on time and the tour guia introduced herself as Svetlana. I later found out the she had moved to Cuba 20 years ago with her Cuban husband, who she had met while he was studying abroad in one of those ex-soviet, communist countries. When she spoke Spanish, it sounded to me like she was speaking English! I’m improving. The accent here still trips me up, but I’m improving.

Our guide described the activities of the day to us in the first few minutes of the drive and then left us to ourselves while a music video of old classics played on the screen at the front of the bus. Within 5 minutes, E and I were rocking out to “Take on me".

We arrived to Las Terrazas after a gorgeous drive through the countryside and up some beautiful hills. Our first stop was by a big lake where we were fed welcome coctails of rum, orange fanta and cola. There was the option of non-alcoholic beverages, thank goodness. While we downed our welcome drinks, a live band played music by a man who had grown up in Las Terrazas... Polo something. 

We were herded back onto the bus with our local guide and were driven to the first stop: the Canopy Tour. Not included in the price of the tour of course. Everyone on our little bus opted to pay the extra 7CUCs to do it, while we walked around on our own and tried to find out what part of the village was "eco". We were at a loss. There was a little pond with beautiful white and pink lotus flowers, teeny fish and the indigenous beer cans, bottles of rum and juice boxes that grow rampant in that part of the country. 

We headed back to meet our tour guide with even more questions. Neither Svetlana nor the local guide were able to answer our very simple queries about the reforestation project that had started in that area over 3 decades ago. Thankfully, the man who was working at the Canopy Tour cash register was able to explain that Las Terrazas used to be used for lumber and coal making so the entire area had been degraded. Several individuals started replanting trees there in the 60s and managing the land differently. When other people saw that they could actually make a living there, the community grew. The man mentioned that there had previously been a nursery to grow the trees on-site, but it had fallen into disrepair recently with changes in how people are paid for their work here. 

That was basically the extent of what we learned. 

The next stop on the tour after the zip line was Maria's house. Who is Maria you may ask? We have no idea. I asked the tour guide who Maria was, why she was important, and why this was part of the tour. In response, the tour guide pointed to a little old woman who was watching us from a balcony over the cafe and then walked away, without answering my other queries. 

After Maria's house, we were driven along a dirt path to a little river that supposedly has healing powers. We had a very nice lunch by the river and then we were left to our own devices for the next 4 hours so that we could relax in the water. At this point we were too far away from the town to go back and walk around and ask more questions of people. 

All in all... not an ideal research field trip to find out about eco-villages in Cuba.

That was the extent of what we learned.

Pictures

Maquina ride to the playa

Photo by E.I. view from our patio

Things I have learned so far

I hardly know anything

            This isn’t something new, but it is a fact that I am constantly relearning and understanding. This truth is something that drives my sense of curiosity and impels me to always be learning. My mother has often teased me for never being able to get out of the academic mentality of always absorbing information.

I have amazing friends and family members

            Again, something I already knew, but something that I am ever grateful for.

I am incredibly lucky to have been born where and when I was.

            Having worked on women’s issues in other countries and knowing about women’s situations around the world, I feel so fortunate to have the opportunities that I have and with this, comes a sense of responsibility. One of my friend’s mothers told her, before leaving to work abroad: “Never forget that you are an ambassador for women.” No pressure though…

Air pollution gives me a headache.

            This city, like many others, seems to have a huge air pollution problem, stemming from the old cars that drive around, idle and backfire all the time. The smog that settles over the downtown core of cities causes so many health problems that go unnoticed and these issues don’t seem to be a main priority for politicians. Yet, simple solutions like adding greenery decreases airborne particulates and certain plants are known to absorb and retain noxious gases, thereby decreasing urban air pollution by a noticeable amount. 

Staying outside in the heat of the day is ridiculous.

            I’m so Canadian… I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to such incredible heat and humidity. It makes me lethargic and removes any feeling of wanting to do something productive.

Sometimes, when you’re least expecting it, you may cross paths with someone amazing that will leave a lasting impression on you.

Sometimes in the most unexpected places, when the universe comes together in a series of arbitrary events, you connect with incredible people that you may never have met. I’ve realized over the past few years that I continue to meet the most interesting people while I travel and that due to our similar nomadic, erratic courses through life, I may not see them again for a long time, if ever. This seems bittersweet to me, as I am always happy to know that such great people exist, but sad to think that our paths may not cross again.

My shyness can still get the better of me.

            There still exists in me that timid little girl who sometimes just wants to hide behind her mom’s skirt.

Photographing makes me happy.

            I am well aware that I am not anything close to a professional photographer, but something about capturing beautiful moments, objects or people takes me out of my head and gives me a sense of calm.

Boys don’t always understand the vulnerability of being a girl

            Last night, I realized that no matter how aware boys are, they don’t necessarily understand what it’s like to be a girl. I had gone downtown to watch the sunset and the out for dinner with the boys. I was thinking of heading home as they were talking about staying out, when I realized that I didn’t feel comfortable walking back alone. When I mentioned this to them, they were both surprised that I felt like that. Granted this city is relatively safe, but taking a maquina and then walking down dark streets alone didn’t seem like the smartest idea. Boys. Pfft.

Being a girl can be a good thing.

            The other night, after ten minutes of the boys trying to hail us a ride to get us home from La Rampa and failing, I stepped onto the street and hailed a car that immediately agreed to take us to our location for the regular price, as opposed to the inflated tourist price that the boys had been given for the past ten minutes.

No expectations are better than low expectations.

            This mainly comes down to having an open mind and not really planning ahead that much.

I am not interested in specializing in one species.

            I was recently given the opportunity to go work in Hawaii, studying humpback whales through the University. It was an unpaid position, which helped my decision making, but the experience still made me realize that studying one creature wasn’t appealing to me.

Sunsets are one of my favourite things. Top twenty for sure.

Cubans like sugar. It’s not a stereotype.

            Several experiences and observations over the past two weeks have given me enough of a sample size to say that yes, Cubans like sugar. A lot of it. Somewhat of a culture shock moment when our friend added 4 heaping spoonfuls of sugar to less than 250ml of tea.

In every country, there is inequality.

The moon always seems brighter in Latin American countries.

Spanish speakers have trouble understanding you if you make seemingly small mistakes like changing an “a” for an “o”. Or if like me, you can’t roll your r’s and sound like a French person…

Quote from our friend C “Metrosexuals exist in every country!”

            This came up after a discussion about waxing versus shaving.

This city has very little light pollution.

            I’ve never been in such a big city that had so little light pollution at night that you can clearly see all but the dimmest stars.

Cuba is expensive.

            Even paying for many things in moneda nacional, we’ve already spent way more that we expected. Rent is equivalent to what we would pay in Montreal. Slash, I haven’t actually had to pay rent in a very long time, so this is really cutting into my rum budget ;)

There may only be one way to skin a cat, but there many ways to prepare rice and beans!

Rum is priced similarly to water.

Salsa dancing is a tremendous amount of fun, even not knowing how.

            Also, it takes me exactly 3 ¼ beers to be comfortable enough to let a friend teach me how to salsa and to allow myself to be led. Also, it’s hard to dance and laugh really hard at the same time. Laughing at oneself is clave (key)!

Guys here have a mandatory two years in the army.

            This was news to me.

It’s never too hot for hot chocolate.

            There’s a place in la Habana vieja called Museo de Chocolate (not actually a museum) that serves hot chocolate, made from real Cuban cocoa and mixed with cinnamon and vanilla. It costs $0.50 for a decently sized mug. The place is also air-conditioned. It is officially my second favourite place in Havana. First place goes to my fourth floor balcony where I can simultaneously watch the sunset, watch boys play volleyball in the park and drink a Bucanero (beer).

Music from friends is the best going away present.

            I had the fortune of having one of my good friends give me 7 or 8 GBs of music before I left. On that note, there’s nothing like some golden oldies to make people smile.

Lady Gaga is cross-cultural.

Market Day

The market here is fascinating. The prices are all the same at each stall so I guess it just comes down to who you want to buy from and what produce looks more appetizing. We walked there from our building, through little streets and bought a bunch of essentials, like oil, butter, eggs and a bunch of beans. The vegetables and fruit all look beautiful and fresh and are quite hard to resist. Buying groceries in this country is fascinating. Prices are fixed but sometimes it will be in pesos and other times in CUCs, depending what kind of store you are in. The market stalls are all in pesos and los shoppings are in CUCs. Buying things in CUCs makes everything more expensive, but the only places to find certain things like butter, cheese, oils are in the shoppings and so we end paying in CUCs. Other things like eggs, which our project coordinator said were really hard to find, have been relatively easy to find and are quite inexpensive. We paid 30 pesos, one dollar and a few cents for 20 beautiful looking eggs. Two huge avocados cost less than one dollar. A massive mango costs less than 50 cents. Life is good. Greens and grapes are the most expensive things I have seen yet. It was the hottest time of the day to go shopping and within a few minutes we were all melting. It was pleasant for the simple fact that we weren’t being harrassed to buy everything. The vendors weren’t in the least bit pushy. We finally found some spices, so our meals will have a little extra kick now. The thing I have yet to see is pure flour so that I can start baking.

I plan on doing some reading today about water purification in rural tropical areas and start learning my stuff for Guantanamo.

El lunes

 Today we had to be up early to meet O at her apartment downtown at 8:15. Waking up was brutal. I heated up some leftover rice and beans for me and E and poured us some OJ. It made the morning a little easier.

We took a maquina downtown. I’m starting to get the hang of this system a little more. You stick out your hand with just a finger wagging and then if you’re going straight, you signal with your hand, as if you were shaking hands with someone. If you’re staying within the main part of Havana, each person pays 10 pesos. If you go over the bridge or through the tunnel, you pay 20 pesos. After that, it’s just a matter of figuring out the maquina routes.

O drove us around while she dropped some papers off at different ministerios to try and get an exit visa for J, our project coordinator. O brought in a package of printing paper as a present for one of her “friends” to help make the process easier.

After the running around was done, we drove with her to the Instituto de Investigaciones Agroforestales so that we could meet the rest of the team that we’ll be working with. The Instituto is so far! It was a thirty-minute drive in her car. I can’t imagine how long the bus ride will be. Hopefully we won’t have to go out there very much. The work that I have to do in Havana is mostly just reading and learning about everything that I have to do out in Gtmo.

We met the team, and discussed our workplans in more detail and got some great advice from them. I was told again about a tree called Moringa whose seeds can be macerated and used to purify water. The fruit and the flowers are edible and the roots are medicinal. If this works, it could be grown in the viveros (nurseries) on the farms and marketed by the finqueros. Exciting stuff!

Talking with the team took all of my focus and concentration. It takes me about five minutes to switch my brain over to the Cuban accent and then I can understand almost everything. I miss a few of the subtleties, but I’m feeling confident that my Spanish will improve quickly. One of my personal goals while I’m here is to not be too hard on myself when I don’t understand the language or the culture right away.

After our meeting, we were given a tour of the grounds and learned about a few trees that were planted there by the staff. Blackberry, Breadfruit, Noni, Mango, Moringa, Eucalyptus, Olive and others that I don’t remember.

Brains frieds from the heat and having to focus extra hard on spanish comprehension, we headed back to the centre to check emails and then headed back to the casa to heat up leftovers of beans and rice and added some aguacates to the mix. I’m still surprised by how easy it has been to find fresh produce, compared to what we were warned about by the project coordinator. After dinner, the boys and I headed out to a little club called Fresa y Chocolate where there was a DJ playing house and electro music. The club was pretty empty when we got there at 10 and filled up to way over capacity by 11:30. The music was great and the crowd was completely different than what we had seen at the discoteca on the weekend. This crowd was young, had money to burn, dressed to the nines and a majoritarily gay crowd. We stayed until just before close and walked back and discussed life and love. It was a great conversation to have just before bed.

Fin de Semana

 Woke up around 12:30 and lazed around for a while. Made some breakfast of huevos revueltos and drank the jugo de manzana that magically appeared in my fridge between last night and this morning. I love when drunk me takes care of sober me.

I headed out with M, E and C to la Plaza vieja where we had coffee yesterday. The walk there was brutally hot and I thought I might turn into a puddle.

We sat on the plaza for a few hours, barely able to move, let alone make conversation. That being said, our conversational skills aren’t superb to begin with in this language. It is incredible how exhausting it is to have to focus so hard on what people are saying. I thought that the accent in Spain was difficult, but the Cuban accent trumps it mucho. We made our way back to the casa and I made us some dinner and then M and I watched a cute animated movie in Spanish.

Sunday we woke up relatively early and headed to la playa. It’s only 20kms outside of the city and only costs 5 CUCs to get there, split between five people. Pretty sweet deal. The only unfortunate part was that we arrived at high noon and stayed throughout the hottest part of the day. All in all, it was a lovely day spent on a white sandy beach, surrounded by a sea of people, staring at a sea of blended turquoise and gentle waves. Life is good.

After the beach, we were all fried so we headed home as fast as possible. I cooked up some beans and rice, called Moros y Cristianos. Yes. Moors and Christians. I can’t figure out if it is an extremely racist term, or a beautiful way of blending together two cultures in one tasty dish. We all crashed after dinner, knowing that we had to be up early for our workday on Monday.

Trabajamos

This morning, we met up with J at 9am outside of the Capitolio and treated ourselves to a fancy breakfast of coffee. It was this lovely European style café across the Plaza Vieja from the place we had beer on the first day. My café frio was spectacular and I then followed it up with a café con leche that rivalled some of the best coffees I had in Italy. That place will definitely become a regular stop.

Walking around this city inspires me to write again. J pointed out the building that Hemingway used to stay in and write. It’s no wonder that he was so inspired here. Everywhere I look is a scene from an unwritten short story.

After coffees and desayunos, we were led through la Habana vieja by J who showed us a few key spots and then we found ourselves a maquina (taxi) to go out to immigration to get our cards made. A loco maquina ride along the malecon brought us to a different part of the city and we found the immigration building. A lovely lady named L had us fill out little forms and took the pictures that we had made yesterday of our red sweaty faces. This trip, with a follow up trip will hopefully, eventually result in our carnets, basically cards that show that we will be working in Cuba and are valid for approximately one year. As far as J has explained, the cards allow us to prove that we are “cubano y cubana” and let us pay in moneda nacional instead of tourist dollars.

J also showed us where the CIDA office is, where we can print off papers and access skype (the only place on the island).

We headed back downtown towards J’s place and were dropped off a few blocks away from her and her baby daddy’s aptmt. We stopped at a Mercado and bought some lunch makings. Bocadillos con guacamole, pepinos, tomates y huevos fritos. Amazing. All of this mixed with a nice cool breeze and cold water. It was the equivalent of heaven after a sweaty, humid hot morning in the sun. By lunchtime, I was delirious and provided the entertainment for the rest of the group.

We were waiting for O, our local jefe for two hours. Since the four of us were falling asleep, J thought it was a good idea to head out and lead us to where we could grab a maquina to go home. O’s place just happened to be on our way to the Capitolio where we get the taxis from so we popped our heads in the door to see if she was there. She was. We ended up meeting with her for a painful hour and a half while we tried not to fall asleep. Talking with her got me excited about the project again. She put me on the track of a natural purification method that involves using the seed of a plant called Moringa. I’m going to do research while I’m here and experiments in Gtmo to see if it would be a valid tool for the campesinos. If so, we can get the empresa to grow the tree in the state nurseries and we can encourage the farmers to grow them as well.

I finally managed to drop enough hints so that we could make a graceful exit from O’s house and head home. We made our way back to our hood and walked up the street to get some pizza for dinner. The closer place that we had been to before was closed so we went up to the other one. We got three big pizzas. Definitely not as good as the other place. That, and M found a staple in his pizza. As P was trying to make us look on the positive side and said that at least we hadn’t found hairs, I pulled out a long strand of hair from my pizza. So… next time we go to the other place.

After food we all came back and showered and napped. Except for the energizer bunny. She didn’t nap. At around 10, the boys came up and we started off the night with some LMFAO style shots.

Our new friend C showed up and we all headed out on the town together. We strolled down la Rampa to the malecon and walked along the boardwalk, checking out the sights. After we had filled our eyes, C suggested we buy a bottle of rum and bring it in to the club. For 3 CUC and the 5 CUC cover to get into the bar, the five of us partied it up until 4am.