Saturday

Cuba has one of the most unique and rich cultures in the whole world. Fortunately for us, we were able to start experiencing this culture almost immediately. The first thing we did was learn about Santeria, a popular Afro-Cuban religion, and a central part of Cuban Culture. Santeria is an uncentralized religion, meaning there isn’t a social hierarchy similar to Christianity. For our first part of the tour, we visited a house of worship, where we got to learn about Santeria’s history and traditions. Santeria started as a way for African Slaves to hold on to their culture. When they first came to the Americas, they were forced to abandon all of their African beliefs. This can be seen in many of the Christian idols in their altar. However, through oral tradition, they slowly incorporated traditions from Africa. This can be seen in many of the African idols, as well as some of the dances that have become ingrained in Cuban culture, such as the Rumba. Almost immediately, we learned about some rituals that practitioners went through. For example, our Santeria guide requested that nobody takes photos of him, as that was part of something he needed to do. We then went to another house of worship where we got to meet an older practitioner. Here, we were able to see some of the herbs that practitioners use in rituals and healing processes. At the same time, we were also able to see just how cramped living conditions can be in Havana.

Alter at a Santeria House of Worship

After learning about Santeria, we spent the next part of the day in Cojimar, a fishing village around 20 minutes from Havana. We first got to see a small farm, and we got to try some of the herbs that are used in Cuban food. Since most food in the United States is non-organic, many of us were unused to how filling organic food could be. After eating lunch, we took a small walking tour of Cojimar, where we saw a small fortress that was used to defend the bay. We learned that the British attacked this village in the 1700s, which allowed them to seize Havana. After that, we walked along the bay for a little, and as beautiful as it was, we were beginning to see how impoverished some people were. For example, many people on government wages make very little, and one woman we ran into said she only made 4,000 pesos a month, equivalent to around 20 dollars. We also saw some of the ways many Cubans will try to make money. While passing a restaurant, we noticed that a band inside immediately started playing the second we walked near them, hoping we would go inside. Called Jineteros, many people will try to get money out of tourists by playing music, making art or just asking for tips. 

Small Fortress in Cojimar

  After the walking tour, our next plan was to play Baseball with some locals from a school near Hemingway’s house. However, due to holiday scheduling, we had to postpone this. Another thing that was very different was how much improvisation needed to happen. Due to shortages, many people are accustomed to having to adjust schedules, something that doesn’t happen too often in the U.S. . Instead of playing Baseball, the next thing we did was take Salsa lessons in old Havana. However, since we got there a little early, we got to take a short walking tour, where we saw some museums and learned about recent Cuban history. One museum we learned a lot about was one dedicated to the Cuban Revolution. We learned the story of an American pilot who had been killed in the Bay of Pigs invasion. The U.S. asked for his body to be returned, and the Cuban government said they would if the U.S. admitted to supporting the invasion, something the U.S. wouldn’t do for another 30 years. 

After our brief walking tour, we arrived at la Casa del Son, a dance studio. Here we got a brief lesson on how to Salsa, where many of us learned that we might not be cut out for some of the local clubs. Towards the end, they paired each of us with some of their professional dancers, and I felt like I was able to get a hang of it. 

After dinner, around half of the group decided to walk around Havana and experience some of the night life. We first found a small market in front of the Hotel Nacional (the same hotel from Godfather part 2). It wasn’t open for long, so we ended up looking for another spot to spend the night. We ended up finding a restaurant that was around a 15 minute walk from where we were staying. Here, I was able to practice my Spanish a bit, and we all had some light snacks and drinks. 

Hotel Nacional de Cuba