Last Post

This past week the celebration of May 1^st occurred. In Cuba that is the celebration of workers and essentially the celebration consist of workers (ie, almost the whole city) marching in Plaza de la Revolution. Naturally we attended the event. I had expected this great gathering of people who all would be incredibly into the march, but instead found a large gathering of people who seemed indifferent about the event. It is true that there were people who chanted and proudly marched but there were others and I would say most that seemed to be there because they were expected to. After waiting over an hour for the event to start, we slowly marched in a large circle for what appeared to be no reason. It was interesting that this is considered one of the largest celebrations in Cuba and yet people seemed to nonchalantly attend it.

As I am only in Havana for 10 days more I will not be posting again unless something profound happens (unlikely). So what is Cuba, besides this small island in the shadow of the United States? Cuba is in my opinion as far away from the U.S. as one can get and still be on Earth. Although it is only 90 miles away, and American cars line most streets, the people and culture are inherently Latin and African, yet don’t fully fit into either category. Cuban culture is a mix of every influence but is distinct from all of them at the same time. The Cuban people in the last 50 years have prevailed through some of the harshest conditions and yet live today in relative happiness, they are resilient and face challenges both internal and externally with determination. Cuba is this seemingly far away place that lacks the typical globalization of Western culture and business that is seen worldwide and lives in this calculated isolation. Its policies look to have idealism prevails and internationally hope that one day the world will live with the same social ideals and programs Cuba has. Cuba has been able to essentially survive against all odds in today’s globalized world. Foreign businesses have not taken over and the Cuban government has been able to remarkably keep the people happy without giving into external pressures. Cuba is a country where on every street corner national heroes are honored and where people have a strong identity of what being Cuban is. Patriotism is part of revolution, and Revolution is inherently patriotic.

Having now been to Cuba I feel that it is safe for me to say that most of the perspectives that Americans have on Cuba are in some ways false. I think this comes from the lack of travel to Cuba and the lack of person to person communication. Although a large number of Cuban Americans visit Cuba every year, they already have a notion of Cuba and do little to help others understand what Cuba is. Americans are fed information their whole lives which basically teach us that Cuba is in some ways a bad place where people are miserable and need to be rescued (by the US of course) we are taught that the blockade is not only legal but also justified by the acts of the Cuban government. Having now been in Cuba for four months, I can say that this close minded view of Cuba is false and that Cuba is not inherently bad for being socialist and that Cuban people do not feel that they need to be rescued or saved by the US or anyone. American perspectives on Cuba are counter the real Cuba and when presented with the facts, I think most people would learn that Cuba has been able to survive against all odds and progress rapidly in the last 50 years. Americans could learn that Cuban people are strong and don’t fear their government in the way they are portrayed. Cuba is one of the most interesting places I have visited and at the same time one of the hardest places (not only by regulations) I have visited.

See you all in a week and a half!

Santiago and Vinales

Sorry about the lack of a post last week. We went to Santiago de Cuba and did not return until very late Monday night and therefore I did not have enough time to post.

Santiago de Cuba was a very interesting trip. Santiago is the second largest city in Cuba, and is located on the southern coast of the Eastern part of the island. It is said to be one of the largest cultural centers in Cuba. The trip started with an overnight bus ride which left at 10pm and arrived at 11 something am. Although I did sleep most of the way it was a very long ride and quite boring. After arriving we settled into our casa particular and headed out into the city. The historic city walk which all our guide books suggested was fairly lame and involved a few plazas and a few small museums. But it did provide us with a quick glance of the major areas of the city. The next day we took a horse drawn cart to the Cemetery and saw many famous Cubans graves, such as Jose Marti, Antonio Maceo, Manuel de Cespedes, and the Martyrs of the July 26^th Movement. After that in typical Cuban fashion we negotiated a driver to take us to El Morro which like the one in Havana sits at the mouth of the bay and was used as a fortress to protect the city during Spanish colonial times. The mouth of the bay is also the scene for the infamous defeat of Spanish forces during the Spanish-American-(Cuban) War. As history books say the Spanish forces were basically picked off like sitting ducks by American ships as they left the bay. I was hoping to see some ship masts or something peaking above the surface but I was disappointed. After watching a small band of soldiers dressed in 19^th century attire set off the cannon which in the past signaled the end of the day we drove back to the city center. That night we went to a club/bar which was suggested to us by a friend. After getting all dressed up to go we get turned away by the bouncer for wearing flip flops (nice ones too!). The night was in all a bust and therefore we decided it was best to just go to bed. The next day we again negotiated a ride to the pilgrimage site of El Cobre set in the Sierra Maestra Mountains. The church is located on a hill and contains one the statue of the Virgin El Cobre. The story goes that she saved sailors who were about to die on a raft by appearing to them. She is the patron saint of Cuba and therefore each year people flock to see her and ask her for things. It was interesting to see because she is one of the only black representations of the Virgin and is also a symbol in the religion of Santeria. After El Cobre we traveled to the Moncada Barracks which was the site of one of the first attempts to start a revolution. Basically Fidel Castro and others attacked the barracks hoping to secure the city. It is called the July 26^th Movement (the date of the attack) and is one of the most important episodes in Cuban history. It was after this attack that Castro and others served prison sentences and during his trial Castro gave his famous “History Will Absolve Me” speech. Today the barracks serve as a school as well as a museum for the movement and the revolution. That night we went to Casa de la Trova which is supposedly the best place to hear music in Cuba. I don’t know if it is the best but it was fun and we were able to meet some locals which always equals a good time. The entire next day was spent on the long long (16 hour) bus ride home.

This past weekend a few of us went to Viñales which is located to the West of Havana. Viñales is known for its mogotes, I don’t know what they are called in English but they resemble the mountains in Southern China. They are dotted across the fertile valley and look almost like random mounds covered in greenery. The valley is picturesque and one of the greenest places I have seen in Cuba. It is considered a UNESCO world heritage site for its tobacco farms and its natural landforms and beauty. We arrived having already made reservations at a Campismo (a state run campground with cabins). After trying to check in we learn that they do not have water and therefore as tourists we are not allowed to stay there and that only Cubans can that weekend. They were nice enough to arrange a place for us to stay near by and offered us the ability to use any of the facilities. We decided to take an hour long horseback riding excursion around the valley. After our horse tour we hired a guide (who happened to be in our casa) to take us to a nearby cave where we could explore the caverns and take a swim in the underground pool. The hike was really nice it took us through fields and pastures and up to people’s homes, and finally to a man who we then hired to take us through the caverns by lantern light. The cave was very cool, and had all the basic features of a cave. We same in the icy waters and returned to the mouth of the cave only to find a thunderstorm occurring. After waiting an hour our guide decides that the rain is not going to let up and therefore she should just move quickly to the casa. As we begin to walk the ground underneath us is in parts becoming just a river of water and in other parts just pools of mud. About 45 minutes later we arrive ready for dinner soaking wet with red mud covering at least our lower halves. All our clothes for that day were covered in rain water and dirt. That night we spent the night in our country home. Literally the entire night was filled with animal sounds. The couple we were staying with had a few horses, some chickens, pigs, cows, a dog and a cat. Basically when one animal would stop making noise another would start. We managed a few hours of sleep but it was not very restful. The next day we left the hour and walked the 3km back to town. We split up a little and Brittany and I went for a walk despite our still damp shoes from the day before. It ended up being a hike which was about 10km more. We stopped and saw on of the more touristy caves which involved a motor boat tour of the inside which was covered in electric lights. We decided that although that cave was a little cooler looking it was more fun to have our own little tour the day before. We completed the day with a dip in a local hotel pool and dinner at the oldest home in Viñales.

Propaganda

It has been an interesting week for me. This past Thursday we met with José Ramón Fernández, the current Vice President of the Council of Ministers and leader of Cuban forces during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. He spoke about the invasion and how Cuba was able to bring about the first military defeat of the U.S. in the Americas. Basically we listened for about an hour and a half about the glory of Cuba and the defiance of the Cuban people to the imperialistic Americans. On Friday we traveled to Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs) and visited two museums dedication to the Cuban forces and strategy during the invasion. The first museum was housed in an old sugar mill house which was used as the headquarters for the Cuban forces. It was filled with military paraphernalia, like parts of U.S. planes, uniforms, maps, weapons, etc… Like all museums in Cuba it praised the strength and intelligence of Fidel and the Cuba people who fought in the conflict. I don’t think that the U.S. should have been so shortsighted in their plan for invasion. I think had any official visited the Cuban people it would have been obvious that the majority of Cubans were in support of the Revolution and therefore would not simply let mercenaries invade and establish a new government. Afterwards we visited the actual beach and swam for a while. I don’t know why one would have picked this place to invade, solely for the fact that it is gorgeous.

On Saturday we visited with Michael Parmly the head of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana at his residence. After hearing a brief history of the house and its extensive grounds we were able to speak with him about many things. Although he does support the U.S. policy towards Cuba it was interesting to see his views on exchanges of academic and cultural institutions. He feels that they need to be increased between the two countries because each side has something they can learn from the other. This was interesting to me since while George W. Bush has been in office more academic and cultural exchange programs have been closed between the two countries rather than opened. Parmly was the first person from the U.S. administration that seemed to be actively seeking to establish more programs to Cuba. This seems to be contradictory to the fact that obtaining visas for exchange students from any country is getting more and more difficult. It is refreshing to see that a high ranking State Department official sees the value in global exchanges.

This past week being full of propaganda and having about 20 articles to read for classes has made me realize that our lives whether consciously or unconsciously are filled with propaganda. Each one of my class readings took the same stance on Cuban-U.S. relations in the last twenty years. Cuba is always right and the U.S. is always wrong. None of the articles we read justify at all the U.S. policy towards Cuba. Despite that obvious fact that my professors disagree with the policy and that I would think that most people on my trip disagree with it, it does not mean that there are not justifications given by either academics or the U.S. Government. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was taking these classes in the States if the perspective would be slightly different despite the fact that a third of the articles were written by AU professors, I came to the conclusion that although the view point might be different it would still in reality only be one-sided. My classes here I only recently came to fully realize are a constant bombardment of pro Cuba sentiments. They almost never approach or if attempted can fully approach topics from both sides. It is not just classes, everyday when we turn on the TV or read the newspapers or just walk down the street we are being ‘taught’ that the U.S. is bad and nothing good can come from cooperation with it, and that Cuba is good and that nothing is wrong in Cuban society or its style of government. There are exceptions to the rule but as a whole I find that most things can be traced to anti-U.S. feelings. This is not just true to Cuba, in the U.S. my entire life, in school and through societal involvement I have be ‘taught’ that the U.S. is the best and that our policies and actions are right or will prove to be the right ones in the future. Until the invasion of Iraq I don’t think that most Americans ever challenged this notion. In the same respect I don’t think many Cubans have challenged the idea that the U.S. is ‘bad’.

It is interesting to think about the effects of indirect propaganda. Here billboards and broadcasts about U.S. imperialism and the blame that Cubans places on the U.S. embargo for most of its social and problems are obvious forms of propaganda. But what about the less obvious things that can act as propaganda. For example, university classes, which are usually advertised as teaching from all view points, are in my experience fairly one-sided. Sure assigned readings do have articles from both view points usually but I would think that most of the time the better written or more numerous articles are those which agree with the professor’s views. People tend to trust what academics say because they are highly educated and are said to think outside the box before making statements. But they were educated on the same flawed system that only seemingly approaches history and lessons from both sides. Propaganda exists on all levels and perhaps the forms it takes that are not as obvious are the most dangerous. It is easy to ignore posters or new articles but it is a lot harder to question what “experts” say and can back up with fancy charts or studies on the subject, or to go against what has been engrained in your head from birth.

Being in a country that relies so much on billboards and ‘news’ articles to continue support for the Revolution has made me rethink the idea of propaganda. What exactly constitutes propaganda then? Can it still be defined the same way has been? Is it possible that everything we surround ourselves with, whether material or ideological is in some way propaganda which can unknowingly shape how we view the world?

Trinidad

April 9, 2007

This past week we visited part of Havana called Ciudad Libertad which is essentially a town of various schools. Within the school there is a small museum dedicated to the Literacy Campaign. Right after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, the Castro regime began a campaign to eliminated illiteracy in Cuba. Students, teachers, and workers were trained and sent to different regions in the country in order to teach people to read a write. They lived and worked with the families they taught during the day and at night held lessons. In less than a year Cuba was able to decrease its illiteracy drastically. People who had lived their whole lives not knowing how to even sign their name were taught to do so. According to Cuban historical documents a women who was over 100 years old was taught to read and write. Today Cuba has helped develop literacy programs throughout the world, especially in Latin America with the hopes of helping other developing countries fulfill this development requirement.

After the small visit to the museum we visited a special education school. This school had children with vision impairments as well as autistic children. As we toured the school it became obvious that integration was a main project in the school. Children who suffered from impaired vision, as severe as blindness, and as acute as wearing glasses, were placed in the same classrooms which allowed them to learn together. Teachers taught using not only the blackboard but also texts in Braille for the blind students. We watched part of a class and the teacher seemed to make no distinction between students, she asked a blind student to read allowed just as frequently as she asked a child who wore glasses. She did however explain to us that because of the integration of students her job is often a little more difficult and overcoming obstacles in teaching various students is sometimes hard. We stopped by one of the computer labs in the school. Each computer as would have been expected in the U.S. had a magnification program as well as voice command programs in which a series of keyboard presses can activate different programs and work like the mouse for students to are blind. I was surprised that the school would have this technology. As many people do not have access to computers I thought it was interesting that a school would be able to have more than one computer with more than basic programs. We also visited an art class. Each student was given different projects, all revolving around some civic theme, embossing an image of Che Guevara, coloring the Cuban flag, or for those students who were blind, making small projects with natural elements, like seeds, leaves, which represented Cuba. The art room was full of projects that students had made all of which were as expected very tactile and textured for students to experience. Before we left the students sang a song and performed a small dance number for us to thank us for our visit.

This past weekend we traveled to Trinidad and Villa Clara for our culture class. We first stopped in Villa Clara to visit the Che Guevara memorial, which essentially contained a large plaza and a large monument with a museum where he is buried. It was not a very beautiful monument as was crawling with tour buses full of European tourists. We spent the night at a hotel in the Escambray mountains. As our bus pulled up the hotel looked as if it could have once been a family resort. It is tucked away in the middle of the mountains on a lake. It has boat rentals, a ‘playground’, a few bars, and a disco. Unfortunately the hotel is built in the prefabrication soviet style and it completely made of concrete which has been painted in bright colors which clash with the green of the mountains. That night we went to see a play in a small playhouse in the mountains. The play focused on the 1960s in Cuba and the problems young people faced. It was interesting although I am not sure if I understood all of the play. The next morning we departed for Trinidad. Trinidad lies on the southern coast of Cuba about two miles from the Caribbean Sea. It is one city dedicated to tourism. We went because it has the only Semana Santa (holy week) celebration in Cuba. It became obvious that the revival of the celebration after the visit in 1997 of Pope John Paul II was for tourists. Very few locals seemed to be witnessing the procession but rather the streets were lined with tourists all flashing their cameras. Despite this it was interesting to witness. We obviously went to the beach for the day which was again covered in sunburned tourists. Our last night in Trinidad we went to a disco which was inside a cave, and located a short walk from the city center, and was one of the most creative clubs I have ever seen. After reaching the cave it is necessary to descend a series of stairs which lead to different caverns, some of which have nothing in them and others which have the bathroom or a small sitting area, the bar, or the dance floor. It was very interesting listening to the music bounce of the walls of the cave. It was an exhausting weekend and we were all happy to finally arrive back in Havana only to have six hours of class today.

Hershey Train

So this past weekend the plan was to go to Isla de la Juventud (the Isle of Youth) which is of the southern coast of Cuba. Unfortunately, there was a significant price hike in September for ferry tickets. They went from being 17 CUC each way for both the bus to the ferry and the ferry to the island to being 50 CUC each way for just the ferry. So we basically decided that it was a little ridiculous and therefore attempted to get tickets in Cuban pesos despite no guarantee. However in typical Cuban fashion our carnets (temporary resident cards) could not be used at the location we were at but instead could only be used across the city at another bus station. We were then told that it was highly unlikely that we could get tickets and that we should have booked ferry tickets a month ago. After this fiasco we thought it was best if we gave up and just planned a last minute day trip.
Last Friday we therefore took a mini trip to Matanzas and Varadero. Our journey began at 7:30am when we left for the Hershey Train. The Hershey Train was built by you guessed it the Hershey Chocolate Company around 1920 and was used to travel between Casablanca (across the bay from Havana) to Matanzas, the next port city east of Havana. Of course along the way there is a small village called Hershey where a series of gardens were built by the company. Today the train is the only electric train in Cuba and still uses the old train cars. Unfortunately these train cars have not been restored to their former beauty and remain in disarray. The train ride is supposed to take about three hours give or take a few hours. The train pulled into the station which consisted of a few small benches and a platform, looking as if it was probably best if we did not ride it. Being in Cuba we obviously took the risk and decided adventure was the theme of the day (we had no idea how adventurous it would be). As we boarded we realized that the two train cars were really not enough for the number of people on the train. Between us we had 2 seats and therefore we were forced to share them or stand. Within the first 15 minutes the train clamored to a hasty stop. The workers immediately moved to where the two cars connected and looked up towards the electric lines ahead. It was not clear what had exactly happened but we got the feeling it was not a good thing. One of the workers asked if anyone had a knife. Now we all thought that if anyone had a knife that it would a pocket knife. Why would have otherwise? We were therefore shocked when an old man sitting in front of us volunteered his kitchen cleaver, which was conveniently tucked in a sheaf in his pants. Interesting choice of tool to carry, a machete we could understand but a kitchen knife seems a little strange even for Cuba. Minutes later this knife had somehow saved the train and we noisily continued our journey. As the train continued it looked as if the back car was about to become detached from the front car. It shook from side to side as we traveled. I think we were all glad to be in the front car. About an hour and a half later, and a few seat switches we arrived in the dusty town of Hershey. Sadly there were no roller coasters or boxes of Hershey bars to meet us. Suddenly the worker who had miraculous fixed the train told everyone to get off the train and to wait because our train was being retired and a new train would come in a few minutes. So everyone evacuated the train only to sit on the few benches and wait. Now remember we are in Cuba and a few minutes can be anything from a few minutes to a few hours. As we sat there many Cubans who were riding the train left the platform to we could only assume hitchhike the rest of the way. Since the theme of the day was adventure we decided to wait. A short time later (one hour) a new train arrived. Only one car which appeared to be an old subway car, as there were a series of doors on the sides which slide open with the push of a button, had arrived. We all climbed aboard to continue the journey. As we continued down the tracks a number of interesting things occurred: Someone fell onto the moving train (it was strange), a man with a few machetes tied to his belt came on, a man with potato sack pants appeared, and finally produce and chickens joined us for the ride. As we stood near the door we started to hear clucking and glanced over to a rice bag which a young man was carrying. After a few minutes he opened the bag to reveal a fighting cock which obviously needed air. The next hour on the train involved us hoping that the rooster did not somehow escape the bag and attack us. The mix of people and things on the train made it one interesting ride. Finally we arrived in Matanzas at just about 1:30pm. I was definitely relieved to get off the train and to have arrived without any large incident.
As we walked through Matanzas looking for the guagua (public bus) to Varadero we happened to come across a runaway bus which crashed into a building about twenty yards in front of us. The whole thing happened in slow motion. The empty bus rolled down the small hill with a man, I could only assume was the conductor, ran towards it. Just as the bus was about to hit, the man jumped inside in hopes of preventing the inevitable crash. He failed and the bus hit the corner of the building. As the man backed it up, a rather large chunk of plaster had been removed from the building, but the bus remained untouched. This incident just added to our already very eventful day. We finally made it to the bus where we had to talk our way on. We obviously appear to be tourists and therefore were not allowed on the bus; fortunately we were able to use our carnets to gain access. As we stood on the bus we realized that we had no idea when to get off. Varadero is a rather large peninsula which juts into the Atlantic. It is one of the largest tourist areas in Cuba and is rumored to have the best beaches. Eventually, only after most of the Cubans had gotten off we decided to get off the bus. We needed to find the bus station in order to buy tickets home, so we eventually found a hotel where we could get directions. We learned that it was about 3km back towards Matanzas. We realized that it would be best to just play on the beach for an hour and then head towards to bus station via taxi to go home. As we walked onto the beach I couldn’t help but think that it looked almost the same as Playas del Este (the beaches near Havana). The area was clearly more developed and covered in European and Canadian tourists, and the sand was finer, but other than that it was essentially our beach. A slight disappointment, since I was expecting something that would put our beach to shame. After our hour we went to the bus station which turned out to be only about ten blocks away. As we waited for the bus a young man approached us wanting to know if we wanted a ride back to Havana. We at first agreed to go with him but then his ‘ride’ never showed up and we decided to take the last bus back to Havana at 6. We boarded the bus and without incident arrived back home about 2.5 hours later. It was a long, hilarious, and adventurous day, but we were glad to be back in Havana.

Shopping

Sorry for not posting last week, I forgot. This past week I attempted to do some shopping for clothing and things. That was truly an insightful experience. For starters in a lot of stores things are kept behind counters and you must ask for the item to see it. It is not odd for only one size to be there or for things to be made of unknown stretchy Lycra type fabrics. It seemed that very few things were made of cotton like fabrics. I was a little surprised at the prices of many things as well. Shirts cost I would say on average $14 each and were of poor quality. I tried to think of who could afford to buy these clothes, because making only about $12 a month would not leave enough to buy clothing at these prices. It is no wonder that consignment shops full of discarded clothing from wealthier countries are so popular. I once heard here that at many of the rallies and celebrations put on by the state, like Fidel’s birthday or celebrating the triumph of the revolution, give free t-shirts to people. At first my thought was ‘ok so what, who cares about a free shirt’ but now I realize that when clothing is so expensive a free shirt is something that people would want and therefore would go to events if only just to get the shirt. It really does put a question mark on how much the people actually do support the government sponsored rallies and events. Are most people there for the free shirt or there for the actual celebration?

Classes here are starting to get more interesting. We are beginning to discuss topics which are from the first few years of the Revolution. For example how the state implemented new housing initiatives, land reform and education initiatives. One of my professors, Rosa, was thirteen when the literacy campaign began. The literacy campaign basically sent students to small towns and other cities to teach older people as well as younger people how to read and write. She was sent to work in the Oriente province and taught not only the elders of the village to read but also the young children who attended school but often without a teacher. At the time there was a shortage of teachers and professionals, due to the influx in emigration to the United States soon after the triumph of the Revolution. She described a scene where children traveled miles to attend a multi-grade school where many days their teacher could simply not come due to the distance she needed to travel. She did not live in the town and was ‘imported’ from a larger town a few hours away. Therefore although children attended school it was not a guarantee that they would become literate or receive proper education. She described how at an early age teenagers were needed to teach others and to help in agricultural campaigns throughout the island. Today although there are many teachers, there is still a shortage. It is not uncommon to turn on the TV and have one of the few channels having a televised history class or language study course on during the day, for students in Havana school who may not have an actual teacher for the class. What I wonder is how do they ask questions and get clarification on subjects? There is no actual teacher at the school but rather one in a television studio which may be miles away. How can people be properly educated? Hopefully later this week when our group visits what is called Ciudad Libertad, which is basically a city that is a school, some of these questions can be answered.

Cojimar

March 11, 2007

This past week was very eventful. Last Tuesday my Spanish class went to visit our professor at her house. After spending about 1 hour getting there on the public bus, which was an experience, we first took a tour of the town. She lives in a small town outside Havana called Cojimar. It faces the ocean and is where Ernest Hemingway met a local fisherman who later became the inspiration for the Old Man and the Sea. At first the town looks like any average Cuban town. Fairly beat up looking modest homes with small gardens in the front. However as we toured the area I began to notice some homes were more damaged than others. My professor, Ivis, explained that in Hurricane Michelle had destroyed many homes in the area and they were unable to rebuild them fully when a few years later Hurricane Wilma arrived and destroyed more of the town. Along the seacoast the damage was obvious. The entire block of homes which once had a beautiful ocean view were now almost completely flattened. The remnants of the seawall which once helped to protect the town were almost invisible due to the damage. Along the coast there was simply a large patch of land which was scattered with stones and slabs on concrete. Almost two years after Hurricane Wilma the damage was still visible and looked as if it had just occurred. As we continued our tour the pattern of damaged buildings, buildings with faded paint chipping off its sides also continued. Ivis told us of how during the 1994 immigration crisis, when the Cuban government essentially encouraged people who wanted to go to the US to do so from certain locations, people left from Cojimar in hopes of reaching the US. She described that people would basically leave on makeshift rafts, hundreds each day, and hope that some family/friend from the US would pick them up in a boat at some point during their journey. She told us that Cojimar is one of the closest bays to the Florida Keys and therefore many people leave on rafts for the US from Cojimar. That day as we walked around Cojimar I couldn’t help but look out to the ocean, which had five meter waves due to the change in weather, and try to imagine what it would be like to just jump into the water with a raft made of whatever floats with my family and try and make it to the US. Looking at the water and seeing how quickly sea conditions can change, it is incredibly hard for me to imagine doing something like that. Having been in Cuba for almost two months, I have yet to see anyone living in a condition that I would trade for a raft and the ocean. Although conditions in 1994 at the height of the Cuban Special Period were recognizably different than today, in terms of economic hardship, it is still hard to fathom being desperate enough to leave in such a way.

After our tour of Cojimar we met with one of Ivis’ neighbors, an old man who was almost 80 years old. He lived in a modest home with very little modernization. His roof was built of metal sheeting, and his walls were cinderblock. He had a small garden and a pen of probably about 50 goats next to his home. There were chickens roaming freely throughout the garden and inside the home. He was old and weathered and it was clear that he had not lived an easy life. His hands looked hardened my labor and his eyes were deep set and tired. As part of our Spanish class we were told in interview him about his life. He grew up in the countryside in Oriente (the eastern part of the island). His family was not wealthy and they led a very hard life. In 1957 he joined the rebel army which at the time had only a year before started their fight against Batista’s army. He was placed in under the direct command of Fidel Castro and fought side by side with him in the Sierra Maestra. He described ‘El Jefe’ as a strong leader, a nice man, who tended to look out for others. As he spoke it was obvious that he was very proud to have served in the army and had the highest respect for Fidel Castro. We asked him if he personally knew any of the other leaders in the army at the time. He knew some like Camilo Cienfuegos, and described him in great detail as being a man who made everything seem easy. Nothing seemed to be hard for him. As the man continued to speak about his life it became obvious that he was deeply affected by the triumph of the revolution in 1959. He explained how the ideas of the revolution changed the country and how proud he was for the opportunity to fight for the change. He showed us photos of him in his military uniform at a young age, as well as a certificate from Fidel Castro. It was incredibly interesting to talk to him about his experiences during the revolution and get his view on what it means to him. We all think it was a rare opportunity to meet someone who had not only fought in the revolution but who personally knew great leaders of the time.

As we left to go back to Havana, I couldn’t help but try and think of how few people alive in the US that could say that they have fought for real change within the country. There are people who have fought ideological battles in Congress and hold rallies which sometimes promote change, but I could not come up with a case where radical change occurred due to a struggle of the masses and military battle.

This past week we also started to have Salsa lessons with dancers in the National Modern Dance Company. We take our classes in there rehearsal space that the National Theatre of Cuba. They are extremely nice and try very hard to understand that Americans just don’t have the same internal rhythm of Cubans. Our first class consisted of basic movements which were slowly complicated throughout the hour. Let’s just say that Salsa is a lot harder than it looks. I was very impressed by the ease that our instructors danced Salsa, especially since they claim to have not had Salsa classes. We shall see how we progress in the next few weeks.

Las Terrazas

March 5, 2007

In the 1970s there was a small community in the Piñar del Rio province in the Western part of Cuba that developed in a biosphere reserve named Las Terrazas. This past Saturday my culture class visited the small now touristy area. The small village is made of small homes built on terraces on the side of a mountain and initially was built to be self sufficient although it never gained the status. Today the village relies on tourism for its lively hood. What is most interesting about the region is that the village was built with respect to the nature around it. Trees will be part of the buildings are open ventilation and cultivation of plants is encouraged. The main attraction to the village is its eco friendliness. Before we left I was very excited to go since the concept of eco tourism interests me. However I was surprised when I arrived and saw that the village totally relies on tourist revenue. It was different than I had expected. Here in the middle of mountains was a small village completely protected in the woods which invites tourists in basically to show them a good time. There were numerous bars, boating docks, trails, restaurants, and a small hotel for tourists to stay at. There was even a small zip line in order to show people an aerial view of the village. The whole thing seemed like a good idea in concept but has in my opinion turned into a village built only for tourists and has lost the initial ideas behind it. The area is far from self sufficient as it had once aspired to be. It is sad that a beautiful place can not be simply lived in but needs to be exploited in order to survive.

cienfuegos

February 26, 2007

This past weekend a few people from my group and myself traveled to a medium sized city called Cienfuegos. The city is located on a bay in the south central region of Cuba in a province sharing its name. We were able to get a ride to the city for $50 for the four of us each way, which was a great deal. Bus fares for tourists (or for people who would like to have a definite seat on the bus) from Havana to Cienfuegos run about $20 each way per person. For a cheaper bus fare it is possible to pay in Cuban pesos (about 65 each way) but there is no guarantee that you will be on the bus. Basically if you purchase one of these tickets you are able to ride the bus only if there are seats remaining after people pay in CUC…therefore if you have a set time table or a short period of time to visit a place it is much better to pay in CUC or get a driver. It was very interesting to see the difference between the city and the countryside. For the most part it looked a little like the Midwest United States during a small drought. The land was basically flat with an occasional hill in the distance, and the crops or lack there of were dotting the ground with patches of brown. The small towns that we passed through looked as if they had seen better days. The whole ride reminded me of the images we see during the American Great Depression of dilapidated homes and brown dusty fields. Although most of the buildings were not made of wood, as I would have expected but rather concrete which is probably to help combat the climate. The city of Cienfuegos itself is rather small but is rather beautiful. The streets are lined with buildings which all have front porches which stretch the entire length of the street. The main avenues have small parks lining the middle of the street with benches and trees, and are usually filled with people. An entire side of the city is bordered by the bay which is a bright blue manse of water dotted with barges and smaller vessels. We stayed in a small house called a casa particular. These are rented rooms in people’s homes which they rent as their jobs. They cook for you and basically allow you to live in their homes for as long as needed, at a moderate price. Ours were 25 CUC per room per night with meals for about 3-6 CUC depending on the meal. Hotels usually run you the same as they would in the states from 50-250 CUC a night but usually around 100 CUC for an average hotel and meals there or at any restaurant are going to be about 10 CUC. It is possible to eat for less from street stands but a nice home cooked meal and people to talk to is a definite bonus.

On Friday after arriving we walked around Cienfuegos and saw the few tourist sites it had to offer, and ate a relaxing dinner in a Moorish inspired ‘palace’ on the tip of the area known as Punta Gorda, which is basically a small peninsula which juts into the bay. The food was not the best but it was worth the cost to eat in the building and eat something other than rice and beans for a change. That night we walked around the area some more in hopes of finding something that was going on…unfortunately there was little to be found.

Saturday we decided to head to the Caribbean beach which was a short drive away (about 20 minutes). The beach was in an area called Rancho Luna, which had a nice view of the distant mountains and the ocean. We claimed a small palm hut and spent the day swimming in the turquoise sea and taking in the sun. I did attempt to go snorkeling however, not really liking sea life to begin with it was not a big success. I got to see a small school of fish but did not venture over the large patch of sea grass to the coral reef…perhaps later in the trip or later in my life I will charter a small boat for the day and force myself to go to the reefs. The experience just didn’t seem to be for me. After a long day at the beach we were ready to just hang out and eat a nice home cooked meal.

Sunday was a short day full of touristy photos and relaxation before our 3 hour journey back to Havana. The weekend was relaxing and the perfect break from everything, and it was definitely hard to start classes again but it must be done.

Food

I had a request to post about the food here so here goes. Basically the main staples in the Cuban diet are rice and some type of bean. There are numerous dishes which are basically rice and beans with maybe a little flavoring for example cristianos y morros (white rice and black beans). Rice and beans are eaten at every meal, unlike in the states there is not a large difference between breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods. Our residence cooks us eggs for breakfast and toast which is great but I get the feeling that most Cubans tend to eat whatever they have left over for breakfast. Lunches here are usually found at small stands on the side of the street. There are basically two options for food if you don’t want to spend a lot of money pizza or a sandwich both will run you less than a dollar (about 20 pesos on average). I wouldn’t say that they are the best pizzas or sandwiches that I have ever had but they work. Besides rice and beans there is meat in basically everything. Usually some type of pork. However there is still chicken, fish and beef, but they are not as common. Cubans don’t really seem to understand the concept of vegetarians. I think that our meals at the residence basically mirror what most Cubans probably eat.

Each month Cubans are given a ration card which allows them to ‘buy’ a certain amount of some items. They are allotted 10 lbs of rice, 11 lbs of grains (ie beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc…), some sugar, and coffee. If there are children in the family they receive a liter of milk every two days for each child. For other things like meat and eggs they need to pay for. Chicken costs 2.75 pesos/kg, Pork is 2 pesos/kg, and fish is 1 peso/kg. The Cuban salary is 295 pesos a month (about $12 USD a month). All fruits and vegetables are bought using their salary and are cheap (I think it is about 6 peso for a few tomatoes and the price of fruit is similar). The Cuban salary basically meets ones needs but there is usually not a lot left for entertainments or excess items. With people only able to meet their basic needs it is no wonder that so many people rely on the $100USD that families can send a month from abroad, or tourism. A simple job in the tourism industry, a waiter or maid will earn you more money due to tips by foreigners. A small tip of 1 CUC for a meal goes a long way for most Cubans.

With the access that some Cubans have to money from the rest of the world, through tips or through remittances it raises the question of is socialism really working? There is a definite difference in some Cubans lifestyles and others. Are the growing inequalities between people causing more dissent amongst the people? So far I haven’t seen much sign of it but perhaps it is lying just below the surface.

tourism

This week as part of our culture class we went to look at architecture in Habana Vieja. As we walked around and learned about various buildings and styles in the old city I couldn’t help but notice the disparity between building which have been restored and those that have not been. Our guest professor who works for the city planning commission explained that many of the buildings are being renovated to become homes and businesses. The first floor is often changed from public housing into shops or restaurants and the upper floors will remain homes. When asked what happens to the residents who lived on the first floor she explained that they are relocated to other parts of the city. Basically areas that were once rundown from neglect and overpopulated are being converted into tourist havens. About 30% of Habana Vieja has been renovated and that 30% is where tourists would be. It contains all the major historical sites of the old city and most of the small hotels, and is dotted with overpriced restaurants. I wonder how many of Havana’s tourists walk the extra block from the tourist sights to see the real Habana Vieja which consists not of brightly colored buildings and museums but rather overcrowded tenet homes that are in disarray. Our professor told us that there is a lot still to be done in Habana Vieja because every two days part of a building in the neighborhood crumbles. This is usually a balcony, a staircase, a porch, etc… She explained that rarely does an entire building collapse, but when one does the lot is cleared to be used as small green spaces where shrubs and trees are planted and small benches are set. As we walked around it was obvious that the majority of the buildings in Habana Vieja that are occupied by people would not even come close to passing building inspections in the US. It is interesting that here people and the government use unsafe spaces for housing, while increasing the number of restaurants and small unnecessary museums in order to create more state revenue, which can be allocated to other government projects, instead of rebuilding Habana.

Tourism has become one of Cuba’s largest industries and in Habana Vieja it shows. There is a troupe of performers who walk around the small squares and streets on stilts in brightly colored outfits playing instruments. They expect money from people who photograph them and are not performing as part of a celebration but rather to entertain tourists who think that they represent a typical Cuban or Caribbean celebration. Women walk the streets in brightly colored dresses with flowers and pose for photographs. These people take advantage of tourists to help them make a supplemental income and are in some ways encouraged to do so. Tourism has become the avenue for people who are not complacent with their state salaries to earn extra money by feeding on the ‘wealthy’ tourist population.

Currently living in a society where a lot of money is made in tourism has made me see the downside to using tourism for development. Here in Cuba tourists pour money into businesses owned in part by the government and enjoy artfully constructed vignettes into Cuban life. Most tourists only see the parts of the city that have been built up for tourists and take excursions not on the crowded buses and trains but rather in taxis and tourist buses which take them out of Havana and to smaller towns and beach resorts which have been crafted to make Cuba seem like a place that is beautiful and where no one suffers. Was there a better but perhaps slower method of developing Cuba and its society, without relying on foreign tourism which perhaps changes perceptions on what Cuban culture really consists of?

beach

The first week of classes is over, and so far I have yet to fall asleep in any them. Our professors definitely have an old school style of teaching. The classes are all lecture with very little discussion if any. This is a completely different way to learning for me. I am used to classes being very discussion based and professors answering questions throughout their ‘lectures’ versus holding a small question session for the last ten or so minutes of class. The new style will take some getting used to.

Last week a few of us explored more of Habana Vieja, which was nice. We went to the largest street market in Cuba. There were tons of artists, and crafters who sold a lot of the same things. I bought some jewelry for about a dollar a piece which I thought was a really good deal. Looking around the market I got the feeling that is it set up mostly for tourists given some of the prices on things. Nevertheless it is easy to strike a bargain, simply by asking. We spent about an hour walking around the market and talking to people before moving on to the Floridita, one of the bars/restaurants that Hemingway frequented. It is said that he would drink thirteen daiquiris without moving and then get up and leave without one stumble. The bar claims that he also wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls there, but I haven’t researched the claim. After we paid about $7 for a drink we hung out in one of the Plazas nearby which had a small book fair going on. Next week starts the main book fair for Cuba. It is apparently huge and authors from the entire world, especially Latin America are represented. We have been told by many people that it is a must.

Yesterday we went to the beach for the first time. It is about a twenty minute drive from the edge of the City of Havana but about thirty minutes from our residence. Having never been to the Caribbean or anywhere tropical, the beach was absolutely wonderful. It basically looked like a postcard image. Many things struck me about the beach. The first was that it is not built up like I had expected. There were no huge resorts lining the beach, but rather only a few small ones. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that farther down the beach from where we were there was a small resort and police patrolled it. We thought this might be due to the laws that forbid Cubans from talking at length and ‘hanging out’ with tourists. It was obvious that the resort was all tourists and since we were not staying at the resort we were on the Cuban section of the beach. I don’t know if this is the exact reason that it is patrolled but it seems to make sense, and would explain why some of the group’s Cuban friends who came with were stopped at least once by the police and questioned briefly. The dynamic between tourists and Cuban’s due to the law is very interesting. Little contact is made except with the Cuban’s who work in tourism.

Despite the laws we have not had too hard of a time meeting Cubans. By now most people in our neighborhood know that we are not tourists and usually people ask who we are. Once they know that we are students and are living here they have no problem speaking to us or showing us around parts of the city. Everyone is friendly and wants to be your friend so they almost always ask where you are from and why you are in Cuba.

Laundry

Classes started today. Mondays are going to be the hardest day here. We have two three hour classes. The six hours of class just seem to go against the Cuban way of life, the low key island life where most people just seem to hang around all day. This week we have classes Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, since our Spanish class is not meeting yet. I think since it is going to be a three day weekend we might try to go somewhere this weekend. Maybe a day trip to the province west of Habana, Piñar del Rio, but nothing has been decided yet. I feel like I have not fully experienced a lot of Habana yet. I think tomorrow we will go to the beach for the day, and Wednesday I might go see some more of Habana Vieja after class. Everyday I feel more and more comfortable with my surrounding and the people here.

It was so strange because last night a few of us were sitting around sharing pictures of our families since we have been hearing about them for the last week. One of the photos was of Ros’ brother in the grocery store just being silly. But the strange part was to see how much food was on the shelves. Each shelf was covered to its entirety with food. Here it is really hit or miss in all stores. One day they may have something and the next they don’t. It really depends here on what is available that week. It is common in my trips to the grocery to see entire aisles almost empty with a few items here or there. We have been trying for the week to get a hotpot or electric kettle in order to boil water for drinking but every store someone suggests we go to is either out of them and have no idea when they will be given more to sell or doesn’t understand what we want. I don’t think any of us ever thought some things would be so hard to find, or when we did find them that they would be so expensive.

Yesterday I did laundry for the first time since I arrived and it was very interesting. I have never had to hand wash all my clothing. Occasionally there is a hand wash only shirt or skirt, but even then I usually just put them in the machine on gentle. Here laundry is 50 cents for small items and a dollar or more for larger items like pants. Most of us have opted to hand wash our clothes ourselves due to the prices. There are no laundry mats and washers and dryers almost don’t exist. I bought laundry soap and used a bucket to hand wash my clothing and hung them on our line. It took me about an hour to wash three pairs of shorts, a few shirts, and underwear, and I am still unsure on how clean I was actually able to get things. The whole experience was interesting. I ended up splashing water all over my bathroom and making quite a mess. I think my arms have gotten one of the best workouts they ever have. It is hard to hand wash clothing. I never thought to wash things at home without a washer and dryer, but here it is really the best option. Although coming here I knew I would not have a washer and dryer but to actually not have one was an adventure. Going home in four months will probably prove to be a serious case of reverse culture shock.

I have been realizing that there are so many things that I take for granted living in a wealthy country, small things like peanut butter, inexpensive cereal, liquid milk versus powdered milk, etc…at home these things are all everyday items that we consume and don’t really think about where they come from or that they might be hard to come by or not exist in other parts of the world. Thinking about all the conveniences I left behind, has made me start to reevaluate how I live. Are these things really important, or do we just think they are because we have never been without them? Like washers and dryers.

Los Dias Primeros

Jan. 21, 2007

Today I started the day in Miami and basically stood in lines for 3 hours. The first was to get my luggage wrapped in a blue plastic wrap and after 45 minutes in line and $9 later I was ready to check in. After I waited in line for another 10 minutes the officials in Miami were finally able to take my 40lbs backpack (which no longer had useable straps, due to the large amount of blue wrap securely tucking them against the bag). All 12 of us sighed in relief when our carryon luggage was not weighed. We all had about 15-20lbs of books, clothes, toiletries, etc… tucked inside praying that they would not include the carryon as part of our allotted 44lbs. After being searched by the TSA and sniffed by a machine we were ready to board our flight which departed only 45 min later. They were not kidding when they said we should check in 3 hours early.

One of my dreams came true today when I was able to walk up the stairs onto the plane. I have always seen this done and have always wanted to do it but never was given the chance. Our plane was a small 60 person plane with two huge propellers, one on each side. I have to say I think it was the smallest plane I had ever been on. It was interesting to see the change in what South Florida looks like from the air, cookie cutter homes with red brick roofs organized neatly in communities, and what Cuba looked like from above, a patchwork of fields with small huts scattered throughout. Even from the air the socioeconomic differences were apparent. A quick hour later we landed at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. All airports in my opinion should be like Jose Marti, it was small with only one luggage claim belt and two people working customs. Although it ran on slow Latin American time things were fairly prompt and the workers wanted to help you with everything.

We all loaded into a new little charter bus and began our first journey in Cuba, to our residence. As we drove through the outskirts of Havana and into our neighborhood what struck me the most was all the propaganda. Every billboard was covered in painted murals with slogans like “The Bush Plan…Cuba must remain free.” Or “The Revolution is Indestructible”. These political messages are mixed in with ones like “Cuba Cares about the Ozone”. Basically social and political messages are put out there to help convince the people that the Cuban government is what is best for Cuba. I never see things like this is the US and although I was aware that they existed to see them really struck me.

As we pulled up to the residence I think all of our mouths dropped. We are staying in a two story converted mansion operated by a farming group. The front has a terrace on both levels and is surrounded by foliage. It is basically a glimpse into what Havana looked like pre-revolution. We each have a double room (with three beds….) and a bathroom to share with someone on the trip and the entire second floor is ours to use (with our own terrace!). After we settled in a little some of us went on a walk to the Malecon, or the seawall which stretches about 7 miles along Havana’s Atlantic Coast. The walk was really eye opening. I had read that it is not uncommon in Havana or Cuba in general to see an abandoned building next to a newly renovated and refurbished mansion, but to actually see it is one thing. The strange mix of my neighborhood is very interesting. A large hotel with all modern amenities is right next to a run down apartment building. It is almost like some parts of American cities where neighborhoods are being basically torn down and replaced with million dollar condos. Only here it has been happening for 50 years and yet things still remain mismatched and things seem almost unequal.

The rest of the day was spent unpacking, talking, and eating. Our dinner for the night was prepared in the residence and was a large spread of fruit (guava, bananas, and pineapple), veggies, rice, beans, and some type of pork. All the fresh food is organic and comes from local farms which the farming group operates. It is amazing and tastes better than most fruits and veggies in the US. Let’s just say no one will be going hungry on this trip.

Jan. 22, 2007

After waking up at 6:50am to go for a run while it was still cool outside, almost the entire group took a 2 hour walk to Habana Viejo (Old Havana) along the Malecon. It was beautiful but extremely hot. I definitely underestimated the heat and the sun. We ate lunch at oddly enough an Arabic restaurant, which was interesting. The food had a distinct Cuban twist and a small band played Cuban music as we ate. After sitting there for about an hour we walked home through the city rather than on the Malecon. It was very eye opening. Some of the neighborhoods we walked though seemed like what we would in the US call slums. People were all hanging out on their stoops fanning themselves, talking and yelling to people on the street. It became obvious to us that Vedado, our neighborhood, was one of the wealthiest.

The mixture of old and new is fascinating in Havana. One on block there will be an old home that is in disrepair next to a brand new high rise with apartments. I don’t think anyone on the trip fully understands how this happens in a socialist society where everyone makes the same wages. Shouldn’t all the living conditions be similar? I am looking forward to classes beginning so that questions like this can be answered. A few blocks down a few of us were able to catch a glimpse of where real Cubans live. We visited a man who we met earlier in the day and offered to have us attend his school for music and dance in order to help us assimilate and understand Cuban culture. He lived in a house which on the outside looked similar to ours, a huge patio with a double front door. Upon reaching the door we noticed no bell or anything and the door was open. We simply yelled in hoping someone would hear us. To our surprise a few people peeked out of doorways. The house which we thought was more like a single family home turned out to be makeshift apartments. I would say that each room in the house was a different family and that about 10-15 people probably lived on the first floor of the house. Our friend lived in one of the small rooms. I would say that he lives alone in a room about 10 feet by 11 feet. With all his possessions neatly organized. I have never seen anyone make better use of such a small space. He created a loft and also used old handbags as bins which he nailed to the wall above his bed. It was amazing what he was able to do. As I looked around and observed everything he had. I began to realize that although most of us on the trip do not see ourselves as wealthy at home, here we were able to afford a lot more than the average Cuban. This glimpse into where and how Cubans actually live definitely opened my eyes to things that we take for granted…like our own space, a kitchen, and simply lots of space to do whatever we want.

almost time!

Jan. 21st is coming really quickly and I am busy deciding what stays in the states and what comes to Cuba with me. So far it has been a lot of research trying to figure out how I am taking money, (since no US backed credit or debit cards work and since no travellers checks work), what I am wearing, and what I will need that I cannot buy there. But, never the less I am very excited to be going abroad to Havana. I plan on visiting as many places in Cuba as I can since I don't know when I will be able to go back. Therefore look here for updates on my travels and my adjustment to a developing country. I am going to try to update the blog about once a week or so, basically whenever I am able to use the Internet. So stay tuned.