Travel the Uknown

I’m not going to lie. I didn’t know all that much about Cuba before starting this course. The extent of my knowledge about Cuba was that it was an estranged land that had been facing the trials and tribulation of a communist regime and the U.S. embargo, and that Cubans generally had a negative view of America. Shortly before enrolling into this course, the U.S. State Department even recommended that Americans to not travel to Cuba because they could risk becoming victims of the mysterious attacks that diplomats went through while stationed in Havana. I even questioned my decision of going to Cuba because of the reputation that it had gained. However, this trip helped quash these misconceptions and I realized that sometimes it's better to find out about things for yourself.

Flag at the Museum of the Revolution

Upon arriving in Havana, I decided to wander around the streets of Old Havana. I was somewhat anxious because I knew nobody, couldn’t speak the language, didn’t really know where I was, and I didn’t know where to go. However, I decided to just walk down the street from our first casa particular (private homestay) and quickly found the busy road of Obrapia. The road was full of locals and tourists interacting like any other place that I have visited. Restaurants were busy, markets were full of tourists, and there was music everywhere. The atmosphere was very much alive and it certainly seemed like a place that should not be feared. It was just another place full of people enjoying their surrounding.

Obrapia

My thoughts on Cuba changed by the minute as we traveled around the country. It was a place that I felt comfortable in right away and reminded me of places that I have love visiting in the past.  On the first night, we met our tour guide, Inti, who would be leading our group for the rest of our trip. I feel like we got lucky to have a guide like Inti. He was friendly, approachable, knowledgeable, aware of the political and social climate surrounding us, and very open about his opinions.

View of the sunset from our casa in Havana

One thing that Inti was great at expressing was Cuba’s ability to persevere. Cuba certainly went through some challenging times in their history, but they continue to make progress as a country. Our trip to Cuba is something that I will never forget and I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit such a unique country and learn about what they are really all about.