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An advocate and lover of all things Cuba, Rita Whitt is full of spunk, charm, and good laughs. You’ve most likely encountered her on our Facebook page; she’s usually sharing her knowledge, past experience, and opinions with the insightCuba community. I  recently had the opportunity to chat with her and find out more about her travels, interests, and love for insightCuba!

 I arrived to dancing in the streets. There was an all-women conga line proceeding down the dusty road, circling back on itself and returning to the small hall where it had started, a bottom-shaking, whooping caterpillar. As they wound past me - sweating under the weight of my rucksack - they beckoned me to join in. With just a moment’s thought, I threw down my bags and joined the party. That set the tone for my entire experience in Baracoa.

 It was as if the people of Cuba decided to counter their country’s problems with color; to take solace in a bombardment of blues and greens, and celebrate in yellows and reds. Everything from the crooked colonial townhouses to the chugging old cars contributes to this cacophony of color.  

Many people are probably familiar with Cuba's natural beaches of crystal-clear waters and delicate white sand. They may even know about Cuba's three mountain ranges, two-long provinces of savanna and abundant valleys known around the world such as Sugar Mill, Yumurí, and Viñales. Warm, transparent waters, conservation of the ecosystem, biodiversity, and a stunning variety of distinct coral reefs attract scuba diving aficionados from all over.

After visiting the quaint little colonial town of Trinidad, we were all excited to get back to Havana for one more night of fun exploring Cuba’s capital.  Little did we expect to be bowled over by the bustling city of Cienfuegos.  In contrast to Trinidad’s picturesque cobblestone streets and vibrantly colored houses, Cienfuegos provided a completely different look into Cuba that, despite being quite far from the capital, felt incredibly cosmopolitan.  The roads leading up to the Jose Marti plaza were lively arteries filled with st