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Track & Field Blog from Cuba - Day 7
June 24, 2015 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Day 7 Video
Day 7
Today was our second and final meet of the trip. We competed at the University in Villa Clara against its athletes and some other teenagers. The meet was a bit pared down, compared to the first meet. We competed in the 400, 1500, 100, 800 and 4x1 relay as well as the shot put, discus and long jump. It was dirt track with taller grass on the infield. And wouldn't you know it their school colors are orange and black!
At one side of the track was a hill with two flags on it. With my limited Spanish I was able to understand that there was significance to the hill. When I asked our tour guide why, she explained that that is the hill that Che Guevara and his militia were when they derailed the train of supplies that Batiste was sending. With the derailment, the war was over and won right there. It was pretty amazing to have that in the background of our meet.
There weren't as many locals there as there were in the first meet, but it was expected since we were in a more rural area. We had a great time competing and enjoying ourselves. Our men's throwers capped off the day with a surprise entry into the 4x100 relay. I'll be sure to include the video in the Cuba compilation video that goes on GPT – it's a must see!
After the meet we went to lunch with the athletes and again had time to interact with them. It was a great experience for us to increase our knowledge of the culture and the language, and a great way for them to learn about us as Americans.
A four-hour drive to Havana was next. Most of us fell asleep on the bus on the way back and before we knew it, we were back in Havana.
We checked back into the Melia Cohiba, where we stayed the first three nights, and got in some showers, pool time and rest before dinner and a show at the Habana Café.
It was an excellent performance with dancers, musicians and a meal. After a long day from Central Cuba all the way to Havana it was time to settle in for one of our last night's sleep in Cuba.
Q&A with Josh Ingalls and Garrett O'TooleWhat do you think were the major differences between the first meet and the second meet here in Cuba?
Josh: I think the competition in the second meet was better. I also liked the setting of the track more; a little more it was scenic. Mainly I feel like the meet was friendly and little more organized.
Garrett: Both were fantastic of course. I thought the met today was a lot of fun. It was interesting to get to race on a dirt track, but I think that really brought out the competitive aspect more than just the times. I love the setting. There were some great competitors, who were very friendly. I have nothing but good things to say about the last two meets, they were a lot of fun.
During the meet and at lunch, what did you learn from the Cubans today?
Josh: I didn't get a lot of chances to talk to the Cubans, but I did try to barter with some of them for some of my things. They didn't want to part with some of their jerseys, because they said it was special to them and I understood. But we did talk a little about their background, their events, and that stuff. I got to practice my Spanish, which is always good.
Garrett: I don't speak Spanish personally, but it was fun to interact with the athletes after the meet. Sometimes we had to be translated through a Spanish speaker but it was pretty cool to get to compete against them and then sit down and have a meal with them.
What's been your favorite thing that we have done in Cuba so far?
Josh: That's a hard question. I really liked a lot of the stuff we've done but I think personally the street opera that we went to was amazing. The mixture of languages that they sang in along with the beautiful dances and voices, it was so creative and I really enjoyed it. It was a really great experience.
Garrett: I would say the meets for me were the highlights just because of the fact that we could interact with athletes from a different country who come from different backgrounds and have different methods of training. It was great way to get to know a different culture and group of people. I have to agree with Josh, that the opera was one of the big highlights for me. It was an amazing combination of dancing, singing and so much going on at a venue that wasn't the best.
Josh: They definitely made the best out of the venue, and it sort of contributed to the atmosphere. It's called Opera de la Called and it was in this run down looking warehouse but it added to the ambience of the performance.
If you went home and were asked to summarize our trip in one word, what would it be?
Josh: I'd say colorful. I feel like that can mean a bunch of different things because I've experienced that Cuba is a melting pot of different people and cultures. But also the physical landscape and the places we visited. From the tight streets of Havana to the wide-open jungles of Santa Clara and the really nice beaches of Varadero, it's been a really nice experience.
Garrett: I'd say eye opening. To understand a different system of government and different culture here it was something that will be a valuable experience to everyone on the trip.