We started our first full day in Cuba with no times to waste. In the morning, we departed the hotel to meet with a representative from ICAP, the Institute of Friendship with the People which is an organization that deals with Cuban relations with other countries. We were warmly welcomed and were able to discuss their mission in depth, which was to educate and meet with as many people to inform them about the conditions of the blockade the United States currently holds on Cuba. We were able to learn about both countries complicated relationship and think ahead to what will happen in the future.

After, we thanked our speaker and headed out to lunch at King Bar. We enjoyed a lovely seafood meal and treated to some delicious ice cream! From lunch, we walked through the streets of Havana to get to our next meeting with a panel of speakers from the National Health Network in Cuba called INFOMED. We asked many questions to a physician, engineer, and librarian who all worked with the organization to promote the health care system they designed. We thoughtfully compared and contrasted our health procedures with that of Cuba’s which helped us gain a fuller understanding of how the country functions. We were able to ask about things like reproductive rights and access to health care for people of the LGBTQ community.

We then met with a retired architect, Miguel Coyula. He gave us an overview of the past, present, and future of Cuba’s changing economic realities, the importance of tourism, trends in emigration, the dual currency system, and more. We were able to hear a first hand opinion of the changes that are being made in Havana.

For our final activity of the day, we had dinner at Casona de 17, where we were treated to a lively performance of singing and music as well as being invited up to dance as we ate. Emily was also celebrating her 17th birthday! It was a perfect way to end our second day in Cuba.