 As you
descend down the north slope of the mountains the green become less intense, the
agriculture changes and the temperature warms.
 Almost randomly, this was
the morning we
selected to find a rural school. We stopped at a one-room school, with one teacher and
less than a half dozen students.  Along with learning something about how the school works
and education in Cuba we left some gifts, including books in Spanish, pencils, paper, an inflatable globe and some
other supplies. Virtually all Cubans go to school and the literacy, rate at 95%, is the
envy of Latin America.
A dryer warmer climate in Cuba means tobacco growing. Tobacco growing means cigars.
And, cigars mean cigar factories. Cigar factories are widely
scattered in Cuba; we visited one in Manicaragua. Cigars are made in three steps, first
the inside is rolled, which i then pressed, and then the outside finishing leaves are put on.
The work looks very boring, but the workers seemed relaxed and good
natured. A good cigar roller is said to be one of the best paid workers in
Cuba. To make the job interesting and pass the time, readers come in and read the
newspaper and books. Cigar workers also are said to be some of the best informed and
"most well read" in Cuba.  The night we
were in Santa Clara we lucked into the chance to see the Habana Ballet Company perform at
the city theatre. At four dollars, just to see the inside of the theater was worth the
price of admission. The ballet was a bonus. The ballet was called "La Habana
Valdes". The story line was about a woman forced to marry one man but
who was in love with another.
She tries to kill her husband, but the knife is taken away and is later used to kill the
man she loves. Her lover dies slowly and very passionately. Far more captivating
than the story line was the choreography and music. The music which was drawn from
every Cuban style and then some. Beside salsa, son, calypso, Afro-Cuban and rumba, there
was flamenco, classical and jazz, depending upon the nature of the scene. A particularly
memorable dominos gambling scene, which symbolized the struggle between the two men, was
highly rhythmic and all created by the dancers as the betting and playing went from side
to side and became increasingly faster and more intense. The fight scene between the
two male rivals was a foot stomping duo flamenco style. There is a lot of humor and very
colorful costumes like in a Brazilian Carnival-like scene. Another tremendous scene
featured a street sweeper dancing with her broom and 4 other men with canes, all stomping
their feet in beautiful rhythms. The bullfight scene reminded one of our group
members of
"Carmen". We all left very pleased.
 On the edge of Santa Clara is a plaza dedicated primarily to
Che Guavera. It houses a memorial, monument and museum. The monuments is
fairly typical of a war monument. It focuses on a pedestal with a statue of Che in
fatigues and carrying an assault rifle.
 The memorial is much more significant.
It
is subterranean, like the caves of the bases in the Sierra Maestra. Besides
Che, it
is a memorial to the other members of the core group that spent the early days of the
revolution in the Sierra Maestra with Fidel, Cienfuego and Che. In keeping with the
revolutions philosophy of a classless society, all of the comrades are interned in the
same manner. The only thing that distinguishes Che's locations is an extra point of light in the shape of a star.
The
memorial is dignified, somber, understated and moving. No photography is allowed.
Across
the hall from the memorial is a museum that is primarily dedicated to Che's adult life as a
revolutionary and to the soldiers in Cuba. The museum devotes a lot of space to his life as a guerrilla
fighter, and to the deaths of he and his comrades in Bolivia. It shows a picture of Che disguised as an aging Peruvian diplomat,
ready to depart for Bolivia. There
is a short video that shows him speaking in Cuba, and has Fidel, clearly
moved, reading Che’s last letter from Bolivia. There are details of his childhood, his youth traveling the
continent, his medical studies, and his years of work in Cuba. There is even an early 1950s photo of him setting off on a touring
bike for a pedaling spin around Argentina, with an extra tire slung over
his shoulder. Imagine that,
Che the bicyclist! Information on other aspects of Che's life can
be found at the Museum of the Revolution in Havana. |
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