La realidad en Cuba

As a result to the Cuba – United States relations,  for a while many Cubans found themselves not being able to advance and sustain themselves, family, and communities. Recently, many Cubans and foreigners have invested in the tourism sector of the Beautiful Island of Cuba. The amount of investment in tourism was visible through the high number of restaurants, stores, tour guides, English speaking Cubans, and Casa Particulares. Throughout the trip one of the most essential factors that influenced my thought and feelings of the day was my Casa.

            During the trip, throughout the different cities, I was able to stay at some of the best Casa Particulares. In Havana, we stayed in Casa Obrapia, which was very aesthetically pleasing, modern, and comfortable. In Viñales, I stayed in Casa Maritza, a Casa which allowed me to enjoy and appreciate Viñales even more. In Cienfuegos, I stayed in Casa Lily, one of the best experiences of Cuba that led me to appreciate the community of Cienfuegos. In Trinidad, I stayed in Casa Wilfrego, which continued to satisfy my expectations for Casa particulares.

The city of Cienfuegos will forever hold my heart and be the cause of my satisfaction with my experience in Cuba. After being sick a few days and not being able to enjoy Viñales as much, I was worried about my experience in the trip. As soon as I arrived in Cienfuegos, and was received by the humblest, nice, and accepting host that my thoughts of the trip changed. As soon as I saw the Casa, I was impressed, It was modern and it seemed like they put a lot of time and planning to the aesthetic of the house. Once my groupmate, Allison, and I were shown our rooms we were in awe. The room was all set up for two girls, everything from the bed cover to the curtains were pink. The towels were beautifully set up as two swans. And, one of the first things she asked us was not whether we could give her our passport, It was weather we would accept her ice cream offer. Lily took her time making sure that the ice cream looked as good as it tasted. While we enjoyed our ice cream, Lily asked us about our expectations and experiences thus far. She shared her background and shared a little about the history of the city. In the morning, we were greeted and enjoyed breakfast in the patio of the house. Casa Lily was one of the Casa’s I did not want to leave at all due to the amazing service, host, breakfast, comfort, and hot water.

            The amazing service and hosts in Casa Particulares made my experiences in Cuba more memorable. Being able to speak Spanish improved my experiences in Cuba. Compared to my non-Spanish speaking groupmates, I was able to connect and create a bond with the hosts of the Casa Particulares. Many of them which shared more of their lives in Cuba, their knowledge of their home cities, and their amazing Cuban Culture.