I wanted to make a longer trip to South America and some Spanish speaking country to improve my Spanish. I found Corazon Cuba's program in Venezuela (called Travelling Classroom) through google.
It encompassed Spanish lessons with adventure traveling, which was a perfect match for what I was searching for.
As the situation in Venezuela is a bit unstable now, I was happy to hear that they opened the same program in Cuba and I decided to try it out.
Hmm...difficult question. I was really satisfied with everything, so maybe I would point out that I'm sorry that I didn't do the diving trip with our guide, Joel. I didn't do it because of bad weather and rain during the two weekends. It was not possible to do it during working days because of our schedules were full with Spanish lessons.
I met Joel, who was our guide and my companion for the most of my trip. It's just amazing to hear how the people of my age live in different cultures and to experience their lifestyle for a short time.
He introduced us to almost his whole family. His uncle Vianko is a renowned artist and his girlfriend Gracy is a law student.
We also met his father and others; we went out with his friends who play in a band and they told us about their work and views on life matters.
As Cubans lack lots of stuff, it's an eye-opening experience to understand what really matters in life. It makes you not take things for granted and appreciate what we have in life.
There were lots of them! I think I'll never forget the night when we went to the Buena Vista Social Club concert in Hotel Nacional. I really didn't expect much, but the music and atmosphere turned out to be so great and the show was just amazing.
We also spent evenings in local restaurants listening to the bands and drinking mojitos. Another great moment was our trip to the mountains of Pinar del Rio, where we watched a telenovela in the evening with the locals.
The locals that I met for the first time offered us everything (even beds in their house because of the strong rain outside). I also drank freshly brewed coffee, which they grew and it was just a delight - the best coffee I ever drank.
I also liked poetry reading and art exhibitions on Sundays in Paseo del Prado, one of the main streets in Havana. I can also never forget the way we rode in Cuban public transportation. We rode in completely full buses in Havana and old massive trucks around the country.
Bring sun lotion and insect repellent. Also try to bring some things as a donation, such as shampoos, soaps, tissues, child toys, pens, or crafts because they really lack these things. No special tips for female students because it's really safe. Also, try to learn some Spanish words before you come, as not many people speak English.