Quito and Cotopaxi, Ecuador

La Compania Church

Upon settling in our lovely home-stay with Olga and Marcello in Quito, it was time to master Spanish. I started intensive classes at the Christobal Colon Spanish School with Maria Gusta, aka Magus. She was an excellent teacher with full of joy and helped me a lot with my Spanish by making me talk 4 hours every day. Thank you Magus, you were amazing!

Paul and I with our wonderful teachers 

Private tutoring was a very efficient way of learning due to full attention I got from Magus who corrected my mistakes immediately. In addition, I ended up talking a lot more than I would in a class environment.  Private lessons are definitely affordable in Ecuador and the prices range between $6 - $10 per hour. If you decide to attend this school, getting a membership with the South AmericanExplorers Club can be a great idea. With this membership you get a $1 off for each hour of your Spanish class. It really paid off  for me as I attended 3 weeks of intensive classes. There are also additional discounts in tour and accommodation bookings mostly in Ecuador and Peru. We saved quite a lot of money thanks to South American Explorers Club.

Historical streets of Quito

Our days in Quito were well spent. While I was attending classes until 1pm, Alex was discovering the city and visiting some impressive museums and churches. We also made new friends at our home-stay, Paul and Alex, who were also students at the Christobal Colon. In the afternoon, we visited some churches, historical buildings, Mariscal area and Plaza Foch. Basilica del Voto National and Cathedral of Quito are very impressive buildings in the heart of the city. I also spent a lot of time doing homework and practising Spanish with locals.

Cathedral of Quito

Ecuadorians are one of the friendliest nations in South America. We met many beautiful people during our time. One of them was Jorge-Luis, who approached us in one of the main squares asking for donation to help poor children. We started to chat about our trip around the world, and he told us about his adventures in Europe. After an hour we became really good friends and caught up a couple of more times later on. I was also happy to meet up with an old friend, Katrin from Germany, who happened to be on a business trip in Quito at the time. We certainly live in a small world.    

Colourful Otavalo Markets

The weekends were excursion times. Our first trip was to Otavalo which is an indigenous town in the Imbabura Province of Ecuador. Buses depart from Quito’s main terminal and charge $2 for the 2 hour ride. Otavalo is famous for its colourful markets that features some of the finest woven products in the region such as alpaca blankets, scarves, wall hangings, paintings and jewellery. We bought alpaca beanies and gloves as a preparation for our coming excursions to volcanoes and crater lakes in Ecuador and Peru. The Otavalo Market is open every day, however Saturday is the best day to visit when it is the biggest.   

Our next excursion was to the Cotopaxi National Park. At 7am, our tour bus departed towards the second highest mountain of Ecuador. It is also the world’s third highest active volcano with a height of 5,897 metres. After a short stop, we arrived at the spectacular national park. Our lovely group had people from Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil. My Spanish classes were already paying off as I was able to communicate with them!

Alex at Cotopaxi

The bus dropped us off at 4,600 metres and we had to climb the rest till 5,000 metres where we reached snow and ice. It was quite a challenge due to high altitude. Our bodies don't really adjust quickly having less oxygen. It took us around 2 hours to climb 400 metres. We kept walking on a slow but steady speed. According to locals, chewing coca leaves helps with altitude sickness which we tried. We reached the snowy areas at 5,000 metres and were very happy with our efforts. It was an extraordinary landscape of red soil and ice which felt like another planet. Please follow the link for more information on Cotopaxi.

The walk down from the volcano was much easier. When we reached our bus, there was an option to bike down to a nearby lake. It was a rough downhill ride with incredibly scenery. We left the national park at 3pm and had lunch in a local restaurant on our way back to the capital. We were absolutely exhausted when we got back to Quito at 7pm. What an excursion!

Our next trip took us to “La Mitad del Mundo Ciudad” or the middle of the Earth. It is a small village which is Ecuador’s biggest claim of fame. It is close to Quito and can be reached by local buses. There are two different sites to visit. The first one is a little town where Charles-Marie de la Condamine made his measurements in 1736 showing that it was the equatorial line. There was some interesting information about this historical expedition to find the equatorial line. We were also lucky to watch some traditional indigenous dance shows.

Alex in the middle of the world

A couple of metres away from this little village, we visited the Intinan Solar Museum which claims to be located on the actual equatorial line calculated by GPS. It was a great museum where we got to participate in unique experiments such as turning of water in different hemispheres. If you are lucky, you can manage to balance an egg on a nail and receive a certificate. Both places were fun but I enjoyed the Intinan Solar Museum more because we did a lot of hands on experiments.

Indigenous family

Our last excursion was to the magnificent Quilotoa. Our bus departed around 7am. We had a mixed group from Sweden, England, Switzerland and of course our dear friend Paul from Australia. Our guide, Andres, was very knowledgeable about indigenous cultures of Ecuador and South America. On the way, we visited a native family living in a small hut in the mountains without electricity. This was a family of 5 and their income was through farming of quinoa. They were living in very harsh conditions, especially due to cold weather. They were happy to receive additional income from tour groups.

Incredible Quilotoa

We arrived at Quilotoa around 11am. It is a breathtaking crater lake in the Ecuadorian Andes with spectacular and extraordinary colours. While we were walking down to the lake , the colours kept changing with the sunlight. We rented some kayaks and went around the lake for a while. After a relaxing break, we started a massive hike back to the top. Alex and some others on the tour took mules to go back up. Paul and I decided to walk. Wow, what a torture. I took us about an hour to reach the top. Most of the group on mules were waiting for us when we arrived at the restaurant. It was challenging but I am glad to have done it.

After 40 amazing days in this beautiful country, it was time to leave. On the way to the airport, we felt sad and melancholic as we felt at home during our stay and made amazing connections with these serene people. Ecuador offers remarkable natural wonders, volcanoes, mountains, waterfalls, hot springs and most importantly welcoming and warm hearted people of the Andes Mountains.  Thank you Ecuador for being such a great host!   

       

The Animal Refuge, Zoorefugio

On our way to Tarqui, Alex and I had one of our biggest arguments and I was about to walk away, when she said she had lost hope in our relationship. When emotions are high like this, it is very difficult to reach a resolution, or even think clearly. It was wise decision for us to take time off and reflect back before jumping to a conclusion. 

The volunteer work at the Zoorefugio Tarqui gave us the opportunity to reassess our relationship and how we feel towards each other. We were also kept busy with hard work from early morning till late afternoon. We met other volunteers, Thomas, Marian Shelo and Thresa, who helped us to reduce the tension in our relationship. And of course, those beautiful animals with their unconditional love helped us to shift our focus from ongoing problems to compassion and love. This incredible week at this refuge centre was perfect for us to heal our wounds and re-evaluate our relationship.           

Marian feeding tapirs

Zoorefugio Tarqui is a centre that engages in animal welfare and environmental education. Most animals were brought in by the Ministry of Environment for rehabilitation after being rescued from animal traffickers. 

The work at the centre was hard. Days started by preparing meals for animals, cleaning cages and feeding some amazing creatures. There were a wide variety of animals such as monkeys, tapirs, jaguars, pumas, parrots, cuchuchos, turtles and wild pigs. After the feed, we helped to clean the grounds. While we were there, the owners were building a bigger cage for pumas. So, we helped in the construction by mixing cement and carrying sand. It was tough work and we were exhausted at the end of the day.

Amazing puma

The owner of the Zoorefugio wasn’t the nicest person but he provided us with opportunities to grow by setting healthy boundaries in terms of how much work we can do as paying volunteers. However, it was an invaluable experience to be with these incredible animals and meeting great people, especially other volunteers. My favourite animals were pumas, monkeys and jaguars.

One week at the centre had an amazing impact on us and on our relationship. I definitely felt a positive shift and was convinced that we could work out those relationship issues no matter how difficult they were.

Before departing to the capital, Quito, I wanted to try the shamanic medicinal brew called Ayahuasca. Amazonian shamans have been using this sacred wine as a window into the soul for centuries. An interesting article published by Kira Salak of National Geographic provides valuable insights about this Amazonian tradition. 

As stated in the earlier posts, one of my main reasons in this journey was to find out my purpose in life and I was willing to try this shamanic brew to get some insights. We found a local shaman through one of the workers at the zoo. After a strict diet (no sugar, salt, red meat and spices) and fasting for a day, another volunteer and I arrived at the shaman’s house in the evening. We drank the bitter brew half an hour later and started to wait for the effects. I didn’t feel much apart from an upset stomach. 2 hours later, the shaman offered me a second cup which I accepted. Soon after I started purging, which is a common side effect of Ayahuasca. We spent the rest of the night at the shaman’s house. The next day, I felt much lighter. My stomach problems were reduced. However, I had no visions or insights about my purpose, which was disappointing. I will elaborate more about my shamanic experiences in the episodes of Peru.

Our family at the refuge

In the afternoon, we said goodbye to our human and animal friends and made our way towards the capital. The main purpose of our visit to Quito was to learn Spanish. Alex lived in Spain for 2 years and she is fluent in Spanish but I needed more lessons to be able to communicate effectively. One of the volunteers at the zoo, Marian, recommended a good school in Quito, Christobal Colon. We also booked a home stay through them. When we arrived late afternoon, our host Olga welcomed us with open arms. She is a wonderful lady who became our Ecuadorian mother. She and her husband Marcelo have a big apartment in the middle of Quito where they rent rooms, mostly to students. You can contact her at +593 999 811 379 if you would like to experience this wonderful Ecuadorian hospitality.   

Our Ecuadorian mother, Olga

Magnificient Ecuador, Cuenca & Banos

We left Cuba on the 2^nd of September 2013, and flew to Guayaquil with a stopover in Bogota. Upon arrival, we took an overnight bus to Cuenca which according to our research was a good place to learn Spanish. The closer we got to our destination, the colder it became. We, of course, thought that Ecuador would be a warm country because of its location, but we were absolutely wrong. Due to high altitude some towns along the Andes Mountains can be bitterly cold. 

We arrived in Cuenca around 4am in the morning and were welcomed with temperatures of 4 or 5 degrees Celsius. Both of us felt very disappointed coming from the sunny and warm Caribbean.

Cuenca is a quiet and peaceful town with impressive architectures. We saw many cafes and bakeries full of retired people. In fact, it was voted as "the perfect place to retire" by many magazines. BBC even called it “paradise for immigrant pensioners” in one of its articles. In fact, many older North Americans are migrating to Ecuador mainly due to financial reasons. Ecuador was amongst the cheapest countries we visited in South America. Now you know where to retire.

One of the best things in Cuenca was the markets where we tried some interesting local dishes. These markets are perfect for cheap authentic lunches, fresh fruits and vegetables.  

2 nights in Cuenca were definitely enough. Although it is a beautiful and peaceful town, it was just too cold and quiet for us.

Baños in the Andes Mountains

Our next stop was Baños de Agua Santa. It is a small city in the Andean highlands of central Ecuador. It is situated under the active Tungurahua Volcano and is blessed with steaming thermal baths and magnificent waterfalls. We checked into the Hostal Princesa Maria which was recommended by a fellow traveller. The hostel was very close to one of the local markets where we obtained fresh produce for healthy meals. It was a perfect place to relax and meet other adventurers. During our first day, we met a lovely couple from the Netherlands, Lisette and Marcel who were on their honeymoon. 

Baños is famous with its’ outdoor activities, such as mountain biking and hiking. We rented some bicycles together with Marcel and Lisette and had a great excursion in La Ruta de las Cascadas, which is a 17 km ride with a dozen of waterfalls along the way. The most impressive one was the Pailon del Diablo, which means “Caldron of the Devil”. 

Caldron of the Devil

Riding along the tranquil Andes Mountains was an amazing adventure. Some other activities in the Baños valley are zip lining, cable car, bungee jumping and rafting. 

The virgin nature of these mountains was absolutely breath taking and energizing. We did many uplifting hikes around this peaceful town. After 4 days of fun and shared friendship, Marcel and Lisette continued their journey towards the Galapagos Island. The sad thing about travelling is to say goodbye to the wonderful people you meet along the way. However, it is a perfect reminder of the constant change in life.   

In Baños, I signed up for a week intensive Spanish classes including a home stay. Ecuador is one of the cheapest countries to learn Spanish. The cost was $6 or $7 per hour for a private tutor. In addition, Ecuadorians speak slowly and articulate well which makes it easier for beginners. Home stay was also a perfect opportunity to practice what I have learned at school. For a week, we stayed with Adrianne, Carlos and their two children. It was a lovely experience and I was able to improve my broken Spanish.

Our host family

Another attraction in Baños is the thermal baths. There are 2 main baths in town and both get very busy with locals visiting from surrounding villages. It is a good idea to go there straight after the cleaning process as the water gets dirty quickly with many people. The water temperature is around 35 degrees Celsius and it is easy to spend a couple of hours in these outdoor pools.

10 days passed quickly in this little Andean paradise, and soon we were on the bus to our next adventure: volunteering in an animal refuge in Tarqui, located in a tiny village close to Puyo, a small town next to the Amazon Jungle. We decided to help out in Zoorefugio Tarqui to get an understanding of working with animals. It was actually Alex’s dream for a long time. 

Cuba Libre, Trinidad and Vinales

Beautiful Trinidad

It was finally time to discover colourful Trinidad. We took another overnight bus which left Santiago with an hour delay. Unfortunately, it also broke down early in the morning and we had to wait for 1,5 hours another bus to pick us up. It took us 14 hours to reach our destination and we were simply exhausted when we arrived in our new casa particular.

Trinidad is a UNESCO World Heritage listed town in central Cuba. It is a perfectly preserved Spanish colonial settlement which brings you back to 1850s with its cobbled streets, and horse carriages. Because of its magnificence, it became very popular among tourists. Therefore, it is definitely more expensive than Santiago. 

Our efforts of finding a cheap restaurant paid off when we met Odiladies and her husband, Airan who run a little paladar (a Cuban term for a family run small restaurant). They were a young couple who took advantage of the new laws in Cuba and opened up their own business. They had great fish for $4 which was quite cheap for Trinidad. We instantly became friends with them and spent great time together. Odiladies also helped us to find a good babalawo (a Saint in Santaria religion) to clear the negative energy Alex was experiencing in the last couple of weeks. Santaria (Way of the Saint) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions. In order to get rid of Alex’s bad luck we were happy to try anything.

Colourful Trinidad

We visited a local babalawo, Dr. Jose Antonio, who is a medical doctor and also a medium. He delivered us some messages from the spirit world and told Alex to do a cleaning ceremony with some fruits. The next day, we did the ceremony in the Caribbean Sea. Believe it or not, Alex felt a sudden shift in her energy and her luck seemed to get better after that. It was amazing.

We spend most of our time visiting this beautiful colonial town and sharing great moments with our newly made friends. We met a friend of Airan, Juan, who was together with Mariana from Argentina. We got along very well and Mariana invited us to visit her when we will be in Argentina.

Our new friends

It was hard to say goodbye to lovely Trinidad, but we needed to make our way to the next city. Cienfuegos is a nice town on the southern coast of Cuba which was originally settled by the French Monarchist when Napoleon lost Louisiana. We were able to visit the entire city in one day. Some of the main attractions we visited include Palacio de Valle, Palacio Azul, the promenade of Cienfuegos, Pedestrian Boulevard, and the Cathedral of Cienfuegos. It was the cleanest city in Cuba and had an attractive French architecture. The only down side for me was a painful ear infection which forced me to pay a visit to an international clinic. After a thorough check up, I received a course of antibiotics and ear drops for the next 7 days.   

Palacio Azul

After one night in Cienfuegos, we made our way to Viñales which was a little, peaceful village with different coloured one storey houses. It is next to one of Cuba’s greatest natural attractions, the UNESCO Heritage listed Viñales Valley.

Bike tour with friends

On the bus to Viñales, we met Rafael from Colombia and his girlfriend, Tania from Croatia. They used to live in London before their trip around the world. Once again, we connected really well with these travellers and went out for dinner together. They introduced us to another couple, Felix from Germany and Natasha from Switzerland. Thanks to Felix’s travel book, we found a little paladar called Nora & Luis, which was quite far away from the village. It was worth the 45 minute walk. For $5 per person, we had lobster, salad, rice, fried bananas. It was fantastic.   

The next day, we rented some bicycles and visited the Viñales Valley with our new friends. The valley had a breathtaking scenery and a peaceful rural life. This part of Cuba is still very virgin and serene. The region is also famous for the production of quality tobacco and best Cuban cigars. 

We finished our tour around 3pm and had lunch in our casa particular. It is a common practice that these places offer meals to their guests to make additional income. It was a perfect way of tasting the local cuisine. After a long lunch, we said goodbye to our friends as they were going back to Havana the next day.

   

Cuban tobacco grower

The following day, we hired some horses and discovered the countryside with a local guide. We visited a cave, a tobacco farm and a spectacular lookout. We were shown how to roll cigars and were offered to try one with a delicious Cuban coffee. It was an experience to taste this freshly made cigar! After the tour, we visited Norma for a last meal before our departure the next day. While we were eating, she told us her life story which was quite emotional. This is what I loved about Cuba. Everybody is so open, welcoming and ready to connect. After dinner, we organised our transport to the Havana Airport for the following day.  

After an incredible month in Cuba, we were on our way to the airport in an old American car. What a closure! It was amazing to see that these 50+ year old cars still run quite well. The journey was a smooth and we made it on time to catch our plane to Ecuador.

We had several unusual experiences while we were in Cuba. We experienced theft, loss, shock, frustration, pain, anger, helplessness, relationship crisis, love, care, laughter, joy, rhythm, dance, friendship. I am grateful for the variety of experiences because they added richness and flavour to our journey, no matter how difficult they might have been at the time. Thank you Cuba!  We will always remember the warm hearts of your people. 

Santiago de Cuba

Streets of Santiago

After 4 challenging days dealing in Havana, we took a 12 hour overnight Viazul bus to Santiago de Cuba. Alex’s brother, Charly and his wife, Damaida, picked us up from the bus terminal. After a cheese&bread breakfast in a local cafe, we visited Damaida’s family, and had a beautiful welcome.

The average salary of a Cuban is around $20 a month. Many families live together as a community because they can’t afford to rent or buy a house. A couple of years ago, it wasn't even possible to buy because everything belonged to the government but now things are changing slowly. People who work with tourists are making a good living in Cuban standards. Charly and Damaida moved to Cuba from France 2 years ago to start a transport business when they finish fixing up their cars.

Charly fixing his Jeep

Cuba definitely takes you back to the 50's. It seems like not much has changed after the revolution done by Fidel Castro (1953-1959). You can still ride the old American cars from that era, visit historical buildings and experience a magical culture. It is a total contrast of a capitalist economy. And that makes Cuba a unique tourist destination. Imagine a country without McDonald’s, Starbucks and Coca-Cola!

During our time in Santiago, I started to take Spanish classes from a lovely lady, Ines. She used to be a Russian teacher before the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1990, she got retrained to become a Spanish teacher as Russian wasn't taught at schools any longer. It was a great pleasure to study with her and it certainly makes a big difference if you speak the language as many Cubans don't speak much English or any other language. Great friendships can be made instantly if you can communicate in Spanish.

El Castillo del Moro

We also visited a couple of beaches around Santiago. It is possible to have a lobster or great fish for a bargain when you hang out with locals and pay the Cuban price. The sea food is very fresh and delicious. We also went to a nearby waterfall and visited the Castillo del Moro.

The nights were vibrant, energising and joyful in live salsa cafes and bars which we visited with our Cuban friends and family. If you are ever in Santiago, you can contact Charly and Damaida through Cubacontigo for an authentic Cuban experience. They can help you with finding accommodation, salsa & Spanish classes and excursions.

Alex kept having more misfortunes in Santiago. She burned her leg on a motorbike exhaust 
when she was coming off it. Due to heat and humidity, her wound got infected and we had to take her to the international clinic for a couple of times.

Our relationship crisis was also escalating and she was thinking about staying with her brother in Cuba for a while rather then continuing the travels. I felt very sad that our journey together might be ending soon. We still loved each other but regular fights were affecting us dramatically.

While the early months of a relationship can feel effortless and exciting, a healthy long-term relationship requires constant work and compromise from both partners. If a couple ignores difficult topics, the relationship can end up in crisis. An interesting article in Psychology Today by Jay Dixit addresses some of most important issues a couple can face.

We all come from different backgrounds and have developed certain patterns during our upbringing. Often, we are not even aware of these internal patterns and can easily get triggered by our partners’ behaviour. Effective communication is essential to shed light on each other’s behaviour patterns which helps us to develop empathy and understanding in a relationship. As for us, the end was not there yet. We decided to work harder to save it.

Our last days in Santiago were full of joy. Damaida's brother, Enriquito, had his 30^th birthday and we were invited to celebrate with them. Wow, what a fiesta. There were around 30 people in the small family house. There was a lot of food, beer and of course Cuban rum. I got offered to try a 15 year old rum by Damaida’s father that was superb. A couple of hours later, most people were quite happy with the flowing drinks while dancing salsa and reggaeton. This great atmosphere lasted until the early morning hours. We thanked Charly, Damaida and her family for the perfect Cuban hospitality during those 2 wonderful weeks in Santiago before heading towards Trinidad.

Enriquito's 30th Birthday Party

Viva la Revolucion: Havana, Cuba

Vibrant Havana

On our way to Havana on the 5^th of August 2013, I felt excited. Cuba definitely has a contagious energy of dance, music, and joy. My first visit to Cuba was in 2004 and I was thrilled to go back and reconnect with this Caribbean pearl. We were picked up by my dear friend and former salsa teacher, Claudio who happened to be on holiday in Cuba at the same time.

The Famous Malecon Street

We drove to Clarita and Orlando’s House, a casa particular in the famous Malecon street. Casa particular is the Cuban concept of a private home stay where you can experience the real culture and hospitality. It is a much better and economical option than staying in a hotel where Cubans are (by law) not allowed in unless they work there. Casa particulars can be found almost anywhere in Cuba with average prices ranging between $15 to $30 per night.

According to Cuban law, casa particulars must be registered by the government for tourism purposes. To avoid bad surprises, make sure to book an official one as it is illegal for tourists to stay in unregistered houses even if you might be staying with some Cuban friends.




A big shock hit us when we arrived at the casa particular. After thoroughly checking her backpack, Alex realised that all of our cash for Cuba and her credit cards were missing. Wow, we both felt sick in our stomachs and Alex had a nervous breakdown. Cuba is not like any country where you can withdraw money from ATMs, in fact there are next to none. To get money you have to go to special banks or Cadecas and pay high fees. So, the best way to travel in Cuba is to bring enough cash to cover your stay. After losing all that money, we weren't quite sure what to do next.

What had happened? We had no idea! When we called Alex's bank in Australia to cancel the cards, it turned out that her cards had already been used in Mexico. We realised that she got mugged somewhere between Holbox Island and Cancun Airport without even noticing it. It was really hard to come to terms with loss like this as we had lost our entire budget for Cuba. Thankfully, Claudio and Clarita were very supportive and helped us to relax a little bit. We went to a police station in Havana to get a report for our travel insurance. However, we were asked to go to the Mexican Embassy to get a report as the crime did not happen in Cuba. Claudio was very kind and invited us for dinner that night.

Streets of Havana

The next day was a day of bureaucracy. We started by going to the Mexican Embassy to get a police report. After long discussions, we couldn't get one as they wanted us to pay for creating it. We were very disappointed and frustrated. Our next stop was the French Embassy, which was not very helpful either. After spending half a day running around embassies without any results, we decided to find a place where we could get some cash using my cards.

We exchanged the last American dollars I had with me. It is not a good idea to bring American dollars to Cuba as they charge an extra 20 percent fee but we had no other option. We also managed to get some cash from a nearby Cadeca after waiting for an hour. So we were good until we get to Santiago where Alex’s brother lives.

At night, we went to "La Casa de la Musica" with Claudio where some of the best Cuban musicians perform. The uplifting music and dance performances from NG La Banda helped us to forget our troubles for a little while. It was a great night of salsa, dance, and joy.

Salsa Band

Cuba is probably the worst country if you need to use the internet or make international calls which we desperately needed at the time to deal with the banks and insurance companies. An hour of internet is $5 and we had to pay $3 per minute for international calls. It was a big hassle to deal with all that which certainly put some extra pressure on our already fragile relationship. We had some more serious fights and I wasn't quite sure if our relation would continue.

I also got quite sick in Havana. I had a burning fever and felt very weak for 2 days which meant bed rest. I felt tired, lost, and concerned about my relationship. One afternoon, I was looking out of the window towards Malecon Street and the Caribbean Sea, a feeling of gratitude came over me to be in Cuba. Although we were going through hard times, people all around were very helpful and supportive. Clarita was trying her best to cheer us up. A random taxi driver who drove us to the Mexican Embassy, refused to take money after hearing our story of mugging. Claudio was there for us when we needed him. These acts of kindness really touched me and it felt so good to have that support. This reminded me, once again, the importance of helping others when they are in need.

It was my first experience of being mugged. It was a challenging experience to deal with and my dominant feelings were anger and helplessness. On the other hand, it provided us with an understanding that no matter what happens, life still goes on and we always get by somehow. There is always a solution or help from unexpected sources. Here, I want to acknowledge the big hearts of Cuban people and thank them for their generosity. They have very little to survive on but they were always ready to help us with our struggles.         

Havana Cathedral