Courtesy of John Scarinci, York College SID

Cuba: Day One Recap

The 16 student-athletes of the CUNY Athletic Conference embarked on their historic trip Friday, arriving in Havana, Cuba for the first day of the 2016 CUNY Goodwill Tour.

After spending the night in Ft. Lauderdale, the crew rose early to get back to the airport to depart to Havana. The boarding process had it share of drama thanks to some delays that resulted in several of the CUNY student-athletes sprinting to the gate to get there in time. Good thing they are all athletic!

Fortunately, everyone got on in time and the plane touched down around 1 p.m. Everyone departed the aircraft right onto the tarmac and set their sights on Cuba for the first time.

After another lengthy delay at the baggage claim (things move a bit slow in Cuba), all the student-athletes boarded the bus and made the trip to the hotel. On the way to the hotel, they got a glimpse of how Cuba is frozen in time, with ubiquitous classic 1950s American cars on the roads and old buildings with classic architecture that looked like they haven't been touched in decades.

"It brought me back to the Dominican Republic and how poor we are, said BMCC women's basketball player Jhonna Castro, who is a native of the Dominican Republic, "But at the same time, we really appreciate what we have, like family and culture. I felt a really good connection with the land."

"It made me see how little they have compared to what we have, yet how happy they are," added York College Track and Field Athlete Diana Cuevas.

They also drove by the famous Revolution Square, where images of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro are plastered across the walls, and where President Barack Obama visited just a month earlier. .

Once at the hotel, everyone checked in and was treated to stunning views from the balcony of their rooms. With everyone staying on the 21st floor, the balcony overlooked all of Havana.

"Once we got into our room and we looked out and it just looks out over the ocean and its unbelievably gorgeous. I didn't believe it," added Brooklyn College men's soccer player Kevin Bresnan.

Everyone then got a little bit of rest and went out to a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant called Magi's, which featured lobster, shrimp and a delicious dessert.

Tomorrow will be another busy day with a guided tour of Havana. Check back then for another update.