For those who haven’t visited Cuba in the past 57 years, Ernest Hemingway, the U.S.S. Maine and the heroes of the 1959 Revolution are still well-represented as central parts of the island nation’s history, according to two Newcastle residents who visited the Communist country in December.

David and Kristin Harman served as educational consultants for their longtime friend Phin Sprague’s latest educational program: Ocean Passages: Adventures with a Purpose. Sprague is the owner of the Portland Yacht Club. He has operated numerous at-sea educational programs for college-age students for decades.

On Dec. 8, the couple began a 20-hour boat cruise from Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba. The schooner arrived at the country’s largest port, Marina Hemingway. The port is located near famed American author Ernest Hemingway’s mansion which he owned from 1939-60.

Hemingway left his mansion and prized yacht, The Pilar, to the Cuban nation before he left the country. Hemingway died a year later. The Harmans toured the mansion, viewed The Pilar, and saw the swimming pool where actress Ava Gardner reportedly once swam nude.

The mansion is unoccupied and looks as the same as Hemingway left it, according to the Harmans.

“He’s still a huge figure there,” said David Harman. “There is also a picture of him and Fidel Castro, there, which is a familiar sight on the island. They revere Hemingway and consider him a hero.”

The Havana port also “Remember(s) the Maine.” A large memorial commemorating the U.S.S. Maine is located in the harbor. The memorial was built in 1926 and lists all the sailors who died in an 1898 explosion three weeks after entering the port. The explosion helped trigger the Spanish-American War, which ultimately led to Cuban independence.

During their nine-day Cuban tour, the Harmans stayed in casa particulars, local bed and breakfasts, as they journeyed throughout the island. On the second day, they traveled to the southern port city of Cienfuegos. Sprague’s floating classroom — The Harvey Gamage, a 130-foot wooden schooner built at Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol — is docked in the port city’s harbor. Cienfuegos is the beginning location for the 10-week course scheduled for the 2016-17 school year. The program explores Cuba’s marine environment complemented with lessons in Cuban culture, history, Spanish language and the U.S.-Cuban relationship during the past six decades.

The Harmans made a 3.5-hour, 250-mile trip from Havana to Cienfuegos by taxi. These vintage cars serve as a reminder of the past relationship between Cuba and U.S. since the 1959 revolution. They are all powered by Russian and Chinese motors inside American bodies. The cars also have one other distinctive characteristic.

“They’re all painted in bright, vibrant colors. They really stand out,” Kristin Harman said. “The cars are all so old. It’s like they keep them running with string and chewing gum.”

This was not the couple’s first visit to a Communist country. They previously toured The People’s Republic of China, Kingdom of Cambodia, and Socialist Republic of Vietnam. By far, the Harmans view Cuba’s economy as the worst.

“The other Communist nations have emerging economies, but not Cuba,” Kristin Harman said. “They are in desperate need of jobs. You walk by shops, and nothing is in there.”

The poor economy also limits Cubans’ food options. Cuban homemade meals consist mostly of rice, beans and whatever else a family can find. In Cuban markets, shoppers have difficulty buying milk, eggs and meat with any regularity. In restaurants, the selection isn’t any better.

“Servers begin by telling you what’s not available,” Kristin Harman said.

As the tour continued, the couple found Cubans to be friendly. Neither David or Kristin spoke Spanish, but the Cubans spoke enough English  to ease the communication gap. One person they  enjoyed meeting was a lovely elderly lady who operated one of the casa particulars.

“She was wonderful,” David said. “And they all welcomed us, and were all very friendly. They love Americans and they’re very hopeful that relations will improve with the U.S.”

The couple also observed Cuba being a safe place. They felt secure walking around a strange country.

“There is virtually no crime. We felt safe at all times,” David said.

As they traveled, the Harmans saw faces of the same three men seemingly everywhere. Large murals of the 1959 Revolution heroes are abundant throughout the island. The murals picture Cuban exiles Fidel Castro and Camilo Cienfuegos along with Argentine Che Guerva. The revolutionaries and 80 other guerillas made the Granma Expedition in 1956 aboard a tiny yacht. Three years later, the three men led the revolt which overthrew the Batista government.

“(Murals of the three men) are everywhere,” David said. “This is common in all Communist countries where the revolutionary leaders are heralded. So it wasn’t a big surprise to see them all over Cuba.”

In December 2014, President Obama took the first step in normalizing relations with Cuba by easing trade and travel restrictions imposed during the past half century. Despite the change in U.S. policy, Cuba is still a difficult place for Americans or anyone else to visit.

“You just can’t go there on vacation. You need a purpose. Ours was education. The Cuban government is still very cautious about who is allowed into the country,” Kristin said.

The Harmans’ visit came two weeks after Fidel Castro’s death. The couple doesn’t think his death is likely to change current U.S. and Cuban relations.

“They (Cubans) didn’t talk much politics with us. They are hopeful things will change for their economy, but they don’t think too much will change, because Raoul, his brother, is still in charge.”

The Harmans were unpaid consultants. They visited Cuba mostly out of curiosity. For David, it was seeing a place he’s heard a lot about, but never expected to visit.

“It was on my bucket list and it had a kind of forbidden aspect about it.” For Kristin, she remembers tensions between the U.S. and Cuba dating back to her childhood. A birthday of hers was cancelled due to the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

“My father was a doctor at the Limestone Air Force Base. All the women and children evacuated the base out of fear of going to war. So my birthday was cancelled.”

Before retiring, the Harmans both worked in Brooklyn, New York as administrators at private prep schools. They moved to Newcastle as year round residents in 2015.