From the Harbor to Havana Join Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater on a Cuban Arts & Culture Tour February 28 March 7, 2016 A fascinating country on the brink of change. This is your chance to learn, engage, and experience the rich history of Cuban visual art, dance, theater, music and literature. You will be able to say, I was there when For more information, please go to WHAT.org/Cuba-2016 or contact jeffry@what.org or call 508-349-9428 ext. 105
From the Harbor to Havana Please join Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (WHAT) on a tour that will reveal the soul of your next love: Cuba. After more than half a century, The U.S. and Cuba are seeking to normalize relations. Before the island is flooded with American tourists and KFC s, you can experience how this nation has developed artistically and culturally. You will also meet with experts who will provide fascinating insights on who Cuba is now and where she may be going in the future. All of this with a seasoned guide who will reveal the ultimate insider s view. Your Unique Experience Includes: Behind the scenes and backstage visits with art, dance, music and theater companies Personal conversations with experts on culture, literature & the community Travel with WHAT Executive/Artistic Director Jeffry George 8 days, 7 nights in Cuba 1 night & a Pre-Cuba Party in Miami Round-trip Air Miami/Havana/Miami Tax-deductible support for Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater And much more Cuba is an island that assaults the senses. The visitor is greeted with strains of exotic rhythms such as salsa and rumba emanating from every corner, and an aquamarine sea laps the white, palm-fringed beaches all around the island. Cuba s sensual and contagious rhythms have influenced musicians the world over, its cigars are legendary and the exotic cocktails are to die for.
From the Harbor to Havana Your Hotel: 7 nights at the 5-star Melia Cohiba in Havana Frommer s Review: Sitting just off the Malecón, this high-rise hotel, with its sharp angles and alternating walls of stone and glass, is probably the most modern building in Havana. It provides all the services and amenities luxury travelers are looking for in a top-rated hotel. Rooms are large and comfortable, and most have excellent views. It s got a wonderful outdoor pool and the best-equipped health club found in any hotel in Havana. The Cohiba has a wide range of restaurants and shops, and even its buffet restaurant is a treat with live cook stations. The Habana Café is one of the better club/restaurants in town with a nightly floor show and live music. Your Meals: 18 meals Breakfast 9, Lunch 5, Dinner 4 Tax Letter Since part of this trip is a fundraiser for WHAT, we will provide a letter noting the taxdeductible value of approximately $1,000. Cuba, with its mix of Spanish and African roots, is the largest, least commercialized, and most exciting island in the Caribbean. It is also one of the world's last bastions of communism with a fascinating modern history. Cuba's relative political isolation has prevented it from being overrun by tourists, and locals are sincerely friendly to those who do venture in.
Your Itinerary: From the Harbor to Havana The Night Before, Sunday, 2/28 Your first night will be at the Crowne Plaza Miami International Airport. You are invited to join us for a pre-trip reception to meet your fellow travelers and celebrate the upcoming trip. Meals: Refreshments at reception Day 1, Monday, 2/29 Following breakfast at the hotel, you will meet our guide and participate in a briefing that will prepare you for your experience. Depart from Miami International Airport and fly to Havana. Following a visit to Plaza de Revolution (site of the former Comandante Jefe s seven-hour speeches and the Pope s visits), we will check into the hotel. After relaxing and exchanging money we transfer to a paladar (private restaurant) for cocktails and participate in a salsa lesson led by the professor of dance at the University of Havana. Dinner at La Morajela. Meals: B,D Day 2, Tuesday, 3/1 Lecture, presentation and Q&A with noted Cuba architect/urban planner of the history, present, and future of Cuba and Havana. Guided walking tour of Old Havana (Havana was of such value to the Spanish Empire that after its capture by the British in the 1700 s, Spain gave all of Florida and parts of Louisiana for its return). Lunch at El Templete. Reception/student art exhibition at Ludwig Foundation and a meeting with newer Cuban graphic artists. Dinner at Atelier. Meals: B, L, D
Day 3, Wednesday, 3/2 Guided tour of Bellas Artes Museum Cuba collection The History of Cuba Through Its Art led by the museum curator of contemporary art. Rehearsal of Ebony followed by Q&A one of the leading dance companies of Cuba led by Estaban Delgado. Lunch at La Ferminia. Guided visit to ISA (Institute Superior de Arte), the leading school for the graphic and visual arts in Cuba founded by Comandante Che on the site of the exclusive Havana Country Club. Visit to the artist Fuster (the Gaudi of the Caribbean). His home and his neighborhood have been transformed by his artistry. Dinner at your leisure to enjoy Havana s many paladars and the night life. Your guide and trip literature provided will make recommendations and your guide will assist you making reservations and transportation. Meals: B, L Day 4, Thursday, 3/3 Cigar Factory tour the art of making a fine cigar. Guided visit to Museum of the Revolution. To understand Cuba is to know their revolution. Guided visit to Iglesia de San Francisco de Paula built in 1664 now a concert hall containing lovely art by several of the most famous Cuban contemporary artists. Craft market the home of free enterprise in Cuba. Treasures to be found! Lunch at El Litoral. Rehearsal followed by Q&A with Coro de Entrevoces, world renowned Cuban a capella choir led by Professor Digna Guerra Ramirez. They appeared for sold out performances at HJT and WHAT in 2012. Evening at your leisure to enjoy the many paladars and night life of Havana. Your guide will assist with selection. Meals: B, L
Day 5, Friday, 3/4 Visit to Hemingway s home in Cuba, La Finca Vigia, just as he left it. He called it, the best place to work in the world. Visit to the village of Cojimar which was the site of Hemingway s Old Man and the Sea. Lunch at Ajaccio. Guided visit of the Museum of Decorative Arts, former home of the wealthiest family in pre-revolutionary Cuba. Conversation with Marc Frank, Financial Times Cuban Correspondent and American Ex-pat for over 30 years. He is a no-nonsense reporter who will provide insights into today s Cuba. Marc is author of Cuba Revelations: Behind the Scenes in Havana. Time at the hotel (pool, workout, or massage?) followed by dinner at La Fontana. Optional evening activities. Meals: B, L, D Cuba definitely feels like the pulsating heart of what it means to be Latino, with music, dance, and the fiesta being core to this To be immersed in this culture can be an exhilarating and uplifting experience. Day 6, Saturday, 3/5 Behind the curtain discussion with the director of one of Havana s many theaters. Then, a free day with many optional afternoon and evening activities available (art buying, rum tasting, scuba diving, or exploration?). Your guide will assist you with your selection. Meals: B Day 7, Sunday, 3/6 Day 8, Monday, 3/7 A discussion of Afro-Cuban religions and Santeria by a local expert accompanied by authentic Santeria dancers and musical group. Visit to farmer s market (where Cubans buy) and an explanation of the Cuban economy. Lunch at Café Laurent. The free afternoon will be followed by a farewell dinner at Café Oriente. Meals: B, L, D Check out of hotel and experience a couple of unexpected sites. Return to Miami!
From the the Harbor to to Havana Price Per Person Double Occupancy: $4,995 Single Occupancy: $5,890 Tour price does not include round-trip airfare to/from departure city and Miami or cancellation insurance. Pricing is based on a minimum of 25 paying participants. Secure your spot on this very special trip today with a $1,000 deposit. Your Package Includes: 8 days, 7 nights in Cuba 1 night & a Pre-Cuba Party in Miami Round-trip Air Miami/Havana/Miami Experienced driver; Modern A/C bus with WC Cuban Guide Gratuity for guide and driver Transfers from/to airport in Cuba Tips to wait staff for included meals Cuban Medical Insurance Entrance fees to museums & sites of interest as per itinerary Bottled water on the bus Tips to hotel porters Cuban Tourist Visa US and Cuban airport Departure tax US License for Travel to Cuba Deadlines Deposit Deadline: October 14, 2015 non-refundable after that date Balance Payment: January 14, 2016 non-refundable after that date Due to cancellation insurance rules as to coverage of a pre-existing condition, please date all deposit checks 10/14/2015. Credit cards will not be charged until end of day October 14, 2015.
From the Harbor to Havana VERY IMPORTANT PASSPORT INFORMATION To participate in this trip, your passport must be valid for at least six months after our entry into Cuba on February 29, 2016. You must travel to Cuba with the same passport you submitted for registration or your Cuban visa will be invalid. Because of this, we will only be able to accept applications when this condition is met. For Questions, Please contact jeffry@what.org or 508-349-9428 ext. 105 We will be travelling to Cuba under the auspices of World Passage Ltd. (WP), authorized by the U.S. Treasury Department to organize and operate People to People Tours in Cuba. WP is the oldest tour operator in existence taking Americans to Cuba for the past 15 years. Trip participation is on a first-come, first served basis. To register and secure your spot you may either: 1. Send a $1,000 check dated 10/14/2015 with CUBA in the comment line to: WHAT, PO Box 797, Wellfleet, MA 02667 OR 2. Contact jeffry@what.org or 508-349-9428 ext. 105 A trip contract and registration forms will be sent following receipt of your deposit. More Important Information: Do not purchase trip cancellation insurance or make any airline reservations until notified. Because Cuba has its own way of working, itinerary is subject to change. We expect this trip to fill quickly. Please don t delay. Secure your spot today!