Descending Into The Blue

Diving the Jardines de la Reina

I’ve had a break from writing these past weeks diving in Cuba in the mangrove area of Las Jardines, an archipelago 60 miles south of the main island. It was a favourite haunt of Hemingway and Castro for fishing big sport fish like tarpon, barracuda, and bone fish. I knew that if they were interested in the area then it must be good for diving. I wan’t disappointed! The reefs were replete with large numbers of silky, reef, and nurse sharks. Giant grouper meandered about on several dives— a rarity these days. I even hung out with a crocodile in the mangroves to boot!

On one dive I was hanging on the line at the end of the dive and was circled by eleven silky sharks—”eleven” because I took the time to count them all! Very cool especially when they suddenly went on a feeding frenzy to gobble up a school of jade fish idling about.

Getting to the Jardines takes a bit of work. For me it necessitated three days in the city of Santa Clara (noted for being the burial grounds of Che Guevara) prior to diving so I could make the connections to the Port of Jucaro and board the Avalon for the week of diving. Then another two days on the back end waiting for my flight to Montreal/Toronto. It was an eye-opening experience to see the impact of the U.S. sanctions on a regular Cuban city in the middle of the big island. Very little choice in every area of life—food, drinks, coffee—you name it—a very simple, restrained lifestyle—with splashes of colour in great music and brightly coloured old American cars (circa 40s and 50s).

The main plaza in downtown Santa Clara is bright and happy with old colonial edifices, gorgeous flowering trees (similar to Bolivia), cheerful Cuban families playing ball, laughing, strolling, sitting on park benches, and teens hanging out just like they would in any Canadian or American city. Life just happening—time flowing—people living their lives under the hot Cuban sun!

Sipping on my cafe con leche my mind jumped to a consoling passage from Zechariah that speaks to coming days of shalom,

“Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem (Santa Clara), each with staff in hand because of their great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girl playing in the streets. Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Even though it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, should it also seem impossible to me, says the Lord of Hosts?… They shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” (Zech 8:4-8).

When I thought of these words my mind settled and smiled and the overarching blessing cast over humankind and our home planet warmed my heart. We are connected in every corner of God’s creation and it is fundamentally a good thing in spite of any surface ideologies that separate us. We are human and we travel under the same sun each and every day.

My suggestion: Smile and enjoy the ride.