Waking up to our fifth day in Cuba, I noticed that being here no longer felt bizarre. The routine of waking up to Natalia cooking us a delicious breakfast and then hopping onto the bus for our day’s adventure seemed normal by now; and today’s adventure certainly did not let us down. It all started with a lecture at the CEM on student movements in Cuba. Despite our group obviously showing signs of being tired, the topic managed to captivate us and the two hours flew by. It was interesting to learn about how students just like us had managed to stand up against dictatorships and fight for what they believed was right. They put their lives on the line and many were lost because they held their beliefs above themselves. It was a very inspiring topic to learn about but we still had the whole day ahead of ourselves. After the lecture we then went off to do our organized community service work. This was an eye-opening experience that certainly changed my perspective on the privileged lives that so many of us live. While we left this community service project feeling as though we had done some good in aiding those who were much less fortunate than us, we also left with a somber and depressed feeling at what we had just witnessed. However, the day was not over yet and our next activity certainly aided in alleviating some of this sadness; even if it did result in some headaches.

Johnny and Ilene showing us how it’s done

As Honors College students, our group has proven to have some academic prowess. Whether we are electrical engineering majors or fine arts majors, we all have obtained and maintained a certain level of excellence in our academic careers. However, today’s class proved to be something rather new and challenging for some of us. While we are used to listening to lectures and taking copious amounts of notes, being told we are going to learn how to salsa dance in class was a bit different than most of us are accustomed to. The majority of our group has really only known each other for five days at this point so being expected to salsa dance together was a little out of our comfort zones. Despite this, we were all up to the challenge and were eager to get it right. While some of us picked up the steps rather easily, the task proved to be more formidable for others of our group. Our dance teacher, Johnny, made it all look so easy and was very patient with us. While we were all able to watch him and understand what we were seeing and what he was telling us to do, it was much harder to replicate his actions than we had anticipated. Despite being honors students from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, we found ourselves sounding childish as we slowly counted each of our steps. Even moving slowly we found ourselves messing up and, with most of us being perfectionists, this was slightly frustrating. We had to remind ourselves that practice makes perfect and repetition is key. Hours went by of doing the same basic moves over and over and slowly but surely we started to get it down and found ourselves becoming overly determined to get the moves perfect. Our dance teacher would come over and do the moves step by step with us until we would do them correctly. We finally had one pair get all of the moves right without assistance and we were all so excited by it. By the end of our session, we found ourselves much more comfortable with each other and not as embarrassed to look dumb dancing in front of each other. We left the classroom slightly tired with aching feet but in high spirits; ready to bust out our novice moves whenever and wherever the occasion calls. This experience showed us that we may not be perfect at everything but to not be afraid of trying new things and to push our boundaries. When you explore outside of your comfort zone you are able to learn a whole lot more about yourself and what you are capable of accomplishing.

Long live Jose Marti. While sitting in the classroom within Marti’s only son’s residence, the ambiance was overwhelming. Dying at the early age of 45, Marti’s life was more fulfilled and impactful than most will ever have. Poet, writer, and political leader, Cuba preserves the residence of Jose Francisco Marti to dedicate a center to the studies of his father’s life work and impact on Cuban culture. Today, the center is used to welcome students from all over the world and educate them on the Cuban history and what it means to be Cuban.

The Man

The study center, which has been successfully running for the last 40 years,
dedicates its existence to keeping the adventures, hardships, teachings, and examples of Marti’s life alive. Comparable to America’s George Washington, Marti represented the ideal ethics and values of the Cuban people. Born January 28, 1853, Marti was the oldest son of two Spanish immigrants. Though his life was short lived, it was rich with traveling to seven different countries due to his ‘radical’ political ideas. His travels enabled him to have modern knowledge from various parts of the world and have similar thinking’s of America’s enlightened like Emerson and Hawthorne. His ceaseless creativity drove Marti to author two novels and compose thousands of other short writings. The center has preserved 2,000 of his works and expects there to be thousands more of undiscovered pieces out there. Jose Marti is such a core element to Cuba that it is often said Marti is a religion, something that all of Cuba believes in and worships, like a God.

The Legacy

Aside from the Jose Marti studies center, Cuba has a memorial in honor of their revolutionary hero. As the tallest building in Habana, the Jose Marti memorial captures the beauty of the entire city in five points. The building resembles a star shape, like that of the Cuban national flag. Fulgencio Batista personally oversaw the assembly of the monument, collecting one day’s pay from every Cuban citizen; however, never disclosing how much money was collected. The interior wall of the structure displays quotes from Marti written in twenty-two carrot gold imported from Venice Italy surrounded by twenty eighty columns with gold plating as well. The number twenty-eight is symbolic of the twenty-eight camps that Marti stayed in before the first battle of the revolution, that he died in. One quote of Jose Marti’s that I personally loved was written on the wall of the Museum of Arts in Cuba; it read “Un principio justo, desde el fondo de una cueva, puede más que en ejército!” Translated in english it means “one just principle from the depths of a cave is more powerful than an army”. This quote is symbolic on the Cuban culture because it signifies the ideal ethics that Marti was so passionate about. Reading the quote, I interpreted it as a just idea, like ones belief in freedom, is an idea more powerful than army. This is symbolic to the fight the Marti started for Cubans freedom.

The Legend

Standing within the luxurious memorial, overlooking the beautiful colonial city, there is an enlightenment that hits you. This is Cuba. Self-governed, despite all the obstacles they faced and countries who denied their sovereignty, their patriotism persisted. Jose Marti sparked this sense of identity and made it all possible. His face is displayed everywhere (literally everywhere, whether it be abstract, sculptures, or captured in a quote), because Cubans are forever inspired by him. Today, Marti continues to drive the people’s determination to remain independent and sovereign. He set the standard of what it means to be Cuban, to be honest, kind, passionate, and to hold your values high. To be Cuban is to be resilient; to persevere in the hardest of times. Having the opportunity to learn about the ‘special period’ was both eye opening and heart wrenching. The struggles put on the Cuban people due to the trade embargo are unimaginable. The distances that they had to walk everyday just to work or get an education, the shortage of food, and the cloud of darkness that loomed over what the future would hold, yet they pushed forward and created a culture that believes in helping those around them and creating a type of community that I have never seen before. Marti set the standard and inspired this type of nationalism, and will forever be a massive part of their culture.

Waking up and realizing I was actually in Cuba was still surreal even after more than 24 hours because the country was so different than the United States. The day started with an amazing breakfast at our residencia, which included eggs, various fruits, muffins, coffee, and juice. The breakfast was way better than what I would eat for breakfast at home any day. After this wonderful meal, we departed for a walking tour of Old Havana. While driving into Old Havana I noticed that the majority of the buildings on the way were very old and were deteriorating or had already broken down. I found this to be very interesting because I do not see this too often in Massachusetts, at least not around my area. Also on the way to the city we caught a quick glimpse of El Malecon, the sea wall that runs along the coast of Havana. At El Malecon waves can be seen crashing into the wall and if the waves are large enough they crash over the wall and into the street which would then close the street to traffic. When we saw it on this day the street was closed and the waves were massive. Seeing El Malecon was captivating to me because I enjoy seeing different things that involve the ocean and El Malecon is so unique that I could spend days there just watching the waves crash against the wall.

This is El Malecon and a wave crashing into the wall.

Once we arrived in Old Havana we entered Plaza de Armas, which was the first plaza to be laid out in the city. The plaza was surrounded with old but beautiful buildings including an old spanish fortress. The older buildings made it feel like we had traveled back in time and seeing the city in the past since none of the building have been changed old restored. While in this plaza multiple people came up to our group and tried to sell different things including a man who drew a picture of me and another student and told us they were for us to remember Cuba. After seeing this plaza we made our way to see Hotel Ambos Mundos, which is where Ernest Hemingway would stay before owning a home in the country. We could not enter this hotel due to the United States’ regulations with American travelers in Cuba, so we looked at it from the outside.

The hotel is a very brightly colored pink building with white trimmed windows and amazing architecture. From outside, Ernest Hemingway’s room was pointed out to us by our guide, Ana.

We then walked through other plazas in Old Havana and took in the breathtaking scenery and architecture including, churches, boats, hotels, and restaurants.

One of the churches we saw was La Catedral de la Virgen María de la Concepción Inmaculada de La Habana, which is a Roman Catholic church. Inside there is a statue of Pope John Paul II, or Juan Pablo, and Saint Christopher who is the patron saint of Latin traditions. The facade of the church was beautiful with two bell towers and a very elaborate design, which I found very aesthetically pleasing.

La Catedral de la Virgen María de la Concepción Inmaculada de La Habana

Ana told us numerous fascinating facts and stories about old Havana as it pertained to the buildings we saw in each plaza and those points of interest we encountered while walking around.

While walking around Old Havana I noticed these weird tunnel looking entrances into the ground. Ana went on to tell us that these strange holes in the ground were the way that the city transported water in the city’s early years.

Old Havana’s old water transport system

After our walking tour we were able to get lunch, and some other students and I decided to go to a restaurant that served Italian food like pizza, pasta and other dishes. It was interesting to see how Italian food was from another country. I thought the pizza I got was decent but not as good as pizza from the United States.

Old Havana was one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen with its vibrant colors and fascinating architecture. The history behind the city is also very interesting and full of many facts people may not know of. These together make the city of Old Havana one of the most fascinating places to see and to experience.

Waking up to muggy tropical rainfall was quite a change this morning compared to the blizzard that greeted me forty-eight hours ago. After a spectacular breakfast of fried eggs, bruschetta, papaya, muffins, fresh orange juice, and coffee, we boarded the bus to drive into Central Havana. “El Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso” was one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever been to. Marble could be seen everywhere one looked and it was a place which fostered the arts. The building’s theater was newly renovated, and our tour guide told us a plethora if information about its history. It is strange to me how Cuba prioritizes its restoration projects, and its aid to citizens; theaters get renovated before some neighborhoods or roads. I imagine it all has to do with the image of the nation, its history, and its need to rejuvenate itself.

The difference between seeing the regal and palace-like theater, then walking through Vedado on our tour with our guide, Ana, was rather unbelievable. Both places were a juxtaposition of beautiful and expensive restoration, and then crumbling buildings that were empty and overgrown. Never before have I been to a place where the difference between the rich and the poor are so highly visible. Yet here, I would not necessarily have expected it to be so, because of the country’s communist politics and the fact that everyone receives money from the government. Although it is not a large sum, and certainly not enough to live on, I would have imagined that the stipend would lend a different outcome. I find it sad that many people make only enough money to survive, and not to maintain their homes or neighborhoods from further deterioration. Nevertheless, the things which I encounter here make me ponder Cuba’s rationale for restoration.

Knowing that Vedado was once the neighborhood of mostly professionals and other affluent figures, it is amazing to acknowledge this with much of what I have seen, while still appreciating the eerie beauty that it brings in its current state – despite its disrepair. I try to imagine what it was like in its prime, and how glorious it was compared to the rich, yet desolate forms which remain today. The chipping paint and crumbling stucco draw me in unlike many of the things I see around home. All of the scenes we pass are eye-catching to me, but the deteriorating architecture grabs me like nothing else. Perhaps it is the abstraction of the things with which we are so familiar. We, as students from Lowell, encounter very few dilapidated buildings compared to what we see here in Havana, and certainly not to the same extent. Peeling paint versus crumbling stucco aren’t exactly on the same parallel, never mind the complete collapse of a home or business. Seeing those forms in their rubble-like state due to disrepair, weather, and neglect are reminders of what it takes to maintain a nation governmentally, yet also physically.

In some ways, Lowell and Havana share similarities in their histories. Both were once places of innovation, growth, wealth, and development. Lowell during it’s years of industrialization and the Industrial Revolution, and Havana after its independence from Spain. These cities bloomed with business and population, growing and expanding more than ever. They were the pride and joy of regions, and they were cared for by those who sought value from them. However, both eventually fell into disrepair, never (yet) to make a full recovery. Lowell still struggles with its image as a dangerous city, and Havana still crumbles as much as it is restored. As I walk around Havana, I cannot help but see similarity after similarity between Lowell and Cuba. Both places have managed to harness nature’s powerful waterways in engineering feats such as the Malecón (a massive sea wall in Havana) and Lowell’s many canals from the Merrimack and Concord rivers. The cities strive to make themselves better, more attractive, and restore themselves to their prior glory, yet the element of their peril still remains. In Cuba, it’s the collapsing buildings, disjointed sidewalks, and flooding streets. In Lowell, it’s the nearly constant sirens signaling crime or danger, shady neighborhoods, and bumpy roads. While the cities are making great strides in repairing themselves, their pasts still linger as a reminder of what was. Cuba has been absolutely fascinating to me so far, and I cannot wait for what will come.

Statue of Alicia Alonzo, by Sculptors José Villa Soberón and Gabriel Cisneros

Deteriorating home in Vedado