Excited and tired, we arrived to Cienfuegos, known as “La
Perla del Sur”, from Miami and met World Leadership School instructor Jennifer Klein and our local
guide Reidel. After searching for and finally
finding bottled water which is not always available in stores, Juan Carlos, our
bus driver, drove us through Cienfuegos and we met our homestay families. After settling in many of us walked around
the neighborhood and along the Malecón (the sea wall). Typical of every evening, we
gathered together at 5:30 for group discussion.
Following the gathering we returned to our homestays for dinner provided
by the families. We ventured out later
in the evening to an open air concert after hearing that Marc Anthony might
make an appearance. As is the Latin
American custom, the music started well after 11:30 p.m., and unfortunately
Marc was not there and the beer, what could be found, was warm.
The next morning we met again at 9:00 for a tour of the city
of Cienfuegos. First on the list was the
area known as Punta Gorda with palacial homes and hotels on the water. Famous for its architecture Next we went downtown and near the
plaza we visited the Taller Gráfico where we learned about lithography and how
the workshop connects with the community. We were able to purchase art made there and
interact with the artists and some local neighbors.
is the Palacio de
Valle.
On the way to lunch we came across one of the many classic
cars and its proud owner. At lunch we surprised Reidel on his birthday with a resounding version
of the “Happy Birthday” song. It was a
small gesture to show him how much we appreciate his being with us, helping us
to understand life in Cuba, and of course carefully planning the logistics of
our journey.
After lunch we had time to explore the area. Some went to have coffee, some walked the
open air market on the way to a port, some explored the Plaza Martí and some visited
the Palacio Ferrer from the ground floor to the top of the tower. This historic
building is being restored and will become a cultural center in the future.
The evening meeting included a small group activity to
“solve” the problems of the world as defined by the United Nations. Using the problem cards provided, each group
discussed and came up with a resolution and visual representation. [solving problems 1] [solving problems. All went home for dinner and a few brave souls finished a
busy day by going to hear a local band playing salsa.
Sue Borland and Joyce Lang
