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13:17
Once leaving the museum we went to this restaurant (El Aljibe) and were supposed to just have rice with black beans, yet it turns out we got chicken (I didn't eat those since I am vegetarian), omelette, soup, potatoes, salad, then afterwards rice with black beans, I got at the bar a few non-alcoholic drinks, and at the end we got a good coffee and rice pudding. The restaurant had live music and there were cats walking through it. I was told not to pet them, but I did anyway (I thoroughly washed my hands after).

15:03
After leaving the restaurant, we'd drive to the National Museum of the Literacy campaign (Museo Nacional de la Campaña de Alfabetización.). Right after the successful revolution, the communist party of Cuba decided to do something against the illiteracy in the country, and mobilized 107.000 people, a majority of which being women, and also children / teenager aged 8 - 19, to educate the nation's illiterate and teach them how to read and write. This campaign lasted one year, and helped over 700.000 people! This museum documents that. The final test to prove your acquired literacy was to write a letter to either your teacher or Fidel Castro. The museum has every letter ever written to Castro there, some of which displayed.

The campaign wasn't too easy, however, as 42 teachers were killed by US backed contra revolutionaries. It truly shows you're on the wrong side if you have to kill people for the crime of education.

16:36
In a bus to the CIJAM!

It's incredible! Though there was a power outage and we have no WiFi. When we arrived, we sang songs and were welcomed warmly by the other people here. I'm sleeping with 6 people in one room!

19:04
After dinner at the CIJAM in a circle. We discussed the next day, which includes going to a field to work. We'd be woken up by 5:45 AM (or earlier), then we'd have ~1 hour to get ready (shower, eat breakfast), then 07:00 AM we'd collect ourselves at the center of the CIJAM to discuss in what groups we are divided, hence who does what field work, then we're going on a truck and off we go to the fields.

The Americans filled their buckets with the drinking water to shower, now there's no drinking water. There was a scorpion in the women's bathroom, and I seemed to be the only one freaked out about that.

There are beautiful fireflies everywhere, and once the sun disappeared under the horizon, I was able to see the night sky for the first time. The stars looked very different from what I was used to in Hannover.

22:09
Aggressive cicada chirping as ASMR. I hope no scorpion climbs in my bed.

CIJAM, Cuba (GMT-4)
Friday, 25th of April 2025
----END OF DAY 2 OF THE CUBA BRIGADE----