Something Different You Say . . . .

It may not be an ocean view, but I think it's a lot better!

"I just want something different" he said.  I slowly raised my eyes from my computer to take a look at the client sitting across from me who so far had been talking about his winters vacation plans and how the beach in Puerto Plata was such a disappointment to him after he had been in Punta Cana the year before, and did I know that they only had 3 imported whiskeys, what did they think he was a cave man?  "How different?" I asked interrupting  him, waiting for his response before I gauged what kind of different he was actually looking for and chose my words carefully as to not cause him to bolt from my desk to the door because how could someone consider what I was describing a vacation and why would I be suggesting it to him. Different has a lot of meanings.

My suggestion of renting an illegal casa particular in rural Cuba for two weeks and fend for yourself probably wouldn't have gone over well.  He might have done just that run off to book on the internet because that crazy travel agent was talking insanity about fending for yourself, tractors, and slaughtering pigs in your neighbors yard, sugar cane fields, old Russian buses, and did I mention tractors???? I however faced the challenge this past summer head on and had an amazing experience that no resort/beach/tourist trap town could replicate.

View from my casa in Artemisa

Artemisa, Cuba.  That is where I chose to call home for two weeks this past summer.  If you are looking at a map of Cuba.  Find Havana, then look a little to the left, slowly . . . slowly . . . if you see Pinar del Rio you've gone too far.  That's it back away from the ocean . . . yep see it there? Tiny little place.  How did I find it? I had the fortune to visit for 2 days this past March and just knew it was the perfect place to spend some time off the grid. I wasn't completely on my own, I had a few friends in town.  A security guard I knew from previous trips to Havana, a very charming Professor and his wife, a musician and - no I am not describing the cast from Gilligan's Island - and my friend Yenier and his sisters. 

(above)
Playing dominoes with new friends.
(below)
This Lizard  loved to use my
clean floor as his bathroom -

 I rented a casa particular in Artemisa, it was lacking the little green and white sticker that made it a residence rental approved by the government of Cuba.  I wasn't overly concerned.  It was $25/night and had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a pool, living room, kitchen . . . all the standard stuff.  I had a market within walking distance and a few paladars (private restaurants) to choose from.  I was on vacation after all.  I had stayed in this same casa this past March but what I hadn't factored on was March is essentially winter there as well, so everything including a lot of the animals and such were not as active, the weather was fairly cool and calm.  When I arrived in July I had lizards, tropical storms and flooding.   I didn't mind the lizards in the beginning.  Until I swept up one morning and when I turned around I saw a little something on the floor.  Lizard poo. Yes they shit the floor.  You aren't allowed to kill them - at one point I had a cat run in though through the grating and chase one.  I was rooting for the cat as they went out the back door.  Also when these torrential rain storms would happen the water would start coming in through all the open areas, a mop would have been handy, but as it was there were a shortage of mops and they were selling them for 3 times the price illegally in the street and my friends would not support highway mop robbery so we had a squeegee and a towel that had more holes than a Cuban highway and a stick.  I was lucky every time it stormed I had friends with me because it made the clean up quite simple.  I even managed to video it one day, or I should say I managed to be videoed squeegeeing water across the floor yelling "she shoots she scores". 

Fresh pineapple bought from the back of a tractor

Shortages are normal in Cuba, which I experienced quite regularly because whatever I seemed to want any particular day was the specific item the market was sold out of.  Not produce there was an over abundance of veggies and fruit, but what would be short would be the seasonings, the soda, the things we take for granted here.  One day a wall of soda - next day - no soda.  I learned quickly to buy in bulk when I found certain things so that I would have an excess.  Of course this drew stares from Cubans when I bought 15lbs of coffee and 12 2 litre bottles of Tu Kola (the equivalent of Coca Cola) in one stop. Okay, Okay the coffee was for my parents but I still got stares and comments whispered behind me in Spanish that I was rolling deep. It didn't matter I was making sure I wasn't going to run out of anything.  The food in this area is really good.  It is the farm land so everything is fresh and all you need to do if you want something is wait to hear the call of the local vendors wandering the streets yelling "AJO, AGUACATE, CEBOLLAAAAAAAA" or you can buy fresh pineapple off the back of a tractor pulling out of the field it had just finished harvesting.  Mangos as big as your head and guava on every corner.  There was no shortage of fresh food.

Spaghetti with Station Salad

I didn't really cook a lot though, and the local paladars took care of my minimal food requirements.  I should warn you though -When dining in rural Cuba please keep the following in mind when ordering salad as the descriptions do differ a bit from North America:

Ensalada Estacion (Station Salad) = Sliced Cucumbers on a plate

Ensalada Mixta (Mixed Salad) = Sliced Cucumber accompanied by Diced Avocado

Ensalada Chef (Chef's Salad)= Sliced Cucumber, Diced Avocado, and canned green beans

dinner with friends at the local paladar

I shouldn't complain.  They were tasty, and the veggies were fresh.  I was just not expecting something quite that basic.  The paladars are priced quite well, with a Pollo Campasino which consisted of 1/2 a fried chicken, rice and peas and a salad selling for 2.50CUC and if you felt like splurging Surf & Turf (pork not beef) sold for 4.95CUC.  I took guests with me for dinner each night.  It was a good experience for them because even at those prices Cuban people don't eat out too often, and it gave me company while I dined.

Las Terrazas

I did a bit of wandering outside of the town itself.  A trip to Las Terrazas was a chance to explore the beautiful park, and the Guajiro Natural Polo Montañez's museum.  Las Terrazas is a national park, and has zip lining, small boats to rent and water sports in the lake.  I personally didn't take part in any of the water sports as I suspect alligators may live in that lake, although the Cubans assured me they didn't and I do love a little adventure I prefer adventure with all my appendages.

Riding in a '59 Chevy with 6 other locals

I also made a short trip into Havana (via local transportation - coche particular) this entailed going into downtown Artemisa at 7am and waiting with all the workers to get into a local car (picture 50's chevy's etc.).  You don't get a car to yourself you pile into a car with a bunch of strangers and off you go.  Of course I was a bit of a spectacle being as white as a polar bear and riding with Cubans, but I loved it.  There as a boy in the car with me on his way to Havana for surgery.  He watched me with what I could tell were tired eyes.  I gave his mom a couple of the candies I had in my purse for when he felt better.  I think he was surprised when the polar bear started speaking in Spanish to him and I learned he had a breathing condition that was supposed to be corrected with today's surgery.  I hope he is feeling better now.

I did enjoy just wandering around Artemisa though.  One day I heard the neighbour slaughtering a pig, yes the photo is said pig in my freezer. You can pretty much just walk up and talk to who ever you want to, they were nice people and I was happy to volunteer the freezer. I visited with Alex Cuba's parents.  Alex is a Cuban musician who is currently living here in Canada.  One of my companions bought a purple flower basket from Alex's mom as a gift for me (See the photo below).  I did get a few odd stares from time to time.  Tourists aren't the norm in Artemisa, so I found people were generally very curious about me and why I was there.  They also liked to watch me film the tropical storms and I did hear there were comments of "Why is she standing out in the rain, don't they have storms in Canada?"

 
 I did have the car I was in searched by the police one morning.  Where they searching for hidden Cubans? No.  Drugs? No.  They were searching for beef.  In Cuba the bearded bastard (aka Castro) controls the slaughter of the cattle.  So, if you are farmer Juan, and you raise the cow, nurse it through sickness, raise it, you can't ever slaughter it.  The government decides when it will be killed. If you kill it, 12 years in jail.  If you are caught transporting it, 8 years in jail and if you are caught eating it 1 year in jail.  Of course in the trunk of my car all they found was my suitcase.   Lucky for me they didn't see me a few days' before while I was eating illegal beef in a paladar. 

Overall the trip was a great one.  I met some very interesting characters and found myself in some unusal situations, but if I hadn't then the trip wouldn't have been a success to me.   Of course I will share these stories in time but I think some of the Characters I met on my travels need
their own platform, their own story, lumping them all in here would be a disservice to them.  They need to stand on the stage alone and have their stories told.

So different you say . . . the fellow booked Jamaica.  Could he find adventure there?  Sure.  Will he . .. unless he gets lost and finds himself out of that highly sanitized tourist area probably not.

Always take the road less traveled.  I promise when the journey is over you'll be satisfied.

J.

a local hand craft by Mrs. Cuba (Alex Cuba's Mom)

Goats tied in your yard, normal sight/occurence.

Mango and Guavas

a view from Las Terrazas