Week_03_CUBA
Field Trip Week 3: Six Days in Havana, Cuba
Field Trip to Cuba
Saturday, 09/01/2018 - Arrival in Cuba
Our introduction to Cuba started with the humidity as we stepped off the plane. Our guide for the trip, Rocio Diaz was waiting for us as we passed through customs. After loading our bags on the bus we made a quick stop at Plaza de la Revolucion
where one student was nearly left behind while taking in the atmosphere. After leaving the plaza we made a stop to buy our WiFi cards for the week, so we could let our loved ones know we were all safe and doing well.
After taking a moment to settle in we were off to our 1st lecture of the trip, given by Miguel Coyula. Miguel is a urban planner with an extensive knowledge of the history of Havana. His presentation gave us a great insight in housing, infrastructure, investment, and restoration programs in the city. We left the Casa de la Amistad
with a better understanding of why Havana looks the way it does today and his vision of its possibilities moving forward.
The night concluded with a welcome dinner at Paladar Atelier. This restaurant is equally known for its atmosphere and exquisite cuisine. The lighting and textures of the house, which was home to a pre-revolutionary senator, coupled with walls adorned in modern art, create a cozy, but modern setting.
- Andy Dahlman
Sunday, 09/02/2018 - Havana's Old Center and (much) more
Sunday started off early with a tour of the historic city. We met with a Havana historian who led us though the city. The old town had the feeling of an medieval city, with small streets that are lined with building on the sides - this part of the city is about 500 years old! We toured many buildings and historic squares, some of the memorable moments were the wooden pavers outside of the governors mansion which he had installed to help decrees the noise caused by the cobble stones. The old cathedrals built from stone from the sea were amazing, stone shows the fossils of coral and sea life. The amount of castles that were erected to protect the natural bay was astounding as well. After the tour we had an amazing lunch at the La Makina Gastro Bar
located in the historic city.
After lunch we were off for a driving tour with a city architect, the tour took as pass famous buildings. One of the highlights of the driving tour was the stop at the Cuba Capitol which was modeled after the United States Capitol building, except that it is a meter or two taller, wider and deeper, a fact Cubans love to point out. At the end of the tour we visited the largest castle overlooking the city from across the bay, the fort was built after an English attack which seized the city from that point. After the tour we returned home and many of us walked to a hotel in order to use the WI-fi service and exchange money. After which we were all off to the Fabrica, which is a popular art exhibit located in an old factory. While most of the class had dinner in the Fabrica, a couple of us didn't and only looked around for a minute, their were some interesting art works located there and seemed like a young and vibrant location. On our way home we became lost and ended up walking the water front were we saw many interesting location such as the U.S. Embassy, the old soccer field and we even found a market which we had yet to find one, we quickly took that opportunity to buy water, which we then carried back to our Casa. The day was very busy but also very fascinating, so far the city planners and architects seem to dislike the new hotels being built and think the largest need for the city is housing, something they seem to be lacking.
- David Zimmerman
Monday, 09/03/2018 - Day 3 in Cuba
Labor Day in the U.S.! While many residing in the U.S. were spending the holiday with family and friends enjoying picnics and BBQ’s, most of the D+B SLC crew, along with their fellow 2nd year graduate students, were busy exploring the Vedado neighborhood of Havana.
The day began with a tour of a mansion owned by a woman named Josie. After the revolution, Josie’s family chose to reside at this particular home and she has lived there ever since. She was kind enough to let 20+ people wander around her home taking photos while answering questions from the students and staff on the trip.
It was at Josie’s house where we met up with local architect Ayleen Robaina for a driving/walking tour of the Vedado neighborhood. Our tour with Ayleen led us to the Christopher Colon Cemetery. On the face of it, a cemetery may not always be a “must see” landmark in terms of architecture. That said, there were some interesting sites to behold. For many Cubans, their burial plot was a chance to express themselves and leave a lasting legacy through architectural interventions and materiality. Large, above ground mausoleums dotted the landscape, each clad in precious stones and materials.
During our walking tour of the cemetery, we came across a monument dedicated to revolutionary fighters. The entire site of these fighters’ final resting place was a tribute to their plight and the day they died. Bordering the monument where grass berms meant to represent the surrounding mountains where these fighters fled in the early days of the revolution. The focal point of the monument is a metal sculpture depicting a waving Cuban flag. The sculpture is set up to cast shadows on the ground that highlight smaller markers the indicate time. On the specific day they died, the shadows from the sculpture highlight the hours of that day on the ground until they finally come to rest on the graves of these particular fighters. It’s an interesting example of how architecture can be implemented to highlight an idea or concept.
After spending time in the cemetery, our driving tour led us further through the Vedado neighborhood as Ayleen pointed out various points of interest and buildings. The tour concluded at the Hotel Nacional. Here, Ayleen gave us a tour of the grounds of the hotel, pointing out historical markers, before settling in for a scheduled lunch at the hotel.
The afternoon saw us saying goodbye to our tour guide Ayleen, as we made our way over the University of Havana for a quick tour of the campus. The university is the country’s oldest higher education facility and the most prestigious. We were led around campus by a student who briefly explained what schools were in each building on campus and also expressed to us what it’s like being a student in Cuba.
Once all the tours were done, Stephen and Jörg (along with input from Ayleen earlier in the day) gave us a preliminary list of potential sites for our thesis projects. We split into groups of four and set out to document these sites as in depth as we could, since travel back to the country would prove to be costly and difficult.
From there, our day concluded with some much-welcomed free time in the city. Many walked around the city, while others enjoyed classic car tours throughout the city. Whatever the activity, it was another opportunity for all of us to bond with our fellow classmates and faculty as we continued to explore Havana.
- Daniel Guthrie
Tuesday, 09/04/2018 - Day 4 in Cuba
Tuesday provided an interesting opportunity to see what the countryside of Cuba was like. We traveled on the bus a little over an hour outside of Havana to the small community of Las Terrazas. This quaint little village and nature reserve was built in the 1960’s as a restoration effort to a previously deforested area. The community contains about 1000 people who live work and recreate there.
As we arrived in the nature reserve we were greeted by a tour guide who provided drinks for everyone under a shade canopy while we were entertained by a local music group. After our welcome drink, we were driven up the hill to the Cafetal Buena Vista (Cuba’s oldest coffee plantation). Built in 1801 by French refugees, this quaint little cottage is now used as a restaurant and tourist attraction. The building is situated on a hilltop with views on a clear day to both the North and South seashores of Cuba.
Upon leaving the plantation house we were driven to Las Terrazas community which is positioned on a hillside overlooking a small lake.
The buildings, nestled into the hillside in long linear connected fashion, are all painted white with red tiled roofs. We were introduced to a local craftsman named Ariel Gato Miranda who makes printings with recycled paper and linen.
We next enjoyed lunch at a little restaurant named El Romero in the heart of the Las Terrazas community. El Romero specializes a non-meat menu and gave our group a truly unique farm-to-table opportunity. While enjoying our lunch we had excellent views of the surrounding community and the lake below as well as listening to the occasional visitor enjoying a canopy tour through the network of zip lines that extend through the village.
Once lunch was over, we took the bus for a short ride down the hill to the nearby San Juan river. This little hidden gem is a favorite of the locals and it didn’t take us long to discover why they loved it so much. Once arriving at the river, we followed a path to a narrow footbridge the led across the river. The path that picked up beyond the bridge was well worn and it was obvious that many people came here to enjoy the river. The footpath meandered along the bank at a bend in the river then went into the forest canopy a few yards where it opened up into a meadow with little thatched roof pavilion huts. These huts had picnic tables underneath and nearby changing areas for people to change their clothes.
Between the meadow and the river was a very nice canopy of trees with perfectly situated tables and benches where people could sit and watch others play in the river. The meadow and canopy were amazing, but what really attracted attention was the cascade of waterfalls that the river provided. It was a perfect swimming hole with gently flowing wide waterfalls and deep swimming areas. Most people in our group took full advantage of the ideal swimming area. The river was a welcome relief to the high heat and high humidity of the day. It provided a great opportunity to relax and unwind.
After visiting the San Juan river, we climbed aboard our bus and headed back to the entrance of the community where we dropped off the local guide and proceeded back to Havana. We enjoyed a free evening where we could spend time at our places of residence or walk the streets of the city. It was a fantastic day and gave everyone a better understanding of Cuba outside of Havana.
- Christopher Thompson
Wednesday, 09/05/2018 - Day 5 in Cuba
On Wednesday we had the opportunity to meet with a local architect named Victor Marin. We met him in a building across the street from the National Hotel where he presented a lecture about Havana’s different neighborhoods and their history. He, like the other people we met, spoke on the history of Cuba in general and the development and decay of Havana in general, but he also expanded on the surrounding neighborhoods of the city. Miramar is one such suburb of Havana where, as the population expanded and as people began to be pushed out of the city, they moved here. Miramar is West of Havana across the Almendares river. The buildings there are a bit more spread out and not as tall with the majority being only one story.
Victor Marin took us on a bus tour of this part of the city where we ended up at the Instituto Superior de Arte. There we were able to get out and tour the school. The place was amazing. The whole school winds through beautiful rolling green hills surrounded by lush vegetation. The buildings are made from brick and terra-cotta which is a bit different from the rest of the buildings around the city. The individual schools within the institute are unique in shape ranging from tall domed buildings to winding terraced corridors of classrooms. Half of the institute was never completely finished and is not in use. With the passing of time these unused spaces have deteriorated. It was a really neat place to be able to walk around.
From there we went to a performance by the Habana Compas Dance (The Havana Dancy Company).
This dance group is a mix of men and women who have combined percussion with dance and are pretty unique in their use of spiritual drums and cowhide chair with their Spanish, Cuban and Afro-Cuban dances.
The afternoon was spent visiting the “Playas del Este” beach where many of the locals retreat from the city - so did we!
It was a beautiful day and not too busy. Luckily most of us were able to leave without sunburns......
Later that night a family of artists hosted us in their apartment building for a farewell dinner. The apartment building was across the street from the National Hotel and offered an amazing view of the Malecon and the bay. They had invited a female hip hop duo to perform for us (Reyna y Real), which got the group up and dancing, even the professors got their groove on.
It was a great way to wind down the trip with great food and great people.
- Mitch Hope
Thursday 09/06/2018 - Last Day in Cuba
Our final day (or half day, rather) in Havana, was less eventful and energetic than the previous days spent in Cuba. Perhaps it was due to the sunburns received the day before on the beach, or more likely to the fact that everyone knew we would soon head to the airport to leave Cuba behind and return to our normal, real lives. At any rate, the tour bus dropped us off in Old Havana for a last couple hours of sightseeing and shopping for souvenirs.
Many of us students first went to the large factory-like building on the waterfront which housed a sprawling market with vendors set up in small store pods.
After bouncing from shop to shop, trying to avoid being hustled and coaxed into an undesired purchase, we moseyed over to the narrow, cobbled streets and spacious plazas of Old Havana. Most ventured off in search of a sight not yet seen, whether in one of the public art museums and courtyards or in some other corner of the centuries-old city. Eventually we all congregated at the designated spot for the bus to come and get us one last time.
Finally heading to the airport, we geared up for the long day of travel ahead. Getting checked in and through customs in the Havana airport was a relatively quick process (probably too quick!). We then proceeded to wait for nearly 2 hours in the hot and uncomfortable airport with no noticeable ventilation until we boarded for our short, air-conditioned flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.A! It was great to be back on American soil, but the feelings of a return to familiarity were short-lived as a number of us students experienced an unnecessarily long wait to get through the customs checkpoint, only to then suffer through an equally ridiculous security experience.
Eventually, we all made it home to Salt Lake City in one piece with no incredible drama along the way. Our long day of travel was finally over, and it felt great to return to our homes and sleep in our own beds once again. Our Cuba trip now over, we nevertheless think and talk about it often and will surely never forget it as long as we live!