¡CUBA, SÍ!

After my brief stay in London, I flew to Havana, Cuba, for the final leg of my Bristol Fellowship. On the plane ride back to my usual hemisphere, it was hard to believe that my year of research was almost complete.

Like my transition from Japan to India, at first, I had a bit of difficulty adjusting to life in Cuba. Simply put, I had had such a positive experience in Morocco – both in terms of my research and my social life – that I actually did not want to leave Morocco at all! Either way, after a restless flight, I found myself in downtown Havana.

Truth be told, I am not in love with Havana. While the city is aesthetically pleasing, there is so much hustle in Havana that it can be quiet a hassle to walk the streets alone. Needless to say, it is a fascinating city in itself; it truly is like stepping into a time capsule, as the majority of the cars are from before 1959 (not to mention most of the buildings look like they have not been restored for five or six decades).

Access to the internet in Cuba is limited, at best, making it impossible to update my website while I was in the country. Furthermore, as a citizen of the United States, my visit to Cuba was, technically, illegal; so I did not want to attract any unwanted attention.

Over the forthcoming days, I will post more on my musical experiences on the island. Without a doubt, I attended some incredible shows; I can boldly assert that Cuban rhythms are the most enjoyable in the world. Videos and (more) photographs to come…