Six Columbus East students left on an educational trip on March 13th to Cuba to experience the Spanish language and culture. The trip began in the Miami airport where they flew into Santa Clara. From there, they went to Remedios and Cienfuegos, which is closer to the Caribbean side of the island. Trinidad, Cuba was the next stop before they returned to Cienfuegos. The trip concluded in Havana after an unexpected six hour bus ride due to President Obama’s historic visit to Cuba.

“[The bus ride] was supposed to be maybe 2 ½ hours,” said senior Nia Pontius. “But, because Obama was coming in, a lot of roads were closed off and instead of taking 2 ½, it took 6 hours. We did get to see Air Force 1 fly in, though.”

Over the course of the trip, students were immersed in Spanish culture and were encouraged to speak in Spanish.

“We didn’t really do specific activities so much as go to dinner and stuff. We got to see the plazas, all the little shops and everything,” said Ponitus.

Although the group wasn’t technically there for tourism, as they weren’t allowed to be called tourists at customs, they did do typical tourist things such as go to the beach in Cienfuegos, see a national park and explore the city. Throughout the trip, the group was exposed to different customs and culture, including the monetary system.

“One night, we went to a chocolate shop and we bought a cake,” Pontius recalled. “We went in and it looked like there were these huge prices in there. The signs said 125 what we thought were CUCs (the national currency for non-residents). But, it was actually CUPs (the standard Cuban peso). 125 CUPs translates to 5 US dollars, so we bought a huge cake and ate it at cards that night.”

When asked about what the most memorable part of the trip was, Kristian Pontius, 10, who accompanied his sister on the trip, said he will always remember three things.
“The cars,” he said “because everything was old from the embargo, the food, because everything was fresh from that day. I had some of the best fish in my life. And the music, because at each restaurant, particularly the paladars (family owned restaurants), owners rent bands and some of the families actually play instruments and they played while we were eating.”

The trip concluded on March 22nd. The students returned with a new appreciation of the Spanish language and the beautiful country of Cuba.
“I learned to never go into a place with stereotypes in your head,” said Kristian. “Never have anything pre-set and go in with an open mind.”