First Impressions

The plan for the Cuba service learning experience was to meet in Cancun on Saturday evening at the hotel, then fly to Cuba Sunday afternoon. I arrived a day early in Cancun in order to do some sight-seeing. I met with the rest of our group on Saturday night at the hotel and once everyone was settled in, we went out to dinner. Dr. Benjamin-Alvarado took us to a small place that is slightly off from the main area called Paladar. The food there was excellent and not a tourist trap like most of the rest of Cancun is.  You know you are eating at a good restaurant when there are all or mostly all locals eating at the place.

Down a Cuban Street

Sunday morning, after a great breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and headed for the airport. We got to the airport around 10:30 AM and started a line to get our tickets. We first had to get out tickets from the travel agency and then check in to get our boarding passes. The airport was complete chaos – most airports are – but this seemed more chaotic than most. It was extremely crowded and there was a line of people next to us who had purchased tickets for a flight that was double-booked and now full. Apparently, double-booking is not uncommon and regardless of when you bought a ticket, boarding passes are given out on a first come first served basis. This is the reason we showed up at the airport early - to make sure we got on the flight.

So we stood around and sat around and lay around on the hard floor waiting for the guy to show up and give us our tickets. Hours passed and nothing happened. We were all pretty tired and annoyed when we saw that the flight had been delayed; first until 7:30 PM and then until 8:40 PM. We finally did get our tickets and boarding passes, but the majority of the day was spent in the airport waiting around. Flight delays happen, and while everyone was tired, we knew we were going to be in Cuba that evening. Once we got through security, which went smoothly, there were chairs so we were a little more comfortable. We slept, read, or got on the internet while waiting for the flight.

The flight itself was over quickly, less than an hour in the air. When we landed, going through security in Cuba was surprisingly quick and easy. I expected it to take a lot longer and be more of a hassle than it was. No one had any trouble getting through Cuban customs either. We got into the van that was waiting for us and as soon as we left the airport the first thing we saw was an old 50’s Chevy driving down the street. Then we saw another one and another one. Really old American cars all over the place! These are not show cars, but are driven on a daily basis. Cars from the 1930s through the present are available; including American and Soviet. The older ones do not have original engines in them but use Soviet engines that they are able to get parts for.

Old American Cars Driven in Havana

We finally arrived at the hotel sometime after 11 PM local time (Eastern Time zone) and they staff was kind enough to reopen the kitchen for us and make us sandwiches which tasted great after a long day. Most restaurants close at 10 PM in Havana. After eating, and a brief orientation meeting, we were all ready for some sleep. I did check out the TV before going to bed and was surprised to see CNN, ESPN, the Weather Channel, Showtime, and many other channels available in English language in addition to all of the Spanish language channels. I even saw Murder She Wrote dubbed in Spanish while flipping through the channels! Not unusual at all in most places, but I did not expect the variety of TV that is actually available in Cuba.

I was not sure what to expect, but so far I have been surprised by what I have seen! Tomorrow we will really start exploring the city and will be able to see much more so check back again soon!
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Jeff Wattier