By Bhaktimarga Swami

I believe there are more horse-driven buggies in Rodas than there are cars, thus, you’re looking at heaven.  The few motorized conveyances in this town spew out dark fumes, thus, you’re looking at hell.  The area around is blessed with great agricultural soil.  That’s good.  There are vegetables, fruits, sugar cane, beans and rice.  On the road leading to town, harvested rice kernels are strewn out on one of the lanes of the highway for drying.  That’s how infrequent a vehicle comes by and how co-operative, respectful and efficient things can carry on in Cuba.  It’s sweet, really. https://instagram.com/p/BcVZQ1GlNdu/

A diesel-fuelled car drove us to Santa Clara, a city of left-wing attitudes.  Here we had a meal of local yucca, beans and rice, cane juice and flavourful cucumbers.  The casual visitors to our hostel room were also delicious—nothing to do with cannibalism, of course.  They prescribe to Krishna devotion—Indradeva, a vet student; Devananda, a retired metal engineer; and Dhanvantari, a young charismatic aerobics and martial arts teacher.  That’s Santa Clara.

When in Havana, Hayagriva and I walked along the Malecon, the sea wall.  People are rather poor, more so in the city.  A man was catching fish for a meal.  He left one by his side after the catch.  We felt sorry for the discomfort of the fish but it was the man’s prize, not our jurisdiction.  The only water in sight for relieving the little fellow of his suffering was the ocean with it’s life-threatening waves and over a deep wall.  What were we to do? https://instagram.com/p/BcPjV_al2Ng/
 
The average salary, I’ve been told, is less than $25.00 a month.  If you live in the countryside, you’re probably better off.

May the Source be with you!
 
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