Dinner, cena, heaven in your mouth – whatever
you want to call it, it was transformative. I mean the stops got pulled all the
way out on this one – pulled pork, chicken noodle soup, fresh sweet potatoes,
fresh avocado, fresh bread (just assume all of the food is literally as fresh
as edible food can be) and butter, rice, mango juice, and pineapple juice. In
this situation, having just got arrived in Cuba after an exhausting day of
travel and airport food, I would do many things even for just some semi-fresh
salad. However we were met with all of these deliciously delectable morsels
mere seconds after the door peered opened. The tables were set and ready for
our company, having never met or communicated with anyone here. I mean come on
– the napkins were folded into little decorative patterns. I rarely see that
even at Michelin star restaurants. I’m just saying this much – if God were to
be at any place on this earth, that view would be it. And that’s not even
mentioning the fact that this church is right in the heart of one of the single
most awe-inspiring, breathtakingly beautiful, and unimaginably, stunningly,
gorgeous places that my eyes have ever been blessed enough to see. No other
place that I will venture to can possibly best the rooftop minibar views of the
Remedios town square. Buildings are artful and history-ridden in this wonderful
paradise of a city, in this pristinely astounding escape from phones, society,
and even the English language. Baby blues, sea foam greens, pastel pinks – they
all converge with the white and navy trims and slightly damaged shutters that
only add to the patina and the character of what I will now think of as the
epicenter for kindness and beauty within a physical place and the community of
the people in it. The walls have seen things and the streets tell stories, but
the buildings, palm groves, and the Hibiscus plumes only give so much. The
street bands playing and singing Gypsy Kings and the people smiling and telling
us we’re always welcome when they ask where we’re from, are the real reason
there is God here. God is everywhere here. Dogs smile and play, children run
around in the security of this city’s streets, people walk half naked,
restaurants keep their doors open, and the air is heavy with joy. One day in
Cuba is a lifetime of memories and if there’s one thing that Remedios has
taught me already, it’s that a stranger is just a friend without a name. This
trip is only six days long, but the memories I’ve been so incredibly blessed to
receive, even only this far in, are in my mind forever.
Caleb J – Grade 11
