Día Nueve - Santiago & route to Baracoa

We started our morning learning about the Afro-Cuban culture. We met with Dr. Martha Cordes Jackson. She informed us of how the African people, cultures and religion arrived to Cuba. The details of the development of the buniting of people of different ethical origins. They united through religion and music. In 1959, when the revolution ended all Cubans regardless of race or religion were considered equal. Even with these laws in place, the ideas of racial discrimination live in the mind of the individual and after 400 plus years of persecution it has been a slow transition over the past 60 years. Similar to the U.S.  

After our discussion we headed on a tour of important monuments in Santiago. First stop was the San Juan Hills. 

Second stop was the Plaza of the Revolution of Santiago. The man pictured on the horse is Antonio Maceo and all of the machetes coming out of the ground represent all the wounds he received and continued on. The date July 26 on the flag was Fidel's code for the start of the revolution. 

Third we visited a school that had been a fort. It is the fort that Fidel stormed against Batista's forces. After realizing his forces were weak, Fidel and about 30 men fled to the forrest. A man named Sarria was hired to kill Fidel but only captured him (this man later became the head of his bodyguards.) This is when Fidel was  prosecuted and sentenced to 15 years, of which he served 1.5 years and made the famous statement defending himself, "History will absolve me." He later fled to Mexico and came back with Che on the Granma to start the revolution. 

^ Note the bullet holes. 

Lastly, we visited the Castillo del Morro, an old Spanish fortress. 

Then we were off to Baracoa! Stop 1 was at a look out point. From this point you can see the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. 

We arrived to Baracoa!  A beautiful little town on the coast with some charm!

A full day in Baracoa tomorrow! 

¡Hasta mañana!

Día Ocho - Santiago

Today was our first full day in Santiago de Cuba. There is a lot of public transportation here, mostly larger trucks that have turned the beds into an area to hold people. There are also a lot of motorcycles. 

Our first visit of the day was to a visual arts school. This is a type of specialized education in Cuba. We were able to see the various classrooms used by the students. There are typically about 30-40 students that attend the school from Santiago de Cuba. They have the ability to live at the school if the distance they travel from is too far. The school includes 4 years of training. Art displayed is of the students. Materials come from the department of culture and education. Upon graduating they may begin as an independent artist or continue studying at the University of Havana. Many of the students are also involved in community art projects with younger children. 

We stood on that terrace for about 2 minutes for this picture and we cooked!

Then we were off to our "Son" dance lesson at the Cutumba Folkloric Ballet Center. Cutumba when separated into separate words has meaning. The Cu standing for Cuba and tumba is a drum of Caribbean influence. The dance company was started during the revolution and they have kept the original and authentic moves, style and costumes (when performing professionally.) There are 54 members of the ballet. We were taught the basic steps of the dance and then viewed them perform. I'm glad no one got a picture of me during the activity. 

After our lesson we took a short boat ride  through the harbor to lunch. Santiago is hot! There's not much of a breeze except near the water, I'm guessing due to the mountains surrounding the city. The inferno is living up to its name. 

Off to a polyclinic! There are 17 polyclinics in the municipality of Santiago. There are another 17 doctor's offices connected to the polyclinic we went to and around the same number connected to each polyclinic. The specific polyclinic we went to is for the town of El Cobre and services a little less than 19,000 people. When it was founded in 1966 there were 3 doctors and a few nurses on staff, now there are over 50. Some of the services they offer are basic medical care, speech, nutrition, natural medicine, dental care and emergency care with service of an ambulance if necessary. They are also heavily involved with disease prevention and educate patients. There is an intensive vaccination program for diseases we also vaccinate for in the U.S.  Doctors also often visit Cubans in their homes and often know their community members very well. Basic medicine is available but because most of the advanced medicine has a link to the U.S. Cuban doctors must go through Europe to get it if needed. The state pays for all healthcare and doctors salaries. Medicine for pregnant women is free and at a minimal cost for everyone else. Cuba has one of the lowest rates of STD transmission due to education and treatment programs. Women also make up over 50% of the workforce including in the medical field. Cuba has a population of about 11 million people, 70,000 of which are doctors. Doctors (and all professionals) are one of lowest paid occupations in Cuba. Cuba also uses its doctors in trade for goods. For example, thousands of doctors were sent to Venezuela to treat people and in return they have sent oil that Cuba needs. 

Dinner was on our own tonight but a larger group of us went to Zunzún (hummingbird.) It was delicious! Jean got ox tail and I got a fish, shrimp and lobster dish. One of the best meals so far!

¡Hasta mañana!