Cuba People-To-People Travel* January 4-11, 2013

Transcription

1 Cuba People-To-People Travel* January 4-11, 2013 Street in Havana *The operation of this tour is pending the issue of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth s People to People license, which is currently under review with the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

2 Draft Land Itinerary Day 1: Jan 04 Fri: Arrival in Havana Arrival in Havana, transfer to hotels. We will drive to the historic Nacional Hotel for lunch. Located on the Malecón, this hotel was designed by a famed New York firm dating from the 1930s and has a fascinating history marked by political shifts. Its remaining splendor and intriguing narrative serve as tangible reminders to Cuba's past. After lunch, we will join an orientation tour of the city before arriving at the Parque Central hotel. Prior to dinner, we will attend an introductory tour briefing before proceeding to the hotel s roof-top for a rum-based cocktail an ideal time to try a mojito! L,D Day 2: Jan 05 Sat: Havana Walking tour of old Havana and afternoon motor coach tour Depart the hotel by foot for an in-depth look at Old Havana. Of all the capital cities in the Caribbean, Havana has the reputation of being the most splendid, with the finest example of Spanish colonial architecture in the Americas. Accompanied by our local guide, we will walk to the center of Old Havana to view a scale model of the area which serves as an excellent introduction to the layout of the city. Close by is the Plaza de Armas which was built in 1584 for military exercises. Used books are sold here most mornings; many of which are post-revolution revisions to Cuban history. Here we will also find Havana's town hall, now the city museum. Of special note is the Cathedral of Saint Christopher located on the cobbled Plaza de la Catedral, described by one Cuban writer as music set in stone. The square is surrounded by some of Havana's oldest buildings, many former homes of Cuba s wealthiest families. We will conclude our morning at the Plaza Vieja, a stunningly beautiful old square which has undergone careful restoration. This afternoon we will take motor coach orientation tour, led by architectural historian and professor Dr. Isabel Rigol, who frequently gives lectures and tours on the subject of Cuban architecture and preservation approaches. The tour will include an inside visit to the recently restored Riviera Hotel, considered a marvel of modern design when it opened in We will continue our drive along La Rampa climbing past the offices of Cubana, the Hotel Havana Libre, and Art-Deco apartment buildings to the Parque 1

3 Copelia. We will continue south from La Rampa on to Calle L, arriving at the entrance to the University of Havana. Before returning to our hotel, we will take a walk through the renowned Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón, noted for its many elaborately sculpted memorials and an estimated 500 major mausoleums, chapels, and family vaults. Day 3: Jan 06 Sun: Havana Departure to Cienfuegos Depart from Havana to Cienfuegos. After breakfast, we will drive along the autopista to Cienfuegos. En route we will stop at the Bay of Pigs where in 1962 about 1,300 heavily armed CIA-trained Cuban exiles landed with the aim of toppling the Castro regime. Later this morning we will visit the Taller Gráfico of Cienfuegos, a wonderful graphic print shop and we will meet the artists, some of whom hold classes for local residents with Down s Syndrome. We will then stop in at the Tomas Terry Theater built between 1887 and 1889 by the son of Venezuelan industrialist Tomas Terry. After lunch, we will visit the Cienfuegos Botanical Garden, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the Americas. Our walk will be led by Clarivel Guerrero Moreno, the chief education officer at the gardens as well as Orlando Garcia, the director of the Provincial Archive of Cienfuegos. Once known as the Atkins Institution and the site of the Harvard Biological Laboratory, the garden reverted to the government following the Cuban revolution and trade embargo. Our visit will focus on the re-established ties between staff and American academics that have resulted in a revived garden. El Jagua Hotel, Cienfuegos Day 4: Jan 07 Mon: Trinidad & Valle de Los Ingenios Drive to Trinidad & to Valle de Los Ingenios After a drive of just over an hour from Cienfuegos to Trinidad, spend the balance of the day exploring Trinidad, founded by Diego de Velasquez in 1514 as a base for his expeditions into the New World. Today it is a living museum, just as the Spaniards left it during its period of greatest opulence. It is the crown jewel of Cuba s colonial cities. The entire city with its palaces, cobbled streets, and tiled roofs is a national monument, and since 1988, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will begin the day at the Plaza Mayor in the center of town and elegantly adorned with glazed earthenware urns. Surrounding the plaza are the Museo Romantico, the 2

4 Museo Arqueología, and the cathedral, Iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima Trinidad, which was built between 1817 and Those interested may explore the cathedral, the largest church in Cuba, renowned for its acoustics. Visit the Palacio Cantero which is housed in a mansion that belonged to the Borrell family from 1827 to Later, the building passed to a German planter named Kanter or Cantero, and it is still called Casa Cantero. Dr. Justo Cantero acquired vast sugar estates and his wealth is well displayed in the stylish neoclassical decoration of the rooms. The view of Trinidad from the top of the tower is wonderful and not to be missed. At lunch we will meet with local entrepreneur David Aloma who recently opened a private restaurant Davimart, which he runs with a staff of three Cubans. Mr. Aloma took advantage of the relaxed regulations regarding private enterprise and opened his establishment with a seating capacity for 30 diners. After lunch at Davimart, we will drive a short distance to explore the area known as the Valle de Los Ingenios. This is the sugar industry s living museum, featuring 75 ruined sugar mills, summer mansions, barracks, and other related facilities. Here we will find the famous 45 meter tall Manaca-Iznaga Tower whose bells once marked the beginning and end of work hours on the sugar plantations. On our return drive to Cienfuegos in late afternoon, we will stop at a local medical clinic to meet with the clinic staff including physician Dr. Joel Yanis, one of the two staff doctors who provides medical services to a community of 1,500 inhabitants. El Jagua Hotel, Cienfuegos Day 5: Jan 08 Tues: Cienfuegos Departure to Havana After breakfast, drive back to Havana. After lunch drive to the 7 y 60 Studio where the work of four young and talented artists is shown - Maria Cienfuegos, Adrian Fernandez, Frank Mujica and Alex Hernandez. Late afternoon meeting with Dr. Ricardo Torres, a professor at the Center for the Cuban Economy at the University of Havana and recent guest scholar at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American studies at Harvard University. Professor Torres will speak on The Changing Faces of Cuba s Economic Structure. Recently, Fidel Castro said that the Cuban economic model, doesn t even work for us anymore. Since then monumental changes have been announced including, but not limited to, the laying off of more than half a million state workers, the privatization of small businesses, a new credit law offering bank loans to some Cubans, and the devaluation of the peso to bring it on par with the dollar. 3

5 Day 6: Jan 09 Wed: Havana Coach travel to meetings around Havana After breakfast, enjoy a round-table discussion on US/Cuban Relations to be given by Professor Raul Rodriquez from the University of Havana. Dr. Rodriquez has written extensively on US-Cuban Relations. After the lecture visit Vivero Alamar, a state-owned research garden to learn about urban gardening. The effects of the Special Period - an extended period of economic crisis that began in the early 1990 s - and the consequent food shortages had great repercussions on the city s estimated 2.5 million occupants. This morning we will have a chance to learn about how produce is grown and distributed, and to meet with manager Miguel Angelo Salcines and other staff. After lunch visit the Celia Sanchez School to meet with the principal, medical staff, teachers and students. The school is dedicated to disabled students and has a medical unit (it specializes in educating children with diabetes and asthma.) The school also assisted students from the former Soviet Union who had been exposed to Chernobyl. Depart the hotel for an evening reception and talk at the Ludwig Foundation, an autonomous, non-governmental and non-profit institution in Cuba created to protect and promote contemporary Cuban artists and culture. The Ludwig Foundation encourages dialog with both Cuban and international cultural communities and acts as a cultural center to encourage the creation of bridges of understanding in Cuba and abroad. Dinner at leisure this evening B,L Day 7: Jan 10 Thurs: Havana Coach travel to meetings around Havana Drive to the National Theater to watch a dance class at the Danza Contemporánea de Cuba. This extraordinary dance group melds the techniques of classical ballet and American modern dance with the rippling spines and head rolls of traditional or folkloric, Afro-Cuban dance; the complex rhythms of Cuban rumba; and the twirling hands and syncopation of Spanish flamenco. Continue on to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes: Arte Cubano (Cuban Collection), housed in the Palacio de Bellas Artes. 4

6 After lunch at the Santa Isabel Hotel drive to the US Interest Section for a briefing and an opportunity to discuss US/Cuban relations. After the briefing visit the Presidential Palace, an ornate building topped by a dome. A short walk away is the Granma Memorial which preserves the vessel that brought Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and other revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba in The Granma, a surprisingly large launch, embodies the powerful spirit of the revolutionary movement. This evening enjoy dinner at the privately operated La Guarida. The restaurant is perhaps the most well-known of all paladares in Havana. It was the location of the 1994 Oscar nominated film, Strawberry and Chocolate. Day 8: Jan 11 Fri: Departure Depart from Havana Return flight from Havana to Miami. 5

7 Costs Price Includes: $3,750 per person Round trip airfare from Miami to Havana; Accommodation for 7 nights based on a double occupancy; All meals listed in the program, plus one drink with lunch and one drink with dinner; Sightseeing and excursions as listed including special events and lectures; Transportation in a deluxe motor-coach; Local Cuban guide; Cuban visa card; Mandatory health insurance and evacuation insurance; All gratuities; and Departure taxes in Miami Optional - $720 Single Supplement Not Included: Departure Taxes in Havana (around $30); Airline charges for luggage; Flight from home city to Miami and back; and Any item not listed above Charter Flight Date Route Flight Departure Arrival Jan 04 Miami, Florida To CTS Charters #5K1801 9:00 AM 10:00 AM Havana, Cuba Operated by Sky King Jan 11 Havana, Cuba To CTS Charters #5K :00 PM 1:00 PM Miami, Florida Operated by Sky King The flight schedule above is subject to change. When you book your return flight, please be sure to leave at least a 4 hour layover at the Miami airport before your connecting flight. Please note that there is a departure tax of 25 CUCs which will need to be paid upon departure from Havana on January 11. Hotels City Hotel URL Havana Parque Central Cienfuegos El Jagua 6