Yes, you read correctly, there is a real Egyptian mummy in Cuba, and more precisely in Santiago de Cuba, in the eastern part of the island. But to arrive in a museum in Santiago de Cuba, this mummy dating back 2000 years BC had to cross three continents in the company of its new owner, undertaking, in 1912, a long and uncertain journey by sea, by river and by river. train, from Cairo to Port Said, then from Hamburg to New York to the capital of the Cuban Orient, not without its new owner, Emilio Bacardi Moreau, entrepreneur, cultural patron, historian and writer, member of the family of the prestigious rum manufacturer Bacardi, paid a few bribes to Egyptian customs officers so that they would turn a blind eye to this secret escape. But upon arriving in the New World, the Egyptian mummy was not at the end of his troubles and had to face the bureaucratic hassles of the Cuban customs who wondered for a certain time whether this unusual visitor should be classified as a work of art. art or like a piece of dried flesh…
According to its new owner, who had previously inquired about the personality of the mummified person, it was a young woman from a good family. It was well preserved and mummified animals had been placed alongside it: a toad, a cat, an ibis, a falcon and a crocodile, all sacred animals, as well as a mummified hand. There were also some small statuettes, amulets and vases. Bacardi had acquired it from an antique dealer in Luxor (formerly Thebes), capital of the pharaohs, in the Valley of the Kings, and he intended to exhibit it in his museum in Santiago de Cuba to make it a real attraction. Promise kept: on December 1, 1912, the municipal museum opened its doors and the population could see this imperial mummy and other objects of historical value, upon payment of a sum of twenty-five cents, which was to be used for the construction of a new museum.
Controversy over date
In 2005, a Polish Egyptologist examined the mummy and concluded that it was not as old as the Luxor antiques dealer who sold it to Emilio Bacardi had claimed. According to experts from the Cuban Mummy Project, it dates from the Roman period of Egypt, around 30 years before Christ. More than 2000 years old all the same, which is a completely respectable age for a mummy.
Rejuvenation in Cayo Santa Maria
For those who plan their vacation several months in advance, mark September 9 in your calendars. From September 9 to 15, the five-star Melia hotel in Cayo Santa Maria, on the Atlantic coast of Cuba, is organizing an eminently Zen event: the Music & Dancing Retreat(which could be translated as Music and Dance Leave), a unique opportunity to come and recharge your batteries, by the sea, in a heavenly setting, all dancing and music as only the Cubans know how to do it.
On the program: daily relaxation, yoga and meditation sessions on the beach, rediscovery of the five senses, reading break, dance classes and Latin rhythms by the pool with the best teachers, aquagym, aerobics , pilates, stretching, water ballet, craft and gastronomy workshops, ecological walks, zumba classes, various sports (volleyball, basketball, football, tennis, etc.), preparation and tasting of exotic cocktails, collective laughter sessions, thematic shows under the stars, karaoke, and many other comfort and well-being activities. Back in Quebec, you will be ready to face the rigors of winter, remembering with nostalgia the sweetness of Cayo Santa Maria and the warmth of its hotel staff. ¡Olé!