Cuba, part 2

For my second day in Cuba I signed up for a SAS trip to the Bay of Pigs. I figured it would give me the chance to see some other parts of Cuba, visit a very important historical site, and hear about the Bay of Pigs Invasion from the Cuban perspective. The trip also involved an excursion to the Zapata Biosphere (basically, the mangrove swamps near the Bay). We stopped there first, and took little motor boats to an island in the middle of the swamp.

At first I didn't really understand the connection of the biosphere to the Bay of Pigs invasion, but it turns out it is pretty important. The reason that the American-funded Cuban exiles decided to invade at that specific location was because it was not at all developed, was sparsely populated, was far enough from Havana that they figured there wouldn't be too much support for the government, and the landscape would make it easy to hide. 

We also went to a crocodile preserve. I of course did some posing with a baby crocodile.

Unlike the Amazonian alligator, this guy's mouth is tied shut. But don't worry, the trainer really loved him and they rotate out the crocs every 30 minutes or so to make sure they aren't overexposed.

The trainer also lent me his hat.

Then I got the chance to feed the big crocodiles. You put some meat on a string attached to a pole, then you're supposed to tease the crocs by putting it near them and then jerking it away when they snap. It was a lot harder than you might think!

Our next stop was a small town populated by charcoal-makers. We drove for about 30 minutes down a rutted, narrow road - oftentimes I wasn't sure the bus was going to make it through! The bus driver didn't seem sure either and he certainly wasn't happy about the abuse his bus was taking. It turns out that this tiny town was where Fidel spent the first Christmas Eve after the Revolution. He and his men had been working near by, and decided to find a place to eat dinner. They picked this town and sent for tons of food and supplies. Then Fidel "came down in his helicopter, like a star falling from the heavens" and ate with them in their huts. The spot now has a small museum. It was definitely the most pro-revolutionary moment of the trip. 

Thanks, Fidel!

Charcoal-makers' huts.

A gun-toting Fidel enjoys Christmas Eve supper.

This also plays into the Bay of Pigs story. As I mentioned, the exiles decided to invade at the Bay of Pigs because it was remote, mostly uninhabited, and not likely to have many ties to the regime. However, ever since this first Christmas Fidel had adopted the region as a sort of pet project and worked hard to better living conditions for the charcoal makers. So instead of a few apathetic peasants, the exiles met with people very loyal to Fidel.

After a break for lunch we finally headed to the Bay of Pigs proper, or Playa Giron (Giron Beach) as the Cubans call it. While they do refer to the physical bay as the "Bahia de Cochinos," when referring to the events of April 1961 they always talk about Playa Giron. We didn't have much time, but we visited a small museum where we saw artifacts from the invasion - just about everything pulled off of any of the fighters, including their house keys and underwear. We also watched a film reel from 1961 that was made in Cuba and told their perspective. It seemed like our guides were afraid it would upset us, as it spoke of "yanqui imperialism" and "mercenaries," but I thought it was actually fairly balanced, especially compared to the US anti-communism propaganda of the era. Have you seen The Atomic Cafe? The Cuban newsreel was tame compared to that. All and all they day was a really interesting look at a touchstone event of the last 50 years.

Giron Museum

Giron: Victory of Socialism

Jason on the SAS official blog!

A few weeks back Jason and I participated in an Oxfam hunger banquet on the ship, where all participants are randomly assigned a social class and given the corresponding food and conditions. It really drives home how little how many have. Jason's reflections on the event made it on to the official SAS blog! Check it out here: http://www.semesteratsea.org/2013/12/10/sas-hunger-banquet-leaves-stomachs-grumbling-and-minds-full/

Cuba, part 1

We're back on land and in Charlottesville now, but I don't want to leave the blog incomplete so I'm going to finish it off with some Cuba wrap-ups. Cuba was a later addition to our trip, as we only received permission from the United States Treasury - Office of Asset Control (OFAC) right before the voyage began. OFAC controls trade with countries the US has sanctions against, like Cuba. Since a few year's after Castro's Revolution in 1959, there has been minimal to no trade with Cuba and US citizens are not allowed to travel there as tourists. Educational programs and people-to-people missions are occasionally allowed, and thus the M/V Explorer received permission to go. However, as we found out about a month before arrival, the license did not extend to faculty dependents (spouses and children), so Jason would not be able to go. Since they couldn't even be in Cuba waters, ISE created a backup plan to leave them at a resort in Freeport, Grand Bahama for 5 days. It wasn't Cuba, but Jason says it wasn't a bad plan B! That was our first experience with the strange world that is US-Cuba relations. The embargo was implemented 40+ years ago, only the US and Israel continue to support it, it doesn't seem to be doing much, and yet a 3 year old can't go to Cuba because...they might spend money?

Anyway, we dropped the kiddos and spouses off in the Bahamas and made our way to Havana. The night before we arrived I got an email from Mom with a picture of the family getting their Christmas tree in the snow. I was feeling sort of homesick until I woke up the next morning to this:

Entrance to Havana harbor at sunrise

Inside the harbor we sailed along the Malecon, the wide boardwalk originally build to protect the city from the sea, but that now serves as a gathering ground for tourists and locals alike.

 Because of Cuban (and US) economic policies, many of the buildings are very rundown and even those that look like they are about to collapse are inhabited. This one has laundry hanging out to dry in an upper window.

 We approached our berth, where the water was reflecting the buildings beautifully. It's hard to tell in the small photo, but the flags hanging on the building to the left are the Cuban national flag and the flag of the FEU - Federacion Estudiantil Universitaria (Federation of University Students), a powerful student group in the country. They were responsible for organizing some of our stay in Cuba, in conjunction with the University of Havana.

 Our berth was right near Habana Vieja (Old Havana). So close, in fact, that it startled me when I walked to the back deck of the ship. We were practically parked IN a building!

Oh hey there, Havana.

 We had to wait a bit for the ship to clear immigration and customs. Our entire first day was scheduled for us. All 700+ of us would be visiting the University of Havana for a series of events - welcomes, lectures, and cultural displays - before returning to the ship for a mandatory meeting with representatives of the US Interests Section.

When we did get off the ship, the first thing we saw were tons of posters in the cruise terminal about the Cuban 5. We saw their faces on signs everywhere around Havana - basically they are 5 Cuban spies who were caught and jailed in the US. Cuba (and others) claim they had an unfair trial and thus are demanding their release. The US (and the US Interest Section officer we met with) insist that the US system is fairer than anything in Cuba and if they are still imprisoned it must be because they were guilty. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Five

 The most amazing thing to me was that this is clearly a big deal in Cuba. I can't overestimate the number of posters we saw. And yet, none of us on the ship had ever heard of them. A real lesson in perspective.

We got on the buses and headed over to the University of Havana, just a few miles from where we were docked.

I liked this lady looking out her window.

 When we got there, there was a welcome speech and tons of journalists from all over the world. I got interviewed (in Spanish) by a Spanish news station, others were interviewed by reporters from Cuban, Chinese, and US news stations. I was asked what it was like being on the ship, what I thought of US-Cuba relations, and how it felt to be in Cuba, a place prohibited to most Americans.

My 15 seconds of fame.

After a bit we climbed the steps to the University itself, a tradition for all students there. As we climbed John Lennon's "Imagine" played, bringing tears to a few people's eyes.

 Inside the university courtyard there were more speeches by the rector and by our deans, followed by a series of lectures on science at the University of Havana, US-Cuban relations, and the Cuban political system. At the same time our students mingled with the Cuban students, and we ended the day with a cultural show and outdoor dance party. It was hot and sticky, but a lot of fun. The general message seemed to be that despite our political stances, we can - and should - all be friends.

There's the FEU sign again.

 After the US Interests Section presentation back on the ship, we were turned loose in Havana. I went out with a several of the other temporary singles (wives and husbands left in the Bahamas) to see if we could find some Cuban mojitos and maybe some live music.

Old Havana

Old Havana

We ended up at the Cafe Paris in Old Havana, located on Obispo Street where many of the restaurants and bars designed for tourists are located. Two Cubans told me they call Obispo the "calle prohibida" (forbidden street) because they can't afford to buy anything there. Cuba has a very complex system of two currencies - regular pesos for Cubans, and convertible pesos pegged to the dollar for tourists and for buying luxury items. Basically any place that charges in convertible pesos (CUCs) is too expensive for most Cubans.  I still don't really understand how it all works, and it's starting to look like they may eventually unify the two currencies.

Anyway, we found our mojitos.

Glass filled with mint lined up and ready to be doused in lime juice, rum, and sugar.

 And some live music.

The guy on the left is the professor I TA'd for on the ship.

I spoke with the people in the band for a really long time. They were very very nice, as were all Cubans. Despite our governments' problems, I never felt any animosity towards me, an American. In fact, everyone wanted to talk, get to know me, and tell me about themselves. The lead singer of this band asked me if I might have any toiletries I could give them (I guess soap is hard to come by in Cuba), so I made a point of gathering up all the mini-toiletries on the ship and dropping them off the next day.

Cathedral Square at night

I had been asked to join a gathering of Cuban diplomates and representatives of the ship at 8pm, so I had to head back early for that. It turned out to be a very fun reception, so I am very glad I was invited. Then it was early to bed, as I was heading to Bay of Pigs in the morning and we had a 6:00 breakfast time!

Amazon days 3 and 4

Our third day in the Amazon started with another gorgeous sunrise. It was incredible how well the water reflected the sky.

Apparently we had neighbors all night long. Not a bad camping spot!

It's almost hard to tell which way is up

Our first activity that day was piranha fishing. There are several types of piranhas in the region, but the red-bellied is the most dangerous. We slathered on the sunblock and got ready to roast in the hot morning sun. Our fishing poles were straight sticks with string and a hook, and we had chopped-up pieces of raw meat to use as bait.

I didn't catch any fish, but the girl next to me caught one. Actually, I think the guide caught it but then he really quickly told her to try his fishing pole to see if it brought her luck and she immediately had the fish on the line. A bit suspicious, but she didn't seem to pick up on it and was absolutely thrilled. They certainly have sharp-looking teeth up close!

In the afternoon we visited another village. This one was called Acajatuba. We explored the village for a bit and then had boys and girls soccer games against the locals. I just cheered since I have no soccer talent and I didn't want to embarrass my country :) We lost anyway, the boys 3-0 and the girls 2-1.

As we were heading back to the boats we got another amazing sunset. The sky looked like it was on fire!

We had dinner and everyone crawled into their hammocks really early. The next morning we were swimming with pink dolphins and we all wanted to have lots of energy for that!

As we ate breakfast our riverboats crossed to the Recanto do Boto, a preservation facility for the pink dolphins. They feed the dolphins but they remain wild and don't get fed everyday. There are no fences or contained pools, they come of their own accord.

The Amazonian pink dolphin (scientific name Inia geoffrensis), grows up to 8 feet long and can weigh over 200 pounds. They eat fish and have really flexible necks to be able to navigate through flooded forests. During the rainy season the water level in the Amazon basis can rise over 30 feet, totally submerging trees!

)

We got in the water in two groups and stood on a platform so we could touch. The dolphin "trainer" would use fish to get the dolphins to come close enough so we could touch them and also to jump out of the water. Sometimes when we was working with one, another would swim up and startle us all!

They're actually kind of creepy looking, not nearly as cute as normal dolphins.

The dolphins felt really weird - sort of spongy and rubbery and not at all like a living creature. But they were incredibly soft and smooth too!

After swimming with the dolphins we began our epic, 13+ hour journey to meet the ship in Salvador. We almost missed one flight, had some issues on the next, and got in around 2am. It was a tiring day, but absolutely worth it to get to do such amazing things and see the Amazon.

And the jungle swallowed them whole...Ashley of the Amazon

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to volunteer to be a trip liaison for a Semester at Sea trip to the Amazon, meaning that I got a discount that made the cost accessible to me. Unfortunately, Jason couldn't make the trip (cost and he wanted to do some other things) so I set off with 50 SAS students to head deep into the jungle.

We flew from Rio de Janeiro (on the eastern coast) to Manaus, right in the center of the country. Even from the air, it was very clear we were in a very different environment!

Manaus is starred.

Water, water everywhere

At the docks in Manaus we were met by our riverboat, guides, and crew. This would be our home for 4 days. The lower level had 3 small bathrooms, a tiny kitchen, and one open space for meals. Upstairs was one big open room where we would all hang our hammocks and sleep. Although there were showers on the boat, we were asked to not use them.

Our first stop was the Meeting of the Waters, where the Rio Negro and the Amazon come together but do not mix. For 3.7 miles they run side by side, clearly distinguished by their colors. The Rio Negro is much darker due to the high mineral content of the water.

We then enjoyed the first of a series of beautiful sunsets and climbed into small wooden canoes with outboard motors to go hunting for caimans, also known as alligators.

Alligator hunting takes place at night because during the day they blend in too well and can't be seen. Our guide pointed a flashlight at the banks of the river and we all looked for the two pinpoints of reflected light that signaled alligator eyes. Once we spotted one our canoe would head in that direction. Then one of the guides would reach into the dark, dark water and try to grab the alligator!

This kid was fourteen. He just reached into the water and grabbed this guy out.

I put on my big-girl panties and decided to hold one of the gators. By chance (but happily) I got to hold the tiniest one. He was only a few months old and had a piranha bite out of his tail! It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be, although I was terrified one of the students in my boat would drop him and then he'd be running free around our canoe and in our panic we'd all tip over. It didn't happen, though.

Hard to tell who is more wild-eyed.

Exhausted, we went back to the boat and climbed into our hammocks. I have to say, hammocks are much more comfortable for taking naps in than sleeping all night long. Especially because we were all strung up so closely that when one person rolled over they hit the next hammock, which hit the next hammock, which hit the next all the way down the line like dominoes.

On day two we woke up (reallly early) to a beautiful sunrise.

We climbed back into the canoes for a jungle walk.

What I learned in the Amazon: EVERYTHING can kill you there. Ants, mosquitoes, spiders, trees, plants, piranhas, anacondas, jaguars, wasps, vipers, shipwrecks...you name it, there's probably a deadly version. Needless to say, I spent most of my time absolutely terrified. Especially in the jungle when the dangers were all around and often hard to see.

At the base of this tree was an anthill with ants an inch long. If just one of them stings you, you have a fever and vomit for a week. If multiple sting you, you might die. Of course, our local guide Domingo decided to use his machete to stir them up and get them to come of their hill. I backed away quickly.

The local indigenous tribes weave gloves out of palm fronds, and stick these ants in them so their stingers are all on the inside. For initiation, young men have to stick their hands in the gloves and endure the stings. Each round has progressively more ants and is more potentially deadly.

We saw amazing trees, vines, and plants.

This tree's nickname is "Telephone tree" because you can bang on it and get multiple sounds that echo through the forest. Rubber workers and indigenous people use(d) it to communicate in a jungle so dense that you can easily lose your way.

If I weren't frightened enough, we then almost stepped on a viper so poisonous that one bite can kill you. All the students wanted to hold it and take pictures, but I stayed very far back sweating profusely and frantically looking around my feet to make sure that this guy hadn't brought any friends.

Needless to say, this picture was taken with extreme zoom.

We also found a tree so covered in ants that they would fall off in heavy curtains of little bodies. Apparently the local tribes put their hands on the trees until they are covered in ants (this takes just seconds) then rub their hands together to kill the ants. They release a scent like turpentine. The people do this to disguise their own human scent when they are going hunting.

Later in the afternoon we went to a sandy beach on the river to cool off. It was a beautiful spot and the water felt great, especially when you managed to forget there could be an anaconda or some hungry piranhas nibbling at your toes. Our guides swore it was safe, but it's not like there is a safety net around the swimming hole!

Once we were refreshed and had eaten some lunch we went to Terra Preta, a small village upriver. They have electricity now thanks to government programs, but they are still very isolated. In order to get anywhere they have to travel by boat; there are no roads.

Heading up to the village

Baby clothes drying outside someone's house

Teaching children to count in one of the local languages (there are several)

One of the biggest sources of income in this village is acai, a palm berry used to make juice that then goes into ice cream and other foods and drinks. Acai is becoming very popular in the US now. It has lots of antioxidants but also lots of fat and calories.

Girl harvesting acai

You can't eat acai plain because it is mostly skin and pit. You have to boil the berries and then strain off the juice.

One of the coolest parts of the village was that some of the people had started to feed the wild birds and trained them as semi-pets. They were beautiful. We also heard that in another village someone had a pet anaconda. I guess these are the things you train when you live in the Amazon!

This parrot, Esmeralda, would hid behind her "owner" just like a scared child or puppy would do!

Our guide also used some sort of berries to paint our face. I'm looking good, right?

Antonio, showing off the berries he used to paint my face. He just stuck a stick into the pod, mushed around the seeds, and then used the stick to paint.

View from the village

That night we headed out on another alligator hunting mission, this time leaving a bit early to try to spot other animals and take in the beautiful sunset.

I wasn't so good at getting the horizon straight in my pictures. Rocky canoe!

We finished our night with a luau on the beach with the other two SAS boats that were on similar programs. We had a huge feast, danced, and played silly games like tug-of-war and limbo. Then it was back to the hammocks!