Cuba 6: Beach

So like I think I've mentioned, the beach was my favorite aspect of this vacation. It was so relaxing to sit on a lounge chair in the shade of a beach hut, looking out towards the endless blue ocean with a book in hand - reading, watching, being. It was a feeling of near perfection. Rightness. Peace.

The sand on our beach was soft, and in the heat of the day it got so hot that it was uncomfortable to walk on. Of course, wearing shoes to walk on the beach wasn't ideal either because the sand would get in your shoes. One neat feature of the sand, though, was that it was filled with tiny shells. They were so cute. I collected some, and intended to spend more time doing so but never got the chance.

A lot of Europeans vacation in Cuba, and we think that was the reason why our beach was semi-topless. Although I've mentioned this feature several times in stories about my vacation, no one has asked me if I took my top off. I guess they think it's not worth asking because they already know the answer. But they're wrong. I did, one afternoon to tan my chest. It was interesting to be in a situation where that was acceptable. It felt like a declaration that I am comfortable with my body, and somehow the natural-ness of being exposed made me feel like I am more than just an object. It was a little awkward, though, with my friends right there. I hoped they just wouldn't notice, but then they asked if they could use my sunscreen and probably glanced in my direction as they did so. They never mentioned it though.

Although I wasn't embarrassed about it, it is a little weird to realize you are the type of person who tans topless on a beach. I don't know if I would have expected that from myself.