Throwback Thursday Trip Reports- Cuba- Last Day in Havana- May 20, 2011

We went to the beach this afternoon!  Only four of us, plus Lucila and another Cuban friend of Ariana's.  We were about 20 miles east of Havana.  Beautiful turquoise water, a nice breeze, and a lovely break from the city.  Had a wonderful conversation with Lucila about her 50+ post-revolution years.  Lucila was 16 in 1959.  When her family left for Miami, she stayed because she believed in the revolution.  Lucila was a professor of philosophy at the university until her department was closed when they strayed from Marxism as seen by the authorities.  What is fascinating to me is that she was able to switch fields and to this day is still a professor, only now of sustainable design and the like. Lucila's daughter is a psychoanalyst in Paris, and she visits her there every year.

After our return, we went back to the studio we visited on Tuesday.  We were greeted like old friends and everyone was clearly delighted to see us back. This time it was rumba- very AfroCuban with lots or drums, dancing, call and response.   This particular version of rumba is also very sexually charged and the dance was amazing.  My last internet card is running out and we meet in the lobby at 4:30 a.m. tomorrow.  We here security on Cuban planes is even tighter than in the U.S.

More from Santiago (in eastern Cuba)  if our hotel has internet.   Can't wait to share photos, video clips and all the wonderful CDs we have purchased.

Toni