Over spring break Pleasant Valley students, along with others, will be traveling to Cuba. Steph Risius, teacher, is taking students to visit to the previously closed off country of Cuba. Risius said, “There are 23 people going on the trip. 12 adults and 11 kids. We have a range of kids, some that are in elementary that have older siblings going, all the way up to seniors in high school.” There have been a few changes since the trip was first planned. Risius commented, “Fidel Castro died so that is going to be a huge change. I think that you are starting to see an influx of tourists coming in. Before, we Americans weren’t allowed to go to Cuba. You could go through Canada, but there were many hoops that you had to jump through.”
The travelers are taking the trip with the tour company EF Tours. “The itineraries were built after the tourism went open. They have the itinerary of what we are going to do. We are there on what it called a people-to-people visa. Our whole goal of being there is to interact with the locals and to see them not as a touristy thing. We aren’t going to be laying on a beach because that’s not the cultural part of our trip. We have a lot of things built in with our interactions with community members, an elderly home, a day care, an art center, and even a symphony” said Risius. Although they have the itinerary set on what they expect they will be doing, Risius mentioned, “They told us that sometimes the government will one day say you’re not going there today, you are actually going here instead. What we see is regulated by what the government says that we can see. We have a guide that is with us from the Cuban government as well as a guide from the tour company that will be with us.”
Cuba has been closed off to Americans for many years. The recent lift of bans has sparked interest in traveling to the Caribbean country. Risius said, “I am excited because it is a country that I thought that I would never get to see. It is a country that has been closed in my world, and for people who love to travel, I want to go see what the Cuban people have endured. I am excited that we have the people-to-people part because I think that is the best part of travel.” Collin Smith, junior, is one of the students that will be traveling to Cuba. Smith said, “I originally wanted to go because very few Americans had previously been able to, so hopefully I can get a true look into their culture. And I’m most looking forward to talking to the Cuban people and learning about their lifestyle.” The travelers will leave on March 10 and will return on March 19.
