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.