"La Villa de San Cristobal" a Havana Travel Page by cochinjew

Cubans make excellent friends and I can tell you this after more than ten years of my association with this loveliest country in the americas. I have visited most of the islands or groups in the caribbean, there is nothing that can hold a candle to Cuba. Culturally, Socially, Intellectually, Humanistically Cuba is the leading light of the Caribbean and South America and Fidel can be content with a life of leading the unselfish light for his people now being carried by Chavez in Venezuela, Lula in Brasil, Kirchner in Argentia, Tavare in Uruguay, Bachillet in Chile, Morales in Bolivia. May this light spread to Nicaragua and Mexico (poor Lopez Obrador!) and a continent is grateful to Fidel Castro Ruz. Feliz Cumpleanos Comandante.
When Fidel fell ill, I was at the Reservation of HoCank Indians and that night we did a ceremony for the health of Fidel, highly respected by the Indians of North Central and South America.

Havana never ceases to amaze me. Each time I meet yet another group of people, who fill my brain with such enticing thoughts and philosophy. For a person who enter the USA through Miami, and has to spend time in the midwest, this intellectial life in Havana is like Manna from Heaven.
First few years of my travel to Cuba, I was thought to be working for MININT by the americans and for the CIA by the MININT. Superficial and funny. Then came a period of intense acculturation into the cuban life with a nice apartment in Vedado and oodles of cuban friends of all classes and stages of life. Immense pleasure.
i have enjoyed being with artists, painters and writers of Cuba
delightful friends in Baracoa and La Habana
I told Pico Iyer that it was not only him who has managed not to fall in love in Cuba, like my Cuban mother said to me: you have fallen in love with Cuba rather than a Cubana. I chided the priest in Baracoa, I am more celibate than you , padre which was probably true...
lovely people, I usually avoid cubans who have an economic interst in you, such as owners of small businesses such as casa particulares or paladares. There are many many lovely people in this country. i very seldom meet visitors to this country, but Merce from Mallorca, Pilar from Malaga, Luis e Anna from Coruna, Maria from Bilboa all have become good friends. I never invite my friends from other countries to come and visit me in Cuba as the days are kept immensely occupied in La Habana and Baracoa. In July, this tradition was broken, a week with a special friend from Paris, who has promised to come and watch the new years sun at Baracoa jan 1, 2007. Warm water to swim in the sea at that time, sweetie!

Hello fellow travellers! I am composing this at an internet cafe in Salta, Argentina. I read about virtualtourist.com this past sunday in the New York Times and am I happy I logged in !
I consider Melbourne, Australia to be my home, eventhough I dont live there anymore ( still have only aus passport). Consider Miami, Florida my north american base, that is where I did my post graduate studies in Endocrinology. Baracoa, Cuba is where I "return" home to, in between work ( applied anthropology in medicine ) and travels.

I wrote this one year ago in Argentina. This past year has been good for travel as always, but the country I have concentrated is Argentina:
I have been there five times in 12 months: Salta, Jujuy, Tucuman, Tafi del valle, Foz de Iguacu, Ushuaia and twice over the river to Colonia in Uruguay and of course the magnificent Buenos Aires.
Two visits to Chile, got to know Valparaiso as well as Santiago de chile.
Two visits to Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia and visits to Vallegrande and other sites of interest to fans our querida comandante, che guevara.
and a lovely visit to Cusco and Machu Pichu.
Visits to the USA has always been related to my work with the Indians and I travelled to many indian reservations over the past one year. That work would continue.
Within Cuba, I have gotten to know Santiago de Cuba a bit better, La Habana which is changing constantly and of course, there is Baracoa! it is always nice to come home to after work and after travels. Baracoa has kept me very very busy. Apart from my cuban friends in Baracoa I have made some good friends who are also travellers to Baracoa.
My love affair with Cuba continues and in 2006, the intellectual connections have become much stronger and it was a pleasure to be here in August 2006 with a special visitor from Francia.