Maria la Gorda

Maria la Gorda translates as MARIA THE FAT GIRL, and sits in the far east of Cuba. I was a little aprehensive about going to MLG as it involved hiking or pedir un raite as they say in Cuba. This is often encouraged within Cuba, as a communist society, it's a way of helping others out. I was rest assured by my friend Rosie, it'll be fine.



Lonely Planet says MLG is full of crabs, which it was , but they were mostly dead. On arrival, we were lucky enough to be befriended by locals who had caught some huge fish and gave us one. In our casa particular (which we hired on the beach) the owner of the casa cooked it for us! It was so nice to have fresh food!

The beach was stunning; sand so white and water so clear. The pic above was of a turtle head , which the locals mentioned they had to get rid off. The Cuban government get quite suspicious of certain possessions that Cubans have. They could be easily arrested for something like having a turtle head. As silly as it sounds! Cubans also shouldn't have beef in their homes as all the cows belong to Fidel. Lobster is also something fishermen should not have in their possession!

We ended up hitchhiking back to Havana. Here we are...Rosie and I in the back of a truck. Hitchhiking is common here in Socialist Cuba.

Whilst we were waiting on another ride, we saw these two women processing sugar cane. My fave!

Here we are in the back of another truck with some locals...heading over to Havana. I love the Cuban way of life. Communism has taught me so much. You really feel the comraderie here. Everyone is watching out for one another!

Cu'a!

One of the first experiences which triggered my love for travel was a study abroad trip to Cuba.  It sounds cliche but I really learnt so much in terms of the restrictions communism brings.  I had an arrangement at a homestay or casa particular, as they call it near Plaza de La Revolucion.  MY mum flew out with me and we stayed with my host mum for 25cuc ( about 25 USD) a night. It was a very basic room, and my mother and I had to share a bed. Most homestays provide breakfast and dinner, but not lunch. I found my host mum a little mean to be honest and there was no maternal instinct and she stated she didn't want children, which is fine, but you coulD tell she was all about the money. I remember her feeding her husband chicken and rice and feeding me mash and vegetables, for 25cuc that's a cheek.  I decid I had to get out and leave, so at the Universidad de La Habana, I decided to ask if they knew of a room elsewhere.  Luckily, I got somewhere else in Centro Hanana, which was much better. I lived with a lady called Delbis whose son worked in Venezuela and her niece and daughter in law lived there too; Yannis and Orquidea. They were quite happy to stay at home and cook, clean, etc. From the university, I walked to Infanta y San Lazaro and was greeted with open arms...these women were to become my family!  My first weekend there, we had some visitors around, I wasn't paying much attention....until someone said 'Viennen Los inspectadores'. Apparently, when it comes to casa particulares, landlords have a hard time as the government restricts most things. They cannot rent more than one room, and if they do, they need permission. I was not too sure of all the restrictions until I asked Delbis if I could use the Internet, two women were sat down and I thought they were visitors. Delbis, didn't answer and had a stern look which is not really like her. I was slightly confused. I left the house and decided to go to Hotel Nacional which is around 5cuc for half an hour. Pricey! When I got back to Delbis, that's when she explained it was the inspectors and that Internet is also prohibited in Cuban houses. She had to pay them 250cuc so that they wouldnt take away her license. I felt so bad,. Apparently they even checked her fridge for beef! Also, not allowed. It's all a bit of propaganda really if you think about it. Real shame. Fidel doesn't want them to be exposed to anything from the outside world which could corrupt their minds and dedication to the Cuban Revolution. Later, I spoke to my mum in England and told her what happened. She said she has a feeling the previous lady I lived with Mercadita set it up...which made absolute sense as she asked where I was staying next and asked for the address as she apparently had to inform immigration where I'd be moving to next. It made me think...think my mum was right!