This is a different kind of trip report.  This describes the emotions of the trip.

Mysterious, forbidden, beautiful, with wonderfully kind people ready to welcome you to their country. These are not days full of lounging but days packed with fun activities to really educate you about life in Cuba.  As an American you can go to Cuba but you are going as an educational trip through various mechanisms.  We utilized a company that gives to Support for the Cuban People. Think Salsa dancing, Cuban Cooking, Cocktail making classes, Art studio tours for world renowned artists who open their homes and private studios.  Imagine mojitos on a private balcony with musicians playing as the sunsets over the Havana skyline.

Driving 3 hours out to Vinales countryside (and then back the 3 hours) to eat in a local family home authentic farm to table food.  Driven around by Oxen and cart through the community to see life as a Cuban farmer.  To see how proud they are of their homes and what they have and to realize life is so hard for these Cuban farmers but you would never know it.  To see the raw emotion of hearing the stories of hurricane devastation and what it does to local farm communities and how they shelter. Crazy the hurricane shelters out in the farm land. I would not have believed it if I didn’t see it.  It is no wonder a grown man cries as he tells you the story of surviving a hurricane with his family when he was 16 years old.

Then to move on to sit with a tobacco farmer in the same community and hear and smell how he dries his tobacco leaves that are mostly given to the Cuban government (90% of his product is given to the government) but hear of the secret recipe he uses to make his traditional cigars that are sold and oh so different from a government controlled cigar.  To be able to purchase locally and know the money used to privately purchase items stays with the farmer and feel like the purpose of the trip has been solidified.

It is truly a blessing to have traveled to Cuba with a woman of Cuban descent and to watch your new friend walk in the church where her now deceased parents were married 59 years ago and see the emotions flood in.

And let’s be real to enjoy the mouthwatering local food that is based on availability but oh so good and fresh everywhere we went.  And the drinks. Let’s not forget the drinks….The freshest mojitos, daiquiris, juices ever.  The pineapple, guava, bananas… nothing like in the US.

To drive around old Havana in beautiful convertible classic cars and feel like it’s a tourist tour …. But realize as you drive down the highways and out into the countryside the vintage cars are truly a common mode of transportation.  This is not for show and the ones you ride in through town may be better kept than the traditional local cars but they are the same nonetheless. To understand he pride the Cubans take in what they do have.

To start to pour your mojito in your empty water bottle as its time to move on but you don’t want to waste a drop of the delicious drink and realize your bartender is making you a to go cup from an old pickle jar…”We recycle everything. It’s a way of life”.

The passion of the salsa instructor to make sure we are comfortable  and being able to break the steps down so we all felt like authentic Cuban dancers.

To sit at your villa and watch the sunrise in the morning as your host is making fresh coffee for you to sip with warmed milk on the outside terrace while he finishes your made to order breakfast.

The fear of stepping into an old taxi when we are picked up at the airport and realizing this is our mode of transportation for the next 5 days.  This is Cuba luxury and it’s so different from US luxury but understanding that the 7 other women who trusted you to bring them on this trip are all good with what Cuba has to offer.  They are better than all good.  They have loved the immersion the trip has offered.  We all felt different at the end of our 5 days.

Setting the right frame of mind early on.  Wifi is spotty is an understatement.  Cell coverage does not really exist.  There are no seatbelts.  We felt safe. I would 100% go again. It was that good!