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.

Amber Swint - May 26th

Today we had our last day of service learning, and the boiling heat and humidity was a recipe for a long day. However, we managed to work hard to make our last day worth it, even if we were all dripping with sweat by the end of it. We managed to help quite a lot, and knowing that the people there were grateful for our help made it all the more rewarding. I believe that the hard work we did really shows how much we value what Cuba has been for us. All of us developed along different paths, I think Cuba has really pushed us to become a better version of ourselves. Cuba has introduced us to a new culture and way of life, and made us more aware of the values of treating everyone as if they are your friend, how to make sure you stay connected with your family, even when they are thousands of miles away, and how to adapt to any situation and knowing that it will be okay.

We ended the day by spending a few hours at the beach, which was when it hit me that in two days’ time we would be heading home and that I was excited, yet dreading it. Cuba has quickly, in the past nineteen days, become like a second home for me.  Being the second to last day in Cuba is very bittersweet, I feel like I have finally started to connect and really get in the spirit of Cuba and not just in a tourist-y way, but truly adapting myself to the Cuban culture, but I am also so excited to be reunited with my family and friends back home. With the trip coming to a close, I felt today has been an emotional day. We started the day off with a deep and emotional conversation that really got me thinking about the entire trip and how it impacted not only me, but also the other twenty-some people on the trip. I think everyone made nineteen new friends, and even if we only ever see one other person from this trip, we will always have the memory of these three weeks we spent together as something that has changed us all. The conversation this morning was honestly one of the most impactful experience of this trip because it showed me that it’s okay that I want to leave, but also wish I could stay longer.         

Standing at the entrance of Muraleando, after the last day of community service.

One last day at the beach, Stanely is ready to wash the sand off and head for home.

After a hard and hot day of work at Muraleando, Chelsea and Tyler are having fun and cutting loose with some salsa dancing. 

Myra Rademacher - May 25

The rusting metal table wobbled ever so slightly as I threw down my card pair. I looked to my left, curious to see what Stanley would do with his turn. He stared down the competition across the table, contemplating his move. He asked for a number, and anticipation was met with a satisfied, “GO FISH!”, as the move passed on to the next player.

In the shade of giant blue and white concrete canopies, protected from the mid-afternoon sun, my service group’s joyful game of “Go Fish” had a reminiscent quality about it. We were playing a favorite childhood game while waiting at an ice cream parlor for a sweet afternoon treat; the experience was the epitome of happy, early memories, and gave us a sense of relaxation I think we’d forgotten we could have a few weeks ago, when we were finishing our college finals for the year. Sitting at the Coppelia, the first ice cream parlor in Havana since the Revolution, I was reminded again of the change Cuba has incited within our group and within me.

Emotionally and mentally, I was exhausted today. Some days are just draining, and today, the sun, humid heat, and time away from home took a toll on me. It was difficult to have a positive outlook during the morning debrief and the service project at the Muraleando, and the language and cultural barriers seemed impassable as a result. By the time we made it to the Coppelia ice cream parlor, I was feeling done for the day.

However, one of the greatest qualities of Cubans is patience, and that is a trait I and the Horizons group had to quickly adopt over our three weeks here. Despite the heat, sweat, and tired looks on everyone’s face, we waited in the long, tediously slow line to engage in the famed experience of this ice cream shop. One of the most intriguing parts of the event was the inner workings of the line itself. I learned that because of the hours long waits that sometimes occur while the locals wait for cheap ice cream, individuals will hold spots in line while the rest of their families run errands or walk around town. The game of waiting in line begins with knowing three groups ahead of you, and understanding where the ultimo, or end of the line, is at. Instead of standing in one long line under the sun, Cubans split up into groups in spots of shade around the block surrounding the shop, so it can be difficult to determine where the end of the line is located.

Today was a great test of our endurance in the Cuban art of waiting. At the end of the day, the wait was worth the reward, because we were able to spend one of our last afternoons in Cuba eating ice cream and playing cards together. It’s hard to imagine that we’ll be leaving this beautiful place in a matter of days, but I know that even long after we return to the U.S., it’s the small moments like today that I will cherish the most from Cuba.

Me posing next to a friendly statue outside of the Muraleando. When the statue was built, a local woman offered her set of real teeth for the metal man. The art center happily accepted them, and now they are the only living part of this stationary dancer.

After indulging at the Coppelia, a few students chose to attend a salsa dancing class at the IFSA center. We learned the most traditional style of Cuban salsa with two professional dancers.

Daniel Cervantes - May 24th

I woke up today, and I felt pretty exhausted. The previous day we worked a full shift of community service, and today would be no different. We have been volunteering at a place called the Muraleando. It is a public space where artists create and paint murals, bands play music, and children learn about the arts. Today, we had to pickaxe, shovel, and level out a giant pile of rock and dirt. It took us about two hours to completely level everything, but it felt fulfilling to give back the community. On the other hand, the sun was excruciating while we were working. The previous days we were lucky enough to work in the shade, but today was not the case. I usually never get sunburned, but today might break my streak.

The main event for tonight was going to a cannon ball ceremony. At 8:30 pm, there is a showing of how a cannonball is shot out of a cannon every night in Havana, and tonight we finally went to see the show. The place we went to was called the Castillo del Moro, and it is a fortress that lines on the bay of Havana. There was a bridge that linked the mainland to the fortress which lead to a souvenir market. After you walked through the market, you could climb these stairs and reach the castle wall. The sight was insane from the fort. You could see the entire skyline and the fact that it was nighttime made it so much more beautiful because of all the lights.

The ceremony was more elaborate than I thought it would be. There were men dressed in 1800’s army clothes and the sound of a drumline followed the men as the carried a torch from the bottom of the fort wall to the top. The men were yelling something I didn’t really understand, but it was supposed to signify a ritual done by the cannonball crew. There were so many people that crowded the showing that I had to fight my way through the crowd to even see. Once I was in position, me and the other millennials around me took out our phones and waited till the men prepped the cannon. The men stuffed the cannon with gun powder, and eventually the man with the torch ignited the fuse. The sound from the cannon was insanely loud. It was probably the loudest sound I have heard from such close range. I was kind of disappointed that the cannon was only shot once, but it was cool to see either way. This event was on my Havana bucket list, so I can cross that of my list of things I want to do before I have to leave in the next couple days.

This is a picture of a clown that was made by the artists at the Muraleando. It is one of my favorite pieces at the facility. 

This is the bridge that connects the mainland to the Castillo del Moro.

This is the inside of the fortress where merchants sell little knick-knacks to the people that visit the fort.

This is part of the ceremony. The man with the torch lit the bottom torches before he finally lit the fuse to the cannon. 

Tamara Lipsa - May 23rd

We started our last Tuesday with a debrief at the Centro de Estudios Martianos. Josh wanted everyone to update the group on how they were doing both physically and mentally. Most people told the group that they were ready to go home, but where also looking forward to the remainder of our program. We do have a lot of free time, so if there are still things we want to see for ourselves, we are free to explore.

After debrief the group split into our two groups. One group went with RJ and our tour guide Orlando to start our first day working at Muraleando, a cultural center a little ways from the city. The other group headed out towards the Organoponico, which is a completely organic farm that grows everything from Avocados to Bananas. I was in the group that helped the workers at the cultural center. First, we were shown around the property. We saw all the art they had to offer, and got to work shortly after. Some wood was cleared and then the team started clearing a path in front of a fence in order to gain access to it. Afterwards, we got to see a group perform upstairs and we danced with them. It was a good opportunity to practice what we learned in our Salsa class that we had a week before.

Tired, we all got onto the bus and headed towards the National Botanical Garden, which I have been wanting to see since I’ve heard about it. We got a tour while on the bus when we first entered the park. I didn’t know that Cuba housed the world’s largest botanical garden, the institution occupies a little more than 600 hectacres and has trees from most every continent. My favorite part of the tour was the Baobab trees. We read about them in my AP French class, and it was really interesting to see them for myself. We stopped at the garden’s restaurant to have lunch. Our food was all vegetarian, which was a nice change of pace. It was nice to take in the scenery of the garden for a bit.

After lunch, the group piled back on the bus and we finished the tour. We got to go inside the greenhouses and see their collection of cacti and succulents, more than I’ve ever seen. The architecture of the greenhouse itself was very interesting, the buildings where shaped like triangles. Most of the girls in my homestay took time to relax when we got back from out trip. After dinner, a lot of us went for a walk to this pastry shop a few of us found earlier in the program. It was really nice to slow down and spend time with people without having to worry about a schedule. 

Our professor RJ helping out at the Muraleando worksite

Scenery outside the Muraleando

A view of the Japanese section of the National Botanical Garden

The Cactus and Succulent Greenhouse at the National Botanical Garden

Sydney Bernadel - May 22nd

For today being the first day of our service learning, it went extremely smooth. Today, I went to a place called Muraleando, which was a community art center. Looking at the mosaic art work was probably the most intriguing part of the whole experience. I learned how the community took some of the most prominent people and made art out of them. For example, an old woman named Elena used to sit on one bench everyday waiting for a bus that would never come. One day some community members asked her why she kept sitting there and she said was waiting for the lover her life. She later passed away and the community dedicated that bench to her so she could always keep an eye out for the love of her life. After looking around at the art center the rest of the students and I went look at the rest of the center. We were given a task, we had to pick axes and shovel a dirt wall to make it level with the fence. At first I did not think the task would be that hard, until I started to use the mini pick axe that just had one end. I then realized that digging out a wall is an extremely difficult process that requires strategic planning and people willing to put in the work. Handling a pick axe is not my strength, so I’ll probably leave that to the people who are more experienced. After a day of hard work and a fulfilling lunch, everyone meet at a cute bookstore called Cuba Libro. There we met the owner, Connor, and she talked to us about why she moved to Cuba, her purpose in creating the bookstore, her goals in life, and just some basic information about herself. One thing I loved about Cuba Libro is that all the books there are donations, and can be either bought or lent out to the Cubans in the area. I also, enjoyed the reason why Connor made the space. She said she made the space to give everyday Cubans a place to relax that’s not home, school, work, or whatever they are just trying to get their space from. She also created it as a safe space for anyone to come and talk, read, drink coffee and just enjoy, and lastly, Connor wanted to make a space for foreigners to come, relax, and talk to Cubans about what it is like to live in Cuba. So, after a long day of hard work, and lots of sweat to come to a relaxing and welcoming environment was beyond a pleasure.

The first mural that was at the opening of Muraleando.

 Me struggling to pick axe the ground.

Me reading a book, while Jess (left) and Anthony (right), and some other students play card games. 

Renato Bazan - May 21st

Day two of our time in Varadero had a heavy emphasis on relaxation. There was much excitement yesterday and that was channeled into swimming, drinking and the occasional late-night conversation. For the most part we all woke up around nine and checkout was at eleven. That gave everyone a decent amount of time to say their goodbyes to the resort. The group’s focus today was about relaxing by enjoying the beach and the resort pool (which had a fun inflatable obstacle course). I personally got caught up in a new book East of Eden and decided to read that on the beach. There was always a cool breeze and the background noise the ocean made my afternoon incredibly enjoyable.

A discussion topic during breakfast was that the food at the resort was nowhere near the level of the food at our casas. The food was buffet style and the staff had to focus more on the quantity compared to our casas' quality. Since our checkout was at noon and we were all getting hungry the idea of coming back to our casas for some homemade meals became increasingly appealing. Unfortunately, due to some miscommunication, our bus from Varadero back to Vedado did not make it on time. Through a couple of calls the group was informed that the bus would arrive at around five-o-clock and we had to wait in the lobby of the hotel for a couple of hours. That would have been a bigger problem but luckily we happened to keep our wristbands and could get drinks from the bar and eat from the dining court. With so much extra time on our hands a few of us decided to play board games to pass the time. I played Chess with RJ and Stanley and after that RJ introduced us to a new game Aboretum which was a game based around resource management. We ended our gaming session with what might be the quickest game that I have come to absolutely love, Hanabi. Hanabi was a card game played with a team of four whose objective is to get the highest score possible. The twist is that none of the players can look at their own cards but show them to all the other players. The game combines luck and strategy with intuition and can lead to very stressful and exciting moments. Once our game of Hanabi was done, the bus arrived shortly after and we said goodbye to Varadero and were on our way back to Vedado.

 Cat and Emanda were doing some reading beach side and gave me the inspiration to read alongside them. I’m very grateful to them because if they had not looked so relaxed I never would have started reading East of Eden the first book I have found interesting in a long time.

Henry, like the never ending ball of energy that he is, decided that he wanted to do more than read like a nerd and decided to do something more hands on. Here he is talking with some of the resort’s staff about doing some kayaking.

Arboretum, a game where each player builds a garden and then is awarded points based off the quality. Do not be surprised if your cards do not look as amazing as these do because these were handcrafted by RJ whose notorious for his love of card games.