Our first night is done…wow. We are already on island time, though. Despite the fact that we knew we should leave our apartment at 7, we didn’t leave till 7:30, much to our translators’ chagrin. We were so late, that they hired Bici taxis for us. Now, a Bici taxi (Bici is short for bicicleta) is a fascinating device like a mix between a tandem bike and a rickshaw. Basically, a driver peddles pulling a double seat on the back. Each bici looks different. Some have canvass shades over the seats, while some have metal shades. The ride was bumpy but really fun. There is nothing like it to make you wish you ate less for supper.
One of the things this pointed out to me, which I have seen all throughout the trip this far, is the clear distinction made between us, foreigners, and the Cubans. My light skin and hair are like a sore thumb pointing to everyone that I don’t belong, but that is common in all the foreign countries I’ve been to. Here, however, the stares are more distrustful, suspicious, or lustful. Even where we stay, our hosts eat in one room, while we eat in another. Maybe more than just the cars are frozen back in the 1950’s.
I gave the kids meeting tonight. It was very interesting. We tried to sing for them Spanish songs, but apparently our Spanish is not understandable. Not that I’m all that surprised. The projector stopped working part of the way through my talk, so we did the craft until I had gotten it back and running. God is good! As Ms. Tara always says, “Plan, plan, plan, and plan to be flexible.” In total we had 14 adult visitors from the community and 2 children. This far exceeded what we expected.
After the meeting we talked with our team, and then walked back. Now, it is time to go to bed, and get ready for a whole list of adventures tomorrow, starting with: showering!