A Pig For Me

 

“You’re coming to visit? Good, we’re going to get you a pig.”

My first thought – I don’t need any pets.

No, my Cuban family is going to slaughter it and roast it for me.

It’s a huge party. Everyone enjoys it. What’s not to like – friends and neighbors, food, drink, cigars, treats, and of course music. Constant music.

The Roast is started early. It’s hot and smokey and must be constantly turned.

 

The women peeled and boiled some yucca, a root vegetable high in starch, but little flavor.

 

Puti  made her delicious congri over a charcoal fire. It’s always delicious.

Saute the garlic and onion.

Add rice …..

…and the cooked beans…..

…mix well…

…and simmer.

 

Aymara made a fresh salad with cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumbers with vinegar and oil dressing.

I brought something to drink.

 

Of course everyone poses with dinner.

Then, expert hands made quick work of removing the meat.

Everyone had plenty to eat.

 

While the women cleaned up ….

…the men sat on the porch with coffee, cigars and rum.

The remnants.

My Cuban family has done this for me several times. It’s a treat for me and for them.

Nothing says love like sharing a freshly roasted pig.

 

 

 

Can’t Live Without Water

Whenever I visit Havana, I always set aside one whole day to visit with this wonderful family on their farm.

They live about 45 km south of Havana, near San Jose de Las Lajas.

I’m treated like one of the family now.

I sit on the porch, relax in the quiet, breathe the fresh air, converse, and reflect on how fortunate I am to have these beautiful people as my friends.

 

I pass out gifts that I have brought: vitamins, poligrip, zantac, Kool-aid, underwater flashlight for the brother that spear fishes, crankshaft and piston for the motor on the bicycle, towels and soap, coffee, clothes for the two children and of course chupa chups.

I make a new list of things that I will try to bring next time: cold medicine, aspirin, and more vitamins for the children, sneakers and socks for the women, movies in Spanish,  bandaids, neosporin, a knee brace, duct tape, cell phone ….. The list goes on and on.

The women always come up with something deliciously prepared. Congris, salad, and some kind of meat. I bring the Rum, cola, orange soda and, lately, chocolate from the U.S. for dessert.

The children usually want me to read to them. I read “The Cat in the Hat” (in English and Espanol). I read the English and Melany reads the Spanish, but I always tell her that next time she will read the English.

The water on the farm comes from a well via a hand pump. This water is needed for cooking, drinking, washing clothes, bathing, and flushing the toilet.

Lately, the old well pump has been breaking down regularly. It’s an American made pump, so it’s old. The casting is cracked and broken. The parts below ground have been welded and re-welded. Everything is wired together. Just last week the pump broke for the last time.  A similar pump is impossible to obtain new and any used pump that might be found would surely have issues.

The neighbors have been donating water, but it’s 1/2 kilometer away and must be hauled  in a horse-drawn cart.

The wife of the youngest brother on this farm finally e-mailed me and told me of their troubles (apparently the men were too proud to ask for help). Sometimes it takes a woman to get things done!

I was able to transfer enough money for them to purchase a submersible pump. (although the search is still on for a suitable size, I am assured that water will be flowing soon).

Again I wish to thank my small group of friends for their generous financial support and trust in me. These are all friends who appreciate the difficult task of survival in utter poverty.

Thank you Rob, Victoria, Louise, Kate, Susan, Pamela, Tracy, and Faye.

Check out the series:

Living Off The land

Living Off The Land

 

Motosierra Update

Motosierra Update

I had the opportunity to once again visit the farm of the family of Yoel.
I was, of course anxious to see how the new chainsaw was working out for them. Yoel says that the work is almost fun now and saves him many hours of swinging an ax. Yuniel, the brother of Yoel is now more eager to help too.
When I return next I will bring another chain and a spare spark plug.

It starts easily.

Even Yuniel like to work with it.

Yoel starts a soup by searing the meat.

Home-made salsa added.

Starting the vegetables.

Final slow cooking over a charcoal fire.

Delicious!

A swing made from an old hose.

Libetsy with her grandfather’s hat.

Simple decorations.

 

 

 

 

Living Off The Land

Part – 6

The House Out Back

The House out back is where Imara, Juniel, and Libetsy live.

Everything is neat and clean.

Outdoor kitchen area.

Backyard where a some animals are raised.

Modest living arrangements.

The genuine smiles of mother and daughter.

Yuniel and Libetsy.

Motosierra

Living Off The Land – Part 6

Motosierra.

…..continued from: Making Charcoal –

Living Off The Land

Yoel told me that he could save 3 or 4 days work if he had a chainsaw. I had already realized this when I saw the ax beside the pile of logs.

Upon returning to Havana I started to investigate the possibility of purchasing a chainsaw. I hate to see anyone work harder than they have to.

I asked my “Cuban daughter” Sussy, where we could buy a chainsaw. “Very expensive in the store” she said. “But, I will look on the internet”.

It seems as though there is a sort of Craigslist/E-Bay available if one knows where to look. She found several, with photos, in Havana. Capitalism at its best. They even deliver!

Brand new. Still in the box. Just the right size. A deal was struck.

I called Yoel and with some translation help, asked when he could come to Havana because I had a “special gift for his family.” He was able to come two days later and I presented him the “Motosierra”.

I explained to him as I will explain to you now, that this gift was not from me alone. I have a very small group of close friends who travel with me to Cuba. We have met good people there and want to help improve their lives. These friends are not able to travel to the island as often as I am, but they provide financial, emotional, and moral support to the wonderful families that we have met. I am merely an agent.

I want to recognize and thank Louise, Kate, Pam, Susan, and Robert for all they do to help our friends. This is only one example. The list is too long to detail all the purchases and construction projects they have been involved in and all the goodwill they have spread. Thank you all.

Photo by Robert Ortiz

Photo by Robert Ortiz

 

Living Off The Land

 

Living Off The Land –

Part 5 –

Making Charcoal –

The whole process to make a batch of charcoal takes Yoel eight to ten days. He must cut all the trees with an ax, haul them out of the forest with oxen and then chop them into smaller logs.

This solid pile of logs will burn slowly for three or four days.

The charcoal will then be bagged for sale or used in the family home.

Cooking with home-made charcoal.

These are not the briquettes one buys at a big chain store.

 

continued ……..

 

 

 

Living Off The Land

Part 4 –

Where They Live

Be sure to check out my previous series – Where They Live – http://wp.me/p4fUlX-zn

 

The main home where five live is a short walk from the house of Yoel.

The dining area.

One of the food preparation areas.

Pot holders and rags.

Un baño

Dianelis at the other cooking area.

This “stove” uses charcoal that the family produces and sells to earn a few pesos to pay for electricity.  Cooking with charcoal also saves on expensive bottled gas.

Congris in the making.

Pig Pen.

A motorized bicycle used to go to into town.

Another motor that needs to be rebuilt. I was surprised to see the brand name “Stihl”. It was easy for me to order new  parts.

Note the bags of charcoal for sale.

Pumping water by hand.

A home-made spear gun used to “fish”.

These wires bring electricity to the home.

Living Off the Land

Part 3 –

Meet The Family

 

Enoel is the father of Yoel

Enoel and his granddaughter Libetsy.

Repairing the child’s doll.

The three brothers, Yoel, Tatico, and Yuniel with their father.

I kept thinking of “Bonanza”

Aymara is the wife of Yuniel and Dianelis is Yoel’s sister.

Tatico and daughter Libetsy.

Aymara and Libetsy.

Dianelis prepared congris over a charcoal fire.

Lunch – Fried chicken, congris, aguacate, cucumbers, yucca, fresh guava juice.

Delicious!

Part 4:  https://wp.me/p4fUlX-ID

Living Off The Land

Part 2

After visiting with the grandfather, we walked another 100 meters to the house of Yoel.

 

Yoel is 39 years old and is separated from his wife, but he still has strong feelings for her. I suspect they will reunite.

We were invited into his humble home.

After days in Havana, I was struck by the quiet solitude. No traffic. No Music. No one yelling for a friend on the third floor. Very peaceful. What a great place to relax and think.

 

The kitchen area.

A simple bench.

Part 3:  https://wp.me/p4fUlX-Ip

 

Living Off The Land

Part One –

Forty-five minutes south of Havana, on the outskirts of San Jose, a family of four generations survives on this farm by doing for themselves.

I was introduced to Yoel by a mutual Cuban friend. He was gracious enough to allow me and  my fellow photographer friend, Robert Ortiz to spend a day with his family.

Yoel

From the paved road, it is about a 300 meter walk to the first building. This is where Yoel’s grandfather lives. He raises a few pigs and keeps bees. We were fortunate enough to have him open a few hives and collect some honey for us.

Grandfather

Where the hives are kept.

He pried the cover off with an old knife.

Inside the hive.

These bees do not sting. In fact, they hardly bothered us at all.

They poke holes in the waxy formations and the honey flows out.

After collecting honey from three hives, there was enough to fill a wine bottle.

All that’s left to do is to filter the honey and clean up the bucket.

 

In part two we move up the hill to where the rest of the family lives.

Part 2:  https://wp.me/p4fUlX-I6