My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

alearangog — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:21:23 GMT

Once I was walking through Bogota's downtown and I told my boyfriend how much I liked an old building, then he said: You will love Cuba. That remained in my head for months. When finally everything was setted for the trip, I decided not to look for pictures of Cuba, not even to hear the bad commentaries from many people, but to go "blind" to understand, to see the things by my own. The very moment I saw from the plane the island I realized I was there. Despite the differences Cuba is an amazing place, but only for “different kind of looking at things” I say. Vintage, heritage, the way people transform the surrounding, nice people, educate people, security, “time taking it’s time” and then Revolution. It resulted kind of sad for me realize how few friends I could recommend to go there, because I had just a few of them with the capability to see beyond the regular “ugliness”, but Im pretty happy and sure that a lot of the readers of this journal could even smell the places of the 5 pics I selected from one of the most inspiring visits I’ve ever done.

Viva Cuba

alearangog — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:36:00 GMT

All kind of trips start with some kind of motivation and I remember which one was for Cuba, once I was walking through Bogota's downtown and I told my boyfriend how much I liked an old building, then he said: You will love Cuba. That remained in my head for several months. When finally everything was setted for the trip, I decided not to look for pictures of Cuba, not even to hear the bad commentaries from many many people. I chose to go "blind" and to understand, to see the things with my eyes and heart.

The very moment I saw from the plane the huge island I realized I was there. After doing like 3 lines in order to "legalize" my entrancy, I was in the line of current exchange, I was wearing 6 colorful necklaces from my last night party in Bogotá and a really nice airport-guy told me how much his little like those necklaces inmediatly I saw myself given all of them... I said... this is similar and the same time different to the places I've been before... and I LOVED IT.

The light at 3pm was nice. The weather was incredible. I had to got an expensive hotel for my first night and a taxi to get there, and I really don’t like neither of both things.

I don’t want to make this journal as a detailed resume of where to eat, where to drink… Sorry. But I want to tell that despite the differences Cuba is an amazing place, but only for “different kind of looking at things” I say. Vintage, heritage, the way people transform the surrounding, nice people, educate people, security, “time taking it’s time”… and then revolution… that and more is Cuba.

It resulted kind of sad for me realize how few friends I could recommend to go there, because I had just a few of them with the capability to see beyond the regular “ugliness”, but Im pretty happy and sure that a lot of the readers of this journal could even smell the places of the 5 pics I selected from one of the most inspiring visits I’ve ever done.

Reasons to go to Cuba:

- The sea, the colors ar amazing

- There is not poverty, makes you reconsider that concept

- People like to chat, ask you where are you from, how is your country, your city

- Security, its hard to admit that being Colombian and living in Colombia has made me kind of “paranoic”

- Old buildings, old colors, old structures, nature indoors

- Clothes hangers outside

- Food is delicious, pork and sea food and the same time

- Dairy its kind of bitter

- People is very nice

- The “maquinas” taxis for Cuban people, only for pay in CUP (national currency)

- The cinemas are huge and vintage, the movie of the time: “The incredible Spiderman”

- To drink (no matter the time) rum in tetrapak

- Legacy and present

- Time takes its time, get use to during your trip.

Photos: Viva Cuba

alearangog — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:06:00 GMT

My first time in Cuba