I’ve got a trip to Cuba coming up this November 28th, 2016. We’ll hit central Cuba and Havana, enjoying Cuban art, music, and other aspects of the culture. And we’ll be visiting Jewish communities along the way, including Shabbat dinner with Havana’s biggest congregation, Congregation Beth Shalom! This is almost the same trip I’m running for my own family. That is to say, it’s about…
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So I’ve mentioned that I tend to connect with musicians in Cuba – often by singing with them. One of my favorite groups is the Cubanacan Quintet, a group of guys from rural Cuba. If you ever travel with me through central Cuba, there’s a good chance you’ll see them… because I pull strings to cross paths with them whenever I can. I first took…
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Once a year in Cuba, mountain crabs come down to mate and deposit their eggs in the sea. It’s an exciting time not just for the crabs getting their groove on, but for fish who swarm the coast to eat the eggs – and fishermen who go after the fish! I’ve heard about this a lot from the fishermen I’m friendly with. But I never…
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So I took a small group of travelers for Cuba’s LGBT Pride equivalent – the Cuban Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, held in conjunction with the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Early in the trip, a double rainbow appeared… so we knew the trip was blessed by Heaven! Here are some of our queerest moments… We visited with the first same-sex couple to marry…
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On my last trip to Cuba, I hung out with my friend Adolfo, a filmmaker and part-time tour guide. I’d promised to teach him how to bake chocolate ginger cookies. Baking cookies isn’t so popular in Cuba as in the U.S., and a lot of ingredients I use aren’t even available: chocolate chips, molasses, ground ginger, crystallized ginger, and even baking powder. So I had…
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I keep hitting milestones in my Cuba travels… and a lot of them involve relationships. For example, one milestone was the first time a Cuban friend trusted me enough to tell me everything they hate most about life in Cuba. Another was being asked to record a song with a Cuban band I’m friendly with. Other milestones are just about learning my way around and…
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For those interested in my Pride trip to Cuba – May 1 to 11, in conjunction with Cuba’s LGBT Pride celebration – I’ve got four spots still open! I’m heading to Cuba tomorrow and will be mostly incommunicado for two weeks. The best thing to do is email me ASAP, including your phone number. I’ll respond to all emails in the order received until the…
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Okay. Cutest moment ever? Maybe. And I got photos and video! Picture it: Old Havana. Early afternoon. A troop of schoolchildren are sitting on the curb… …when a couple street performers take a break from working to have some fun! And the video:
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I can sing. I’m not a rock star – but I’m decent enough to play around. I’ve made friends with a number of GGG musicians in Cuba. Once I let on that I know some Cuban songs, we get to singing, and it’s all downhill from there! Whenever they see me coming, they know I’ll join them for a song or two. This helps make…
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Part of my Cuba routine is carrying gifts in for folks who can’t find what they need in local stores. For example, my musician friends needs strings for their guitars, violins, cellos, and so on. My baker friends need cocoa, baking powder, and sprinkles to make their baked goods. Almost everyone needs office supplies, toothpaste, aspirin, and on and on and on. These are all…
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