Sleeping Has Also Become a Privilege in Havana |
News SOS for Journalists Latin America Culture
Photos Photo of the Day Videos
Sleeping Has Also Become a Privilege in Havana
While hundreds wait in line to leave the country after sleepless nights, a class is emerging that can shield itself from blackouts and sleep soundly.
By Yoani Sanchez (14ymedio)
HAVANA TIMES — Everyone is talking about the same thing on the street. “Last night I couldn’t sleep even an hour,” a young woman tells an elderly lady she passes while walking along Calzada del Cerro. I walk behind them, with the clumsy gait of someone who spent the night awake; the night before I barely managed a wink of sleep, and the one before that, maybe a couple of hours at most. The sleeplessness brought on by the mix of blackouts and heat weighs on all of us in this city.
Before five in the morning this Tuesday, I have already had a couple of cups of coffee. By seven my eyes are wide open and I head outside, but I make a mistake by turning right on Rancho Boyeros instead of continuing straight, and I end up at the Cienega train workshops. I cross the avenue and decide to keep walking to Tejas Corner. The oak trees are in bloom all over the city, so at every step I come across a carpet of petals on the ground. A soft rug that only stirs up my yawns. I can think only of pillows, blankets, and a cool room where I could snore for long hours.
Several blocks before reaching the Immigration Office, I see the crowd. There are........