On the 4th of July in Cuba it was not uncommon to see young Cubans wearing USA flags on their shirts, shorts or jeans in celebration of the US holiday. This shows that the Cuban people are welcoming of US visitors. I wasn't allowed to take pictures in the National Museums of Fine Arts but after the museums tours we stopped by the Callejon de Hamel which is a street block that has various Afro Cuban art forms, murals, paintings and sculptures.
Today we had an excursion trip to the Museum of the Revolution where former Dictator Batista used to live. Today it houses important history of the Triumphant Cuban Revolution of 1959. Outside the museum the yacht Granma is showcased outside a class window to visitors. The Granma was the yacht that was used by Fidel and rebel forces to land on Cuba from Mexico in the early years of the armed popular uprising against Batista.
It still feels like the 60's and late 70's in Cuba with all the old American classic cars driving around the streets of Havana. These cars are known locally as Máquinas. Cuba probably invented the concept of Lyft only you don't need a cell phone to request a ride. If you want to get around Havana you can walk or take a Máquina. To hop on you walk to the closest main street and signal the driver that you need a ride by making an upside down peace sign gesture. Once the Máquinas stops and pulls over you can ask the driver if he or she is driving to your location, if the driver is going there you can hop on if not you can signal another Maquina and ask for your location. Its cheaper than a taxi and costs less than a dollar about $10 Cuban National Pesos.
Today after learning about poet and national hero José Martí in class we visited his Memorial in the center of Revolution square in Havana. To my surprise the memorial was constructed under the tyrant dictatorship of Batista. The photograph below was taken from the Martí memorial museum, the pictures shows Cuban literacy brigades or volunteers celebrating the success of the 1961 literacy campaign which eradicated illiteracy from Cuba. One of the goals of the Revolution was to teach the poor and elderly how to read and write. Today the World Bank considers the Cuban educational system to be one of the best in all of Latin America. If we want to make a difference in the US educational system we can start by studying the Cuban Revolution and its success in the field of education.
It was an emotional moment during the welcome speech by CEM director and first guest lecture talk about Cuba and its social project which is not perfect but it is a social project that continues to provide Cubans with basic social needs such as education, health care, access to culture, sports all for free. It was an emotional and empowering feeling to listen to the director welcome my fallow classmates and I to CEM because it was a surreal moment in which I realized that I was sitting in a Cuban research center and learning about Cuban scholars in Havana. Cuba is what I always dreamed it would be, a society that values people over capitalist profits and committed to social justice. Que Viva Cuba Libre!
Felt better today and ended the night listening to a local jazz music group play at the famous Cafe Teatro Miramar. The group surprised me when they started to sing me a happy birthday.
Every morning I had a freshly blended Fruit juice of Guava, Mango, Papaya or Banana. My breakfast usually consisted of scrambled eggs with cheese and ham, I had a cup of Cuban coffee with natural cane sugar every morning. If there is something I miss from Cuba its the fruit which tastes so fresh, organic and delicious!
Our first stop after a long wait in the airport was at El Templete. We had our welcome lunch here in the historic center of Havana. I ordered a delicious fish for lunch, a traditional Cuban Mojito, a lime soda which tasted really sweet and for dessert a chocolate brownie cookie with strawberry ice cream. Although I was really tired from lack of sleep and flying I was really happy to eat a nice meal right by the famous seawall El Malecón.
Walking outside our beautiful José Martí Research Center or CEM. Fun fact CEM was the old colonial mansion of José Martí's grandson. Who is Martí? He was a Cuban poet and national hero of Cuban Independence.
One of the highlights of studying abroad in Cuba is the opportunity to live with a Cuban host family. Not all travel study programs offer this level of cultural immersion. A Casa Particular is a private residential home that hosts visitors to Cuba and allows you to live like a local.
After breakfast at my casa particular I walked to Centro de Estudios Martianos (CEM) for our class orientation. We had a great overview of Havana and safety tips to go around the city by HAVANTUR and CIEE staff. One of the most important things to note was how to convert National Cuban Pesos to Convertible Cuban Pesos or cuc. Foreigners are only allowed to use the cuc which is the equivalent to the US dollar.
On my 24th birthday I was blessed to begin my once in a life time travel study experience in Havana, Cuba. I first gained an interest in Cuba when I read about the Cuban Revolution which resulted in the overthrow of the US backed Dictator Batista and a government committed to social justice and the poor. When talking about Cuba it is controversial in the USA, the posts will reflect my opinions and experiences abroad and focus on people over national politics.
Last minute packing before I embark on my Havana, Cuba study abroad trip! I have always been interested and fascinated in Cuba ever since I learned about Fidel's triumphant march into Havana in 1959 which unleashed a revolution that would challenge and resist US capitalism. A much deserved adventure before I start graduate school at USC!🌴🌊🏊✈ #VivaCubaLibre #Hastalavictoriasiempre
In the summer of 2013 I traveled abroad in the UCLA Spanish Granada Program. I was always interested in studying abroad as an undergraduate, it wasn't until I talked to my undergraduate adviser for Chicana/o Studies that I was encouraged to finish my Spanish language requirements abroad. It has been a trans-formative life changing experience in the fact that I have learned the value of traveling with an open mind and have gained confidence in myself to accomplish my life goals of becoming and educator. In this picture I am in my last week in the granda program exploring the historic landmark the Alhambra. The Alhambra was the last strong hold of the Moors in southern Spain before the Christian kings Isabella and Ferdinand conquered the lands of the native Moors. Walking through the beautiful gardens and halls of the Alhambra was an amazing site to visit before leaving the Andalusian city of Granada Spain.
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