The weather has been sooo yucky in Italy for the last couple of weeks, that you either want to stay in bed or run away somewhere warm! Well, I cannot run away anywhere, as just yet 😉 but I still dream of being somewhere in Cuba! 🙂

Yes, laying right in the crystalline waters, melting on the sun (of course with at least 20 spf sunscreen – models cannot tan too much, plus sun damage causes wrinkles – yes, even in my dreams I have to respect my body- it’s a lifestyle).

Sipping on a cool mint water (I don’t really drink alcohol, except from an occasional glass of wine for dinner-dates).. Do you think I am too much of Miss Perfect, yet?! Well too bad, I believe my body is a temple to my soul, so a healthy temple = a healthy soul), so nothing is better for me than a refreshing lemon and mint water to re-hydrate on the beach! 😉

Maybe go for a fun swim and splash around!! <3<3<3

Look for some sea creatures in the sand!

Build a sand castle or an animal!  😉 Then go for lunch on the beach!

And coffee at the bar (they even will make a cute animal in your machiato)!

Later, take a dip in the ocean!

Go explore volcanic some ‘badlands’ (I call these volcanic formations ‘badlands’, because for some reason they remind me of the novel ‘Chrysalids’, that was exactly how I imagined –  badlands, while reading it).

Then find a car ride (yes,  one of those old American cars, that became so characteristic of today’s Cuba) and go to visit Havana or local markets!!  The entire country is incredibly romantic and has soo much to offer!

Cuba is not dangerous at all, people are very nice and on the roads, if someone is doing auto stop, the drivers, actually have to stop and offer the passenger a ride, as it is by law!  I personally think that is great, because many people don’t have cars, so they simply help each other out! ❤

The entire country is an island with many adjacent islands, interconnected by many bridges!  Santa Maria is connected to the mainland by 48 km of bridges, constructed between 1989 and 1999, while Havana is on the island’s main-land!

Havana, is the capital city of Cuba and it’s the most peaceful and relaxing city, that I have ever visited!  I always say that I would love to take a month off and spend it Havana painting and enjoying the quiet life!  After all, even the great Hemingway, used to come to Cuba to get inspired and write!

The atmosphere in Havana is incredible, it’s like going back in time to the 50’s, the city is clean, well organized, safe and incredibly relaxing with it’s music, blue skies, smiling faces, colorful houses and colonial style architecture!

People on the streets are calm, happy and seam to be enjoying life!  They sit in the parks or cafes, dance on the streets or play music, but don’t get it wrong, most Cubans are highly educated (Cuba’s number one export, is their ‘brains’, like scientists and doctors), as well as cultured and work in tourism, hospitals, institutes and museums!

Another great thing about this country is that people are of all races and colors, they are all mixed together and there is no discrimination whatsoever!  I grew up in Canada, where different races live together side by side, but here they are truly integrated!  The mixes are beautiful, because you see blue eyed black individuals and white people with curly Afros; I imagine that is how the people in the entire world will look like in the future!

But lets take our trip back to the resort and enjoy the wild side of the island!

Explore the ‘jungle’ vegetation with all its palm trees and cactuses!  Cuba generally is very green and not flat, at all!

 

There are a lot of private farmers, as people in the country grow their own animals for food (like chickens, turkeys, pigs)!

 

I even found, Poinsettia, the Christmas Star plant (do you recognize it), I never knew it grew in such high bushes until we didn’t find it growing by a house in Cuba! ❤

What you really feel in Cuba (maybe because it’s an island) is the power of nature, how powerful it really is and how it is connected to all of us!  You have magnificent, deep ocean waters right in front of you and mysterious jungle covered hills right at your shoulders, the energy is incredibly!   All the animals are right there in front of you; hunting, swimming, observing!   Especially in the evening, when the sun is going down, you can see tons of pelicans and eagles flying all around, you feel their presence and all the magic wilderness, the connection between you and the island!

 

I cannot wait to go to Cuba again and experience its lifestyle once again, connect to its nature and culture, run around in bikini all day (of course you also need to bring some slippers, track suit, dresses and flip flops)!  The best part is that you can exchange the clothes you brought, at the local market for souvenirs or beautiful hand-knitted dresses (the clothing is expensive in Cuba and they cannot really afford much, so they are very happy to exchange it for local crafts)! ❤

Last, year I gave away most of the clothes I brought and exchanged some for souvenirs and a pair of jeans for a beautiful hand-knitted dress! Check it out! <3<3<3 Hope you enjoyed this dreamy trip to Cuba and might be planning a vacation there soon!