In this section, I include some photos from my own travels. Click on the audio player below the slideshow for music.
Cuba
I recently returned from a wonderful arts trip to Havana, Cuba. As most people who are fortunate enough to travel to Cuba will tell you, visiting the country is a fantastic experience: the people are very warm and welcoming, much of the architecture (in Havana, at least) is still beautiful in a worn, weathered sort of way, and the arts are incredibly vibrant - to name just a few outstanding features. It's also a country that seems to be slowly but surely undergoing transformation.
What makes Cuba so unique is that it has grown and developed for over half a century under very difficult circumstances - essentially, in isolation, as it has been ostracized from much of the world due to its communist policies and government. The US imposed a commercial and economic embargo on Cuba in 1960 that exists to this day - the longest US embargo in modern history. The embargo prohibits trade, as well as free travel to Cuba by US citizens (with the exception of people who have family living in Cuba.) However, in recent years, some of these travel restrictions have been relaxed, and Americans can now travel to Cuba under very specific licenses (eg., for conferences, or religious or educational purposes.) My trip was a person-to-person arts trip; our group met with many artists, where we were able to see their work and visit their homes - which was a really wonderful experience.
While visiting, I learned some interesting facts (corroborated by the linked sources):
If you ever have the opportunity to visit - go! If you can't get there, take a look at the slideshow, and listen to some Cuban music below.
For more info on Cuba:
Books:
Movies and Music:
What makes Cuba so unique is that it has grown and developed for over half a century under very difficult circumstances - essentially, in isolation, as it has been ostracized from much of the world due to its communist policies and government. The US imposed a commercial and economic embargo on Cuba in 1960 that exists to this day - the longest US embargo in modern history. The embargo prohibits trade, as well as free travel to Cuba by US citizens (with the exception of people who have family living in Cuba.) However, in recent years, some of these travel restrictions have been relaxed, and Americans can now travel to Cuba under very specific licenses (eg., for conferences, or religious or educational purposes.) My trip was a person-to-person arts trip; our group met with many artists, where we were able to see their work and visit their homes - which was a really wonderful experience.
While visiting, I learned some interesting facts (corroborated by the linked sources):
- The literacy rate in Cuba is 99.8% - one of the highest in the world.
- Cuba has universal health care. Although short of medical supplies and staff, the quality of Cuban medicine is very well-respected.
- Baseball is wildly popular, and men in particular are usually experts at knowing all about Cuban baseball teams, as well as American teams.
- Cuba is well-known for its rich biodiversity; there are species of animals, flora and fauna that may exist only in Cuba.
- For Cuban citizens, education, as well as care related to births and deaths, is subsidized by the government.
- The average income in Cuba is approximately equivalent to $20/month.
- The ethnic roots of the Cuban population are an eclectic mix of Asian, African, Spanish, Russian, and other European countries.
- The country is secular, but various types of religions are practiced. One of the largest is Roman Catholicism, which is often practiced together with Santeria, an African-based religion.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit - go! If you can't get there, take a look at the slideshow, and listen to some Cuban music below.
For more info on Cuba:
Books:
- Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know
- The Cuba Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The Latin America Readers)
- Hidden Cuba: A Photojournalist's Unauthorized Journey to Cuba to Capture Daily Life: 50 Years After Castro's Revolution
Movies and Music:
All slideshow photos © MIchelle Badash