Our last day in Holguin was full of activity as well as emotion. After breakfast, we headed east for a short drive to Ranchon Alcala, deep in the countryside. There we took a tour of a typical farmhouse, learned how coffee is freshly ground in a giant mortar and pestle, sampled fresh fruits and worked a sugar cane press. After our fill of pineapple, bananas and coconut water, we headed to the ranch where we split into two groups to enjoy horseback riding on the beautiful rolling countryside.
Sufficiently sunbaked out on the trails, a small river offered us welcome refreshment! Some of us put just our toes in, while others took the big plunge. It was a fun time with our group and our Cuban friends who joined the trip, including our hosts, Maria and Alberto. As our trip was quickly coming to a close, it was perfect to spend such a leisurely day at the farm. After a hearty lunch of roast pork, rice and beans and boniato, we headed back to Holguin to pack up and prepare for our farewell dinner.
Maria and Alberto graciously hosted us for dinner at their home and we shared our appreciation for our time spent together. It was a great time dancing, laughing, exchanging email addresses and saying our goodbyes.
All in all, this was a wonderfully unforgettable experience for our students. The easy going, good natured cultural exchanges between our students and their new Cuban friends are just a beginning to learning more about each other, and serve as an important lesson for all of us.
Until next time …
Mrs. Washington and Mr. Griffin