I wanted to visit Cuba first...

Well Havanna, the oldfashioned lady I would say... 

But let's begin this story of mine about Cuba with little music and throughout the story you will have the possibility to see some old photos of mine too... 

So the Duo Omara Portuondo&Martin Rojas (Skip Add). Oh, I remember still today when I heard this duo in the 80's in a shabby and smoky bar in Turku Finland. Or was it shabby and smoky? Maybe I just want to remember it so, as it is that way more nostalgic...Ron "Havana Club" from Cuba, Cuban beer "Cristal", Tropicana coctails, Mojitos...Well not in Turku at that time, but then in Cuba yes.

Anyway for me an experience I will never forget. Since then and also before that Omara Portuondo has visited Finland I think tens of times...Byt the way, the fellow musician very above - the old man with the guitar, we met at first day we came to Cuba. He asked from us where we come from, and as we said from Finland, he began to improvise for us a song. Maybe a touristic trick, maybe not...But anyway a nice memory and since that day I have had this marvellous photo, even if taken by a dispensable camera, above my working desk.

Yes Cuba...I wanted to visit it when it was still a little bit of kind of Cuba I wanted it to be. That is why it was my first travel destination in Latin America almost 20 years ago. Or actually the second one because of certain reasons. But I wanted it to be the first one.

For the trip I chose two books, one from Eduardo Galeano "Las venas abiertas de América Latina" (Open Veins of Latin America - 1971) and the other one from from Alejo Carpentier 
"Los Pasos perdidos"  (The lost Steps - 1953). If you have not read "The lost Steps" read it! A Must of all readings! I have read it maybe 4 or 5 times. Also "Open Veins of Latin America" couple of times.

I also took with me some books about music, and bought also some from Cuba. At that time they were very strict at Cuban customs and I was search thoroughly. But only when going out from Cuba.

In the customs they gave to your passport a stamp of an animal with the text "Air". 

It was kind of stamp given to the kids when they are good at schools. Its meaning was, I think, that you could travel to the States later whitout them noticing that you have visited Cuba.

In Cuba one of the most interesting things was visiting ancient indigenous people settlement, the Museum of Revolution and Santiago de Cuba. Hemingway sites are of course kind of mandatory issues in Cuba too.


But before travelling to Santiago, let's listen here one of my favorite Cuban bands "Vieja Trova Santiguera" . Look at the video, you will see some nice and talented oldfashioned musicians (and some dancing by...well see it in your own eyes...). I had the possiblity to see the band in Berlin some 10 years ago in "Tränenepalast". Tränenpalast is the building between East- and West-Berlin, where the customs was situated.

To Santiago de Cuba we travelled with a Russian cargoplane "Tupolev". When flying there we did not have any view. We did not see any landscapes as we were not sitting where the 2 and only windows of that plane were. But when coming back I was quick, and sat beside one of these windows. Nice views near Santiago, "The mountains of Fidel Castro"...

Santiago de Cuba - Vistas parciales-1123 EPSA, Impreso en Cuba

In Santiago one of the most interesting experiences was visiting the Moncada Barracs which were at that time a school. There all the sudden I decided to go in and I was wandering around the school...I stepped in in to a salsa class of small children on the country yard of that shool. How well they danced! Another teacher of the school invited us to a class to say to the kids "Hello from Finland". Very nice memories...

Cuba Serie Imágenes - 17005 Artex JF Ediciones

Cuba welcomes you! Very kind people there...Cuba welcomes you over and over again! 

Who knows, maybe I will visit Cuba once again too?