Malecon and Dancing

We just had our first weekend of the trip and I can easily say we all enjoyed the three days off from classes. After the amazing day at the beach on Friday, we had a more relaxing day on Saturday. We hopped aboard the crowded P-5 bus to La Habana Vieja, and watched the sights go by through the tangle of heads, arms, and curious stares. We passed by the dusty streets full of homeless dogs and hanging laundry, and people chatting with their neighbors; past a myriad Cuban flags, political grafitti and rusty bicycles. When we finally arrived at La Habana Vieja, we walked around the lazy but busy streets and had a nice lunch at our favorite place there, El Jardin del Cafe Oriente. It is a small place with tasty food and the country's (and our) favorite beer for reasonable prices. We ate under the shade of umbrellas and with the company of some mangly inbred cats that numbered more than the actual customers.
We meandered through the market, checking out the trinkets, souvenirs, and fine arts, the vendedors throwing us selling points or a simple hola as we passed by. I couldn't help myself from purchasing some colorful handmade jewelry. Half of the market was dedicated to fine art and it was incredible. There was row after row of paintings, all with different themes and techniques. With each row I was more and more impressed by the various styles, the colors, and the pure talent of the artists. I know I will not be able to stop myself from bringing one home for me to remember the spirit of the island.
After a nice day, we got ready to go out with Geovanis to a dance club, and hopefully would have some more luck than the previous times. He ended up bringing his friend Jose and four of us went with them. We went to a small place that had a salsa show and then dancing afterwards. The music was great, the club got full and everyone was dancing and having a good time. It was so much fun to be with Cuban (who are great dancers) having a great time, laughing and enjoying the night.
On Sunday we spent the whole day lazing on the Malecon, the favorite passtime of most Cubans. It's free, it's relaxing, and you always meet someone. We read our books, did some homework, and chatted underneath the beautiful Caribbean sun. We saw Geovanis and Jose and we met some of their friends and all started talking. It is so interesting to talk with the Cubans and see their side of things. A common topic is that of Obama and we have found that many people are hopeful for Obama and like his ideas. They are also interested in seeing how his proposed plans will pan out. Sitting on the Malecon has since become my favorite thing to do in my freetime because it is so relaxing and interesting, even if you are just people watching. Everytime I sit there, I marvel at the fact that I am in Cuba, and I will be for what will hopefully be a long three months.