On Saturday morning, we woke up early to make our flight from Miami to Cuba. After a short flight, we finally made it to Holguin. When we arrived at the Church, Iglesia de Los Amigos, we met all of the extremely kind people who are hosting us. We had a dinner of pasta, chopped hot dogs with onions, bread, and other foods that are difficult to purchase in Cuba. After dinner, we went on a walk and met several other members of church. We hiked up a local landmark, La Loma de la Cruz, which was more than 300 steep stairs. At the top, we took turns with introductions and sang a song together. After climbing back down the stairs, we conversed and played games with the children and some members of the church.
We woke up early Sunday morning to go to another Friends Church for Sunday school (in a big yellow truck). At the church the children there sang to us and we eventually joined in. We gave them gifts and got to know them better. On our way to lunch, we stopped at a museum called Chorro Maita, a museum about indigenous people before and after 1492. We had lunch at an outdoor restaurant and indulged in delicious Cuban food. We finally arrived at the beach, only to find that the sea floor was covered in sharp rocks and coral. We were bummed out, but we drove a short distance to another beach, which had more sand, and all enjoyed our experience there. After a long (but fun) drive back, we sat down to a wonderful dinner of chicken, yucca, boniato, and tomatoes. Even though we have only been here for less than 2 days, we have felt welcomed and right at home.
Ahimsa, Lucy & Lauren
You guys are doing a great job, be safe, make friends and have fun!