Night 1 and Morning 1 of Cuban Reflections
As I start this reflective journey, I want to establish that you and I are both processing my trip at the same time. So many realizations, so much gratitude, so much disgust, so much sadness, so much joy, so much fear, so much trust, so much of everything was experienced at once that I am deciphering through it all with you. Please have some patience with me as I express myself and share myself with you.
Magic started from the first time the word “Cuba” was text between Robert and I. Two months ago, he was mentioning his “Cuba Libre Yoga Project“ and I stopped him to let him know I was half Cuban and that I had to be part of this project somehow. He called me immediately and in 15 minutes it was set… we would go to Cuba together to make art! He had been looking for a Cuban yoga model for years – since the birth of his idea – but couldn’t find one. So here I am now… as his model.
As the trip approached I was juggling a lot of balls, which included the closing of one of my studios and my trip to Monterrey, Mexico for Wanderlust 108. My flight to Cuba was only three hours after my flight from Monterrey landed in Miami so I was crossing all fingers and toes that my flight wasn’t delayed from Mexico. I had my mom meet me at the airport and we did a luggage exchange in the pick up area outside by her car.
The flight from Miami to Cuba is only 45 minutes short, which felt like a slap in the face to me. The disgust and the ridiculousness of the political situation was immediately palpable seeing how close we are to one another yet so far.
I got off the plane and put on my observer glasses (which I rarely take off anyway). I wanted to see everything I could and absorb as much as possible.
The trip started off odd and in a whirlwind with a taxi driver having to change drivers halfway through the trip to Havana because he had another client he had to go get – reflecting on this now I am sure it was someone with governmental power because he couldn’t tell him where he was. He kept saying “I’m in the bathroom. I’m in the bathroom.” Then in the exchange Robert left his cell phone in the car but we didn’t notice until several hours later. We get to the Casa Particular which is someone’s house/apartment that is government-approved allowing foreigners to stay there at a cheaper rate than the hotel and helps the locals instead of the government. It’s raining when we arrive and there’s a bum/drunk man/mentally and physically disabled man passed out on the street floor in front of the entrance of the apartment complex. He pooped on himself and looked dead. All the Cubans by him are yelling at him and trying to get him to move but he doesn’t budge. Right next to the slothful man, I’m introduced briefly to the owner of the Casa Particular who hardly acknowledges me, which I thought was weird because I’m so used to the hospitality and warmth of Cuban women. My doubts were immediately confirmed when I entered her apartment and there was a huge Virgin de la Caridad del Cobre staring at me… She was a santera – the family practiced Santería, which is like Cuban witchcraft! Haha! (I had to laugh because otherwise I would have been freaked.) She told Robert and I that they had a complication with the bookings for that night only so we would need to share a room or I would be in a separate apartment in another building. Although I had only met Robert once before, I figured it was safer for me to stay with him than to stay in a separate building considering the present circumstances. Gulp! When we entered our room and sat on the beds we quickly noticed the beds were covered in plastic. We obviously didn’t get much sleep that night – tossing and crackling throughout the night. I later learned from other locals that they do this since they have so many hookers and foreigners come that they have to protect the mattress. Gross! The house owner told us that she just bought the mattress so she forgot to take off the plastic, which of course was a fib but ignorance is bliss so we slept better the nights afterwards. (I didn’t tell Robert about what the locals told me until we got back because I didn’t want to freak him out.)
This first introduction to this majestic country was quite a rude awakening. I knew I had to suck things up and just do what I came to do; make art and connect to my roots and my family there somehow.
Day 1 of shooting came along the next morning after hardly having any sleep and being in physical pain from the discomfort. But we got up and discussed the first outfit, had a cafecito and off we went! I had no idea what to expect and he didn’t either since he did not know what I could do pose-wise. In our first scene, a little beagle-mix doggie – we named “Snoopy”- followed us around for about an hour. (You’ll see him in some of the shots below.) I quickly fell in love with him and wanted to take him back to the states! But just like he came, he went. We had hoped we would run into him again but we didn’t. He was our good omen after the turbulent night we had had. So, after a few hours of shooting we sat down and had ourselves a delicious mango juice from a nearby café and added our protein powder to it like good Vegans we are… ridiculous I know. The morning session was complete and we needed some rest because believe it or not, it’s a lot of physical work for both of us. My over-achieving mind was like “keep going” but I’m glad my intellect listened to Robert’s advice that rest between shoots is best. I surrendered and trusted the master artist.
My deeper reflections of the scenes will come later… Remember, we are processing this trip together since I haven’t had the time to even pause until now.
Below are some photos of our morning shoot Day 1. I gifted the dress in the photos to a local yoga student/teacher there so the dress lives on in the Cuban streets.
Stay tuned for more stories and deeper reflections of our days and nights in Havana as it all unfolds together.
Nos fuimos pa la calle! We went to the streets!
