Cancun, Mexico

The final stop of our trip was Cancun - more as a couple day "safety" stop after Cuba to ensure there were no suspicions from the immigration officers as we crossed back into the US from Mexico. This was also probably the most depressing stop of our trip for two reasons. The obvious of course was that it meant the trip had come to an end - our year of adventure passing so quickly. The second was the instant reality check that we were about to endure major reverse culture shock. We had become accustomed to the backpacker lifestyle - living simply, frugally, openly and easily adapting to the variety of countries and cultures we encountered. Many of those countries of course were "developing" nations without much of the excess and luxuries we have in the US.


The moment we arrived at the Cancun airport, we were surrounded by vacationing Americans dressed in stylish beach attire, many of the women adorned with large diamond rings and nice jewelry. All the Mexicans spoke fluent English (something we also were not used to) and the price of our shuttle to our hostel in downtown cost more than what we'd been paying for a room. As we waited in line for the shuttle, people were already cracking open beers and getting ready to party Cancun-style. We sat in the backseat of our van and couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable taking in one glitzy resort after another on the main strip of beach, the fancy malls inviting you to shop till you drop, and the dozens of chain restaurants all boasting a fun, party theme. There's nothing wrong with a fun vacation to relax and let loose, but coming from where we'd just been, it felt a bit overwhelming and excessive. This didn't feel like Mexico, but an extension of American luxury where your every need, want and desire is catered to if you're willing to pay the price.

I found myself missing the mountains of Patagonia, sitting outside our little tent with a cup of tea/coffee in our tin cups and eating (for the fifth day in a row) our instant oatmeal concoction before setting off for a day on the trail. I found myself missing the thatched hut on the beach in Samoa where we could open our little tarp door and take in the aqua blue ocean and watch the local kids play. I found myself missing the hammocks along the rivers in Laos where we'd lounge for hours reading and playing cards with our fellow travelers.


Our budget was pretty tight by the time we arrived to Cancun, so we chose a reasonably priced hostel in downtown as opposed to a hotel along the beach. It was a decent little place with good access to the local bus to the main strip of beach hotels restaurants. We were already beginning to anticipate the transition and so didn't feel particularly motivated to explore. We spent a lot of time in our little room finishing our books, journaling and talking. We did venture out to the local market for some shopping, but didn't find much of interest. We also made a stop at the post office to ship our Cuban goodies we found back to the US. And we did go one evening to main strip to enjoy a last dinner at Margaritaville. We didn't actually feel motivated to go to the beach...we'd spent a lot of time on beaches and were feeling more like hibernating and being low key.


We did spent one day taking a tour to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. It was fascinating to see the ruins, learn the history and imagen what life must have been like in this place during the height of Mayan civilization. We also stopped off for some swimming in a huge sink hole with a waterfall, which was lovely.


In general, though, we were feeling antsy and anxious. The trip had pretty much finished and, despite some reservations about what it would be like to go home, we were eager to return and see what the next phase of life would bring. We were very much looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends and enjoying our upcoming wedding reception in June. We were excited about finding a new place to live and decorating it with all the cool treasures we'd pick up on our travels. And we were eager to see what the next phase of our careers would look like and how we would put into practice what we had learned and taken away from our trip. So, when we boarded our flight to Colorado, we were ready. Our first stop would be a visit with my family and friends on the Front Range and then a long drive back to California. It'd been a helluva year!

Vinales - Cuba

Our trip from Trinidad to Vinales was a journey in and of itself. Instead of taking the bus, our host in Trinidad arranged a taxi share. Our driver was a vibrant and very chatty middle-aged Cuban woman full of opinions and advice on what to see and where to stay in Cuban (all the places she got commission of course). The ride was several hours and about an hour from our destination we got a flat tire. Luckily she did have a small spare that would get us the remainder of the way, but she wasn't exactly savvy at changing tires. Eric saved the day and changed the tire for her in the blistering heat as many a car passed by and honked and waved.

When we finally did pull into town, we had her take us to a casa particular recommended to us while in Trinidad - the home to a very sweet Cuban woman, her slightly strange husband who tried to sell us tons of mediocre cigars and in the same neighborhood their cute little granddaughter who made frequent appearances. The little girl was about 7 and entertained us with fashion shows and games out on their cozy front porch while we enjoyed the evenings sipping mojitos and smoking cigars in rocking chairs. They also had a daughter of about 20 still living at home and we got along great with her. We played card games at night and she gave us a tour of her art studio in their back shed - she was quite talented. Our hostess was an excellent cook and took total delight in stuffing us to the gills. At this point, we were already feeling a little soft around the middle after nearly 2 weeks of multi course Cuban meals. So as not to be rude, we told her up front that we wanted to go on a bit of a diet before returning home, which gave her all the more motivation to feed us even more. She made it her mission to make sure that Eric in particular enjoyed her cooking - she'd often wink at me as she'd put down his plate with a large portion and a huge grin.

The highlight of our time in Vinales was the tour we took through the tobacco growing country. Our hostess set it up with a local farmer who took us through the hillsides and fi elds on horseback. He was a good ol' boy with a huge toothless grin, a floppy straw hat, oversized trousers and boots that hung loose on his thin frame. He was 74 years old and had lived and farmed in the area for all of his life. Our horses were a bit of a sad case, like most animals around the area, due to drought and lack of food and nutritious grass. The horses were emaciated and bony and we felt guilty riding on their fragile frames. We both were quite lenient in letting them stop for breaks to grab mouthfuls of grass, which annoyed our guide slightly. The ride itself was lovely. We rode through farming fields where they grow everything from corn, potatoes, and pineapples to tobacco. Some farms are private and the farm ers own them, but they are still required to sell everything to the government. Other farms are government owned and farmed as cooperatives - the farmers getting paid for production. Vinales in general is a beautiful area with limestone mountains and hills rising out of the farming valleys. In some ways it reminded us of Guilin in China. Along our ride we passed by many small farms and their simple wood or cinder block houses often painted white with a color trim.

Towards the end of our ride, we stopped at a tobacco farm to meet with a friend of our guide - a handsome old farmer with a certain air of wisdom and 'tranquilo' about him. He was in his early 80's, though you'd never know it, and he too had been farming in the area his entire life. We sat down with him at his old wooden table and he rolled us a couple of handmade cigars while he explained the cigar growing and making process in detail. He also brought out locally grown coffee beans and brewed us a cup to sample. We took a walk through the thatched-barn tobacco drying house and around his fields. He also showed us his prize fat pig they were preparing to butcher the next Sunday to celebrate a couple of the family's birthdays.

After our tour, we enjoyed fresh pineapple they grow on the farm and we ventured onto the topic of the Cuban Revolution. We were curious to find out how people in the rural areas of Cuba viewed it as opposed to the city dwellers. Both our guide and his friend agreed that the revolution had greatly improved life for them. Befo re, they were not guaranteed to sell their crops and did not often get what they felt was a fair price. Now, the government buys all their produce at a set price which they believe is fair (mind you, they are making their comparison of fair based on what they got 50 years ago and not what they might get now in a free market...we'd be curious to know whether the current system is still better for them now, or if the free market system would be preferable). T he revolution also opened up a number of opportunities for Cubans in rural communities that hadn't existed previously - access to free education and health care being two of the major benefits. It was interesting to hear their positive perspectives and another side to the story. In the countryside in general, you see a lot more propaganda in support of the revolution. It makes one wonder if this is the true sentiment or if lack of access to information, government pressure and the constant comparison only of what was (pre-revolution) and what is (post-revolution) - instead of imagining the possibilities of what could be - contributes to their complete positive perceptions.

In many ways what's said about Cuba seems true - it feels very much like a country locked in time about 50-60 years ago...and at that time there were many benefits of the revolution. It

fought off much of the corruption, prostitution, gambling, etc. that had seeped in from enterprising businessmen (and the mafia) who were escaping prohibition and other legal limitations in the US at the time. The revolution sought to bring eduction, arts/culture, health care and equality to the rural communities and cities. And at that time, many would argue it was a huge step up for the average Cuban. Of course, there were a lot of politics, power games and money that complicated and soured the situation from the US perspective. And like many a visionary leader, Castro's initial idealism got him hooked on power and control, which ultimately prevented the country from progressing and many would argue has done more harm than good. One thing we can say for sure - there are many facets and perspectives around Cuba's history. If anything, our time in Cuba talking to different people, visiting museums and then recalling what we learned from our own education makes one realize the "truth" of what is right and wrong, good and bad, is never black and white. Our numerous conversations with the Cubans we encountered (some pro Castro and many hungering for change and progress) certainly gave us a lot to think about and helped us to understand and appreciate the complexity of Cuba's history...and path to the future.

Anyhow...back to Vinales...

We spent our final day in Vinales taking a trip out to a local island called Cayo Levisa. We enjoyed a last day on the beach, reading and lounging. We had a nice lunch and talked a lot about what we had learned over the course of the year and what we were looking forward to on our return. It truly had been an amazing adventure. It felt bitter sweet to reminisce...so much to be thankful for and many wonderful memories to take home. And while we were both feeling ready and excited to return home, we also felt melancholy that the year had passed so quickly, knowing we'd miss the freedom and constant sense of adventure.

On May 18, we boarded an early bus bound for Habana to spend our last few days in Cuba.

Trinidad - Cuba

After almost a week of the "buzz" in Habana, we decided to head several hours east to the historic town of Trinidad. The town used to be a central part of the sugar cane industry and was a bustling Spanish city back in the day. As a result, the architecture - Spanish mansions, churches and plazas - are quite impressive. Some are crumbling, but others have been restored to their former glory.

Once we arrived, we found an amazing casa particular to rest our heads for several nights. We originally thought we'd only spend a couple days, but so enjoyed our little paradise that we stayed a few more. This casa was quite luxurious...we had our own bathroom, a beautiful porch off the back door of our room, a cute little garden with flowers and banana trees, and a peaceful patio where we enjoyed many a fine meal while listening to chill music. The family was very friendly and extremely hospitable. And the best part?...turns out the father was a trained Chef and he prepared all our meals. We had incredible lobster twice (for $8!) and a couple other dishes. In addition to the main, each meal came with a platter of fresh tropical fruits, salad, bread, and homemade flan. Not to say we didn't do any site seeing in the area, but suffice it to say that we did spend plenty of time at our cozy casa eating, drinking and just relaxing. It was a vacation from our vacation...which was nice since our trip was almost over.

In addition to our self-imposed laziness, we did do some cool stuff while in Trinidad...

We took a "coco" taxi to a nearby beach strip about 10 kms away and lounged at the seaside for an afternoon. We paid to have a lounge chair at one of the local resorts and soaked up the sun, read our books and took a couple dips in the water to cool off. It certainly was a more relaxing beach than the mania we experienced at the beach near Habana.

We spent a couple afternoons/evenings strolling around Trinidad to see the architecture, check out the local museums and churches, admire the many neat old cars, feel sorry for the tired and sweaty horses pulling carriages filled with local goods, poke our heads into a couple art galleries (we found one we loved where we bought 7 pieces as presents), and even had a demo at the local ceramics factory.

The ceramics factory is actually an interesting tidbit...we followed our map off the beaten tourist track to find the place, but when we arrived, we observed what appeared to be an abandoned factory with a group of old men chatting out front. We were about to walk on by, when one of the men chased after us and insisted that he give us a tour. We didn't really know what there was to see, but what the heck. The man was a sweet fellow, but had a speech impediment to the point where his Spanish sounded nothing like Spanish, so we used sign language and tonal grunts to communicate. Probably not all that different than how we've done it all year actually. :) He took a hunk of clay from one of the shelves and turned on one of the pottery wheels. He proceeded to give us a live demo and made a nice bowl. When finished, he placed it on the shelf with the other handful of bowls/vases...they probably make one or two every time a tourist comes by. Then he led us down the street two blocks (we were a little confused) and guided us into the "showroom" (aka: gift shop). They did actually have some cool stuff in there and had workers painting and glazing.

We sat and debated for about 30 mins about this one vase - we didn't have anything better to do with our time - and we drove the salesman crazy who bargained with us wanting to make the sale. Ultimately, despite being satisfied with the bargained price, we decided not to buy. In fact, I think we've driven a lot of salespeople crazy on this trip...though sometimes we do make the purchase. When you're on a limited budget, and you have to carry your goods (or pay to ship them home), you find that every decision is a big decision. And to some degree the shopping, debating, bargaining process is a bit of a sport and quite fun. We've learned to enjoy bantering about stuff we want to buy for our future home.

In addition to our beach and town days, we spent one afternoon taking the local train to the "Valle de los Ingenios." Now, they actually have a tourist train that does this same trip, but why the heck would we pay triple the price for little-added value! Plus, the local train is much more of an experience. When we showed up and bought our tickets (we still had to pay a higher price than the locals), everyone stared at us curiously. Luckily, there was one other tourist couple from the UK who also stuck out like sore thumbs. We were given a seat on the small one-car train and the locals stuffed in around us. It was fascinating just to people watch and see people hop on and off, going about their business. The "Valle" wasn't all that exciting...it's basically a tourist attraction because it used to be a huge sugar cane growing area filled with plantations, which were filled with slaves. We climbed a very high watch tower (I only made it part way up because my fear of heights took over after a few rounds of creaky stairs) to look out over the agricultural area, which was pretty. The coolest part of the trip though was strolling around the village while we waited to take the train back. One local farmer cut us a hunk of sugar cane to try, we watched a group of old men sitting around playing dominoes, and we walked down the main street alongside carriages pulled by either emaciated horses or oxen. And we even got a tour of the old sugar press by a kind local guy who also appeared to have a speech impediment (like the ceramics guy) so we didn't really understand much of the detailed descriptions he gave, but got the gist through action and hand motions.

So that pretty much sums up our time in Trinidad...I think we will remember this place most of all for the incredibly rejuvenating R&R, the friendly casa and the historic ambiance.

Only a few more entries...stay tuned.

Mariah

Habana - Cuba

After a very long flight from Buenos Aires, we arrived to Habana late afternoon, hot, sweaty and slightly jet lagged. Our taxi ride from the airport gave us our first taste of Cuban people - extremely friendly and eager to talk. We learned all about the son of our taxi driver as he showed us photos of his son's art work from his cell phone camera. He also pointed out all the major sites as we drove to our destination in Habana Vieja (the old town).

In Cuba, you are required either to stay at a state-run hotel (expensive and overrated) or a registered "casa particular," which is essentially a homestay. Families can pay a monthly government tax to rent out one or more of the rooms in their house to guests. Many also pay a small extra fee to the state in order to serve food. We had made arrangements to stay at Margot's - a lovely casa in the heart of the old city with high vaulted ceilings, antique furniture and the home to the cutest dog called Mia. When we got there, Margot was out at a hair appointment, but we were warmly greeted by 2 Cuban women who were friends of friends staying with Margot for a couple days. Once we got settled and had a much needed shower, we decided to go explore our surrounds.

First Impressions
Our first impression of the city was almost surreal - like we were transported back in time. The old Spanish buildings and churches from the last couple centuries give the place a European aura. Some are beautifully restored, many others are just barely staying together (but somehow they do), but all are lovely in their own way. The streets are narrow, some more recent pavement and some cobblestone filled with old 1950's cars, a few modern vehicles and bicycle taxis. There are a plethora of small and large plazas lined by leafy parks, historic buildings, cafes and restaurants. The residential streets are filled with kids playing baseball with whatever stick and makeshift ball they can find, old men sitting over a table of dominos and women gossiping on the corners. It's hot and humid, but it cools down a bit in the evenings and then everyone emerges out of their homes. The plazas tend to have more tourist attractions and nicer restaurants that are typically state run with lazy service and mediocre food, but nice ambiance. And wherever you are - in the plazas or the streets - you can almost always hear live Cuban music emanating from the many bars and cafes throughout the afternoon and evening.

After our little stroll, we settled down at a table in Plaza Catedral in front of the old Cathedral and ordered our first mojito - the country's famous cocktail with rum, fresh mint, and sugar. We met a couple nice British girls just finishing their vacation and they gave us some excellent advice on what to see and do. One of them (Rebecca - a.k.a. Becks) was staying a few days more so we invited her to join us the following evening for dinner since she'd be on her own. In the end, we hung out with her quite a bit and had some fun adventures. When we got back to our casa, our hostess Margot had dinner waiting - lobster, fried plantains, fresh salad, rice and guava juice. Can we say heaven? Eric smoked his first cigar on our balcony and enjoyed every puff. An excellent start to our Cuban travels.

Over the course of our two stays in Habana (several days at the beginning of our trip and several days at the end of our trip), we got to see many sights, listen to a variety of music, sip our fair share of mojitos and smoke a plethora of cigars (well, Eric did anyhow). Here are some of our favorite highlights:

Our Casas (i.e., "homes")
While in town, we stayed at two different Casa Particulares...Margot's place and also with another family, Luis and Chicha. Margo's featured the classic architecture, fantastic food and she herself was a very open and talkative host. We learned a lot from her about the culture and opinions of the people. We also got to practice both our Spanish speaking and comprehension. Luis and Chicha's was a homey environment - they were a loving family with one daughter still at home and a son our age who came over with his girlfriend and other family members on the weekends. The food here was also very good and they were extremely helpful about sight seeing. Their young daughter also had a blast playing cards with Eric...and changing the game every time he started to beat her. :)


Sight Seeing
There are three major areas to explore in Habana - the old town, the city center and a nearby suburb called Vedado. During our stay we visited...

Partagas Cigar Factory: This was a highlight of the trip. Because Eric thoroughly enjoys a good Cuban cigar on occasion (and enjoyed many while in Cuba), it was very cool to actually go see where and how they make these "tobaccos," as they call them in Cuba. We were quite impressed with the amount of quality control and care that goes into the cigar making process. While it's a bit easier to get a job sorting the leaves, preparing the wrappers, or packaging the finished product, to actually become a cigar maker (the one who rolls the cigar), it takes almost a year of intensive cigar school where less than half of students graduate. Being a cigar maker is one of the more lucrative jobs in Cuba because you get the basic wage, in addition to commission depending on production. In addition, you get to smoke as many as you want, and take a few home every day. The work is a bit mind-numbing after awhile and the work environment comparable to a sweat shop, but they counter some of the downsides by hiring someone to read to the cigar makers in the mornings (the newspaper) and afternoons (a novel chosen by the group). The rest of the time they listen to music that is chosen communally and talk among themselves. They also get a few breaks, a lunch hour, and have weekends off. We learned one interesting tidbit during our tour...the cigar brand "Montecristo" was chosen because during the time that cigar was developed, the novel being read was "The Count of Montecristo"...so the cigar makers decided that's what they should name the new cigar. We wish we could have brought home some souvenirs from the factory, but unfortunately no Cuban cigars allowed through customs. :(

Habana Club Rum Factory: While we can't buy this brand in the US, the Habana Club label is quite popular in other parts of the world. The tour took us through the history and rum making processes and we even got a sampler at the end. Personally, straight rum is not my favorite, but mixed with some OJ or in a mojito, it's quite refreshing on a hot day.

The Revolution Museum: This museum tells Cuba's history from the time of the natives up through Castro's Revolution and beyond to the early 1990's when the USSR fell and Cuba went into a major depression. Of course the main focus was on the revolutionary period of the 1950s when Castro along with Che Guevara and General Cienfuegos overthrew the US-supported (mainly by the mafia) Batista. While we knew a bit about Cuban history from the US perspective going into the museum, we learned a lot more about the details and also found it interesting to view it from a different perspective. Of course the museum's history was very much one-sided (as is the US version), but knowing a bit of both sides helped to give us a more balanced perspective.

The La Ciudad Museum: This museum houses relics, classical art and furniture from different time periods (Spanish, American and Cuban)

The Capitolo Building: A replica of the US capital constructed during the 1930's when the US had heavy influence in Cuba (now it houses the Science and Technology Department).

The US Interests Building: We don't have an official embassy in Cuba, but this place represents American interests. We didn't go inside, but the outside was quite a site to behold. It's situated along the seaside and is a modern building surrounded by gates and guards. In front of the building stand more than 100 flag poles flying black flags erected by Castro in memory of the Cuban civilians killed on the flight blown up by a Venezuelan terrorist supposedly supported by the CIA. In truth, we were told the "memorial" was erected when the US Interests building put up an international news screen big enough to see from the street, hence, 100 plus black flags to block it. Tit for tat..that seems to be the bottom line of politics between the US and Cuba. Behind the flag memorial is a huge plaza with stage, lighting, sound system and patriotic propaganda known as the "Protestadrome" - it's where all the huge protests against US actions (i.e., the Iraq war) are held.

The Malecon Boardwalk: This more than 8km boardwalk borders the city's seafront and is a lovely place to take a stroll in the evenings or to see young lovers at night. It's not highly recommended to stroll here in the extreme heat of the afternoon (as we did), unless of course, you are one of the local boys jumping in to take a swim, snorkel or fish. It's too bad we didn't have our swimsuits when we walked by here...the aqua blue water was soo tempting!

Cristobal Colon Cemetery: Habana's largest, most prestigious and most crowded. It's 140 acres with more than 800,000 graves sites. The architecture and monuments within are impressive, but it's not as well kept as one would hope. A number of the tomb "covers" are coming undone and cracked. There were even a few you could see inside and down to the coffin. The most disturbing part though was seeing a truck filled with labeled boxes of human remains (yikes!!) since due to over crowding they remove the remains from their tombs after 3 years and place them in a storage building. Never seen that one before in broad daylight.

Habana Vieja: By far our favorite area of the city to roam around. This was also the area where we stayed. We thoroughly enjoyed wandering the streets and checking out old buildings, plazas and churches. Our favorite past times included: sitting at The Patio Cafe on Cathedral Square sipping mojitos, visiting the Chocolate Cafe that served up hot or cold liquid chocolate for about a dollar, posting up at the brewery in Plaza Vieja to have a home brewed beer and a cigar while people watching, and relaxing on Margot's terraced rooftop to take in the sunset and all the evening city sounds.


Beaches and Sunbathing
Cuba is known for great beaches, and we did visit some nice ones on our excursions to other parts of the country which we'll share in later blogs. Around Habana, we found 2 good options for some sunbathing. The first was a posh hotel in central Habana that had a pool on the roof with excellent city views. Our friend Becks introduced us to this place and we snuck in a few times when we needed a break from the busy city and some poolside tranquility.

The second experience was the stretch of beaches just east of Habana. We initially wanted to save ourselves the taxi fare and take the local bus. When we got to the bus stop the line didn't seem too long, so we asked who was the last in line (as is the expectation in Cuba) and staked out our place. When someone else arrived, they did the same and you basically are expected to remember who is in front and behind you. Then, you are free to leave the line knowing your place is saved. The problem was when the bus arrived, pretty much everyone in the small park across the street came rushing over to reclaim their place...so the line quadrupled in size! Long story short, we waited for more than an hour (in the blistering heat) and still were no where close to the front. So finally, we gave up and pulled the tourist card and caught a cab. Our cab driver was a hip, young guy studying Physical Education and Health at university. He uses his dad's car on weekends to make some extra money as a cab driver. He dropped us off at the section of the beach where he knew there was a big party going on.

And he wasn't kidding...there was techno and house music, a dance "floor," drinks and food and plenty of local teens, twenty-somethings and a few families to enjoy it. We roamed around until we found a place to sit and people watch. We were conscious that as tourists we were quite a target in this crowd for petty theft and couldn't go frolic in the water together because one person always needed to watch the bag. And good thing too...a group of guys did try and distract Eric while I was in the water to grab our bag (luckily there wasn't too much inside, except our camera and a bit of money). But Eric was the wiser and knew exactly what was happening so they had no luck. However, after that experience, it was a bit difficult to feel relaxed and laid back, so we cut our beach trip short and chalked it up as a good local experience. Suprisingly, this was the first time we even came close to getting robbed...we have been very lucky and blessed on this trip considering everywhere we've been.

The Cuban People
Ironicly, while the Cuban government has tried to minimize the locals' interaction with tourists, Cuba was one of the countries where we found it easiest to meet and socialize with the people. They were all quite eager to talk, especially when they found out we were American. Probably 90% of Cubans have some relative or another who lives in the US, and almost all either want to talk politics or explain they hate the politics, but love the people. In general we found the people to be extremely friendly and hospitable and we truly enjoyed the many conversations (mostly in Spanish) we had with cab drivers, waiters, people on the street, tour guides, and a few friends we met while there. At Margot's we befriended the two Cuban women who were staying there our first 2 nights...we all went out one night (with Becks and a German gal who was also staying) for drinks and to listen to music, followed by a stroll on the Malecon. We also befriended a local band that we loved to go hear and were invited on a couple occassions to join them and their friends to hang out in the plaza after their gig. Like the Argentine people, Cubans are very affectionate, so hugs and kisses are the norm at first introduction and thereafter. The people were certainly the highlight on this trip.


Music
You can't come to Cuba and not enjoy the music - it's everywhere. Cuba prides itself on it's musical and artistic traditions..."It's part of our blood," one Cuban friend explained to us. The styles vary from classical music to all varities of Latin music with considerable African influence. These people know how to feel the music - dance, move, play - it's wonderful. Pretty much every restaurant, bar and cafe in the old part of town have live bands from 4PM til midnight. In addition, there are many specific shows and concerts you can attend. During our visit, we attended an excellent classical concert by a popular string orchestra in one of the old churches and we also went out daily (or nightly) to hear music at the different bars/cafes around town. Our favorite band was a group called "Santiago de Habana." This group of 6 guys of all shapes and colors playing all different instruments had a great vibe and a ton of talent. This was also the group we befriended and went to see more than four times during our stay. Another musical highlight of the trip was our visit to the famed cabaret show at the Tropicana. This place has been up and running for about 70 years (yes, this was also the inspiration for the Vegas hotel) and the show is still a top attraction. The combo of music, singing, dancing and especially the costumes made for a thrilling experience. It was also cool to go because Eric's grandfather had been to this show more than 50 years ago before the US embargo was in tact.

To conclude...our time in Habana was amazing. We truly loved this city - the people, the places, the music, and the home-cooked meals from our wonderful hosts. It's really quite sad that it's not easier for Americans to come and enjoy this city and its people. We, and all the Cubans we met, hope that someday our countries (i.e., our politicians) will be able to get along so that we can more easily visit this cool place. We did have many interesting conversations, observations and insights that we want to share about Cuba, but this blog is long enough, so we'll save that for a separate blog.

Coming up, we plan to write a few more entries to finish sharing about our Cuba experiences, and then will write about our final impressions from this incredible trip. As always, stay tuned!

Mariah and Eric

Last Week in Buenos Aires

We loved Buenos Aires so much the first time around that we decided to spend our last week in Argentina back in this lively city. This time around was a mix of sight seeing, fine dining, going out and taking care of some odds and ends in preparation for our return home. Highlights of the week included...

Fine Dining for less than $40
Both of us thoroughly enjoy fine dining with fancy cuisine and a good bottle of wine. When we are in the US, the fine dining experience only happens a couple times a year because the bill adds up. But with the exchange rate in BA - and the excess of good cheap beef - a fine dining experience is quite affordable. So we decided to splurge and spend a hunk of our daily budget on trying new restaurants for dinner all over town. We went to a mix of bistros and steak houses, Mexican and Middle Eastern. We savored every flavor and the perfectly cooked meat (sorry if anyone reading is vegetarian), and of course tried a new type of wine each evening. In addition to the food and drink, our dinners out also gave us a lot of relaxed face-time together to reflect on our experiences over the past year and talk about what we are excited and anxious about for our return home. Tonight is our last evening in BA before our 11:30PM departure...and we are planning on one last nice meal out.

Exploring the City
Since we weren´t taking Spanish classes this time around, pretty much every day we ventured to a new area of the city to explore the sights. We went to the zoo and saw some very interesting animals we hadn't seen before, we visited the modern art and Evita museums, we roamed around a handful of different parks, and we even did a little shopping at the markets and street malls.

Exploring the Night Life
Last time we were in BA, we certainly got out and about, but we had to get up at 7:30AM every morning for Spanish class. This time, we could stay out (and sleep in) as late as we wanted...sometimes we were in by 1AM (early by Argentina standards) and sometimes we stayed out till 5AM (still relatively early by Argentine clubbing standards!). We had some nights out on our own and a few good social nights. One of Eric's former colleagues from Cypress was in BA with her husband (Tess and Simon) so we had the chance to meet up with them for dinner and drinks. We also met with an American friend we met in New Zealand 5 years ago (Dave) and made some friends at our hostel. Our night life was a mix of live music, clubbing, and bar hopping (at one bar, Tess made friends with a very eccentric bar owner who gave us free drinks...thank you Tess!)


Preparing for Our Return
Now that we are only a few weeks from our return to the "real world," we have begun thinking and planning for our arrival. We had some time to catch up on US and World news, Eric has been researching the latest happenings in Silicon Valley, and we spent some time touching base with friends and colleagues. Our first month back is likely to be crazy as we settle back into jobs, look for a place to live and get caught up on what we've missed in the last year. But there is much to look forward to and we are excited to get back into the swing of things.

But before we do...we still have one last adventure in the Caribbean to soak up the sun, drink some mojitos and enjoy the colorful culture. Stay tuned for stories from our last few weeks!

Mariah and Eric

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

OK so there are water falls and there are WATER FALLS....

Need another example...

Well most people should have the point by now. This was a painful excursion costing us close to 40hrs of bus time to get to Puerto Iguazu from Cordoba and back to Buenos Aires...and yet, at the end of it, we were both extactic about the experience and would sacrifice the time again in an instant.

Over the course of our 23 hr bus trip from Cordoba to Iguazu, we passed through the arid wine country and miles of farmland into the subtropical rainforest that begins in Northern Argentina and continues up through Brazil. The change was gradual through the windows of our bus, but when we stepped off the bus (thanking God for surviving the epic journey), we immediately noticed the muggy weather and our rain forest surroundings...and all the fun wildlife that comes with the jungle.

We promptly found our hostel and had a quiet night in prep for our all-day adventure in the national park the following day.

The next day felt like we were kids again and going to Disneyland. It is important to note that the actual Iguazu Falls are divided between the Argentina/Brazilian border and most people go to both sides to see the falls from all angles. However, due to the high visa cost for Americans, it made more sense for us to cover the Argentina side in detail and take nice photos of the the Brazilian side without crossing the border. All in all, we had a full day of trekking on the "Lower Path," the "Upper Path," and on the island situated in front and center of the falls. The ultimate experience though was taking the train and foot path to the ¨Devil´s Throat¨ waterfall. This is the highlight of any trip to Iguazu. You literally feel like an early explorer ignoring the rumors of the ¨end of the earth¨and then finding yourself on the edge of the abyss waiting on the other side of the ocean (if of course the world was flat). Another way to describe the experience is exactly as the falls are named...like you are getting ready to be swallowed down a giant esophagus.

As it typically does in rain forests, it dumped rain for about the last hour of our trip, so our time at the ¨Devil´s Throat¨was a little extra wet which only added the the experience!

Click on video below to see the¨Devil´s Throat¨

We are now converts to the fact that no trip to Argentina or Brazil is complete without the side trip to see this amazing feat of nature and would highly recommend the experience to all crowds. It is now time to head back down to Buenos Aires to do some final shopping and enjoy our last weekend in the city that never sleeps before we head to our last stops in the Caribbean and Mexico...