Day 87
I woke up to the vacuuming sound again. That doesn't bode well.
They were shampooing the floor of our room again and Rey told me that we had to stay in the temporary room for another night. Fantastic.
At least he took some of my clothes that got wet to be cleaned.
The only good thing about the other room is that it is an inside room so sleeping is magical. Absolutely no light, I could sleep for days.
Later in the day, when I was sitting in the piano lounge being extremely productive, Nathan came up to me and told me that they would not be able to let us move into the other room because there is a price difference. The other room is cheaper. In the past they have had problems with students being ok with it and then parents throwing a fit and wanting a refund. But he was going to look into us at least getting our laundry done. Yay?
We finally got Cuba field programs today! That was extremely exciting, we have been anticipating them since before the voyage when the original field programs had come out.
The fact that there haven't been field programs brought forth numerous rumors that we actually were not going to Cuba. But rumors be gone, they are here at last!
Cuba is going to be much different than all of our other countries. The only way we are able to go to Cuba is because we are students, so everything is very educational.
On the first day there is a program that we are all required to attend. We will be welcomed by many people, first our Executive Dean, then the University of Havana Rector, then the President of University of Havana Federation of University Students/ then we will ascend the steps to Ignacio Agramonte Square. Then we will participate in a cycle of conferences including: Cuba and the United States relationship, Cuba Political System, and Cuba Today: The Impact of the University of Havana's Research and Scientific Development on the Country's Development. Then we will have a diplomatic briefing.
Then we free to do what we would like. Although that doesn't mean much. We are not allowed to travel outside of Havana unless it is with a SAS sponsored program. Money we spend in the country can not exceed 188 dollars a day. This includes hotels, meals, and transportation. We can not transport goods of Cuban origin, other than informational materials, out of Cuba or into the United States.
The majority of the field programs are hosted by the University of Havana and are presented by professors and students. They all cost between 11 and 50 dollars, except for the two overnights neither of which exceed 188 dollars. That was very surprising to all of us. But I guess since we can not spend more than that a day then it makes sense.
I signed up for three programs. On the first night I signed up for a free cultural activity at the Havana Amphitheater. We can enjoy a selection of musical theatre shows including Phantom of the Opera, The Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Red Mill, and Cats. Then on the second day I am signed up for Pinar Del Rio: Land and Tobacco which is about how they produce rum and tobacco products. Then, on the third day I am signed up for Hemingway in Cuba. Apparently author Ernest Hemingway was living in Cuba when he wrote The Old Man and the Sea. We will go to his residence, discuss his lifestyle, and visit his favorite bars and restaurants in the fishing town of Coijmar. I don't know much about Hemingway so it should be interesting.
After they came out the field program office was open and so everyone went crazy signing up for things. It wasn't surprising, we couldn’t leave the city without them and they were so cheap. But I thought we would at least have till morning so I ended up running up there to sign up. The good news is that there weren't any maximums listed so I think most of them won't fill up.
We are changing times again tonight, forward this time. So we will now be three hours from the east coast. Only three more changes before we are back in the same time zone!! This is the first time we have moved forward time in a while. Boo loosing sleep.
Molly and I watched two episodes of Game of Thrones at night and in the middle of them we went up to the pool bar to buy pretzels. They had appeared during the day and had sold out at the piano bar in less than an hour. I ate half my bag when we watched our second episode and when I opened the bag it opened little too far and some of them went everywhere. About fifty pretzels covered the hallway.
Then, when I headed back up to my room I had my arms completely full and in the hallway right outside Molly's room the open back slipped, turned upside-down and exploded all over the floor. I knocked back on Molly's door and when she opened it I said, "Help," and pointed down the hallway. It took her a minute to notice them because they were the same color as the floor and when she did she dropped laughing.
She didn’t help very much. She just watched me as I cleaned them up. And when I asked if it was a good idea to still eat them she said absolutely not and then took them away from me.
Now I can't sleep in my own room and I am out of coveted pretzels.
At least I got a lot done today.
