Explorando La Ciudad
It's been an exciting, crazy, and difficult first two weeks in Havana. We went on a number of guided tours in Habana Vieja, which is the historic part of the city located near the port. We have been showered with information about Cuba, its history, and its culture. An amazing man named Gerardo from Casa de las Américas guided us on these tours and his knowledge appears to be endless. He seemed to know someone everywhere we went.
Colorful side street in La Habana Vieja
As a lover of chocolate, I was very excited about the chocolate factory and museum in Habana Vieja. Gerardo took us after lunch one day and we were able to taste some of their mini chocolate figures (made in house), as well as their *Vaso de Chocolate Frío".
El Museo de Chocolate
*El Vaso de Chocolate Frío"
We also visited El Museo Nacional de la Revolución with Gerardo, which was very cool. The museum is located in what was the Presidential Palace to all Cuban Presidents from Mario García Menocal (1913) to Fulgencio Batista (1960). The museum was full of original objects from the revolution, revolutionary art, and informational displays about almost every facet of the revolution. There was even an outdoor exhibit with the original Granma yacht on display behind thick glass walls. The Granma was the vessel that transported 82 revolutionary fighters from Mexico to Cuba on November 25 of 1956. Among these 82 passengers, were Fidel Castro, his brother Raul, and famous revolutionary Che Guevara. The yacht was built in 1946 and is said to be named "Granma" (short for Grandma in English) after the original owner's grandmother.
The "Oval Office" of El Palacio Presidencial
Batista fled from this very office on January 1, 1960 when the Revolution ended and Fidel Castro came to power.
An abandoned building across the street from the museum
Havana is full of contrasts. While some areas and buildings are well kept, others are deteriorating. The Museum of the Revolution is in beautiful condition, but just across the street lies this shell of a building.
A colorful depiction of the Granma
George W. Bush
This exhibit of caricatures also featured Batista, Reagan, and George Bush Sr. The Cuban government does not hesitate to publicly express their sentiment towards these figures.
The Cuban flag flies proudly in the courtyard of the palace
A colorful block in Vedado on my walk home from La Universidad de Havana
We ventured to the beach on the last weekend of summer and it was absolutely stunning. The particular beach we went to is called Santa María del Mar and it's about 20 minutes east of Havana. There are multiple beaches in this area, which is referred to as "Playas del Este". Because there were so many of us, we were able to enlist a tour bus driver that we met on the street to drive us there for just 1 CUC / person. Cuban currency can be confusing, because there are two different currencies that are used. The CUC is the Cuban Convertible Peso and is roughly equivalent to 1 USD. Then there are the other pesos, which are referred to as "moneda nacional". Each CUC is equivalent to about 24 pesos of moneda nacional. It has been quite an experience navigating these two currencies. What I have come to learn is that there are certain places where one is always expected to pay in CUC. These places include nice restaurants/bars/hotels geared towards tourists, taxis, most places in Habana Vieja, supermarkets, and clothing/shoe stores. Pesos can be used at produce markets, certain restaurants, and in máquinas. Máquinas are the classic American cars that people think of when they think of Cuba. They are privately owned and serve as a cheaper and more informal version of a taxi. Generally, they can only be caught on bigger streets and thoroughfares, and they can also be shared with other people who are going the same direction.
Santa María del Mar
Liz and I share some grapes purchased from one of the many salespeople walking the beach
Liz, Bryn, and Me
The wind was strong when we went and the waves were huge. I made the mistake of wading in too slowly and I was knocked down repeatedly. The current was also extremely strong. Every time I went in the water, I ended up at least 30 yards down the beach.
Jessie, Bryn, and Liz in the backseat of a Máquina
Artwork for sale on Paseo del Prado near Habana Vieja
This street reminds me a lot of Las Ramblas in Barcelona.
After a week of trying out classes, I've finally decided on my schedule for the semester. I am taking three classes at Casa de las Américas and one at La Universidad de Havana. At Casa, I am enrolled in the following courses: Género, Raza y Desigualdades en Cuba: Visiones de Académicos Cubanos (Gender, Race, and Inequalities in Cuba: Visions of Cuban Academics), Política y Cultura en Cuba: Tendencias y Coyunturas (Politics and Culture in Cuba: Tendencies and Conjunctures), and Atención Primaria de Salud, Apoyo Psicosocial y Trabajo Comunitario en Cuba: Visiones de Académicos Cubanos (Primary Health Care, Psychosocial Support, and Community Work in Cuba: Visions of Cuban Academics). At the University I am taking a class called Apreciación e Historia de La Música (Appreciation and History of Music). This class is somewhat basic, but it will be interesting to learn the information in Spanish and to be in class with all Cuban university students.
Yesterday, I took my first ever boxing lesson (El Boxeo). Our program director connected us with an instructor named Diosvani and Bryn, Hannah, and I met him at a track near our apartment for our first private lesson. I really enjoyed it and we plan to take weekly lessons with him.
This weekend our entire group is going to Varadero with a few students and employees from Casa. Varadero is a well developed beach farther east of Havana and I believe we will be staying in an all-inclusive resort. It should be a very relaxing escape from the city for one night and I'm hoping to snorkel!