Gaucho Getaways Cuba: 15-Night People-To-People Journey January 5-20, 2012 Join Gaucho Getaways as we explore Cuba on this 15-night People-To-People journey. Cuba is a resplendent tropical island unlike any other in the Caribbean. It is a country of picturesque colonial towns and magnificent 20th century architecture, a country of spectacularly beautiful landscapes, an intriguing Afro-Cuban culture and a vibrant music, dance and art scene. Our unique 15-day program, traversing Havana, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Camaguey, Holguin, Barcoa, and Santiago unravels the richness of Cuban culture and allows the group to meet professionals from all walks of contemporary Cuban life. Most OFAC sanctioned itineraries to Cuba are one week in length, so this itinerary provides ample opportunity to explore outside Havana and Trinidad. These additional destinations, note several former Gaucho Getaways travel to Cuba, provided their most treasured interactions and experiences. Throughout this OFAC licensed program discussions with economists, artists, educators, business owners, and historians will allow travelers to gain an insight into life in Cuba today. This UCSB exclusive departure is limited to 34 guests. Wednesday, January 4: Optional Early Hometown Departure For Miami Depart your gateway city for Miami. Overnight in Miami. OR you may opt for a red-eye flight on the evening of Wednesday January 4. Tour operator can assist with flight and hotel arrangements. Thursday, January 5: Havana Arrive on red-eye flight from hometown. Depart Miami this morning on a scheduled charter flight to Havana. Be met upon arrival, and transfer to the historic Nacional Hotel for lunch. The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is located on the Malecón in Havana. It was designed by the famous New York firm McKim, Mead and White, and features an eclectic mix of architectural styles. It opened in 1930 when Cuba was a prime travel destination for Americans. In 1955 Meyer Lansky managed to persuade Batista to give him a piece of the Nacional. That same year Pan Am’s Intercontinental Hotels Corporation took over management of the hotel. Lansky planned to take a wing of the 10-story hotel and create luxury suites for high stakes players. Batista endorsed Lansky’s idea even though there were objections from American expatriates like Ernest Hemingway. Under Lansky's impetus, a wing of the grand entrance hall was refurbished to include a bar, a restaurant, a showroom and a luxurious casino. It was operated by Lansky and his brother Jake, with Wilbur Clark as the front man. The new wing of the elegant hotel opened January 1956. The casino and clubs were an immediate success. According to an unpublished article sent to Cuban Information Archives around 1956-57, “The bar was tended by local bartenders, and the casino managed by gentlemen from Las Vegas.” By the spring of 1957 the casino, sublet by the hotel for a substantial rent to Lansky, was bringing in as much cash as the biggest casinos in Las Vegas. The casino was closed by Fidel Castro in October 1960. After years of neglect due to the disappearance of Cuba's tourism following the Cuban revolution, the hotel was mainly used to accommodate diplomats and foreign government officials. After the collapse of the USSR, the Cuban communist party soon reopened Cuba to tourists in search of monetary support. Despite its restoration during the 1990s, the hotel no longer carries the status and impact it once did. But its remaining splendor and history serves as remainder to Cuba's past. Enjoy an orientation tour of the city before arriving at your hotel. Prior to dinner gather for an introductory tour briefing and welcome reception. Accommodations: Hotel Telegrafo (L, D) Friday, January 6: Havana: This morning enjoy a walking tour of Old Havana. Begin with a private viewing of the newly created model of Old Havana. The model serves as an excellent introduction to the lay-out of the city. It is color-coded by age with the historic buildings painted in crimson, pre-Revolution buildings in yellow and the post-revolutionary buildings in ivory. Continue on to the Plaza Vieja, a stunningly beautiful old square surrounded by mansions. Although the square was for many years in a sad state of repair, that decay is being reversed by the caring restoration of Habana Vieja. Continue to the Convento de Santa Clara which has been restored and now houses the Centro Nacional de Conservacion y Museologia. It is a remarkable building with a lobby full of period pieces and an inner and outer cloistered courtyard.. Lunch at a restaurant with local music. This afternoon enjoy a city orientation tour by bus, which will be led by Eduardo Luis Rodriquez, director of the well-known journal, Arquitectura Cuba. Explore the wonderful Riviera Hotel which, when it opened in 1958, was considered a marvel of modern design. It was owned at the time by Meyer Lansky. The hotel has recently been restored to recapture its 1950s ambience. Drive along La Rampa which climbs past the offices of Cubana, the Hotel Havana Libre and Art-Deco apartment buildings to the Parque Copelia, an entire block of a large, lush park. Follow Calle L south from La Rampa and arrive at the wide steps which lead to the porticoed, columned façade beyond which lies the University of Havana. Drive to the Ceramics Museum for a tour and a private performance of Cuban music performed by Luis Manuel Molina, a classic guitar player. Welcome dinner at Café Oriente. Accommodations: Hotel Telegrafo (B,L,D) Saturday, January 7: Havana Morning lecture by Professor Julio Carranza on “The Changing Faces of Cuba’s Economic Structure.” After the lecture and discussion, walk to the new Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes: Arte Cubano (Cuban Collection). The Museo is actually divided into two sections, occupying two buildings: the Cuban Collection which visit this morning, accompanied by an art curator, and the International Collection. The museum’s origins date back to 1842 when the San Alejandro Art Academy started its collection, forming the nucleus of the museum founded in 1913. It expanded greatly after Castro took over in 1959, notably with works from the private collections of Julio Lobo and Oscar Cintas. After lunch at a local restaurant we walk to the Presidential Palace, a huge ornate building topped by a dome. The history of Cuban political development is illustrated here from the slave uprisings to joint missions with the ex-Soviet Union. A few minutes away by foot is the Granma Memorial, which preserves the vessel that brought Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and other revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba in 1956. The Granma, a surprisingly large launch, embodies the powerful, unstoppable spirit of the revolutionary movement. Meet local artists Alicia Leal and Juan Moreira at their home. Alicia’s Leal work is of a markedly narrative nature where the onlooker becomes an active participant and even protagonist of the painter’s unsettling scenarios. The surrealist paintings of Juan Moreira, Alicia’s husband, reflect many of the historical, religious and cultural influences in Cuba. African myths and rituals brought to the island with the slave-trade in the 17th century are predominant as well as the social and political events of the 19th and 20th centuries that shaped Cuban traditions and folklore. Depart the hotel for an evening reception at the Ludwig Foundation, an organization committed to the promotion of art in Cuba, followed by dinner at a private restaurant, La Chansonnier – one of the best private restaurants in Havana. Meet with owner, Hector Higuera and learn more about the impact that recent economic changes have had on his business life. Hotel Telegrafo (B,L,D) Sunday, January 8, Havana Learn more regarding Cuban/US Relations during a lecture at the hotel by Professor Carlos Alzuguray. Enjoy an inside visit to the Gran Teatro de la Habana, Havana’s most important theater. The theater is home to Alicia Alonso’s Ballet Nacional de Cuba as well as the national opera company. If a performance is playing during our stay here, we will obtain tickets. End the morning at Ernest Hemingway’s home, which has been preserved by the Cuban government. The house is just as Hemingway left it, with the books on the tables and many of his favorite photographs on display. Although one can only admire the home from the outside, it is a fascinating visit. After lunch drive to one of Havana’s many urban gardens. The effects of the Special Period and consequent food shortages have had greatest repercussions in the city of Havana. With approximately 2.5 million people, Havana has about one fifth of Cuba's total population. While Havana's urban agriculture has taken on many forms, ranging from private gardens (huertos privados) to state-owned research gardens (organicponicos), Havana's popular gardens (huertos populares) are the most widespread and accessible to the general public. Popular gardens are small parcels of state-owned land that are cultivated by individuals or community groups in response to ongoing food shortages. The program for popular gardens first began in Havana in January 1991, and has since been promoted in other Cuban cities. In 2009, there were an estimated 30,000 popular garden parcels (parcelas) throughout the 43 urban districts that make up Havana's 15 municipalities. Our visit will include the garden at Vivero Alamar where the group will meet local gardeners and Noel Pina, the production managers at the garden. Enjoy an evening at leisure. Hotel Telegrafo (B,L) Monday, January 9: Havana Morning briefing at the US Interest Section. This briefing will allow our group to learn more about the US/Cuban relations and the role of the US Interest Section in Havana.