CUBA 2016 #1

Cuba 2016

I have just come back from Cuba a few days ago. My husband and I went on an educational course with Plymouth state and now it is time to write for our credit.  I have chosen to do a blog so that I can reflect on the trip and at the same time teach about Cuba

We landed in Havana and traveled to the West, back to Havana and then down to the Bay of Pigs and back again to Havana. We covered only a small part of the island.  

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When my husband was asked how he liked Cuba, he says immediately that he “loved it” and  I on the other hand say,“ it was very interesting.”  

A few quotes might  help you understand Cuba.  

  “ Timeworn but magnificent, dilapidated but dignified, fun yet maddeningly frustrating- Cuba is a country of indefinable magic”. “ Cuba is a prince in a poor man’s coat.”

I am going to start with a little information about Cuba because that is usually the first questions that are asked.  Cuba is the largest Caribbean island nation and is an island that is 780 miles long and 119 miles across at its widest part and 19 miles at its narrowest part. Havana is the capital and features Spanish architecture. The total population of Cuba is about 11 million.

This Spanish owned island that was taken by the US in the Spanish American war in 1898. Cuba gained formal independence in 1902. Following this independence there was much corruption and in 1953-9 the Cuban revolution came  under communist rule with Castro and now President Raul Castro at the head since 2008.  This a quick note on the many years of history.

The US then didn’t invite the Cubans to join in the peace conference in 1903 making for strained relationships. These struggles remained through today. We all remember (if you are old enough) the fear of the Cuban missile war in 1961 under Kennedy. I was truly scared. We practiced getting under our desks and filling our bomb shelters with food and water and you were never to tell if you had one.

  Some of our group waiting for our plane to Cuba.
Below is the board for the departures. This was such an amazing sight to see.

Flying into Cuba.

Our visa for both ways. You don't want to lose this. It makes for a long wait in line to get another.
They usually won't stamp your passport.  We had ours stamped though.

The airport in Cuba with its vintage cars.

 Havana (pop. 2.1 million) is the capital and features Spanish architecture. 

 So here we are all together and ready to take on CUBA..We have 8 PSU students, my student husband David, Sharon our API tour director, and Filiz our Plymouth State faculty. The 12 musketeers!
Onward......