Habana to Cienfuegos - Wednesday
A 3 hour bus ride through the heartland of Cuba. Rolling fields of sugar and other crops. The rural area started within a few minutes of our leaving Havana, as we went through the tunnel under the bay, built by Meier Lansky in 1958. He built it himself, as it was to lead to his new gambling development on the other side of the bay. He did have his timing wrong.
During the ride we had lectures from our local guide Migdalia on the educational system and a long exposition of the politics of the embargo by Chris. Fascinating to hear of some of the back story of Cuban and Florida/US politics.
Lunch at the Yacht Club. Yes, really a yacht club, left over from the 50s. There are no Cuban yachts, but boats for hire. The club itself is now a tourist restaurant. Lunch was plain, but half the group is not eating because of Tourista! It hasn't gotten to me (yet), but we'll see what the next few days bring.
After lunch to an art/music school where there were some performances by the middle school students. They weren't too bad, for the most part, but absolutely NONE of them smiled at any time that I saw. The art work was pretty good, but they had the best of the best on the walls. The professors were selling their work, and Ann found a cubist-like painting by one of the professors, who had been a student there years ago. After he got his degree in Havana, he came back to teach. Of course, we didn't think to get a photo of the painting or him until after it was rolled up and we were heading back to the bus! On our wall in a few weeks!
Checked in to the Hotel Jagua with a pretty view on both sides. We had been warned that the hotel was not "up to American standards", but it is certainly clean and fine. Not a problem.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
President, MedChi 2016-2017
The Maryland State Medical Society
Sent from my iPad
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