On Saturday, we were supposed to take the children to a park to play games and sports. Because none of our team is under 50, we were dreading this day. “I’m not an athlete!” was our major complaint. Upon arrival in Havana we were pleased to discover that instead of playing in the park, we would be taking the children to the Cuban National Aquarium. Though it was not of the magnitude of Sea World, we were delighted. At least, we were not running after a soccer ball! The children were beyond excited. Though we could not understand what they were being told the night before, it was obvious from their expressions that they were very happy. Jonathan told us that most of the children had not been to the aquarium even though it is just a short bus ride away. They barely managed to sit still on the bus, but Jonathan told them that bad behavior would result in expulsion from the after school program so they were very good. We had each been assigned a group of children to chaperone and my two, a boy and a girl, worked hard to stay with me although they wanted to run ahead and see the animals. There were lots of turtles, fish, sea lions (sea wolves in Cuba) and dolphins. After looking at all the turtles and fish including the sharks that drew shrieks of excitement from the children, we went to the sea lion show and then, the dolphin show. Of course, the vendors selling snacks were a distraction. Though we all had American money, we did not have any tourist money yet, so we had to say no, which made us sad though the children did not beg us to buy for them. Some of the children had money and I was impressed with how they shared with their friends. A small bag of chips goes a long way when everyone only takes two! Of course, then, they wanted something to drink! Though the park was small, we walked a lot. The ocean front section was washed away in a storm ten years ago and new show stadiums built farther inland, plus the children all insisted on sitting on the top rows of the stadium! After our time at the aquarium, we went to a nearby park for a picnic. The spoiled Americans looked for picnic tables, restrooms and garbage cans, of which there were none. The children sat on the ground to eat. Some squatted behind trees to relieve themselves. A garbage bag hung from a nearby tree. Lunch consisted of a baloney sandwich, juice and a soda. There were a lot of sandwiches left over so the poorest of the children were selected to take additional food and drinks home with them. Returning to the church, they all raced off the bus to share their experiences with their family. As for our team, with so much walking, standing and climbing stairs, we felt as if we had run a sports camp at the park!
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