Buenos dias a todo en los Estados Unidos de La Habana!

Vedado District of Havana

Good day to all in the US from Amy in Havana! I experienced some Internet connectivity issues yesterday, so please pardon the delay in blogging.

What a warm, inviting city Havana is! After a smooth landing at Jose Marti International Airport about midday on the 30th, the AAUW delegation settled into their rooms at the Melia Cohiba Hotel (in the Vedado district of Havana on the Malecon, the city's seawall). In the evening we enjoyed a delicious Cuban meal (chicken, black beans, rice, fried plantains & French fries with coffee and dessert) at El Aljibe Restaurant in the Miramar district of Havana. Muy bien! We also set our clocks back one hour last night when Cuba switched from daylight savings time to its winter schedule.

Today's plan: bus tour of Havana, visit to an open-air market, lunch in Old Havana, an evening at the Cuban ballet, plus dinner and a show at the Tropicana tonight. (Professional meetings start tomorrow, Monday, November 1.)

FYI: Rita, one of our delegation guides, worked 24 years for the Cuban Federation of Women (FMC) in the foreign affairs section. She traveled widely to various world conferences (in Nairobi and Beijing, for example) and to several countries to study the status of women around the globe. She said that her work with  FMC changed her life, showing her that women worldwide share many basic concerns and challenges. Rita is a lawyer and has a master's in sexuality. In addition to leading tour groups, Rita still does consulting for FMC and CENESEX, Cuba's National Center for Sex Education and Research. She also teaches criminal justice at a university.