U.S. Travelers in Havana Cheer Obama Visit

It’s not just Cubans who are anxiously anticipating U.S. President Barack Obama’s arrival this afternoon.

American travelers in Havana, some of whom booked their trips long before the trip was announced, are tickled to be in town during the historic visit.

Watch pictures & videos of President Obama’s Cuba visit here

Alexandra Perraud is a 25-year-old law school student in Chicago who’s spending her spring break studying law at a university in Havana. She says she’s “very fortunate to just happen to be here.”

Perraud says the Cubans she’s met since arriving Friday have all been warm, friendly and eager to talk about Obama, baseball and their excitement about the trip.

She calls this an “extremely exciting moment” and says it’s “fabulous” that Cuba and the United States are repairing relations after more than 50 years of acrimony.

Her friend Emily Bitzer is also a law student in Chicago. The 24-year-old says the two countries have much in common and says Obama’s visit “will really help sort of get things started with the opening of relations and coming back together.”

Perraud and Bitzer are hoping to be able to see Obama at some point, but it won’t be at a baseball game between the Tampa Rays and the Cuban national team that he’s planning to attend.

Source: The Associated Press