In Cuba, we don’t have things,” says our guide Edilber, “we can only offer you experiences.” We are at the Rum Museum in Santiago De Cuba relishing a rum named after the eponymous city—Cuba’s second largest—and slowly puffing a Romeo & Julieta cigar. A band uplifts the mood with a rendition of “Guantanamera”, an anthem of sorts in this beatific Caribbean nation.
Edilber is indirectly referring to the decades-long US trade blockade and the constant challenges Cubans face because of it. It means that walking into a mercado in Cuba yourum mixed with local cola), a pina colada or a daiquiri at Floridita, one of Hemingway’s favourite bars in Havana. Edilber though, is not entirely correct about Cuba lacking things for there were plenty to be found and desired at Almacenes San José Artisans’ Market, Havana’s haven for souvenir-hungry tourists, albeit with a giant floor devoted to its vibrant visual arts
