My mom, a lover of travel and adventure, always repeats this phrase.
Despite not having lived long in this world, I've been lucky enough to travel all over my country. During my travels, I’ve visited almost all the major cities and many smaller, picturesque towns.
I've also had the fortune to travel to other countries.
But my mind always returns to Havana, my city.
The capital of Cuba, a country in constant struggle against time. It seems as if the country has frozen in time, and the capital is the greatest reflection of this.
A city that does not renounce its colonial architecture, nor can it afford to move forward in time.
I was born here 25 years ago, and I can tell you that it’s not the most beautiful city in the world, let alone in the country.
But it has something that captivates you.
For me, it’s being close to the sea, the north of the Caribbean Sea.
Those who know say that the cities north of Cuba have the best of the Caribbean—could it be true?
I don’t know much about that, but sitting on the Malecón for hours is something that cures any bad day
The people of this city also have their charm. Although life in Havana is the fastest-paced in the country, its people are special.
Children grew up playing in the streets with other kids from the neighborhood.
I was lucky that the old men gathered at the corner of my house to play dominoes.
Another thing, which although it has diminished, makes Havana, well, Havana.
The elders, of course, never let you play, but as you grew up and gained some pressure, you could sit at the table.
Although the situation in the country isn’t the best, people here continue to fight day by day to survive, and they don’t lose the smile and humor that characterize us. No matter how bad things get, how many hours of blackout there are, or if you haven’t had breakfast, you’ll always see them laughing.
And if we go out to explore the streets that Eusebio Leal cared for (the late historian of the city), in those streets, you will travel back in time, and you must be careful because they say those streets trap you. Once you go, you’ll want to visit them again.
I can confirm that!
But like everything in life, nothing is perfect.
Today, the 505-year-old lady suffers from several ailments. Ailments that have made her change and lose her splendor.
There is no street where trash doesn’t accumulate. These dumps have replaced the corners filled with people. Sometimes it becomes unbearable to breathe (depending on how long it’s been since they collected the trash).
When night falls, we are all enveloped by a great feeling of insecurity. Crime has skyrocketed in some areas of the city. Today, neighbors prefer to close their homes early.
The night barely begins, and Havana sinks into a dangerous calm. The streets look abandoned, lifeless, and you can get a scare. If we add the darkness from blackouts and poor public services, it’s not safe to be out at night.
These are the things that disgust me about my beloved city. Of course, I’ve left some things out, but they are situations that don’t depend on Cubans; rather, they depend on the bastards who run the city.
People who seem not to love this city or the country in general, but that’s a topic I don’t like to discuss because there’s nothing I can change.
Returning to Havana, of course, it’s not perfect. But it has something, that something that captivated Hemingway and thousands of tourists.
That said, if you’re coming to enjoy or fall in love with it, be prepared because, as we say here: "La cosa está dura."
Even so, wherever I go, I suppose I will always return to Havana.
The city that saw me born and grow, but that due to life’s circumstances, I will have to stop seeing sooner rather than later.
And what about you?
Does your city hold a special place? Or do you reserve that for another city?
Tell me a bit about it. It will be a pleasure to read your comments.
Read you soon!
[dahpilot]
If you want to see some of the reasons that make me fall in love with this city, you can visit these posts:
All the images in the post are my own.
