Under the Blue Skies of Cuba

As published by JPlus by The Jakarta Post, August 2016

It was first time that I travelled because of politics. Cuba was never on my bucket list until I read of
Barack Obama’s visit to the country in March, following the US president’s lifting of a 50-year-old
embargo.

At the time, I was sure that Cuba would quickly change, as Obama brought with him US firms such as Airbnb and Google to jump-start economic relations.

I wanted to experience life in Cuba before the nation was opened to the unchecked forces of capitalism courtesy of its largest neighbour, which lies only about 150 kilometres away.

My flight, via a Mexican airline, flew to Havana direct from Mexico City. As Indonesian, I still needed a visa. However, it was the easiest that I have ever obtained, by far.

The folks at the airport in Mexico City called it a “tourist card”. All I had to do was fill out the card and pay 250 Mexican pesos (US$13) at the check-in counter. Apparently, it’s less expensive than getting a visa in advance from an embassy of Cuba abroad.

Mr. Castilla and his taxi

An ancient, bulky but classy blue Pontiac and driver, Mr. Castilla, welcomed me. The metal bird figurine on its hood reflected the glare of the Caribbean sun as we passed the special terminal for US arrivals – a new innovation.

“There are flights [arriving] from the United States with jets, but there are no commercial airlines operating that serve direct routes between the United States and Cuba,” Mr. Castilla said.

Jose Marti International Airport is located in Boyeros, about 30 minutes from the center of Havana. The 63-year-old car did not have air conditioning, so we opened all the windows.

While I felt a breeze as we gained speed, sweating was inevitable. The outside temperature was not so bad. The intense humidity, however, is not something that most Indonesians will be familiar with.

Amid the excitement of arriving in Cuba, I forget to change my US green-backs to CUCs, or the Cuban convertible peso), at the airport, where the rate was allegedly better.

Bills from different countries, including Indonesian Rupiah (top left) and CUC (top right)

Outside the airport, CUCs, called cucs or cahvitos, could be withdrawn at ATMs or converted at money changers known as cadeca at an exchange rate of 84 centavos /cents to $1. (The CUC is divided into 100 cents).

Better rates are available for euros, pounds or other currencies, since the Cuban government levies an
exchange tax on the US dollar.

The CUC is intended for tourists, while Cubans typically use the National Peso–something that leads to two price tags in the shops.

A CITY OF CULTURE

For my first night in Havana, Mr. Castilla took me directly to the National Hotel, one of the most beautiful and most prestigious hotels in Cuba.
While some venues in Cuba operate under international brands, such as the Spanish-owned Melia
and NH hotel chains, the properties in Cuba are all state administrated, as are most businesses.

There are exceptions, however, such as the 178 privately owned small-to-medium enterprises, including restaurants and home-stays, authorized by the government of President Raul Castro, brother of the famed Fidel, in 2010.

The National Hotel serves hotel guests and show visitors

The National Hotel, apart from its history of hosting celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Marlon Brando, Ernest Hemingway and Jean-Paul Sartre, remains a cultural centre.

It was Tuesday night and at the hotel’s swimming pool, a stage and tables were set for around 50 persons. For 25 cucs, I got a pass to enjoy some Cuban son music, which mixes Latin American beats with African and Cuban rhythms.

On stage were former members of the Buena Vista Social Club performing with a group called Legends.com, comprising seven singers from different generations, a couple of salsa dancers and nine
instrumentalists.

Some visitors came in elegant dress, some were as laid back as the island in t-shirt and shorts. Mojitos, as well as Cuba libres, were ordered from the bar. Music and rum are undoubtedly the soul of Cuban night life.

Performance by Legends.com

 

The next evening, I got to see the colourful, glamorous and sexy Parisien Cabaret at the National Hotel’s theatre-restaurant. This musical revue presented dancers in kaleidoscopic sparkling costumes performing energetically as singers chanted harmonic melodies.

Apart from Cuban salsa and son, the group played music from other Latin countries, such as Mexican
mariachi, Colombian cumbia, Brazilian samba, Argentinean tango and even Spanish flamenco.

Cabaret Parisien

After watching everyone dance, it was time to wiggle wobble myself at the most famous nightclub in Havana, Casa de la Musica, or the Music House, whose high stage did little to lessen the connection between those who made music on it and those who danced on the floor below.

Locals and tourists were gozando, the popular term for enjoying themselves, that night with salsa music, dancing and inexpensive Cuban rum.

The entrance fee was inexpensive at only 10 cucs for the evening show.

In the broad light of the next day, I fell in love with the view of Havana’s coast from the 16th century Castle of Three Kings of Morro.

Morro Castle

Surrounded by water and green meadows, the fort of irregular polygons overlooking Havana has defended the city from both pirates and colonial attacks. In the revolutionary era, Che Guevara used the fortress as his headquarters.

View from Morro Castle

House of Che

Close to the citadel was a worth-to-see tourist destination of Old Havana. The historical town is packed by rows of museums commemorating such local treasures such as tobacco and rum.

Old Havana

There’s also the palace that currently hosts the Revolution Museum, the neoclassical Capitol building, historical squares like Plaza de San Francisco and Plaza Vieja, the Almacenes de San José arts-and-crafts market (perfect for finding souvenirs) as well as hotels, restaurants, bars even juice stands.

Revolution Museum

The Bodeguita del Medio Restaurant in Old Havana is famous among tourists, oft visited by luminaries such as Pablo Neruda, Nat “King” Cole, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Ernest Hemingway. It’s also said to be the birthplace of the mojito.

Cocotaxi

Art installation at Plaza San Francisco

While Bodeguita del Medio is steeped in history, Cubans today are attracted by modernity, standing or sitting in front of the building and looking to their mobile phones to enjoy its WiFi, the most economic way to go online since the government opened the nation to the internet in 2015.

A voucher good for 60 minutes of (less than speedy) internet access can be purchased for 2 cucs. Private or home internet access remains prohibited.

WiFi Spot in Old Havana

CONNECTED... TO THE NATURE

Given the glacial internet speeds, I went online only once in five days. Instead, I enjoyed getting
connected with the Cuban people and landscape.

Heading west out of Havana, I came upon Viñales, a little town blessed with natural splendour–and some fine bars.

Belvedre of Viñales

“Two more piña coladas,” said a Russian tourist behind me, right after the bartender gave me my own
personal bottle of rum to fortify my drink as needed.

Sipping an ice-blended pineapple-and-coconut juice was a self-indulgent thing to do on that sunny day, even though people from Havana said that it had been cold.

Bar at the entrance of Palenque Cave

The principal destinations in the area are the Indio and Palenque Caves. It takes only 30 minutes apiece to explore each cave by foot, although you must exit Indio Cave by boat after your hike.

Palenque Cave had a more human touch at its entrance and exit: Both points were used for bars and restaurants. (NB: If you happen to be in Viñales on Saturday, you may want to try clubbing at the mouth of Palenque Cave).

As much as I enjoyed my initial adventures spelunking, nothing could beat Santo Tomas Cave–the largest in Cuba and the second largest in North America.

It was not an easy climb to discover all of its eight levels. Luckily, I chose to wear comfortable attire and shoes.

Natural Cave Window of Santo Tomas

Even before reaching its gate, I had to scale a steep track for 15 minutes. The struggle paid off, however, with a breath-taking view from a natural cave window looking down on the village.

Santo Tomas Cave

Our guide equipped my group with helmets, lamps and a few flash-lights. Unlike the previous two caves that had man-made illumination, Santo Tomas was too big, too high and probably too sacred to have too much human intervention.

To see most of the million-year-old stalactites and stalagmites, we needed to shine our lights directly at them.

Not all parts of the cave were completely dark. Before entering the final hollow, we turned off our
lanterns for several minutes and could see a little in the dim natural light.

And when there is light, there is life. Only in this part of the cave could be found green vegetation. As we proceeded in the dark again, some mushroom-like grass could be seen inside the last grotto.

Cuba is a stunning travel destination, regardless of how the lifting of the US embargo will change the nation.

According to the Cuban National Office of Statistics and Information, international tourist arrivals have been on the upswing for the last four years.

The nation has attracted many prominent people in the past, and it will continue to draw more people in the future–for its sun, its warm citizens, its sizzling music and dance and most of all, for its authenticity.

Viñales´ Transportation Mode

Citadel of Viñales

LA GUELAGUETZA

As published by JPlus by The Jakarta Post, December 2015

La Guelaguetza, one of the biggest festivals in Mexico

It’s worth visiting Oaxaca in July, when the city stages La Guelaguetza, one of the biggest festivals in Mexico.

La Guelaguetza takes its name from the Zapotec word for “the present”, which in a broad sense represents an attitude of sharing with neighbours, nature and life.

The pinnacle of the festival is the Lunes de Cerro, or Monday of the Hill, when there’s folk dancing, chanting and other rituals performed by people from throughout the state.

I watched the festivities at the modern Guelaguetza Auditorium, located above Fortin Hill close to the city centre.

While the most expensive tickets cost 1050 Mexican pesos (US$65), it’s also possible to enjoy Lunes de Cerro in the free seats, if you don’t mind sitting a little far from the action and are willing to arrive at least two hours in advance.

Most of the performances I saw were accompanied by chilena music, an Afro-Mexican fusion genre from coastal Oaxaca.

Men and women danced in pairs. Following each act, performers and organizers threw presents into the crowd, such as handicrafts, tortilla crackers, sweets and coffee.

Women dancers from the Tuxtepec region emerged carrying pineapples on their shoulders and dancing in line – and pitched bananas, oranges and pineapples into the crowd after the show.

Tuxtepec Women

I was blown away by an Aztec-Mixtec’s feather dance act, where eight men, each with about 25 kilograms of plumes tied to their heads, jumped and danced.

Feather Dance

There was also magic, as a blindfolded woman danced across the stage in search of a needle given to one member of the 11,000-or-so people in the audience. Of course, she succeeded in finding it and danced her way back to the stage with her eyes still eyes covered.

Women from Oaxaca city then emerged, dancing with huge flower baskets on their heads that held giant puppets inside, only to be joined by all the performers before the festivities ended with a fireworks party.

The Guelaguetza also involves various activities throughout the month. In 2015, the local government
invited native vendors to participate in street bazaars while museums conducted cultural workshops and exhibitions.

On the Road in Oaxaca

As published by JPlus by The Jakarta Post, December 2015 

The Aztecs called this land Huaxyacac, which means over the tip of the gourd, while the Spanish friar Francisco de Ajofrín wrote that it was where God put all the remaining hills and mountains after creating the world.

In the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca in Mexico, you can find pre-Hispanic architectural magnificence and Spanish baroque architecture, as well as picturesque, rugged terrain and 533 kilometers of beaches along the Pacific. It’s also one of the culinary heavens of Mexico and an off-the-beat track destination for travelers.

Hierve el Agua, petrified waterfall in Oaxaca

IN THE CAPITAL

I had a tiring trip from Mexico City to Oaxaca de Juárez, the capital of the state, taking the night bus and catching up on some sleep.

Once in a while, I was awakened when the bus traversed a bumpy road. However, in general, the uphill-and downhill ride did not bother my slumber.

The bus itself was much more comfortable than those in Indonesia, especially given its larger leg room and cleanliness.

I arrived at the bus terminal in the north of the city, close to the historic centre – a well-preserved 16th-century Spanish colonial town that was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

I forgot that I was in Mexico as I walked down the Alcala Street tourist corridor: The cantera-paved streets, small alleys and baroque buildings reminded me of Spain.

My first stop was Santo Domingo Church, which had plentiful gold-coated adornments inside and a cactus garden outside.

Santo Domingo, which took more than 100 years to build, was commandeered by the army during the Mexican Reform War in the mid-19th century, although it was eventually returned to the Catholic Dominican clerics who ran the church.

Convent of Santo Domingo

It took me around 15 minutes to walk to the main square, or zocalo in Spanish, at the end of the tourist corridor.

Local traders lined the street, offering traditional Oaxacan clothes, second-hand goods, Mexican handicrafts and local snacks. I was surprised when one hawker offered me rambutan – a surprising taste of home.

At night, the zocalo heats up, with even more food hawkers and street vendors appearing. There are also fancy restaurants with live music and patios , where it's more common to hear English spoken by tourists than Spanish.

I passed by went to the food bazaar, where most of the locals were.

ON THE ROAD

The next day, I went on a guided tour, heading to destinations in the city’s southeast.

We started by climbing the hill that’s home to the Mitla archaeological site. Before entering the complex, our bilingual Spanish-English Mexican guide showed me a Catholic convent made of the stones taken from the pre-Hispanic constructions.

“Mitla” means resting place, and the local residents believe that the spirits of the dead come here to rest after their passage.

The archaeological site was occupied by the Mixtecs, who took it over from the Zapotecs, the designers of the complex’s huge stone supports and intricate mosaics. Similar to Borobudur Temple in Central Java, Mitla was built by arranging stones without any adhesive material.

It’s dominated by white cantera stones, with touches of carmine made from the bodies of the cochineal bug, a cactus parasite.

I had to climb 50-cm-high steps to reach the top of the one ruin that was previously a palace – something that must have been a challenge for the original residents, given that the average height of a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican was only 1.5 meters.

Our guide said that was intentional: The tall steps ensured that only community and religious leaders could enter the palace, which was a sacred place.

Ruin of Mitla Palace

Not far from the ruins was an astonishing site, the Hierve el Agua petrified waterfall. The name, which means “boiling water” refers to the temperature of the nearby streams.

Boiling, though, is a misnomer: The water actually bubbles, due to mineral gases below ground that force the liquid to the surface.

I was amazed by the waterfalls: One was 30 meters high; the other, 12. Both were formed several thousand years ago, when frozen running water with a high mineral content came into contact with air and instantly solidified.

There are only two petrified waterfalls in the world, in Mexico and Turkey, according to our guide.

On the way to the bottom of the smaller waterfall, we stopped several times to get a look at its bigger sibling. At the base, we were showered by mineral-laden water that could wet you, but not precisely bathe you.

Thankfully, there are plenty of small caves and nooks where you can shield yourself to take pictures.

View from the bottom of the small petrified waterfall

THE PACIFIC SHORE

Leaving the highlands, I next explored the Pacific shores of Oaxaca, stopping in Puerto Escondido, about 10 hours from Oaxaca by bus. There are also direct flights from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido that are less expensive than traveling by ground.

Simple Map of Puerto Escondido

The reason behind my stopover was simple: I was pining to ride some waves. I rented a board at Punta Zicatela Beach, a bohemian part of the coast crowded with surf and food shacks.

The surf at Punta Zicatela was perfect for a beginner like me, who does not expect big barrels.

If you long for larger swells, though, go to nearby Zicatela Beach, where hardcore surfers ride waves topping six meters along the Mexican Pipeline.

Zicatela also hosts swanky hotels, restaurants, bars and the best nightlife in the region.

Meanwhile, for those who are only interested in swimming and lying on the sand, I vouch for the calm waters of Carrizalillo Beach. If Zicatela channels the spirit of Kuta for its long shoreline, Carrizalillo Beach could be Padang Padang.

Carrizalillo is characterized by hills that surround the sea. I had to make an effort to walk down stone steps to reach the hidden beach.

Food shacks in the dunes were ready to satisfy my hunger as I sat under a palapa, or thatched palm-leaf roof.

Cove of Carrizalillo Beach

The real reason I was keen to visit Puerto Escondido was to witness the bioluminescence glow of Manialtepec Lagoon, located about 20 minutes from Puerto Escondido.

We continued to the darkest part of the lagoon by boat on a night without any moon, since any light would hide the effect.

Our boatman steered in circles so that the phytoplankton would reveal themselves, as they glow in response to movement as a defence mechanism.

We dived into the water to say hello. As I started to move, my hands were glazed by small twinkling white stars. It was a dreamlike experience.

“Three days ago I brought a group to that side. The plankton glowed green,” the boatman said. “We cannot really tell what the color of these sparks will be.”

36 BEACHES LATER

The next day, I took a two-hour bus ride to the touristy, laid-back city of Huatulco – a place famous for its nine bays of crystal water and 36 beaches.

I reached the site late and had to let go of plans to visit all the bays by ship. Instead, I followed a
suggestion from the local tourist office and took a tranvia (tourist bus) tour.

The double-decker bus went around the town square on the way to Santa Cruz Bay, where we stopped at a nearby hill to admire the view.

Santa Cruz Bay

I decided to dine by the sea with fresh seafood that night. It was around 10 pm., and the restaurants were barely serving clients, although there was a clamour from a soccer game featuring the Mexican national team on television.

I chose the nearest restaurant, since I was starving, and was not disappointed by scrumptious seafood skewers and shrimp with cream sauce served inside a pineapple shell.

Walking to Huatulco Café at Santa Cruz Square, I paused to listen to the coffee shop’s singer as he
sang standards in English and Spanish.

I savoured the experience of drinking a cold cappuccino on a warm night listening to that singer’s beautiful voice.

Grinding Machine in Mezcal (tequila of oaxaca) Distillery 

Tortilla chip with Chapulin (grasshopper) Sauce