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Published: October 30th 2014
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From the Malacon
Photo by Kathryn MacDonald© Travel Notebook Learning Adventure
Photography: capture the essence of people and place
Writing: transform experience into story
(and have fun too)
Discovering Baracoa (March 20-29, 2015) I’m trying to remember when Baracoa entered my dreams. It has something to do with Columbus, indigenous peoples, Cuba of course, and links, like those in a silver necklace. During last summer, I took a step toward discovery.
When Columbus first saw what is now Baracoa he thought he’d discovered the spice-rich East. It was his first landing in the Americas – October 12, 1492. He is purported to have “planted” a cross, Cruz de la Parra, to give thanks for the safe voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Travellers can see it at Nuestra Señora de la Asunción/Our Lady of Assumption church in Baracoa’s town square, something tangible. Although he did not find spices, silk, or gold, Columbus found a friendly, agricultural community, much as I did when I arrived on August 13, 2014. However, I didn’t sail across the Atlantic to “discover” Baracoa and Cuba. Instead, I sailed from the Dutch Antilles across the Caribbean Sea to the port-of-entry at
Santiago de Cuba. From there I traveled overland in an old, blue, Ford jeep through the semi-arid Guantánamo region, through the high, narrow, and twisting roads of La Farola Montañas/The Lantern Mountains, then down to rainforest lowlands and Baracoa on the ocean.
Until the 1960s, formidable mountains, the Sierra del Purial, cut Baracoa off from the rest of Cuba. Despite the high and winding highway that now connects Baracoa to Guantánamo and Santiago de Cuba, the area remains largely unspoiled. Few tourists venture here, creating an opportunity for writers and photographers to capture and market original images and insights into this little known northeastern corner of Cuba.
Travellers can see the results of Baracoa’s relative isolation in many ways. Although 500 years have passed since Columbus’ visit, hints of the indigenous roots of the Taïno can be seen on the faces of many of the citizens, melded with those who followed Columbus from Spain and with those who escaped slavery in Haiti. The impact of isolation can also be seen and heard in the art and music of the people of the Oriente (Spanish for east). Pictographs and petroglyphs connote images and
stories from long ago, and artifacts displayed in museums provide more glimpses into the unique history of this corner of the island. History in Baracoa is also found in the statuary and posters displayed in parks and on buildings; one large monument celebrates the indigenous hero Hatuey, who resisted the Spanish in the mid-16
th century.
Hatuey is the first of Cuba’s revolutionaries who attempted to throw off the yoke of colonization. Over the years, many independence leaders stemmed from Eastern Cuba, and it comes as no surprise that the people of the Oriente/East overwhelmingly supported the Cuban Revolution of the 1950s. On my drive across the mountains, every small village seemed to sport signs naming the revolutionary heroes of the community. And images of Che Guevara abound. Baracoan’s pride in their revolutionary past is in plain sight: from the statue of Hatuey in the town square, to signs and street-names commemorating local and national heroes, to Che’s face painted on numerous buildings. Like indigenous and revolutionary history, agriculture remains important to the people and economy of the region.
As tobacco is a major crop in the west and sugar to central Cuba, Baracoa is the heart
Traditional Shed & Turkeys
Photo by Kathryn MacDonald© of Cuba’s cacao industry. While in Baracoa, Delmer, the driver of the blue jeep, took my partner and me to visit a conservation area and traditional homestead complete with a drove of pigs and piglets, plus turkeys in a traditionally-constructed pen. On a second day in the forest the blue jeep pulled over and Delmer ran into the woods, returning with a large pod. He cut it open, handing the mysterious thing to me with one of his few English words: “chocolate.” I scooped the beans from the cacao pod with my fingers and sucked the creamy substance in which the beans nestle. Yum-yum.
Baracoa’s ambience is that of a rural, seaside town. Because of Baracoa’s 500-year-long isolation, its charm differs from the grand, world-heritage character of Havana, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad de Cuba. This does not mean that it lacks historical sites and museums. Museo Matachí, in the old Fort Matachín (one of several forts), traces the Taïnos Indians settlement to two centuries before the Spanish arrived. History abounds here; the area boasts more than 50 archeological sites and a rainforest abundant with endemic flora and fauna. Like Cuba’s other cities, travellers will find music and dancing
Street Vendor
Photo by Kathryn MacDonald© in many venues, many open-air to be enjoyed on the street, the maleçon/seawall to walk along, bici- and horse-drawn taxis in which to enjoy a scenic ride, and market carts scattered throughout the streets offering local produce.
You are sure to find the people of Baracoa as friendly as Columbus did and as my partner and I did during our visit last August. You, too, will meet people and make friends. During the workshop we will create opportunities to talk with Baracoans and to gain insight into the culture and history of this beautiful place, sometimes called Ciudad Primada/First City. You will leave with a deeper understanding of Cuba, its history, people, and culture.
During our 10 days together, workshop participants will enjoy discussions and excursions that will lead to writing and photos that tell stories far beyond common tourist snapshots. You will see improvements to your present skills, whether you are a beginner or have experience under the proverbial belt.
My dream of Baracoa unfolded as magically as the nighttime variety of dreams. The people – from Delmer to his 102-year-old grandfather, family and friends – opened unexpected doorways into places usually
invisible or hidden from tourists who tend to see the surface. I like to think of myself as a traveller who glimpses something deeper and makes a connection. When we drove to the village to say goodbye and pay respects to Grandpa, I felt sad to be leaving. Grandma took my hands in hers and said, “Come back; you have family here.” Just writing this gives me goose bumps. My heart races thinking about my return in the New Year.
(Please visit Travel Notebook Learning Adventures at www.travelnotebook.ca
or http://www.pinterest.com/PhotoWrit/ for more photos.)
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