Cuba- Dia Seis - LGBTQ issues, Castro’s Photog, the best chicken and a car ride to remember.

Dia Seis - LGBTQ issues, Castro’s Photog, the best chicken and a car ride to remember. 

We were lucky to meet a smart professora who talked to us about her work for LGBTQ people in Cuba and the current issues. It’s not a very friendly place to be a marginalized person, but her work is making things a little bit better.  Next stop was to the home of a photographer. He was born in NYC, but returned to Cuba as an 18 year old. He followed in his Cuban father’s footsteps in becoming a photographer, and he was one of the few people who were part of Fidel Castro’s entourage. Raul Castro, Ernest Hemingway, Ché Guevarra, were also part of this posse and he had photographs of them all. Was very cool that he shared his stories and invited us to his home to see his work. 

   

We then went to another artist’s home, and all I can remember is there were lots of nudes. That is the only notes I took on that. 


We got a much needed break for pool and nap at the hotel, then before dinner we got into 5 vintage cars and took an hour long ride around the city of Havana. It was magical! I was in a car with Erica and our host from the Center for Cuban Studies Marie. I dubbed our car the reggaeton car, when I asked our driver to play some music, we landed on “Despacito” to our delight! We laughed a lot on this ride! I did not want the ride to end, but it did at a lovely restaurant, where we had a great meal, cigars, and rum. Typically wonderful. 

The Entourage

Erica and I in the Reggaeton car! 

Those tiles, tho! Obsessed.