La Playa. / The Beach.

                                          
                                           Santa Maria beach, Cuba.

                                                  

Remembering my trips to the beach in Cuba we would wake up early in the morning and meet at a particular place to take the tractor or bus that would transport us to the coast.

My friend’s mother would be offered as a bonus from her job, trips to the best beaches around, these were virgin beaches. Some employees and their guests were fortunate to have this opportunity to experience the best beaches our country had to offer until those white sand paradises where taken to build hotel villas for the sole use of foreign tourists.

My friend’s mother would take to the beach some food she had prepared the day before, the popular choice was tayuyos, a corn dish we enjoy in Cuba.

We never used anything like sunscreen. In one hour our skins would start to burn on the shoulders and face. This did not present a problem for us until 4 hours later when we would be returning home all burnt, salty, tired and exhausted from so much sun and sea.

I think we were a bit lucky we have olive skin which may be more resistant to the damaging radiation. We never had heard before anything about skin cancer in Cuba.

Cubans were not allowed to visit those white sand beaches until recently when the laws were changed. Such places, for many years were exclusively for foreign tourists. Cubans risked a visit to the police station if they dare to go near by.

Here in Australia the beaches are open to be used by all. It used to amaze me that we could go there without paying one cent and everybody is free to use it.