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Cuba’s culture is rich! That is certain. The food, the music, dance, their religious belief, arts and fashion and the love among the people is genuine. A destination I can visit over and over. However, one of the most profound moments of my visit to Cuba was greeting Maria, my room cleaner, every day. She was very polite, a single mother of two and in our solemn conversations I found out that life was tough for Maria. Let’s rewind for a second. Cuba was definitely a life-changing experience. It has easily become one of my favorite places to travel too and it’s simply one of those places that never wears you out. After landing at the Jose Marti International Airport and driving for only a few minutes you automatically begin to feel as though you are on the set of a movie based on the early ’90s. The buildings, the cars, very old-fashioned, and just the relaxed and laid back atmosphere can take about 5 years off of your appearance. I was on a study tour along with 35 colleagues of the Global Studies class of 2014 from The University of the West Indies. Thanks to the International Relations Department for organizing such an experience for their Global Studies Masters Programme students. The group stayed at Hotel Nacional which is located in Havana, a grand structure outfitted with unique historical architecture and which stands to overlook the waters of Bahía de la Habana. We stayed in Havana for three days then took the bus to Memories Varadero and on the fourth day, we left for Panama. In Havana, we visited the Old San Juan Warehouses which were transformed into the Arts and Crafts Market for talented artisans to showcase their work. Ancestral paints that tell stories of a hundred years of slavery and the fusion of Caribbean cultures plastered the walls of the buildings, clay, metal, and wooden crafts and sculptures all beautifully handmade. One cannot simply visit Cuba and not take a trip to Old Havana to visit the Jose Marti Memorial. The memorial towers are a high 358 feet shadowing over the Plaza de la Revolucion in central Havana. Inside hosts a museum that depicts Marti’s life story as well as his heroic struggle for the independence of Cuba. A famous Marti saying that motivates me is, "Like stones rolling down hills, fair ideas reach their objectives despite all obstacles and barriers. It may be possible to speed or hinder them, but impossible to stop them". It took us a brutal two hours and thirty minutes to get to the majestic Memories Varadero. Memories Varadero is the ideal destination for a romantic getaway or an exciting family vacation. My first impression was as if God came and placed heaven on earth right in Cuba and they have been keeping it a secret. It's absolutely breathtaking, full of water activities and a relaxation haven. A paradise of all you can eat and drink! The Cuban people are so full of life, warm and inviting, but one thing common among most of that is that they struggle to make ends meet. In Maria’s case, she worked two jobs and this still was barely covering expenses. Her mom who took care of her children was ailing and medical bills were piling up. Despite all of this Maria still maintained a pleasant ora and did her job diligently. On my last day at Hotel Nationale, I gifted Maria with a basket of toiletries, snacks for the kids and one or two food items. I wanted to go so much more but as a student on a study tour, I guess it was the best I could have done. Maria, on the other hand, was so grateful, she said that it’s against the hotel’s policy to accept items like these from the guest but I insisted and she agreed. She said to me, “El amor todo lo puede”. I asked what does it mean and she said, “Love can do it all”.