Entrusted with the final blog post of this trip, my task is to provide a recap of everything we experienced in the heart of Cuba. Although it is impossible to summarize eight days’ worth of learning about a nation’s history, breaking language barriers, seeing breathtaking landmarks, and creating friendships in one blog post, here is my attempt to do so. For more detailed descriptions of each day in Cuba, be sure to check out the previous blog posts written by my classmates.
We arrived at the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana on the evening of Thursday, January 4th. After getting through the stress of going through security and customs, the feeling sank in that we really were in Cuba as soon as we walked outside and felt the humid air. The API staff brought us to our residence for the week where we were served a traditional family style dinner including rice, beans, and plantain chips, my personal favorite.
On Friday we were introduced to the Centro de Investigación Psicologico y Sociologico (Center for Psychological and Sociological Research), also known as CIPS, where we would be having our lectures for the week. Afterwards, we learned about Santería and salsa dancing, which are both important in Cuban culture. That evening, we took a tour of the city riding in different classic cars. My group got to ride in a light blue Buick from 1955 and the views were amazing.
Classic Car from the Tour
Saturday brought us to the house of Ernest Hemingway, but first we had the opportunity to play baseball with a local little league team. What made the day extra special was being able to donate baseball gear to their team on Three Kings Day, a day that traditionally symbolizes the giving of gifts. Later on, we visited a local farm to learn about their sustainable practices. I was particularly impressed with how they used condensation inside empty water bottles dug into the ground to supply water to the crops.
Field of the Little League Team
On Sunday we traveled to Guanabo where we were given a lecture on marine life, coral reefs, and ocean contamination by a marine biologist. The rest of the afternoon was spent on the beach, where I felt the warmest ocean water I’ve ever experienced and played soccer using a coconut as the ball, much to the dismay of my feet. In the evening we went to the Cañonazo Ceremony at El Morro fortress. Every night, a cannon blank is fired to represent the opening and closing of the gates at the fortress during the war. I found it interesting how those who dressed as
the soldiers were able to use the ceremony as their way of serving in the Cuban military, which is an obligation for at least two years as a male citizen.
Group Picture at the Cañonazo Ceremony at El Morro fortress
We started the next day at CIPS for a lecture on Jose Martí, a world famous poet and philosopher from Cuba. Then, we traveled to spend the rest of the day in Old Havana. The city was lively and shop owners were constantly looking to get you to look into their store. It was a bit overwhelming but we spent our time there exploring and checking out some of the restaurants. I quickly noticed that although the city was lively and vibrant, there was also unfortunately a good amount of poverty and many were homeless.
Day 6 was all about learning about the historical relationship between Cuba and the United States. We had a lecture at CIPS and a trip to the Denouncement Memorial Museum in the morning, both of which were very powerful and emotional. Later on we visited the Center of Fidel Castro, where we learned about how he was involved with the rest of the world when he was in power and saw some of the old weapons and uniforms he used in war.
Wednesday was our last full day, and we were determined to make the most of it. It began with a CIPS lecture on race in Cuba before and after the revolution. The lecturer was very well
spoken and the content was moving to us all. One of my friends did a presentation on healthcare in Cuba before we left, which made it fun to visit a polyclinic to see what it was like in real life. They had many innovative ways of caring for their patients including electrical shock therapy, which I tried on my knee. The only way I can describe the feeling is that it wasn’t painful, but also not very comfortable. We spent the rest of the day exploring as much as we could before meeting up for a farewell dinner with API, where the swordfish tasted amazing.
Getting set up for Shock Therapy
Then, the moment we all dreaded was here. The final day was designed to be a free day to be able to check off anything left on our bucket lists. We ate breakfast at our residence and walked down to the ocean one last time where we took everything in before heading to the airport. Although we were all dreading going back to a place that had just received over a foot of snow a few days prior, we were all satisfied with everything we experienced in Cuba.
This trip not only taught me how important it is to live in the moment, but also how important it is to be grateful for the little things in life. Not everyone is able to wake up everyday and connect to the internet, walk to the store and buy basic necessities, or even have hot water for their showers. It is crucial to not take these types of privileges for granted, and I believe we all need to move forward with this perspective.
On behalf of UMass Lowell’s 2024 Cuba students, I want to thank you for reading this blog about our life changing trip and encourage you all to go out and explore all that the world has to offer!