Room With A View

Good morning! I’m happy to report that I slept excellently on my first night in Havana. I was so tired it took hardly any effort at all. At ten, we were given our first desayuno, nothing like any breakfast I’ve ever had at home, but apparently typical for what we can expect. Scrambled eggs cooked in bell pepper, some sort of pork meat, some sort of yellowed cheese, fresh guava, fresh pineapple juice, fresh coffee that is amazing (no sugar needed), and rolls. According to Cuban standards, we live like kings.

I woke up to an amazing view of the ocean today. It’s no joke that we are actually on the waterfront. A smattering of tenements and hotels surround us, but most buildings are small and you can see very far into the city. People like to spend time on their balconies, and it’s nice to wave to people and have them wave back without hesitation. In a few minutes we’re going to walk to the Casa de Las Americas, where we will have our classes. We don’t start learning until Monday, so today is just orientation.

Cuba smells like one overwhelming thing: unrefined oil. The cars emit a smell we don’t have in America, like diesel all the time. We passed a bread factory that smells exactly like the Earthgrains bakery by 880, and it felt like home.

Cubans are beautiful. The airport was overwhelming, and I am very happy to be among such diversity. I made a friend….though I can’t remember his name…unloading luggage yesterday. He works for the Casa, and he is Afro-Cuban. He was wearing all orange, which was kind of strange. He told me, in Spanish of course, that if you spend your time sleeping, you forget to live. Good advice for this trip, although I will be napping in a few short hours, to catch myself up.

LATER:

This morning we had a VERY long orientation at the Casa de Las Americas. I can’t explain what it’s like just yet…a government institution that is in a small building with lots of art where you aren’t restricted access to anything…

I think it’s time for my nap now!

Hasta Luego,

Caitlin