A Trip to Cuba

Written by Kristin Peckman (BA '66)

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I graduated from the UR with a bachelor's in History in 1966. I have to admit that I rarely read the History Newsletter, but somehow the one time I did, there was a notice of a trip to Cuba with the theme "The Afro-Cuban Experience". Naturally, I jumped on it, having been interested in Cuba since the 1959 revolution, and having seen Fidel Castro (from a distance) in Washington D.C when he was still considered a hero by our government. Once I met two Mexican teenagers visiting Eastern Europe, who told me communism was much more friendly in Cuba then in Europe. Of course, there was a cultural difference!

So, off we went from Miami on a short flight to Havana. At the airport in Havana, we were met by our two absolutely amazing guides, Natalia Makarova (yes, a Russian-born Cuban, with the blonde hair to prove it), and Yolí Ochoa (Cuban born). They were a great pair, keeping us informed constantly, even on bus rides. Yolí is also a great dancer, which she demonstrated spontaneously at lunch in a restaurant with a small combo.

Our hotel, La Reserva Vedado, is privately owned and run, and located in Vedado, a neighborhood of stately mansions built after Independence (early 1900s) to house wealthy Cubans and Americans. While our rooms and the kitchen were indoors, the lobby and dining room were open-air and filled with beautiful plants. Breakfasts were copious, so we would never know that there was somewhat of a food shortage in Cuba. In fact, we were told by an economist that there may be a law coming soon taxing anyone who has property that is not under cultivation.

We had a very busy schedule, with talks and tours from morning till evening. The talk that fascinated me the most was two women who told us about their experiences in the Literacy Campaign in 1961. High School students from the cities were recruited to go out into the countryside to teach illiterate peasants how to read and write. I was a great adventure for the students to escape the control of their parents and to learn about country life (even the cockroaches). They showed us the book they used, which looked very well designed.

We had two tours outside Havana, one to Matanzas and the one I most enjoyed was to Las Terrazas, a commune built on what was once a coffee plantation, badly eroded. Local people who lived mostly from burning charcoal were hired to terrace the badly eroded land and plant trees on the terraces. This old eroded land is now a beautiful forest, and our guide, Otis, introduced us to the trogon, the national bird of Cuba.

There is so much more to learn about this fascinating country, that I hope UR can organize another tour here.