A mysterious touch
"And so this land of blood and laughter stands before us like a child laughing loudly in the bright sunshine, full of wild innocence, showing us how sated and weak we have all become."
Her name was Dolores. She was small, white, and Russian. If you're now thinking that I'm starting my tribute to Cuba with a fiery
historia de amor de fuego, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you—although a love story did emerge from her: for an island in the Caribbean Sea. Dolores was a rental car that accompanied us through Cuba for a few weeks and initially presented us with a puzzle at the rental company in Varadero – not the first one Cuba would give us: How were we, two fun-loving women in their prime, supposed to stow our luggage in this shoebox?
Right from the start, we sensed that we were not your everyday travelers. A blonde and a redhead on a self-drive tour through Cuba? But we wanted to experience and feel this country in all its facets: people and salsa, rum and palm-lined beaches, monster crabs and cocoa. A journey through time and a hurricane later, we knew. What it was that made this island so special and unique. Why it is impossible to resist.
There were no signposts. Our navigation system was the locals, "hola chicas," gesturing in the appropriate direction with broad smiles on their faces and a torrent of Spanish words (the meaning of which I could only guess at with my rather meager knowledge of the language). It was like a Sunday afternoon drive. Chugging along leisurely, enjoying the countryside, the air, the encounters, between ox carts, horse-drawn carriages, and bicycles. And that's exactly how life moves in Cuba. It lets you slow down your inner engine, calmly endure roads full of potholes, and think of the toy cars of your childhood.
People have time in Cuba. They are music and joie de vivre, they throw around swear words and worship their heroes. Honor, pride, and dignity are not personal virtues, but are used by the government in its fight against imperialist enemies. We see a photo of Che on almost every street corner, sometimes together with Fidel Castro or Cienfuegos, who is less well known in the Western world but all the more famous in Cuba. These men were once the leading fighters against the regime of the dictator Battista. Only Castro remained. But that, too, is Cuba.
This country functions in a way that is completely different from anything we know. Cuba is full of secrets and contradictions. It is challenging, unwieldy, and yet inviting. Self-confident and innocent. Life here is incongruous and yet harmonious. All of this is what makes this country what it is. It makes us love it like a shy beauty who rebels and resists, yet whose charm is impossible to resist. Cuba is so much more than majestic royal palms, huge sugar cane fields, "viva la revolution," and salsa. Here, alongside the Castros, serenity and joie de vivre reign supreme.
We explored this island with our little Dolores. We passed by bright Caribbean colors under the shining sun and dilapidated colonial buildings that have nevertheless lost none of their charm. We saw unspoiled rainforest in Humboldt National Park, swam at Salto del Caburni in Gran Parque Natural de Collantes, smelled the air filled with the scent of cocoa beans in Baracao, enjoyed a delicious mojito at El Floridita, the bar where Hemingway did the same, and danced to rousing rhythms in Trinidad at the Cathedral on the Plaza Mayor. Our senses demanded that we stop and pause. We wanted to feel the magic.
There is an air of mystery surrounding Cuba. You don't have to understand everything on this island. But you will love it.
