Anthony Smith - May 27th

This wasn’t just another day in Cuba. No day is just another day in Cuba. For Horizons, May 27^th is our last full day. The morning started with breakfast being served at 9. From the time you finished your first meal of the day, until 6 pm, the day is yours. Free to do as you wish. Some traveled to Old Havana for last minute souvenirs while some such as myself laid in bed to avoid packing. Was I avoiding packing, or avoiding the goodbyes I knew would come tomorrow? Nevertheless, lunch time crept upon us when the sun was high in the sky. The majority of our group went to a rather nice restaurant called La Cathedral, which had become a favorite for many students, hosting them on a plethora of occasions. I sat down and ordered my Orange Fanta followed by a wonderful warm brownie topped with vanilla ice cream with a dash of colorful sprinkles draped in caramel syrup. I’m a college student so this counts as a full meal. La Cathedral is two for two in perfecting this dish for me.

When lunch came to an end, we broke again into smaller groups. It should be noted that the heat on this Saturday was intense and surely carried a vote in our decision making. Some took on the heat and walked to Cuba Libro, another favorite among our entire group. As those students bought and read books or played games, the rest of us walked home and showered or finish packing to prepare for the night to come. Around 4, a few of us got together and went to a bakery close to home that may have hosted some of the best eclairs I have ever tasted. As we walked out of our homes to meet, we saw a lineup of about 5 classic cars. This is in preparation for our evening to come.

When we returned from our 14-block round trip to the bakery, we went into our homes and got dressed for our evening. We all brought nice outfits to wear specifically for this night. It began with a “Classic Car Tour” around Havana. We stood where the bus would normally pick us up in the morning. Again, facing the cars that were built between 1956 and 1967. Each one has the top laid back between the backseat and the trunk so the passengers can feel the Cuban wind working its way through the car as they traversed the streets of Cuba. Along our journey, we got out and took pictures near a beautiful background of trees. We snapped photos for 20 minutes or so and got back in our cars to head to our last dinner in Cuba.

We pulled up to a wonderful restaurant called 1830. This particular restaurant quickly ranked among my top 3 favorite places to eat on this trip. We were served dinner. We could choose form fish, pork or chicken. The meal was great, but after dinner, almost everyone gave input as to what this trip and the people meant to them. A beautiful moment. After that, we danced and boarded a bus to sleep in our Cuban home one last time. 

From left to right, front then back: Myself, Jess, Kevin, Sydney, and Henry. We snapped this photo when just before the engine started to begin our Classic Car Tour.

Lead instructor, Josh and myself took a moment to get a picture together on our pit-stop in the old forest I mentioned above.