Havana, Cuba

Dear Danielle,

 

Thank you so much for showing me around Havana! I had a wonderful time exploring the city with you. Maybe it's become normal to you, but the opportunity to study abroad in Cuba for a semester is incredible. It's awesome that you got that experience.

 

After leaving Cuba, my Travel Writing class discussed our experience there and we all had a similar sentiment, which I think my professor summed up nicely:

 

"It's a paradise of rum, old cars, culture and history… until it's not."

 

I can't think of a better way to describe the four days there.

 

"It's a paradise…"

 

Cuba is a beautiful place. The water is a clear, perfect blue, and the air is warm and light. Don't expect to see a Toyota or Audi here - cars dating back to the 1960s are the norm, and the electric blues, pinks, and yellows of the old cars brighten every street.

 

There was a great deal of fanfare for our arrival in Cuba. While a limited amount Americans are still able to travel there (about 5,000 a year), here were 600+ students coming at once, bearing messages of goodwill and a desire to know more about their country.

The first day, our entire student body boarded about 20 buses for a procession through the city ending at the University of Havana. The road ascends and curves just before the university, so that when you step out of the bus the white marble building that forms the entrance to the university looms high above. We gathered at the base of the wide steps to the university, and then en masse we processed up the 88 steps to the tune of "Imagine." The music echoed around us while Cuban students hugged and kissed us to welcome us to their university. The air was full of goodwill and hope for a different future.

We gathered in a main square of the university, where there were speeches of unity and celebration. There were performances of traditional dance and song. They put on some upbeat Cuban music as a filler between events, and it turned into an impromptu dance party right in the square, where all of us students danced together without needing to tackle the language barrier – it was just all of us, together, laughing and celebrating.

 

"…Until it's not"

 

Please understand: I had a wonderful time in Cuba, and the people there are so warm and friendly. But there was a clear political message the moment we stepped off the ship – specifically, about the Cuban Five.

I had absolutely no clue who the Cuban Five were before arriving in Cuba. I know this is the moment where I'm supposed to tell you all about them so I can proceed with the story, but I still don't feel I have enough of the details to fully inform you. So if you want to know, here is the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Five.

The Cuban Five were everywhere, in part on our behalf. There were posters, billboards, signs everywhere. We had a huge University of Havana v. Semester at Sea basketball game with uniforms, singing of both national anthems, massive crowd engagement, and diplomatic goodwill but right on the court was a huge sign shaming Obama for not returning the Cuban Five to Cuba.

 

We also went to the Children's Theater, a group of children renowned worldwide for theater and music. They put on a special performance just for us on that Saturday. We were charmed, at first, at the young age of the children, their musical talent, and their acting. But we were wrong when we assumed this evening would be a break from political messages. The entire play was about the Cuban Five, glorifying the five and shaming the United States. The entire audience grew increasingly uncomfortable. It rubbed all of us the wrong way, and by the end we weren't sure whether to clap or not. It felt exploitive. These children – as young as three years old – could not possibly understand the political messages they'd been taught to sing. They were innocent children, but they felt like props in something larger, and no matter where you stand on the issue it felt wrong to see children used for political gain.

 

Although I did not personally experience this, it is illegal for anyone in Cuba to talk to an American tourist without a permit. Police would actually question and arrest Cubans trying to talk to students from Semester at Sea. All of the wonderful University of Havana students who talked to us so passionately and who showed us around were specially chosen for that task.

 

I don't think that's the real Cuba, though – or rather, the political pressure we felt is only part of the story.

 

My experience with you, Danielle, was nothing like that. I never felt under some sort of political pressure like I did when I was with large groups of American students – pressure to lift the embargo, return the Cuban Five, or to spread messages of Cuba's success to our American friends and family. It was an authentic experience where I got to see a totally different side of Havana, and a totally different image of Cuba. Some parts were still off-putting, such as how little people make and the things they do to get by, but I am so grateful to have learned so much from you, through your months spent here.

 

I was hesitant to write about the political aspects, because most of the time was filled with meeting and talking to warm, caring local people, dancing rumba, and tasting delicious Cuban food. The food was great – rice and beans, yucca, sweet donut-like pastries, light cream-filled cakes and coconut ice cream, stewed seafoods and savory grilled chicken. There may be issues, but Cuba is a place of wonderful culture, food, and people.

 

Thank you, Danielle, for taking me under your wing. I won't forget my time there. I loved the rumba show by Yoruba Andabo and the opportunity to learn more about Santería through the initiation we attended. That was such a special experience of religion, food, and dance, and I felt lucky to be welcomed into such a unique, authentic moment. Thank you. I can't wait to see you back at WashU!

 

Best,

 

Nicole