It’s easy to see the potential of this town; its glorious simplicity and beauty, and while the city may have been impacted by both politics and Covid, the resplendent nature of the area cannot be denied. It was love at first sight; the shop owners, the market vendors, the servers who bent over backwards to make sure our stay was not only comfortable but memorable: they all succeeded. Humbled by their positivity and graciousness, the people never complained about their limitations and lack of resources, although through our lens, this could be an insurmountable roadblock to obtaining happiness. Seeing no more than a selection of 10 items on a shelf in a “grocery store,” a man fishing in the channel in a boat made of leftover packaging styrofoam and stitched together with rope, and gorgeous artwork painted in secrecy on newspaper or canvas (thank you, Coco whose “gallery” is located near the corner of San Fernando and Sta. Isabel), accentuated the Cuban’s zest for life and ability to overcome impossible odds. The resiliency of the Cuban people prove that money and politics cannot snuff out the human spirit.
Photo Credit Michelle Horvath
Photo Credit Scott Marquardt