Hola Habana!
So we had an easy trip yesterday from DC to Miami, and found our airport hotel without problems. We got up this morning and got to the airport. We entered the door and turned left. We walked and walked, but couldn't find the meeting place in front of Nathan's. Miami is a VERY big airport! So we turned around and went back to the door we came in on, and walked perhaps 50 feet to find our crew! We are 26 people from around the US plus our Expedition Leader , Sylvia, and Christopher, our National Geographic Expert. It seems to be a pretty good bunch of seasoned travelers. Our only snafu was a lost passport on the plane, but Sylvia retrieved it as we deplaned in Havana. Customs included X-rays as we entered the baggage area, which was weird, but otherwise we had no problems. It was, however, rather interesting to have a cleaning woman come into the bathroom with me to ask if I wanted to change money through her rather than the "official" rate. I demurred, but others thought I should have taken her up on the offer.
Instead of going directly to our hotel, we went to an area called the Muraleando. This was a community art and music project . The history was that a neighborhood took it upon themselves to clean up the area around an old water vat, and use the scraps to make into "found art". The water vat now houses the community art project and is called Casa Cultural Comunitaria. The project took off, and now they have art classes for hundreds of local kids. We had a concert with some dancing by the cutest little 5 and 8 year old girls. They served a drink called "The Vat" consisting of rum, cacao, and coconut liquor. No sewer water, though.
And if you are wondering, yes, there are lots of old cars here. Chevys and Fords and DeSotos from the 50's...
Before dinner was a welcoming lecture, outlining the rigid rules of our "educational" adventure. Really. We have to keep a journal to ascertain we are meeting people. I should be putting in the names of the people we met today, but I forgot. Maybe I'll fill them in tomorrow. But since we are writing this together since we are both obliged to journal, I can fill in some details. The community leader at Muraleando who was our guide today was Victor Rodriguez.
Our hotel is the Parque Central, right at the Central Park. There is an awful lot of construction going on, but that's because there are so many run down buildings that need renovating. We have an architecture lecture tomorrow.
Diner at a private restaurant, (a paladar) called Atelier, of rice and beans, veggies, chicken. Lobster tail, and pork. Ice cream for desert. Very Cuban.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
President, MedChi 2016-2017
The Maryland State Medical Society
Sent from my iPad
