One if by Land Adventures

Early this year, I got a huge surprise when I was asked by a tour company of I’d be interested in leading groups to Cuba.  Figuring it had to be a mistake I emailed back and told them that 1. I had never been to Cuba and 2. My Spanish language abilities were roughly that of Speedy Gonzalez, the Looney Tunes character from my childhood.  Luckily, the company was just needing a warm body since I would be assigned a Cuban guide who would give most of the commentary.

I jumped at the chance and began trying to get a grip on all things Cuban.  I had ever so briefly dated a Cuban guy back in the day, but I knew that wasn’t exactly the kind of experience I needed to draw from.  After reading lots of articles and purchasing books that I never had a chance in hell of reading, I departed on my first trip.

After having done numerous trips there over the last year, the main lesson I have learned is that I am truly lucky.  When I run out of something, a quick trip to Target solves my problems.  Not so in Cuba.  One lovely Cuban guide that worked with me described how finding an extension cord turned into an impossible mission.  It is pretty amazing the things that we take for granted at times.

Traveling around the country, I have been impressed with how the Cuban people recycle items that we would normally toss out.  Plastic bags are washed and reused multiple times.   An old car hood might be turned into a shelter.  Much of this can resourcefulness can be traced back to Cuba’s “Special Time” during the 1990’s.

Back when the Soviet Union fell, Cuba was left to deal with the aftermath of losing the country that it depended upon the most.  Their economy tanked and the Cuban people suffered greatly as a result.  One gentleman I spoke to described how his family was able to find a sweet potato for a birthday dinner. His talked about how his wife began to cry about the meager meal, but they gave thanks for each other which was most important.

One neighborhood which began to struggle with crime, rose up to combat the conditions by trying to create something positive in spite of what was going on throughout the country.  Known today as Muraleando, this community project encouraged local artists to create works and also provide educational opportunities for the neighborhood.  They converted an old metal water tank into an artist studio and they began to expand from there.

Getting the supplies was a huge obstacle so they simply used what they already had available.  Broken toilets and rusted hubcaps became sculptures. Today the entire area is filled with murals and sculptures using these repurposed items.  One favorite of mine is a sculpture of a local man known for dancing in his elaborate outfits.  The sculpture seemed a bit incomplete to some and an elderly woman in the neighborhood showed up with her late mother in laws false teeth to donate to the cause.  The teeth were installed, creating  a complete, but somewhat frightening version of the man.

Another sculpture in the community is dedicated to a woman named Elena who for years would stand or sit on the corner dressed in her finest.  She would often say that she was there waiting for the love of her life. After her passing, a bench was created in her honor with a special seat especially for her and her prospective love.

Being an enormous fan of the Peanuts cartoon, I was drawn to a mural of Snoopy and Woodstock which I thought was an interesting choice.  Through the years, I’ve seen from pretty awful renditions of these classic characters but this one seemed perfect.  A few years back, Jean Schulz, Charles Schulz’s widow visit Muraleando and was so impressed that she commissioned their adopted son to come back and create two murals for them.  Apparently, he is one of the few people legally allowed to recreate the characters with the Schulz stamp of approval.

Today Muraleando is a thriving artist community with dedicated artists and teachers who share their crafts with this little section of Havana. Each day there are numerous classes being taught to encourage and expand the love of art and community.  Pottery, dance and even filmaking are included as classes.

One thing that also struck me was the intense pride that has been taken in creating the area.  One of my guests asked if they were concerned about vandals coming in to wreck the art.  A stunned look came over the teacher/guides face and he said “Why would anyone want to destroy beauty?”  He said that there is normal wear and tear on the art but if something breaks, it is simply repurposed for another piece.  Vandalism has never been an issue.  I found this especially interesting since in Tampa, where I live, there was a new park recently dedicated with art being a centerpiece.  Within a month vandals had already destroyed part of it, costing the city thousands in repair costs.

Muraleando is just one of many projects that gives Cubans and artistic outlet.  within culture, art is highly valued