Cuba
On the second day we had what the administrators called Cuba boot camp. We learned as much about Cuba as we possibly could because we would be arriving there the next day. We had lecture starting at 8:30 in the morning and ending at 6:00 at night. It was very hard to sit still through all of it but it was worth it. I learned so much about Cuba that I hadn�t already known before. Although Fidel Castro might be a dictator, he�s a dictator who overthrew an oppressive dictator named Batiste. Under Batiste�s rule seventy percent of the land were owned my foreigners, mainly Americans. When Castro first came to power he was very popular world wide including the U.S. Castro overthrew that government and nationalized everything to give jobs to the people. While not everyone agrees with socialism I see why he did it. Relations beteen the U.S. and Cuba went sour during the Cuban missile crisis where Eisenhower started an embargo against Cuba. Cuba�s main industry was growing sugar cane. With the embargo Cuba then was under the support of Soviet states. There economy expanded and turned into a mixed economy where it was part capitalist and part socialist. Since they could not trade with the U.S. they had to import most of their dairy from Holland and their cars are from Europe as well. Most of there cars are old �50s cars from when the embargo wasn�t in place. When the Soviet block busted in the early �90s their economy went to Hell. It was hard for them to sell their sugar cane or import basic necessities. Some things you may not know about Cuba is that it participates in doctors without borders and has an incredible medical school where people from all over the world attend. Fidel Castro is a huge supporter of Nelson Mandela and was against apartheid in South Africa. I watched a video about Castro on the ship and saw a clip where Mandela said Castro was one of his biggest supporters and a great friend. This past October, the U.N. voted on lifting the embargo against Cuba. 179 countries voted for the U.S. stopping the embargo against Cuba and three was for, the U.S., Israel, and the Marshall Islands. Just recently, Jimmy Carter who just received the Nobel Peace Prize said the U.S. should stop the embargo against Cuba. Sorry about the history lesson but Cuba fascinates me.
I got to Cuba on Thursday and toured the city with some people that I met. It was a big deal that we went to Cuba, we were videotaped live coming off the ship, and I can�t even begin to tell you how unbelievable that was. They had a band playing American songs with American flags everywhere. Since it�s a Communist country they only have two television stations and both are controlled by the government. They only have one newspaper for a country that�s eleven million people, which is also controlled by the government. We were on the front page every single day. In fact, my face was on the front page on Saturday but I haven�t seen the paper yet.
We walked around Havana for a bit and we hung outside the Capitol where we got approached by a woman trying to sell us cigars. We told her we weren�t interested but then she invited us to her house. We decided it would be cool to see how Cubans live. We went inside her house, which was just this tiny cell with the blinds shut. As soon as we entered her children left and her husband came out with a black suitcase. He pulled these cigars out of the suitcase and tried to sell us them. We politely said that we weren�t interested. After that we got a tour of the Capitol, which was awesome. Inside their Capitol they have the third largest indoor statue in the world. We met a local guy on the street who just wanted to show us around. He took us to a really good local restaurant where we had the traditional beans and rice for lunch. We continued to walk the streets of Havana where we passed this beat up old building that had music coming out of it. We stopped by to listen and it was a Rumba band playing, they invited us inside to listen and dance. I bought one of their CD�s and danced with their 80-year-old grandmother. Local kids from the street came in as well and danced with us as well. Afterwards, the leader of the band invited us to his apartment to meet his mom. We went to his apartment; let me tell you my dorm room is nicer than any of the other houses/apartments in Cuba I�ve seen. We talked for about an hour or two. He told me about his uncle who lives in San Francisco who he hasn�t heard from in over two years. Apparently that number is blocked when they call him. He gave me his uncles phone number and address and wants me to find him when I go back to the U.S.; he gave me his contact information as well. Later that night I went out to dinner and had a three-course meal for six bucks. If you don�t know how much that is in Cuba, the average worker gets paid about $8-12 a month, that�s how much I make in an hour. Since it�s a Communist government they get their food from the government. A typical family of four gets four small pieces of chicken breast, for eggs, and a Kilo of rice which is suppose to last them a month, and enough milk and other food to last them a week. After that I went to a bar and had a couple mojito�s with some friends. We took a taxi back and it only cost us two dollars.
The next day I went to the U.S. Special interest section in the Swiss Embassy to hear some American diplomats talk on the relations between Cuba and the U.S., since we do not recognize Cuba we do not have an embassy of our own but we have what�s called a special interest section in the Swiss embassy which is larger than the rest of the Swiss embassy or any other embassy in Cuba. Hearing the Diplomats makes me want to consider the Foreign Service as a career; you get awesome benefits as well as travel the world and meet top political leaders.
After the "Embassy" we went to hear Fidel Castro speak. He had a reception for us starting at 3:00. He did not even begin talking until 6:00. Everything was recorded live on their television. He talked for about an hour before we could ask him a question. One it came to question and answer time, a girl asked Castro on what his thoughts about Venezuela were and what it could do to have stability. He talked for three hours going off on tangents and didn�t really answer the question. He was so boring that people started to leave. I love Cuba and its people but I don�t really like Castro. He has some good qualities but many more bad ones. He�s been in power for forty years and its time for him to leave. After we heard Castro speak we got free books that he has written on various political topics.
Then he invited us to his private estate where we got to party with some other Cuban college students. All I can say is WOW; it was the nicest party I have ever been to. We were at this huge room with marble floors, gigantic swimming pool, and food galore. They had a Cuban Rumba band an open bar and ten tables of food. Right when I got there I had to go to the bathroom. The bathroom was incredible I must say, green marble with wooden doors on the stalls. I went to the bathroom and had to go number two. Well can you believe it they didn�t have any paper towels or toilet paper and I found this out after I went to the bathroom, so I�m sitting on the stall and I forgot to bring my emergency toilet paper, all I had were Fidel Castro�s books that he gave us. That�s right, I ripped the pages out and used Fidel Castro�s books that he had given us to wipe my ass! Who else can say that?
My last day in Cuba was very much a relaxed day. I was suppose to see the Bay of Pigs but I accidentally overslept. So I went to the market with a friend, bought a painting, and went out to lunch. After that we went to some art galleries and took a horse and carriage ride around Havana. Then we left that night where an entire crowd waved and yelled goodbye. It was sad to go. I love Cuba and its people. Their spirit is so admirable. The dean told us that Cuba is one of the safest ports we will be going to and the dean was right, it was such a beautiful and safe country.
Well it�s Sunday night and I start classes tomorrow. Today has not been such a good day. I�m seasick and have been throwing up all day. But being sick is very minor in comparison to the things I�ve done.
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What an amazing country! The night prior to landing, I slept on deck and awoke to old Havana at 5AM where I laid in my sleeping bag and watched the sun rise over the city.
The first day I spent at the University of Havana where I joined other Cuban students at a rally against terrorism. It was very interesting to see the American flag joined by the Cuban flag blowing together in the wind as we listened to the powerful and passionate the youth of Cuba and America joining together as one despite the issues between the governments. I met many local students and my new friends, one named George who is a professor of law at the University who is only 24! It was very strange to see so many young people teaching like this.
After the rally a group of us left to walk the streets with our new friends along the Malecon (coastline) back to the ship which was approximately 4 miles! Later in the evening we all met up at the baseball game where I learned not to eat stadium food. It was a mystery meat that tasted like fried cheese sitting in a bun. YUCK! But I was so hungry I ate it anyways! We enjoyed the rest of our night dancing with our friends.
Saturday we had the privilege to meet with Fidel Castro where I joined the Havana students to listen to their �dear president�s� 4 hour speech about his view on the American country and its gov�t. Whether I was really �privileged� to meet this man or not, I felt it to be an amazing experience and I felt that for those 4 hours I was part of history. Following the speech Fidel threw us a fiesta in our honor with an open bar, live Cuban band and food. I spent the night dancing with locals. One piece of advice�� Cuban Rum is NO JOKE!!!!!!
I learned that the average salary is $12 a month. I looked at how these people live�. In small corridors that appear abandoned from the outside, at the lines of people waiting patiently for their rations of bread. I also saw their clothes were often mismatched and tattered and they often re-wore them day after day. We would go out and they would sit and watch us eating and drinking while they ordered nothing, yet they refused when I offered to pay for them. However, the most amazing thing I saw was despite their situation they still smiled, laughed and opened their doors to me offering anything they had to make me more comfortable. I became aware and felt silly in my clothes as they became so interested in my designer jeans that cost $40 (this was amazing to them). I could not stand walking through the market with them feeling increasingly uncomfortable with each item I bought. I began to feel like the pretty princess with greed that demanded only the best. I was for the first time ashamed of my status because I am a college student and can not afford the lifestyle I feel accustomed to. Yet not once did I feel like they had even the utmost tinge of jealousy of me. All I felt was the eagerness they had to share with me their culture and country and the warmth of new friendships�� and the value of the dollar! Maybe it was me being the jealous one desiring their simplistic lifestyle and being unaware of the world I am used to: Fast cars, greediness, and competition where financial status is a bigger marker of who you are then your personality.
Here Taxi drivers make more money than lawyers and doctors. I asked my friend why study law instead of being a taxi driver? His answer was so simple yet so distant from the American thinking. He said �Because I want to have a respected career. That is more important to me than making more money.�
I write this to you to give us all something to think about so the next time we spend money on silly things you think of my experience. I am not saying that I want to change your way of life but to be grateful of these small things we have. And the next time you are upset because you feel �broke� to remember that you and I will never honestly know what it truly feels like to be broke.
On a brighter note, I freshened up on my Spanish speaking and learned a few Latin dance moves or two� AHEM! HINT! HINT! My squirrel Vice president would be proud and owes me a pat on the back! Also the entire island of Cuba is totally free of ALL American goods. Which is obvious-- but unexplainable. I can not quite explain what it feels like to be surrounded by completely foreign brands! There was all Cuban liquors and cigarettes! AND can you believe there was no McDonalds in site! I believe this may be the last place on earth McDonalds free!
My new roommates are awesome and unique. We have been having a lot of fun together despite the fact that I seem to always be the center of their jokes. After Cuba I am now known as �The Communist�. I am not quite sure why but I enjoy hearing there laughter even if they are laughing at me�.. all in good fun though!
The farther away we get from the Caribbean the rougher the sea gets. I have not gotten sick yet but at times I feel a little dizzy! I wanted to say thank you to all that have replied to my emails and apologize for not being able to reply back individually because it is 50 cents a minute. But your emails are appreciated and make me smile and your supporting words are always welcomed and enjoyed. I arrive in Salvador, Brazil on February 5th. I miss you all! My wall is covered with your pictures and it makes me smile every morning when that is the first thing I see. I am truly blessed and honored to know you all! Adios muchachos!!!!
Lindsey
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Lindsey Lee [item 3]
blind throughout my journey in Cuba...
It is around midnight; 25 hours since I have left the port of Havana and I lay awake restless as I listen to the waves crashing against the boat. The rocking is intense, yet my mind is elsewhere. I have spent most the day reflecting on my Cuban experience and I have come to the conclusion that I was blind throughout my journey in Cuba. Looking back I am noticing things that my instinct picked up on, but I had not paid attention to at the time. Something felt off so to say. I only spent 3 short days in Havana and was not able to have enough time to pin point where the feelings were coming from but I know something was not right. I might as well not have gone to Cuba because I never saw the place. What I mean by this is that everything I saw, did and heard was a set up. Nothing happened by coincidence. The people I met and was surrounded by, I believe, were hand selected by the government to be my �guide� in Cuba.
Everything was controlled, including me. When my new friends showed me around town and refused to eat with me, even on my account, was not because they were not hungry but because they were not allowed to. At the baseball game the police told our Cuban friends that they could not sit with us apparently because that area was �reserved�. So we moved with them to the �Cuban� side. The speech Fidel gave was four hours long yet he said nothing. He basically �impressed� us with his intelligence but carefully maneuvered his way around anything involving his own people or country.
The party he threw afterwards was such a front. If you looked closely military was everywhere�. Plain clothed but watching with open eyes and ears. When the banquet of food was offered the Cuban people pushed their way to the tables and devoured the food filling bags with the chicken and fish. I ate nothing because I could not even get close to the tables. At the time I found it rude but now I am grateful that my serving was saved for others, now knowing that some have not tasted chicken in over a year.
I have no doubt that the streets were wiped clean before our arrival and it was known what the Cubans were supposed to say and how they were to act for our stay. I used an internet caf� so that I could send out a mass email to all of you to tell of my Cuban experience and in order to log in I had to use my passport number as identification. This is used to keep the Cuban people from Internet access. When I began to describe the country with details of what I had seeing my computer suddenly changed into a different web page denying me of any more usage and all that I had wrote was lost. Looking back I now know the caf� was government ran�. I truly believe my email was being monitored. They did not want me to send back the information that I was writing. There were so many more incidents I cannot begin to try and uncover this of Cuba know nothing outside of their country. They are not allowed to see the news or �surf� the Internet. They do not even know who Saddam Hussein is or what goes on elsewhere besides what Castro tells them. On September 11th, Castro was aired on TV and told the people of Cuba that there were horrible occurrences in America that Bush was responsible for, and he said, �see how Bush treats his people and what he does to them?�
Many of the local residents that opened their arms to the group of Americans that I came with were later arrested for having contact with us. I only hope my new friends were not troubled. I have a very eerie feeling of the whole situation and wish I would have been more aware of these tell-tale signs and
that I would have paid more attention to who was watching me. The reason I was so safe in Cuba was because every person knew how severe the punishment would be for anything imposed on a visiting American.
I am very upset that I did not truly experience Cuba and perhaps knowing what I do now, I will someday return one step ahead of the act that has been �prearranged� for me. My new friends from Havana told us that maybe to us we had a few days hanging out with them, but to them it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we would never be forgotten. I know now what he meant by that. They got to go places they had never been able to go before whether because they simply could not afford it or because places are restricted to Cubans unless accompanied by tourists. They were able to have a good time with us without us pressing on their view of politics and having to fake that sugar coating front for us that they are so well trained to do. We were able to forget all barriers between us and they were able to, for 2 nights, go out and have a good time. Something we do every weekend and something they do maybe only once in a lifetime.
P.S. I can see lights of the nearby island�. I am passing through the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico! It is beautiful by night!
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Roxy [item 4]
Hey everyone,
We got in to Cuba two days ago. It is so incredible I feel like I am in a different world from the one that we left behind (the US). Most of the cars are from the 50's the buildings are so run down but the architecture is breathtaking!! And the people are the nieces' people I have ever been around. The culture here is fascinating! I couldn't imagine living in part of the world like this, but at the same time its great. Its like they have no worries you want to cry because you feel like they're deprived but at the same time you can see how happy they are and content and it makes you smile. We met this awesome Cuban the first day and he showed us around the whole city --I have taken so many pictures and WE HEARD CASTOR SPEAK!! And he threw us one of the funniest parties I have ever been to -- this place was incredible!! Free food drinks band - I made good friends with a Cuban named Rosa and she taught me how to dance then later we went to this really neat bar. I am having such a wonderful time. I still can't believe I am going around the world. I hope everything is going good at home. I love you all and I miss you all so much!!!!! I will try to stay in touch but communication -- email and phones -- are so hard to deal with!!
I love you all - - Roxy
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Cari [item 5]
we got here 2 days ago, went to an reception at the University of havana, went to the markets, baseball game(minor league so it wasn't very crowded) and went out to a bar and met some locals, people from germany. ive never had more fun with no plans. day 2, we got a tour around havana on a carriage with 4 girls i met from colorado. i learned so much about the city. last night Castro spoke to us and then threw us a party. he went on for about 4 hours! but there was a bar outside so we could take a break every once in awhile. he was very funny and spoke to us very personally. it was really great. the party had a huge band, free food and drinks so that got real crazy. i learned how to salsa dance from a cuban professor. went out after that too. i havent gotten any sleep. today just touring. the people here are so nice and i feel so safe. they treat us like royalty. police escorts to big events. the people are very warm. i don't have much time, but i miss you all and i hope all is well.
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Tracey M [item 6]
My daughter Tracey just called "It was 5 minutes for $5 and that's a pretty good deal" she said. She ducked out of the room where Castro was speaking, he had been speaking for 'like 4 hours'. Havana is beautiful but was cold today, in the 50s. The first day was in the 80s. They walked to the University of Havana. She did the 'health care' thing, and visited a hospital, along with Krista, with whom she roomed in Nassau.
She sounded good, and said everyone was having a great time.
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Tracey M [item 7]
ok, so like my phone call last night, this has to go pretty fast cause its $.50/min. thanks mom for sending the email out about how i'm doing. things are going pretty well. like mom said, yes, i heard castro speak last night and it did go for almost 4 hours and none of it was really coherent. after that, we were invited to a reception where they had a band playing and a bunch of students from the university of havana. we hung out there for awhile and were learning to salsa with some of the locals.
cuba has been fabulous aside from the dip in the temperature. after tonight we'll be on the boat for a over a week and will finally start classes. i think then everything will settle a bit and i can actually figure out my way to dinner without getting confused.
anyway, i will try and write again soon. i'm also writing a lot of real mail, but keep in mind that it could take up to a month from cuba. anyway, love you all, and i miss you very much.
i will talk to you soon.
love,
tracey
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Kimberly [item 8]
My daughter Kimberly, finally contacted us last night at 12:30am. They had a long audience with Castro yesterday. They have been kept very busy and it has not been easy to contact us. She commented on the poverty and the lack of "modern facilities." It was very cool there yersterday, about 50 degrees.Other than that she is enjoying every minute and sounded so excited about everything. Everyone seems to be doing well. I hope this helps other parents who have not yet heard from their kids. This message board has been my lifeline and I check it every chance I get. Thanks to all who have written and kept us informed.
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Kirsten [item 9]
She is having an "AMAZING" time. Kirsten indicated that all the kids were required to stay in Havana during the three days in Cuba. We had purchased a variety of Harry Potter books for her to give away, each one in the languages of the various countries she would be visiting, Spanish, Portugese, Chinese. Since she was not able to visit a local family in a rural area, she traded the Spanish versions of the books at a local street book market and everyone was excited to get them.
She also had a four hour tour of the city by a local she met. They talked about the political situation as well as seeing the sights. She is going to send me photos in her next email. Despite the long speech, she gave high marks to Castro, saying that he was very charismatic, and really "sucked up" to them in his speech. All the students went to a Castro sponsored party of about 1000 after the speech with a live band and dancing until one in the morning. She is going to send more emails and photos after the ship leaves for Brazil. Overall, she sounded excited and was having an unbelievable time.
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Abby D [item 10]
I just got an email from her -- she also had a great time in Cuba -- it's sounding to me like the Cubans assigned a couple of their students to make friends with a couple of ours & show them around the city. They went out a couple of times for dinner & had a carriage ride around the city. She said the guide for the Bay of Pigs tour was one of Castro's v-p's who was part of the original revolutionary regime & was fascinating. She's enjoyed her 1st four days of classes; says the ship's seeming "pretty small" after several days at sea but they all expected that & things are going well. She's looking forward to her Amazon voyage, even sleeping in a hammock on a boat!
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Kelly E [item 11]
Hey guys,
Cuba was, in one word, amazing. I know I have already told a few of you, but Cuba was quite possibly one of the most interesting places that I have been to. It combines the architecture of Western Europe, with unavoidable poverty. Its culture is a combination of the Indians who first inhabited the island, the Spanish who brought in the modernization, architecture and Catholicism, and the African culture, which lends to Cuba it vibrant colors, mystic beliefs, and many of the social standards.
The Cuban people are so incredibly hospitable, inviting us into their homes to eat and to stay. It is also amazing the numerous similarities between the US and Cuba. But I also found myself disturbed by a lot of what I saw there. The conditions under which many of the people live is unimaginable. Poverty is wide spread, and only but a few of the elite have access to many of the things that we enjoy in every day life. While we were in Cuba, we had the privilege of visiting the University of Havana. Through speaking with the students I began to understand the way of life and customs of the country. This proved especially valuable when we visited the open market.
Later, our first night there we went to the baseball game. Despite a few very small differences, it was exactly as it would have been in the states. After the game I went with a small group to a local restaurant where upon having another ham and cheese sandwich, I decided that the national food of Cuba is the ham and cheese sandwich, I had only been there for 12 hours, and yet this was the second one I had eaten.
The next day I had the opportunity to learn about the health care in Cuba and visit a few of the facilities. I was baffled by what they referred to at modern technology, and high health care standards. For example we visited the ICU in the pediatric hospital in Havana, and not only was it decades behind what I had become accustomed to in the states, but it was remarkably unsanitary.
Later that evening we went to the Palace of Commerce to listen to Fidel Castro speak. Despite the fact that I had imagined this to be one of the highlights of the visit, I found out very quickly that it was going to be very long, boring, and painful at best. He spoke for over an hour for his introduction and then took 2 hours to answer only one question, however the party he threw for us afterward was well worth the agony.
There were a few other highlights to the trip to Cuba, namely visiting the international school of film and television, going to Ernest Hemingway's favorite restaurant for dinner, going to a tobacco farm, visiting a village in rural Cuba, and getting to converse and connect with the local people in Havana.
Hope that wasn't too long and boring. If you guys have the time, try to write back and let me know how things are going for you all. Take care!
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Diana B [item 12]
We just got back from our stay in Cuba. During our stay we got to see so many sides of Cuba and learn more than I could have ever imagined. When we got there we went to a welcome reception hosted by the University of Havana. We got the chance to view their campus and talk with their professors and students. Then we had a giant party with traditional music and dance. They TRIED to teach us salsa dancing and we danced with the Cuban students for a couple of hours. The MC of the party was trying very hard to teach me to salsa. I was doing really well for a beginner and he was spinning me around non-stop. All was going great until I accidentally decked him in the face. He was very nice about it and just laughed it off and kept dancing. Needless to say I just didn�t quite have the swing of it yet. After the party we toured the town and went to the market for some shopping. We had to get back on ship for a diplomatic briefing from the US Interest Officials based in Cuba. They allowed us to see the political view points from their angle and offered some interesting points. After the briefing we hit the road to catch a Cuban baseball game.
The next day we traveled outside of Havana to go to the Tobacco farms. This allowed us to see the rural farm life of Cuba. On the way we went to a rum factory and saw the very small facilities were they make their famous rum. Then we went to a giant cave in the mountains were we got to explore. Then we finally made it to the tobacco farms were we learned about the cigars.
The day ended with four hour meeting held especially for us by Fidel Castro. It was really exciting at first because it was only a 50/50 chance that he would meet with us. But after the first hour of his speech we all seemed to get a bit lost. Even the adults said that they had a really hard time following him. He tended to spit out random facts about all the countries except Cuba. He also said that he was going to answer all of our questions, but there was only one question asked and he took three hours to answer it and then never allowed any more. It was an interesting experience and amazing to be so close to him. It was weird because they didn�t even have metal detectors at the doors so anyone could have brought in a weapon. Security was not tight at all like in America. After his speech, Fidel threw us a party at this mansion with a huge pool. They had this enormous buffet and all you could drink soda and alcohol. They had a live band and we danced the night away with the Havana students. I ran into my dancing partner from before (the one I decked in the face). He did not have a black eye and asked me to dance, so evidently there weren�t any hard feelings about my previous lack of dancing talent. It was amazing at how much better we all were at dancing the second time around. Towards the end of the night people were jumping in this freezing cold pool to cool off.
The next day we went to see another side of Cuba. We traveled to the Bay of Pigs. Our trip was lead by the one of the vice presidents of Cuba, who was a much respected man. He was actually in the military and fought in the invasion. He gave us a tour of their museums about the invasion and allowed us to hear his personal side. It was really a neat trip to be able to get the Cuban perspective of the war. We actually got to go to the Bay and walk along the shore. Then for fun at the end of the trip we stopped at a crocodile farm and got to hold crocodiles! Over all we had the greatest time in Cuba. I think that I got to see so many varieties of the country and hear so many viewpoints. Every time you thought you had it figured out, someone else would tell you something different that would completely change your thoughts. The interesting thing we found about Cuba was that the people were very warm and friendly. The way of life varied, but much of Cuba�s housing was what I would consider to be unlivable. Buildings were falling apart and some looked like at any moment they would collapse. But even with all the poverty, the people were so willing to give without receiving anything from us. The vice president summed it up well by saying that �Cuba is a land with poverty, but not misery�.
I miss you all very much and please feel free to write Katie and me at the ports!
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Christina [item 13]
We were supposed to dock in Cuba at 0800, but the dean told us we would be arriving early, and we could watch the sun rise over Cuba at about 0600. Excitedly, my roommates and I awoke at 0530, to discover we were already docked. We went up to watch the sunrise anyway. We waited. And waited. It rose at about 0645. By 0715, the sky was completely light, and the colors were gone, but the sun still hadn't broken the horizon. Maren and I went in to breakfast.... so much for that idea. :)
The first day I attended a welcome reception at the University of Havana. It was a beautiful place, and the Cuban students were wonderful. They were all very nice. There was a live band (as well as everywhere else we went the rest of our time in port.... restaurants, on the street, everywhere!). Afterwards, we decided to take a horse and buggy tour of the city. Maren and I, along with another student and a professor, hopped on a carriage and took off. Our "tour guide" was a young boy, maybe 11 or 12, who knew English from school and rode around with the carriage (his father, I think, drove) and explained everything to the tourists.
It is odd to be so close with your professors, eating dinner with them, going on tours with them, etc. but it is fun. They are all really fun and interesting people... most are here with their families. There are 11 kids on the voyage, ranging from 21-month-old Logan (more about him later) to an 18 year old. Most are in the 5 -7 grade range, though. We also have 11 senior passengers.
After the carriage ride, we went back on the ship for dinner. There was a trip that went to a Cuban baseball game that a lot of people went to, and it sounded fun, so Maren and I thought we would see if we could go. Often on trips there are extra spaces or people don't show up. (The cost of the trip was $15 dollars). Unfortunately, the buses were full... so we decided to go on or own, with some other people who couldn't get on the bus either. We took a taxi to the game ($2.50 a piece). The game was fun, we got in for free, and the team from Havana ended up winning, 5 to 2. It was interesting to see the differences between the two cultures... vendors sold sandwiches, unwrapped, from boxes, cinnamon crispitos, etc. Very fun!
To get home we took a CoCo Taxi... it is called that because it looks like a coconut. For those of you not familiar with coconuts, my first impression was that it was a yellow egg-shaped thing with the top front open.... it has three wheels, one in front, two in back! The driver sits in the front, and there are two seats behind him (but you can squeeze in three people, like we did). They are funny looking, and probably not the safest things. One of the professors said you have to be a very secure man to drive one of those.
On the second day, I went on a Hemingway tour. We saw the hotel he lived in for a long time, where he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls. In the room he stayed, we saw his typewriter, some manuscripts, etc. Then we saw a hotel he frequented, and the house he lived in with his third and then fourth wife. The house was BEAUTIFUL!! My new dream home. :) Everything is exactly as it was after he died (he committed suicide in America in 1961.... he had 4 dogs and over 50 cats in that house... no wonder he was depressed!). He had over 9000 books in the house, from all over the world and in all languages. The house was surrounded by lush vegetation, a beautiful pool, and a "tower" with a telescope where you could see all of Havana in the distance.
After that, we went to a fishing village he used to go to and had lunch. Fish soup, salad with a gross vinegar dressing, pork and rice mixture and a piece of fish, ice cream for dessert. Lots of food. And yes, mom, I have been trying fish. Even fresh, I am not a big fan of it still. We returned to the ship about an hour before we had to leave to meet Fidel Castro. Yes, folks, that's right: Fidel Castro!!
That was a unique experience... very interesting. But, man, can he talk! I think he set a new record... usually 4 or 5 questions get asked... this time, only one was asked, and he STILL talked for about four hours!! He touched on everything from the situation in Venezuela, to US-Cuban relations, to age (he thinks there should be an age when old people have to stop driving... but he said, then there would be no professors able to teach! Hehe... see, even Fidel Castro has some sense of humor.)
He was actually hard to follow at times. He would start on one subject, than veer to another, working his way to a point, but before he made the point, he would veer off in another direction and work his way to a completely different point... it was hard to think back to how we were getting from one subject to a completely different one.
At one point, right after a question was asked, the youngest passenger on the SS Universe Explorer, 21-month old Logan yelled "MAMA" as babes do.... Castro laughed, saying he was commenting on the question. Then that lucky little kid got to go up onstage (his lucky dad holding him) and personally "meet" Fidel Castro and shake his hand (well, Fidel shook Logan's leg, actually). It was cute, because Logan realized that when he clapped his little hands, he could make the whole audience applaud.
After the "briefing" we went to a party (I can now say I have been to a party thrown by Castro!). There was food and a band and about 2000 or so students from the ship and the University of Havana. We had a crazy fun time... yes everyone, I know you don't believe it, but I was out there dancing and doing salsa with everyone else... my American friends and our new Cuban friends. It was a great time.
On our last day in Cuba we took it easy. We did some shopping, went to a museum, and climbed the bell tower to take pictures. It was so old and rickety, it was very scary... I couldn't make it up the last staircase. I was pressed into a corner having a panic attack while Maren and Janell climbed the staircase, so steep it was almost a ladder, to the windy top of the bell tower. Then we decided to walk around Havana just taking pictures and looking at things. (Food is so cheap! We got our meals for between one and three dollars).
The highlight of the day was when we stopped in a square to take a rest and were just watching people. A little boy (maybe 8 years old) came up to us and gave us each a flower. We said no, but he handed them to us anyway (usually they want money for it; that is why we said no). Janell knows a little Spanish and asked him his name, age, etc. There were some kids playing nearby and we wanted to know why he wasn't playing (he was carrying a ball along with the flowers). To make a long story short, soon we found ourselves playing ball with a bunch of neighborhood kids... kicking it to each other, throwing it, etc. It was a lot of fun... it was a great way to finish up our trip in Cuba.
Okay, okay, I know.... I am sorry to drone on and on but there was a lot to talk about this time. Now that you know all about the ship, etc. the other e-mails can be just about ports, and I won't have to go on for so long again. At least, hopefully. Once again, I hope everything is good back home... the dean just announced the Superbowl score. :) See, I'm not quite living in a hole!
See you all in less than 100 days!
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Brian [item 14]
Happy Sunday Everyone,
We are officially about 300 miles outside of Cuba, first port down 10 more to go. Its weird� this first week FLEW by. I could have used one more day to look around Havana, I didn�t really get a chance to see the downtown area too much. Everyone is always busy and I just didn�t get the time to tour into the Capital area until last night. Havana is a beautiful city. There is so much poverty, evident everywhere you look, but the age and personality of the buildings gives the city a ton of life. It looks almost like a page out of a history book from the 1950�s; the locals even drive old Ford�s and Chevy�s out of the 50�s. These people really don�t have anything, doctors in Havana make $20 a month, and people in tourism (bell boys at hotels, restaurant servers, etc) make almost triple that. Tourism is the profession that all Cubans strive to get into simply because they have access to the American dollar. It is interesting to see how even though the US has imposed the embargo on the Cuban government their people this economy still uses and runs off the American dollar to a large extent. There are Cuban pesos also, but the dollar is what is really battled over by vendors and businesses. It was an interesting process to watch.
I did so much in the 3 days I was in Havana, the most sleep I�ve gotten sense I�ve been out of the US doesn�t exceed 5 hours a night ever, most of the times usually about 4. It is starting to catch up with me, but because I am always so busy and running around in 5 different directions its almost like you don�t have time to be tired. We had early orientation on the ship this morning which didn�t allow me to sleep in, but I am feeling a nap later this afternoon. We are in some pretty rough waters, especially were last night. Its kind of funny because we are told that this is nothing, but a lot of people are so green and spending a lot of time in their bathrooms and hanging over railings off the side of the ship. I get a good laugh out of it all.
Friday was one of the best and most fun days I�ve had. A group of us were up at 6 and left on a tour of Pinar Del Rio, a section of the island densely taken over by a tropical rainforest and large Limestone cliffs and mountains. It was like that scene on Jurassic Park when they�re flying in the helicopter over the mountains, the topography was just like that except with lush valleys at the base rather than the ocean. I am really glad I did that trip and got to see more of Cuba than just the port city, I feel like I have an advantage over the students that chose not to go. I met some interesting people, saw some interesting sites (2 ten year old boys killing a pig, tying it up and mounting it on the back of a bicycle) and some people that reminded me we�re not in Kansas anymore.
We did have the chance to see Fidel Castro speak�. and he spoke and spoke and spoke and spoke. He talked about everything but specifically talked about the "blockade" which Cubans use to refer to the embargo placed on their country. He kept referring to the fact that blockades are acts of war and how is this not a direct action of war. He talked about each of the countries we were visiting and the crisis in Venezuela, but really every point just took him back to his economy and how they were being shortchanged by the US and as a result everyone else. Very interesting, but he lost me and put me in daydreams from time to time. But he was very warm to us and emphasized how welcome we were in their country. After the talk we were all led to one of his mansions and thrown a kick-ass "modest reception" complete with tons of Cuban food and beer and rum. It was awesome, there were about 1200 students from Semester at Sea and the University of Havana. After we ate and drank for a little while a band took the stage by the pool and everyone salsa danced all night long. They are the most popular band in the country and were very good, it was a sweet party. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and had a blast before stumbling back to the ship about 3 AM.
Everywhere we went that was the case, people were so nice to us and really went out of their way to welcome us and our money. Everywhere we traveled in the busses the Cuban police would make a caravan for us and block off all traffic and we drove down the middle of the streets with all cross streets and oncoming traffic at a standstill. It was pretty cool but made a lot of people uncomfortable being in such a poor country and being treated like kings. People on the streets would just stop and stare at the line of busses, sometimes 15 or 16 long, and either wave or just stare with empty faces. We even got a few middle fingers as we drove by and some pretty bad other notions. It was a pretty weird feeling. They love American girls here and it would be pretty tough to be a girl in some of these places. But its something they better get used to, the constant whistling and touching will probably just get worse in the countries we�ll be at down the road. Its 10 times worse than the absolute worst treatment you would see in the states. When we arrived in port and departed they interrupted all television channels and broadcast us getting off on all Cuban televisions and articles and pictures of us were posted over the front page of the Cuban newspaper every day we were here. It is a big deal to see Americans in Cuba, even though there are a ton of European and South American tourists in Havana. Overall I felt pretty safe everywhere I went and they told us that Cuba would be the safest port we would be in the entire voyage. It was a pretty fun couple of days.
I got a chance to go to a Cuban baseball game. They had roped off the section directly behind home plate for us and we were right on the field. Also, beer is illegal to have in baseball stadiums for Cubans, however bunches of the SAS kids went to local liquor stores and brought bags of beer in right in front of the police and were not hassled at all. They take their baseball really seriously, almost like you see Brazil with their soccer. They protest every call, throw objects onto the field, yell at the players (even the home team) and really get into it.
Wow this is going on and on and I don�t mean to bore you. I�m gonna go grab a quick lunch before we meet the faculty this afternoon. The food is surprisingly pretty good, better than dorm food. I mean theres only so much they can do with what they have but its all fresh and pretty good. I have already had a chance to meet all my teachers and talked to them quite a bit, its nice being on a small campus. My roommates are super chill and we all have fun going out together. I�m actually looking forward to classes, we�ll see how tough they�re really gonna be. I hope all is well in Boulder with everyone and you all had a great weekend. Email when you can and have fun watching the Super Bowl today. It would be great to hear from everyone back home. Hope all is well and good luck with classes.
Thanks for the trip Mom and Dad. Your money is being well spent J Love you and will call you from Brazil when we arrive in 9 days
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Philip [item 15]
Here are some of the emails we've received from our son Phillip: In Cuba, he had coffee at the home of a Cuban, and said the man had a pig which he swears was the length and width of his bed! In Brazil, he went on the trip to Lencois, and said they had an awesome time, hiked for 8 hours one day, swam a lot, jumped off of 30 ft. cliffs into great pools of water. Butterflies were everwhere. He said it was like paradise.
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