Traveling Thoughts

As I continued to explore Havana, I was enamored by Cuba’s "contrasts and contradictions," as one of my new friends so eloquently put it. I went on to see hardships and disparities blended with hope and generosity. I can imagine times past when things were less difficult and filled mostly with generosity and well-being, as described by many I've met during my stay. I hope that somehow they find a path back to that, rather than continuing in the downward direction it seems to be heading. The generosity I've encountered has resonated with me in a way I haven't felt since early childhood. One moment that really stood out happened while I was walking in Vedado during strong winds from Hurricane Helene. I saw an older woman with a crutch in one hand and a grocery bag in the other. Without thinking, I went to help her. As I approached, without hesitation and before I said anything, she motioned to hand me the bag and took my hand. There was a clear feeling of gratitud...

Ao continuar a conhecer Havana, eu me encantei pelos "contrastes e contradições" de Cuba, como disse tão bem um dos meus novos amigos. Eu continuei a ver dificuldades e disparidades misturadas com esperança e generosidade. Eu posso imaginar tempos passados ​​quando as coisas eram menos difíceis e cheias de generosidade e bem-estar, como descrito por muitos que eu conheci durante a minha estadia. Espero que de alguma forma eles encontrem um caminho de volta para isso, em vez de continuar na direção que parece estar indo. A generosidade que eu encontrei tocou em mim de uma forma que eu não sentia desde a infância. Um momento que realmente se destacou aconteceu enquanto eu caminhava em Vedado durante os fortes ventos do furacão Helene. Eu vi uma senhora com uma muleta em uma mão e uma sacola de compras na outra. Sem pensar, eu fui ajudá-la. Quando eu me aproximei, sem hesitação e antes que eu dissesse qualquer coisa, ela entregou a sacola para mim e pegou minha mão. Havia um s...

My last days in Pensacola were quite enjoyable. On Thursday, another Couchsurfer reached out and invited my host and me to a line-dancing venue. It reminded me of a place we used to go to in California called the Branding Iron. We did a few line dances and went on to have great conversations about everything from politics to religion. She dropped me off, and the next day, I started wrapping things up for my trip to Tampa on Saturday. I was glad that, despite some initial uncertainty, I was able to meet a couple who are close friends with someone I know from Boulder, and in the end, it couldn't have worked out better. We walked around a bit in historic Pensacola, shared some stories, and had breakfast before they dropped me off at the airport. I arrived in Tampa, picked up the rental car, and headed to my Couchsurfing hosts, a most generous and caring couple. I arrived later in the evening, and after grabbing a delicious sandwich at Hemingway’s Cuban Kitchen based on his recommend...

Meus últimos dias em Pensacola foram bem agradáveis. Na quinta-feira, outra Couchsurfer entrou em contato e convidou meu anfitrião e eu para um local onde dançam Line Dance. Isso me lembrou de um lugar que costumávamos ir na Califórnia chamado Branding Iron. Dançamos algumas vezes e depois tivemos ótimas conversas sobre tudo, de política a religião. Ela me deixou em casa e, no dia seguinte, comecei a encerrar as coisas para minha viagem a Tampa no sábado. Fiquei feliz que, apesar de alguma incerteza inicial, consegui conhecer um casal que é amigo próximo de alguém que conheço de Boulder. O marido é brasileiro. Andamos um pouco pela histórica Pensacola, compartilhamos algumas histórias e tomamos café da manhã antes que me deixassem no aeroporto. Cheguei em Tampa, peguei o carro alugado e fui até meus anfitriões do Couchsurfing, um casal muito generoso e atencioso. Cheguei mais tarde naquela noite e, eu comi um sanduíche delicioso de uma recomendação dele, conversamos um pouco, e fui ...

My COVID recovery went very well. The symptoms remained mild, and I was lucky not to have picked up a cough. I did, however, lose my sense of taste and smell, but within a week, they were back. The care I got from my friend's sister was a big factor in my quick recovery. She had various vitamins and over-the-counter medications that helped. She also made juice using papaya, pineapple, galanga (a root similar to ginger), and cinnamon. We both commented on how those powerful ingredients probably helped with my taste and smell coming back. It also tasted amazing and was very nutritious. As I continued to recover, I took some walks around the neighborhood and visited the post office to send out some postcards. As the weekend approached, I moved back to my friend's house to spend a couple more days with them. I was feeling mostly recovered and had been wanting to help her mow the lawn. We ended up finding a used battery-powered lawn mower on sale. After a very relaxing and task-fr...