CUBA November 7-14, 2016 University of Redlands

Transcription

1 CUBA November 7-14, 2016 University of Redlands Day 1 Miami Monday, November 7 Travelers arrive in Miami independently on Monday, November 7. Crowne Plaza Hotel is located 5 minutes from MIA Airport. Free shuttle service to and from the Miami airport every 20 minutes. Look for signs indicating where hotel shuttles pick up passengers in the departure level (2 nd floor). Taxis are also available. Check in to Crowne Plaza Hotel. A reservation has been made for you. Crowne Plaza Miami International Airport 950 NW Le Jeune Rd. Miami, FL Tel: (305) :00 pm Group meets in the lobby of the hotel. Meet-and-greet in nearby conference room. 8:00 pm Dinner Day 2 Tuesday, November 8: Miami to Havana 6:00 am Group meets in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel to board shuttle for the airport 6:30 am Check-in at Miami International Airport (MIA) for Havana Air flight #EA3141 operated by Eastern Airlines. Havana Air flight departs from Concourse G. There is a Havana Air checkin counter near Dunkin Donuts. (Note: Flight departure time and details will be confirmed at a later date) 9:00 am Depart from Miami to Havana. Flight duration is 1 hour. 10:00 am Arrive in Havana. Clear customs and immigration (approximately 1 hour). 11:30 am Visit the Plaza de la Revolución, the center of government also commonly used for massive rallies. 12:00 pm Lunch at VIP Havana. Itinerary subject to change. 1

2 VIP Havana ranks among the most stylish paladares in Havana, and its airy interior is strikingly modern (especially compared to its more historically minded brethren). Inside, a pianist on a baby grand provides the soundtrack while the paladar offers international cuisine. 2:00 pm Visit Callejon de Hamel A street in Havana known for its lively murals, rumba, and lengthy rhythmic chants powerful enough to summon up the spirit of the Orishas. This section of Havana is popular with followers of the Santeria religion. Our host and guide will be Elias Aseff, who will explain the role of African religion and culture in Cuba and the importance of Santeria in everyday life. A short walk away is the home of a Babalao (priest). 3:00 pm Visit some of the most iconic buildings representative of Havana s modernist fifties. (Riviera Hotel, Habana Libre, Coppelia Ice cream, Pabellon Cuba) 4:00 pm Check in Hotel Parque Central. The luxury 5-star hotel is located in the very heart of Old Havana. Havana's attractions, including the Great Theatre of Havana and Paseo del Prado, are within easy walking distance of Hotel Parque Central. The local area is also well-known for its shops and boutiques. Inside, the Parque Central Hotel combines the elegance of colonial style with modern accommodation. Rooms at Hotel Parque Central feature city views, and offer all the necessities so that guests have a wonderful stay, including rooftop pools. Hotel Parque Central Neptuno, esquina Prado y Zulueta, Havana, Cuba, Havana 10100, Cuba Tel :00 pm Visit Hotel Nacional del Cuba. The hotel exhibits an eclectic architectural style, reflecting Art Deco, Arabic references, features of Hispano-Moorish architecture, and both neo-classical and neo-colonial elements. There are even details from the centuries-old Californian style. The resulting unique example of so many schools of architecture is the most unusual and interesting hotel in the Caribbean region. 8:00 pm Welcome dinner at El Atelier. (L,D) Set in a 19th-century building, this charming restaurant serves some of the best cuisine in Havana. The selective menu is tiny and beautifully executed, with Chef David Jobert creating recipes with fresh from-the-market ingredients. Day 3 Wednesday, November 9: Havana Breakfast is served every day at the restaurant in the lobby level from 7:00 am to 10:00 am. 10:00 am Walking tour of Havana Vieja. Wear comfortable shoes. This morning we visit the Plaza de Armas, a scenic tree-lined plaza formerly at the center of influence in Cuba. It is surrounded by many of the most historic structures in Havana as well as important monuments. Continue to the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, a massive fortress built between 1558 and Itinerary subject to change. 2

3 Visit the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales. The palace currently houses the Museo de la Ciudad and was the former residence of the Spanish Captains. Visit to the Plaza de la Catedral and the Catedral de San Cristobal de La Habana. Visit the Centro Wilfredo Lam, a cultural institution dedicated to the study, research and promotion of contemporary visual arts from developing countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean Visit to Taller de Grafica Experimental. The Taller is more than Havana s printmaking workshop. It is a studio, a school and most of all, an art institution that preserves and develops the sophisticated art of print making with relative freedom of spirit and form. 12:00 pm Lunch at Paladar Los Mercaderes. Housed in a historic building, Paladar los Mercaderes is one of Cuba's most distinguished restaurants, known for its Cuban and international dishes. The restaurant has to be one of Cuba's most refined paladares for ambience, service and food. 2:00 pm Wander through the Plaza Vieja. We also see the Plaza de San Francisco, a cobbled plaza surrounded by buildings dating from the 18 th century, dominated by the baroque Iglesia and Convento de San Francisco dating from :00 pm Walk back to the hotel at leisure (20-min). 6:00 pm Demonstrative lecture on Cuban Music by Prof. Alberto Faya at Bar Asturias. Alberto Faya is a singer and guitarist, who has written countless musical pieces for Cuban and international TV and radio. He will give us an overview of the rich mélange of influences that make up Cuban music, with the assistance of a jazz trio comprised of his son David and his young band mates. Enjoy this lively and interactive show. 7:30 pm Dinner at La Terraza. Ernest Hemingway lived in Cojimar for some years and this was his favorite restaurant, as evidenced by the many pictures of the American author there, including one with Fidel Castro. La Terraza offers a fabulous view of the Cojímar Bay. The dining room itself is light, airy, with pleasant clean lines, and great glass windows and lightwood being both easy on the eye. The old bar out front is atmospheric and perhaps more authentic in its wornness. The food here is all about the seafood. Day 4 Thursday, November 10: Havana 10:00 am Attend a performance by Compañía Irene Rodriguez (flamenco). We will receive a warm welcome by Irene Rodriguez who is considered by many to be the finest flamenco dancer in Cuba. Irene will introduce us to the dancers and discuss the cultivation of artistic talent in Cuba. 11:30 am Architecture walking tour of Centro Havana guided by Architect Orestes del Castillo. We will visit Havana s Central Park and the first monument erected in Cuba (1904), dedicated to National hero Jose Marti. Visit to the former Centro Gallego, built in 1915 by Belgium architect Paul Belau, today the Great Theatre of Havana, which includes the Garcia Lorca Theatre among other rooms. Itinerary subject to change. 3

4 Visit the Bacardi building, the most significant art deco building in Havana. Visit the recently restored lavish Palacio de los Matrimonios, the former Casino Español of Havana, built in 1914 by Luis Dediot. Walk along the Paseo de Marti (Paseo del Prado), a tree lined pedestrian promenade leading to the sea and also designed by Forestier. 1:00 pm Lunch at La Guarida. La Guarida's lofty reputation rests on its movie-location setting (Fresa y chocolate was filmed in this building) and a clutch of swashbuckling international newspaper reviews. The food is up there with Havana's best, as it is establishing a pioneering brand of Nueva Cocina Cubana. 3:30 pm Visit to the Christopher Colon Cemetery, an elaborate necropolis covering nearly 8% of the city. 4:30 pm Return to the hotel. 6:00 pm Meet for an optional discussion in the conference room. 7:30 pm Dinner at San Cristobal. Decorated with old furniture, black and white photos and quirky antiques, this paladar has a nostalgic atmosphere. Their specialty is Cuban-Creole cuisine. Day 5 Friday, November 11: Day trip to Viñales 9:00 am Depart for our day trip to Viñales Valley (3-hour drive). Considered by many to be the most beautiful place in Cuba, the Viñales Valley National Monument holds stunning landscapes. The area is also famous for being the premier tobacco growing area in the world. 12:30 pm Visit the Family Farm of Concha and Paco Ramirez This beautiful 40-acre farm has belonged to Concha and Paco Hernandez s family for many generations. Their farm produces tobacco as well as a multitude of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Lunch will be served at the farm by the family. 2:00 pm Visit a Despalillo, a processing facility where tobacco leaves are dried, fermented, classified, then shipped out to a cigar factory. Free time to explore Viñales. 3:30 pm Depart to Havana. 7:00 pm Arrive in Havana. Remainder of the evening and dinner on your own. (B,L) Day 6 Saturday, November 12: Havana 9:30 am Lecture on US Cuba-relations by prof. Carlos Alzugaray. Itinerary subject to change. 4

5 11:30 am Visit Finca Vigía From 1980 to 2007 Professor Alzugaray was on the faculty of the Raul Roa Garcia Advanced Institute for International Relations (ISRI). He was the ISRI Department Chair ( ) and Coordinator for Strategic and International Studies ( ). Since June 2007, he has been Professor at the Center for Hemispheric and United States Studies (CEHSEU), at the University of Havana. Before becoming a full-time scholar in 1996, he spent 35 years ( ) as a Foreign Service Officer, being posted at Cuban diplomatic and consular missions since He is the author of more than 30 publications on Cuban international relations. Ten miles east of Havana is Hemingway's Cuba house - Finca Vigia, meaning "lookout house". Finca Vigia is located in the small, working-class town of San Francisco de Paula. The Cuban people have always respected famous writer's choice to live in a modest town, amongst the people with which he fished. There, Hemingway wrote two of his most celebrated novels: For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. A Movable Feast was written there as well. After Hemingway's death in 1961, the Cuban government took ownership of the property - either with or without the approval of Mary Hemingway. Finca Vigía has made both the World Monuments Fund list of 100 Most Endangered sites, and The National Trust for Historic Preservation s 11 Most Endangered Places. 1:00 pm Visit Finca Yoandra The farm is located in the neighborhood of Mantilla that produces more than a 100 varieties of organic fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants. We will tour the farm and meet with owners Marco Deluca and Yoandra Álvarez and talk about sustainable farming in Cuba. The farm also serves as a community center, providing social programs and leisurely activities for the local elderly. We will get a chance to meet and talk to some of the senior citizens. 1:30 pm Lunch cooking demonstration at the farm s restaurant El Divino. At the heart of Finca Yoandra, Divino restaurant invites you to delve into a journey through the five senses. A unique place where culinary traditions take center stage amidst music and art. Also when you dine at Il Divino, you support our social programs for the elderly and children in the community. 3:30 pm Visit the arts and craft market in the harbor. 4:00 pm Return to the hotel. 6:30 pm Visit the home of contemporary art dealer and collector Milagros Borges. She has one of the most diverse and expansive collections of established and up-and-coming artists in Cuba. 7:30 pm Dinner at La Cocina de Lilliam. Slick service, secluded ambience, and exquisitely fresh cuisine, La Cocina de Lilliam has all the ingredients of a prize-winning restaurant. Set in an illustrious villa in Miramar and surrounded by a garden with trickling fountains and lush tropical plants, diners can tuck into such Cuban rarities as salmon soufflé and tuna bruschetta in an atmosphere that is more European than Caribbean. 9:30 pm Return to the hotel. Day 7 Sunday, November 13: Havana 9:30 am Lecture on Cuban Economy and recent changes by prof. Juan Alejandro Triana. A graduate of the University of Havana and a faculty member of the Department of Economics at the Instituto Politechnico Jose Echevarria (ISPJAE), Triana s research and publications have focused on Itinerary subject to change. 5

6 microfinancing in Cuba and Cuba-U.S. economic relations. He will lecture on the changing policies of privately owned businesses in Cuba, the concept of microfinancing and how it differs from similar programs in other countries. 11:00 am Visit the Museum of Cuban Art with curator Aylet Ojeda. The museum is dedicated exclusively to Cuban Art from the earliest days of colonialism to the latest generation of Cuban artists. The tour will be led by Aylet Ojeda, Curator of Contemporary Cuban and Native Art at the Museum of Cuban Art, and who holds a master s degree in Art History from the University of Miami. She will highlight some of the most important works and offer perspective on the progression of Cuban art from the earliest days of colonization to the latest generations of national artists. 12:30 pm Lunch at Al Carbon. Created by the owners of the immensely popular Ivan Justo, the restaurant specializes in traditional Cuban dishes cooked over charcoal. The design charmingly mixing antiques and vintage objects of various periods. 2:00 pm Visit the Museum of Revolution. This museum resides in the former Presidential Palace, constructed between 1913 and 1920 and used by a string of cash-embezzling Cuban presidents, culminating in Fulgencio Batista. The world-famous Tiffany's of New York decorated the interior, and the shimmering Salón de los Espejos (Room of Mirrors) was designed to resemble the eponymous room at the Palace of Versailles. The museum itself descends chronologically from the top floor starting with Cuba's pre-columbian culture and extending to the present-day socialist regime. 3:00 pm Return to the hotel. 6:00 pm Meet for an optional discussion in the conference room. 7:30 pm Attend a private music and dance concert of Habana compas 8:30 pm Farewell dinner at Rio Mar. Enjoy dinner at this private restaurant overlooking the Almendares River s picturesque bay and estuary. This little bay is sheltered but gives you a sense and smell of the ocean without the waves. Since the opening in February 2012, Rio Mar has gone straight to the top of most pop charts for dining options. This is on account of not just the fabulous location but also, attentive service, fabulous food and an attention to minimalist elegant décor. 10:00 pm Return to the hotel. Day 8 Monday, November 14: Havana to Miami 6:30 am Check out of hotel. Bus departs for Havana Airport. 7:00 am Arrive at airport. Check in for Miami bound flight. 9:00 am Depart Havana for Miami on Havana Airlines flight #3140 operated by Eastern Airlines. (Note: Flight departure time and details will be confirmed at a later date) 10:00 am Arrive in Miami. Clear customs and connect with flights home. Please allow for enough connection time. (B) Itinerary subject to change. 6

7 Note: This is a suggested program only and subject to change. A final itinerary will be available for distribution two weeks prior to departure. Itinerary subject to change. 7