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Today was our last day in Vinales, we started off he Day by returning to Pelegrín and continuing our work with pottery. We had a competition for best pottery work and the winners received artwork from Pelegrín. We also had an opportunity to give gifts to the kids at Pelegrín. The gifts included soccer balls, stuffed animals, and books. We also planted a tree in honor of Ensworth in Pelegrín's backyard. Om our way back to Vinales we stopped at a scenic overlook that provided and awesome view of Vinales Valley. Once we returned to our homestay in Vinales and had a scavenger hunt. We split up into 3 groups and found buildings, animals, and monuments all over Vinales. Once we finished the scavenger hunt, we shared our leadership stories with each other. We were divided into 3 groups, each with a different chaperone. Our leadership stories consisted of how this trip and other important events have influenced our lives. We had a very fun and successful last day in Vinales!    Hello family and friends of the Ensworth program in Cuba! The students are back in the United States on their layover in Atlanta. Currently their flight to Nashville but we encourage you to continue to monitor it. Thank you for trust and support and Happy 4th of July! Erin Hawk Executive Director  Hola from Vinales! Today we began our adventures with a drive to Raices, or Roots, which is a beautiful handmade farm. Noel, our fearless leader, lead us up his mountain to witness two breathtaking views. Noel also explained that he had a dream of a man who was carved from a stump on top of the second look out. He shared that everything on his property was created by him, which included several structures made out of wood, a tobacco farm, and the mountain we hiked, but inspired by what the carving told him in his dream. We finished out time at Raicez with a tobacco presentation and a pig roast. After Raicez, we stoped to see the prehistoric cave painting which took 4 years and 18 people to paint. To end the day, we had a few hours of free time to play cards and explore the town in Vinales. Adios, Kaitlyn   
oday we went to Cuervo del Indio: the cave of the natives. The cave was moist and dark. When entering the cave, the walls narrowed and we had to bend down in order to get through certain parts. Inside the cave temperatures decreased from the normal 80 degree morning mountain air to 60-70 degrees. Transitioning from a hike to a boat ride was unforgettable. The water was brown and looked like the chocolate river in Willy Wonka. When we were on the boat we saw a few bats. The adventure through the cave was short-lived, but definitely a memorable part of the trip. Bennett Part 2 Pelegrín was awesome. They are a community project focused on bringing art and a gathering space to a community in need. Pelegrín is an artist who donated his house and the farm to create studios, classrooms (open air huts), a library, and a gallery. There is a large pottery studio where we painted clay pots for the organization. Ms. Deal got to work the wheel and make numerous pieces for them. We also took a Cuban dancing lesson from a man who sings there. There were a lot of animals on the property including an alligator, birds, turtles, catfish, rabbits, and guinea pigs, etc. All in all we had a great day and Vinales is a gorgeous place to be!
 Hey Y'all ! This morning we visited the land of the mosaics, which was a street covered in art and designs made from tiles by the artist Fuster. It was really cool to climb to the top of staircase, and look over the city of glass. Then, we went to the Cuban Ballet School. First, we watched the end of the men's company class. I can honestly say we were all mesmerized by the athleticism of the male dancers. Next, we were able to watch a piece that was previously choreographed. This dance portrayed the story of a young girl who fell in love and then died by falling into a river. After the ballet, we stopped by a pizza restaurant on the way to Vinales. Ask anyone on the trip, this was literally the best meal EVER. We all miss the food back home so much, but we are really enjoying trying so many things in Cuba. After a two hour drive, we arrived at the cultural farm center we will work at for the next three days. The land was absolutely beautiful, and the people there already were dancing with us from the minute we walked in the door. Soon we arrived at our homestays in Vinales and they are literally hotels. They are super nice, but there is a lizard in my hotel. After much debate and failed attempts at removing him, we kept him as a roommate and named him Paco ! After dinner we all showered and went to bed. Miss & Love everyone at home, Carrie :) <3 Hey Guys! Today was a busy but exciting day! First, we hopped in the van and drove to the famous writer, Ernest Hemingway's, house. Once we walked up to his house, you were able to see the rooms, that were untouched since he was last there, therefore we weren't aloud to go in. We were also able to see the skyline of Havana from his backyard garden (which was pretty cool). We then drove to El estatua de cristo in Havana, that was made by the same sculptor that created the famous statue in Rio, Brazil. Then from there we were able to see the whole city of Havana. We next were able to go to lunch at a restaurant called Divino, that was located on a farm. Before we ate, they gave us a tour of their farm and what they grew. They also showed us a house where the elderly are aloud to eat for free. After we ate, we went to a national park, where we saw huge trees and horses. While we were their we played games and talked about our trip so far. Lastly, we went to La Casa de Cultura. This is where kids take Cuban style dance classes, and were able to perform for us and get us involved in teaching us how to dance. Overall, it was a great and fun day where we got to learn and get involved with the Cuban culture!
     Today the group had a great time today. We started off the day with a trip to fumero, a pottery workshop. Here we had lots of fun creating a pieces to a wind chime. After lunch in Havana hamell, we watched an African cultural dance and learned about the Cuban artist Salvadore. Then we went to Clave Sol Vocal & Orquesta de Guitarras and listened to a school band perform many songs of the Cuban culture.
From, Seve & Sam Today was our second day in Cuba! We started off the day by having a fruit and egg breakfast then traveled to old Havana. We toured old Havana where we we're exposed and informed of the rich Cuban history. We went to the art museum where we saw some of the fine arts influenced by the Cuba culture. After that we went to the revolution museum where we saw cool vehicles and toured the palace. After that we at lunch at cha cha cha then headed back for free time with our beloved homestays. We wrapped up the day with some group building exercises and dinner.
- Maggie and Lucius |
