Cuba Study Program Itinerary Travel Dates: May 28 - June 4, 2017

DAY 1: Fly to Havana We check-in at Tampa Airport no later than 7:30am for our 12:00pm flight -CTS Charters arrives into Havana around 1:20pm. Board our private motor coach and transfer to our hotel. Arrive hotel around 4:30pm, check-in. We visit the famous Nacional Hotel and visit the Hall Of Fame where pictures of movie stars and mobsters from the 50’s adorn the walls. Then we enjoy a welcome dinner at La Barraca on the beautiful grounds of the Nacional Hotel. Expect wonderful local Cuban favorites such as tamarind balls, chicken, pork, black beans, rice, guava desert. The Inglaterra Hotel: Located in Old Havana-Hotel Inglaterra is of the 4-star category, and is one of the most classic and historic hotels in Havana. Hotel Inglaterra is very well-located in Old Havana within walking distance to museums, restaurants, shops and best tourist establishments of the island of Cuba. It is located in Paseo del Prado Ave. #416 between San Rafael and San Miguel Street, Old Havana, City of Havana, Cuba.

DAY 2: Havana Morning: guided walking tour of Old Havana, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit to Square of Arms, ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers and surrounded by impressive buildings such as Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, former seat of colonial government; Palacio del Segundo Cabo, the seat of the second authority of the island. Taller de la Grafica- an experimental Graphics studio. This is one of the most important graphic arts establishments preserving techniques and churning out some of the most significant works of graphic art in Havana. After lunch at the famous SLOPPY JOES’ we will exchange with members of the UJC (young peoples’ association) to talk about the likes and differences between Cuban and U.S. youth. This evening a treat! We will have a Cuban cooking lesson at Artechef cooking school! We will have dinner and enjoy the cooking show. This evening you may wish to venture to Zorra Y Cuervo, Havana’s most famous Jazz Club. It opens at 10:00pm.

DAY 3: This morning we will visit ISA, Cuba’s National Art School. ISA professors are all active musicians, dancers, and artists. Each faculty in the arts provides a combination of theory and practice designed for students serious about pursuing artistic achievement through concentrated study. Study at the institute is comparable to conservatory work in the United States. This is a great opportunity to meet a new generation of Cuban artists. Excursion: This afternoon we visit the famous Fusterlandia. An entire town of hand- done mosaic. Lunch served at Fusterlandia. We can purchase art and ceramics and if Fuster is there, we can have our purchases signed. This community project village is truly amazing. Late afternoon we visit Compas Dans! With hand drums, percussion sticks and chairs, this dance troupe puts its own stamp on contemporary dance. They recently performed at the STRAZ Center in April of this year! Eduardo Cordova introduced the group to hand drum and taught them how to read music. After we enjoy the performance, the hand drummers in our group can experience a “hands on” musical exchange with the great Eduardo Cordova. All of the drums are hand-made by Eduardo as are the murals and painted chairs. This evening we visit Frabrica De Arte Cubano- a place where all artistic manifestations are under one roof. Musicians, Painters, and Dancers alike share this electric-amazing place. Enjoy a drink, have dinner on your own, roam the 4 floors of art, musicians playing and patrons dancing.

DAY 4: The pioneering eco-village of Las Terrazas dates back to a reforestation project in 1968. Today it’s a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a burgeoning activity center (with Cuba’s only canopy tour) and the site of the earliest surviving coffee plantations in Cuba. Close by, in the picturesque whitewashed village that overlooks a small lake, there’s a vibrant art community with open studios, woodwork and pottery workshops. But the region’s biggest attraction is its verdant natural surroundings, which are ideal for hiking, relaxing and bird-watching. Lunch at Casa Del Campesino. Tour at Las Terrazas with optional bath time (swimming) at Rio San Juan. Wear suits under your clothes or bring with you. Return to Havana, freshen up a bit. This evening dinner at La California. This evening we take a break from traditional Cuban dishes and enjoy pizza and pasta. It is really, really good! Back to hotel for some late night swimming and down time. Enjoy the view of Havana at the roof top of your hotel.

DAY 5: Nino Y La Nina Project: A community project for children. Los Niños—Casa del Niño y la Niña. (Please bring donations- we will advise) You will have the opportunity to participate in an exchange with the volunteers at La Casa del Niño y la Niña, an afterschool program for primary school students located in El Barrio Cayo Hueso, a culturally rich neighborhood in Central Havana. Our visit to La Casa del Niño y la Niña will give our Visitors a rare view into some of the efforts being made to expand the educational horizons of Cuban youth. El Barrio Cayo Hueso is a poorer Cuban neighborhood and La Casa del Niño y la Niña seeks to ensure that the children there are not educationally limited due to their limited economic means. We venture on to Hemingway’s Home and Cojimar Village, and Finca Vigia (Hemmingway’s Home) Finca Vigia, a hilltop villa 20 kilometers east of Havana, where famed author Ernest Hemingway lived from 1939 to 1960. It is here where the writer completed some of his greatest works, including The Old Man and the Sea, Across the River and into the Trees, and Islands in the Stream. 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. Lunch in Cojimar fishing village. Tour around Cojimar fishing village, where Hemingway kept his boat Pilar. The writer is remembered by the town with a small gazebo that encircles a commemorative bust, sculpted from the melted down propellers donated by local fishermen. Afternoon we head to La Yoandra, a beautiful organic farm hosting some of the rarest plants in Cuba. We will enjoy a wonderful lunch at El Divino. Cuban and Italian owners serve local fresh vegetables, and homemade delights. The homemade coconut ice-cream is worth the trip alone! We return to our hotel for a bit of private time, then off to dinner at El Aljibe for some great Cuban roasted pork! After dinner will experience the “Canonazo A La Cabana” or shooting of the cannons. The second oldest fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies. Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña colloquially known as La Cabaña, is an 18th century fortress complex, the third-largest in the Americas, located on the elevated eastern side of the harbor entrance in Havana, Cuba. The fort rises above the 200-foot (60 m) hilltop, along with Morro Castle (fortress).

DAY 6: Early departure to Pinar Del Rio. If you’ve ever wondered where the world’s finest cigars start out, it’s in the lovingly cultivated tobacco plantations of Cuba’s westernmost province, Pinar del Río. But those plantations are only part of the area’s magic. With its unusual mogotes (rounded limestone mountains) strung along flat plains, Pinar del Río’s spectacular scenery rivals any in the world. These plains, where Cuban cowboys roam and dreamy villages doze, are ringed by mountain ranges crowned by vast stretches of tropical forests. Lunch is an experience at Paradisio Finca. (Paradise Farm) This is an agricultural farm that serves a 14 course lunch with their wonderful home-grown vegetables, assorted meats and fruits. You will love this place! After lunch we tour through the prehistoric Indian Caves and take a guided boat ride. It’s fun to see what shapes and faces you can see outlined in these caves. We head back to our hotel in Havana with an ETA of around 7:00pm. Dinner is on your own this evening. Venture out to one of the great local restaurants around your hotel in Old Havana. It is very safe and the restaurants are plentiful and all within a very short walk. We will make some suggestions.

DAY 7: After breakfast we learn about the Afro-Cuban influence on the Cuban Culture at Hamel Alley. Afternoon dance class and lecture on the different types and styles of Cuban Music by professor of music from ISA. After our lecture and dance lessons we will finally enjoy some “retail therapy” at the San Jose arts and crafts market. All things Cuban to buy under one roof. T-shirts, jewelry, art, leather goods, cigars, - everything! Our farewell dinner this evening at La Casa- a great paladar. There will be time this evening to enjoy a show at the fabulous Gran Teatro de la Habana. (show tba and included)

DAY 8: This morning we must say adios to our new Cuban friends. Early morning check-out 6:00am- head to Jose Marti Airport, Havana for our 9:30am flight non-stop back to Tampa. Arrival time 12:55pm. WELCOME HOME!