BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 METHOD:PUBLISH CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20121027T000000 DTEND:20121104T000000 DTSTAMP:20120305T161839 SUMMARY:An Educational Trip to Cuba with Oglethorpe University DESCRIPTION: Extending Our Hands: An Educational Trip to Cuba with Oglethorpe University October 27 - November 4, 2012 Travelers will experience a dynamic country whose diverse population continues to draw inspiration from its fascinating, checkered past. Our trip will focus on History, Art, Music, Culture and the Architecture of Cuba. Saturday, October 27 Depart Miami with Xael Charters, Sky King Airlines flight # 1801 to Havana leaving at 10:30am arriving at 11:30am. (Please be at the Sky King counter no later than 7:00am). Upon arrival in Havana Jose Marti airport, you will be met by Ya’lla Tours USA’s Cuban representative and drive through Revolution Square, the administrative and political center of Cuba. Drive through the once fashionable residential area of Miramar, which retains its pre-revolution air of exclusivity. The beautiful houses are now used for embassies, commercial offices, and tourist development. Then, transferred to your hotel for a free afternoon and overnight. Our hotel, MELIA HAVANA, is located in Miramar, one of Havana’s best locations, with magnificent views of the Caribbean Sea, 15km from the airport, near shopping, across the street from Miramar Trade Center and 10 minutes from the cities historical sites. All 342 rooms and 120 Suites have a terrace, air-conditioning, safe deposit box, mini bar, satellite TV and fax and modem lines. Facilities and services include a business center, outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, an executive floor, conference rooms, 4 restaurants, a cafeteria, snack bar, 4 bars and lounges, Solarium, Beauty Parlor, Newspaper store, Shopping Gallery, Sauna, Massage, Gym, 24 hour room service, and a doctor on call 24 hours a day. www.solmelia.com/hotels/cuba/havana/melia-habana Welcome dinner tonight will be at the Sierra Maestra restaurant with breathtaking views of Havana from the 25th floor. Return to the hotel for overnight Sunday, October 28 Take a walking tour around Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit Plaza Vieja, one of Havana’s historic squares. See Plaza de Iglesia and the Convento de San Francisco de Asis, one of the finest from the colonial period. Continue to Plaza de la Cathedral and the Plaza de Armas where Havana originated. End the visit to Old Havana at the outdoor handicraft market. Then, visit El Floridita, birth place of the daiquiri and one of Hemingway’s favorite bars. Lunch will be served at Cafe Oriente. Continue the tour at Revolution Square, the administrative and political center of Cuba. Drive through the once fashionable residential area of Miramar. The beautiful houses are now used for embassies, commercial offices, and tourist development. Next, visit the Patronato Jewish Community Center and meet with prominent figures of the Jewish community in Cuba. We will leave humanitarian goods here. The center’s pharmacy provides free medications to all who need them. Medicines are very scarce in Cuba; any medication, antibiotics and medical supplies you can donate will be especially appreciated. Dinner will be at the Cafe Lorenzo one of the best privately-run restaurants in Havana. The dining room is in a penthouse with amazing views. Monday, October 29 Start the day with a visit to the Convento de Belen, a world renowned community center and social services facility. This unique, ambitious project serves Havana’s poorest neighborhoods with special focus on the elderly and disabled children. Next, visit a local cigar factory, where you will learn about the history of the cigar in Cuba and see the entire production process, from the drying to the rolling of the leaves to create the cigar. Continue in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway. One of Havana’s best-kept treasures is its close relationship with writer Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), known affectionately as Papa. The lovely Finca Vigia was Hemingway’s home in Cuba for two decades. He bought the house in 1939 and it was opened as a museum in 1964. It contains more than 22,000 original items that belonged to Hemingway, including records, books, paintings, personal documents, photographs, hunting weapons and others. Peering inside the house through large windows, visitors get a good feel for the daily life of the great writer. Stroll around the verdant grounds and take in the peaceful atmosphere that was part of Hemingway’s daily life. The fishing village of Cojimar, 7 miles southeast of the center of Havana, inspired his novel The Old Man and the Sea (the 1954 Nobel Prize winner). Lunch will be served at the seafood restaurant La Terraza de Cojimar, famous as the backdrop of scenes from the film “The Old Man and The Sea”. Dinner will be at El Templete Restaurant, followed by a show at The Parisien night club at Hotel Nacional. Transfers to the restaurant and to the show will be done by vintage cars. Return to the hotel for overnight. Tuesday, October 30 Walk to the nearby Museum of Fine Arts which houses a collection of Cuban and international works. A special guided visit will be led by one of the museum’s most senior curators. Continue for a visit to Jose Fuster’s ceramic and paint studio. Lunch will be hosted by the artist. Then visit Cuban art curator Cristina Vive’s home-gallery, which displays the work of contemporary Cuban artists and photographers such Korda & Jose A. Figueroa (the photographer of the famous Che photo). Dinner tonight will be at La Casa Paladar, another of Havana’s finest private restaurants. Return to the hotel for overnight. Wednesday, October 31 This morning we will meet with Dr. Carlos Alzugaray Treto from CESEU (Centro de Estudios sobre Estados Unidos), who will present an overview of US-Cuban relations. Dr. Alzugaray is a former Cuban diplomat who serves today as the Coordinator of International Strategic Studies. Then drive to the entrance of Havana Bay and the largest fortress in America: San Carlos de la Cabaña, built between 1763 and 1774. Carlos III, King of Spain at the time, requested a spyglass and headed for a balcony of the palace. In response to questions about what he wanted to see, the king exclaimed: “The Cabaña, such a valuable work, should be spotted from Madrid”. The fortress holds an important collection of old weapons, including a catapult; snake-shaped swords from southern Asia; an Indian katar, a dreadful three-bladed dagger; a revered samurai katana sword; Islamic decorated rifles and a complete battery of cannons made in Sevilla in the 18th century. The fortress was used by both Spain and Cuba as a military base and a prison for more than two hundred years. During the Batista regime, this it was used as a military prison. Che Guevara captured the fortress and made it his headquarters for some months during the Cuban revolution. Lunch will be at the El Patio Restaurant in Old Havana. The afternoon will be free for you to explore Old Havana on your own. Dinner tonight is on your own; your Ya’lla Tours guide will be happy to make recommendations. Thursday, November 1 Depart for the Bay of Pigs or Playa Giron, about a 2 hour drive. A force of U.S. backed, anti-Castro Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow the Castro regime here in the Battle of the Bay of Pigs. Then drive 1 hour to Cienfuegos. The city was founded in 1819 and grew prosperous from the production and trade of sugar. Visit the Palacio del Valle restaurant, well known for its synthesis of numerous architectural styles. Continue along the 16-block Paseo del Prado promenade, one of the longest in Cuba. Lunch will be at the Club Nautico. Continue to the city’s foundation, José Martí Park, site of many historical buildings. In particular, notice the Cathedral of Cienfuegos, built in 1904. Then, travel about 1½ hours on to Trinidad for dinner and overnight. IBEROSTAR GRAND TRINIDAD is a 5-star boutique hotel located in the center of Trinidad.www.iberostar.com/EN/Trinidad/hotels-Trinidad.html Friday, November 2 Spend the morning on a walking tour of Trinidad, a living museum of Spanish colonialism. The whole city, with its fine palaces, cobbled streets and red tiled roofs, is a national monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trinidad’s prosperity rested on the sugar industry. The city was a cultural center with theaters, schools of language, music, dance and a wide variety of artisans, including gold and silversmiths. Lavish buildings filled the city. During the second half of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution and increased sugar beet production in Europe led to the decline of Trinidad’s slavery-based economy. Construction ceased and the city remained frozen in time. The maze of cobbled streets is lined with terra cotta roofed houses in soft pastel colors. Much of the architecture is Neoclassical and Baroque, with a Moorish flavor reflecting the town’s heritage of conquistadors. Visit the Plaza Mayor in the center of town. Around the plaza are the Museo Romantico and the Iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima Trinidad. The cathedral is the largest church in Cuba and renowned for its acoustics. Explore the Museo Romantico which houses a collection of romantic-style porcelain, glass, paintings and ornate furniture. The museum is located in a colonial mansion with beautiful views over the square from the upper floor balconies. The adventurous are invited to climb up to the Antiguo Convento de San Francisco de Asis. The tower and church are all that remain of the original convent. Return to your hotel for lunch, a free afternoon, dinner and overnight. Saturday, November 3 Drive about 3 hours to the city of Santa Clara to visit the Ernesto (Che) Guevara Memorial. The Argentinean, Che Guevara, was one of the commanders who fought with Fidel Castro in the war against the dictatorship of Batista in the 1950´s. He died in Bolivia in 1967 while leading that country’s revolution. His remains were recovered in 1998 and, together with the remains of those who died with him, are buried in this memorial known as Che Guevara Mausoleum in Santa Clara Revolution Square. Lunch will be served at Los Caneyes. Continue driving back to Havana for your final evening and overnight at the Melia Hotel. Our farewell dinner will be at San Cristobal Restaurant, one of the most unique privately-run restaurants, an art exhibition by itself… Sunday, November 4 Around 10:00am, you will be transferred to Havana Jose Marti airport for your departure on Cubana Airlines flight #152 to Cancun, leaving at 2:00pm and arriving at 2:25pm. Clear Mexican Customs and Immigration and connect with your flight back to the USA. Cost Information Price per person in a double room: $3,595 // Price per person in a single room: $4,190 PRICE INCLUDES: round-trip, economy class airfare between Cancun and Havana with Cubana Airlines // 8 nights, 5-Star of accommodations with daily breakfast // 7 lunches and 7 dinners // 1 drink per person at each lunch and dinner (water, soft drinks, wine, beer, Mojito) // 2 bottles of cold mineral water per person per touring day // airport transfers in Cuba // 7 days of touring in a private, air-conditioned bus with a licensed, English-speaking guide // entrance fees // hotel service fees and taxes // Cuban entry visa // Cuban departure taxes // tips for guide and driver // tips at the hotel for housekeeping and baggage handling PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE: overweight luggage fee ($2 per lb for bags over 44lbs, to be paid in cash at the counter) // travel insurance ($319 per person), highly recommended IMPORTANT NOTE: You must have a U.S. passport to enter Cuba (valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return date). // An $800 per person deposit is due upon booking. // The deposit is refundable up to July 29, 2012, less a $250 per person administrative fee. // Final payment is due July 29, 2012. // Ya’lla Tours USA reserves the right to change hotels to others of similar quality. The Oglethorpe University Travel agent can assist you with flights to Cancun or airline points can be used. Oglethorpe University staff will meet the group in Cancun. Please click here to print and mail registration form. Please mail this form to: Barbara Henry 4484 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta, Ga. 30319 UID:-1-817-5082 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR