beef tongue and trip to cuba
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MyTriptoCuba.docx3
“My August 2017 Cuban Trip’’
In 2015 President Barack Obama, our first Black President, opened diplomatic relationships between the United States and Cuba after nearly a 50 years silence. Americans could travel to Cuba for educational purposes. When Donald Trump became President, he said Americans could not go to Cuba and spend any money in hotels or restaurants. Jack and Jill, an organization founded in Philadelphia in 1938 for Black families, reserved 125 spaces on a Greek cruise ship for the trip to Cuba. I am a former member of the organization. Dr. Ingrid Watson- Miller and I were cabinmates. ( Those of you who read The Devil’s Nose should recognize that name; she and I co-wrote it in 2015) .We met the ship in Montego Bay , Jamaica and sailed to Cuba from August 4 to August 11; we slept on the ship and ate all our meals there. Thus, we followed Donald Trump’s mandate of not spending any money in Cuban hotels and restaurants. Ingrid and I also participated in a full schedule of educational exchange activities resulting in meaningful interaction with residents of Santiago de Cuba, Havana and Cienfuegos.
I started my trip to Cuba by flying from Charlotte, North Carolina to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Once I landed in Jamaica, I went to the ports and embarked on the Greek Ship Celestyal Crystal. In Santiago de Cuba, we met Dr. Martha Cordie Jackson who is the director of the Fernando Ortiz African Cultural Center. We enjoyed a dance performance by the Oricha gods. Pictures were taken with the dancers. We then strolled the Patio of the Artisans and to Conga Gallery to see its collection of contemporary Cuban art. The group continued the tour by visiting three of the most iconic sites in Santiago de Cuba , i.e. a memorial to Antonio Maceo, San Juan Hill and the Moncada Barracks. Antonio Maceo, the “Bronze Titan” led two wars of independence against the Spanish. San Juan Hill is where Teddy Roosevelt and his rough riders defeated the Spanish during the Spanish American War. The Moncada Barracks are where Fidel and Raul Castro began their 1953 assault on the Batista regime.
Havana, the capital of Cuba, was a two days adventure. On day one, we took a walking tour of Old Havana which had a breathtaking mix of Baroque and neoclassical monuments. We also saw a homogeneous ensemble of private houses with arcades, balconies, wrought-iron gates and internal courtyards. The group saw the Royal Forces castle, Saint Francis of Assis Square, the Cathedral Square, the Old Square and the Arms Square. I got an opportunity to see and buy old books in all languages and interact with the book sellers.
In the afternoon, the Panoramic Tour included a photo stop at the famed Old Capitol Building. Then we drove pass Revolution Museum, the Fine Arts Museum, Central Park and the Grand Theater of Havana. We stopped at Revolution Square for some free time and photos. We saw the Jose Marti Memorial , the National Library and the Revolution Palace there. We left Revolution Square and drove pass Old Havana’s most important buildings, the University of Havana, the Alma Mater statue, the Coppelia ice crew palor, the Yara movie theater and the Havana Libre hotel. We ended the tour at San Jose Market which is the size of three football fields.
Day two of the tour of Havana took us to the Fine Arts Museum and the museum of the Revolution. The museum of the Revolution is housed in the former Presidential Palace and it is dedicated to the revolutionary war of the 1950s and to the country’s post-1959 history. After visiting the museums, we made a stop to marvel at some of the outdoor installations of legendary Cuban ceramicist and graphic artist Jose Fuster who is a pioneer of Cuban visual art.
Cienfuegos, known as “The Pearl of the South”, was our last port of call. It was founded in 1819 and is situated on the Caribbean at the heart of Cuba’s sugar cane, mango, tobacco and coffee production area. We stopped at the Graphic Society of Cienfuegos where we met with local artists. This society is beloved by the people of Cienfuegos for its programs for children with special needs. We then enjoyed a panoramic view of the city before we visited the magnificent Teatro Thomas Terry. It was built between 1887 and 1889 to honor Venezuelan industrialist Thomas Terry. This 950-seat opera house and theater are decorated with Carrara marble and hand-carved Cuban hardwood.
On the Celestyal Crystal, we enjoyed lively lectures on Cuba’s fascinating history given to us by Dr. Jorge Gonzalez Arocha. We also learned about aspects of Afro Cuban Culture; we learned to dance the salsa, rumba , bachata and cha -cha -cha like a Cuban. We attended a Cuban cooking demonstration and we learned to make mojitos like a professional. The history of rum was explained to us and we watched how Cuban cigars are hand rolled.
The trip was enjoyable and educational. I am so grateful that I was able to explore such a beautiful country. The people are many shades of brown and black and many reminded me of the Hispanics I have encountered in other Latin American countries I have been fortunate to visit. ¡ Viva La Cuba!
Dr. Margaret L. Morris
________________________QUESTIONS; DUE APRIL 20, 2020____________7 points each
1.before 2015 when was the last time Cuba and the United States ha diplomatic relations?2. What is Jack and Jill? 3. Who is Dr. Ingrid Watson-Miller? 4.How many days did the cruise last? 5. Name the 3 ports of call for the ship. 6.Who is Dr. Martha Conde Jackson. 7.Idetift Antonio Maceo. 8. What happened in 1953 in Cuba’s history? 9. Identify Jose Fuster. 10. Identify Cienfuegos. 11.What does “cien” mean in Spanish? What does “fuegos” mean? So, what does the word Cienfuegos mean? 12.Name 3 dances the passengers learned on the ship.13. What was the cruise ship’s name? 14. What are mojitos? 15. Translate Viva la Cuba!
