Please join the Fundación Amistad and Dr Michael Connors
on a humanitarian trip to Cuba

February 19 to 26 2010

Departing Miami
Havana - Cienfuegos - Trinidad

Hotel Nacional de Cuba 5 Nights

Trinidad del Mar 2 Nights

$4600.00 Double Occupancy

($350.00 Single Supplement)

Dear Friends,
As part of our current programs, Fundación Amistad would like to invite you to join us on an eight-day/seven-night deluxe guided tour of Cuba with Michael Connors, Ph.D., fellow board member and noted author. The world's foremost authority on the architecture, art, and life of the Caribbean, Dr. Connors taught at New York University and publishes widely in the field. Fundación Amistad has helped in the coordination of two of Dr. Connors prior books and was the was key sponsor for Cuban Elegance, published by Harry N. Abrams (2005),and was instrumental in his latest book, Caribbean Houses:History, Style, and Architecture, published by Rizzoli International Publications (2009).

This unique cultural exchange to Cuba will focus on cultural and general activities in the city of Havana and the countryside, and Fundaci�n Amistad�s humanitarian efforts on the island. The trip will be from February 19 � 26, 2010 and will include specialized tours of the most prominent areas of Cuba. The total cost per traveler will be $4,600, which includes: Accommodations for 5 nights at the five star Hotel Nacional de Cuba, accommodations for 2 nights at the Hotel Trinidad del Mar, round trip airfare between Miami and Havana, visa, health insurance, tax-deductible donation to Fundacón Amistad, a travel license issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, daily breakfast (provided by each hotel), 5 lunches, 5 dinners (17 meals total), Luxury Motor Coach Transportation to all events, full time tour guide, and expert meetings.

We urge you to be a part of this unique cultural and humanitarian exchange in Cuba. Space is limited to 25 travelers and reservations are obtained on a first come first serve basis. Sign Up Now

Warmest and Best Regards,

Luly Duke

President and Founder

Fundación Amistad

Day 1 Havana
Fri, 19 February 2010

Check in to hotel

Dinner at el Aljibe an outdoor thatch roof restaurant, offering the best rice, beans and chicken in Cuba.

Day 2 Havana
Sat, 20 February 2010

Old Havana: Begin your Cuban Journey in Havana's colonial sector, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. Walk through buildings that span the 1500s-1900s, starting off at Plaza de Armas, site of the oldest Spanish fortress in the Americas. Our walking tour will encompass Havana's four main colonial plazas, and include such Baroque architectural masterpieces as the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, the Cathedral of Havana and the San Francisco convent, and "El Templete�, a Greek-Roman temple that marks the spot where the first mass and town council meeting were held in 1519.

Lunch at the Ambos Mundos Roof Garden, one of the best places in Old Havana to enjoy a great view of the city, after dinning you can visit the Hemingway room.

The Ernest Hemingway Room at Ambos Mundos Hotel Located on the 5th floor of Ambos Mundo Hotel, in Old Havana. Visit the room where American writer Ernest Hemingway spent 7 years, while in Havana. In this room he wrote "For Whom The Bells Toll". You will be able to see many of his personal belongings, including his typewriter.

Morro Cabana tour El Morro castle dates back from 1630 and it was part of the 1st defensive system put in place by the Spanish crown, while La Cabana resulted from the 2nd defensive system that was made effective in the late 1700�s following the English invasion in 1762. The latter is the largest fort built by the Spanish in the Americas and it is the site of the popular cannon shot ceremony that reminds visitors of when Havana was a walled city and a cannon shot at dawn and at dusk times signaled the opening and the closing of its gates. The two forts together comprise the largest and most powerful defensive complex built by the Spanish Crown in the American continent.

Reception at the Ludwig Foundation of Art

Dinner on your own. We will recommend a restaurant or paladar

Day 3 Havana of the Republic Period
Sun. 21 February 2010

Developed beginning mid-19th century, this area comprises one of the densest concentrations of major historic buildings in the city. Lying on the border between the narrow streets of the Colonial city and Centro Havana municipality, it contains such sites as the Parque Central, the national theater, the 1772 Prado Promenade, the 1845 Partagas Cigar Factory, the 19th-century Moorish-style Inglaterra Hotel and the impressive 1929 Capitol building. A stroll on Prado will wind up on the quintessential Malecon or seafront, a city landmark of indubitable charm.

Visit to the Museum of the Revolution located in the former Presidential Palace. Chronicles the history of the revolution from its beginnings at the university of Havana to the modern period. One major artifact from the revolution that is in the museum includes the "Granma", the Boat that brought Fidel Castro and his forces from Mexico to begin the major offensive of the revolution.

Lunch at El Templete Restaurant a bayside fish restaurant known for the most delicious seafood in the area.

In this area we will also visit the Museo de Bellas Artes Cuban Art Collection, housed in a 1950s building. The collection gives a comprehensive 300-year view of Cuban painting and sculpture.

Dinner at La Barraca

Located in the back garden of the Hotel Nacional under a thatched roof this restaurant serves typical Cuban food.

Day 4 Modern Havana
Mon. 22 February 2010

Visit Ernest Hemmingway's Finca La Vigia, located on a hilltop in San Francisco de Paula, just southeast of the City of Havana. The home is preserved as it was when he left in 1961. At this farm you will be able to see his sport-fishing boat, the Pilar. This place houses the Hemingway Museum. The Finca Vigia estate and the fishing village of Cojimar are the most important places to visit if in search of the famous American writer`s imprint in Cuba.

Lunch at 1830

This beautiful house built at the beginning of the last century is located right next to the Malecón of Havana, an excellent place to enjoy a delicious international cuisine. Its great environment will make an unforgettable experience for patrons.

Visit the Plaza de la Revolucion. Continue to Cristobal Colon Cemetery. After lunch drive through the beautiful and historic Fifth Avenue and neighborhoods of Miramar and stop at the Club Havana.

Dinner on your own we will recommend a restaurant or paladar

Evening on your own

Day5 Havana / Cienfuegos / Trinidad
Tues. 23 February 2010

Hotel Brisas Trinidad del Mar

Depart Havana and take the National Highway to the colonial city of Trinidad, the second of Cuba's UNESCO World Heritage sites.

En route we will stop at the city of Cienfuegos, Cuba's premier Caribbean port town and now also a UNESCO World Heritage site and the only city in Cuba built along a French plan. Among the sites we will see are the city's central park, the 19th century Tomas Terry theater, the Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepicon Cathedral, and the Moorish style San Juan Lorenzo School.

Lunch Cienfuegos Yacht Club With the rich history of the Club on Cienfuegos bay, offering a great variety of International cuisine.

Arriving in Trinidad we will dine at the hotel.

Night of music in Trinidad Visit the city of Trinidad and enjoy music form 4 different venues. Listen to traditional Cuban music at Casa de Trova, watch an afro folkloric show at El Palenque, and listen to live salsa at Casa de la Musica.

Day 6 Trinidad
Wed. 24 February 2010

Walking tour of the historic core of Trinidad, center of sugar production in the 19th century. Walk the cobbled streets that were nearly abandoned in the 1860s when the price of sugar precipitously dropped. See the unfinished cathedral and the mansions of the 19th century sugar aristocracy, and learn about the region's uniquely decorated earthen architecture and its pervasive Afro-Cuban traditions, which retain much of the original influence of the slaves who worked the sugar plantations.

Romantic Museum of Trinidad

Located in a historic mansion the romantic museum displays the decorative arts and furnishing from the city of Trinidad With the rich history of the Club on Cienfuegos bay, offering a great variety of International cuisine.

Lunch at the historic sugar plantation known as Manacas-Iznaga, containing an impressive seven-story tower. Hear traditional music of the region with lunch.

After lunch visit the Valle de los Ingenios--Valley of the sugar mills-- Visit the mansions and look out over the lush landscape that produced the wealth that built the city

Dinner at hotel Optional Paladar dinner

Day 7 Trinidad / Havana
Thurs. 25 February 2010

Checkout: Hotel Brisas Trinidad del Mar
Checkin: Hotel Nacional de Cuba

Depart Trinidad
Arrive in Havana in the PM and check in to the Hotel

Afternoon on your own in Havana

Farewell Dinner at Cafe del Oriente (Located in the plaza de San Francisco de Assis, this luxurious restaurant serves fine food and beautiful international and Cuban music)

After lunch visit the Valle de los Ingenios--Valley of the sugar mills-- Visit the mansions and look out over the lush landscape that produced the wealth that built the city

Dinner at hotel Optional Paladar dinner

Day 8 Havana / Miami
Sun, 25 April 2010

Checkout: Hotel Nacional de Cuba
Check out of Hotel

Transfer from a Havana hotel to the airport

Transfer to and from hotel to airport.

 

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Fundación Amistad is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1997, the brainchild of Maria de Lourdes �Luly� Duke who, on a visit to Cuba, felt compelled to create an organization to promote mutual understanding and appreciation between the people of the United Statesand Cuba with friendship �amistad� at its core. Fundación Amistad brings Cubans and Americans together in a powerful model of exchange through which they confront common challenges and celebrate each culture's unique qualities. In pursuit of that mission, Fundaci�n Amistad focuses on programs in the area of arts, culture and education, with additional areas of concern including cultural heritage and humanitarian aid. Fundación Amistad's programming approach is linked to its wide, collaborative network of cultural, academic, non-governmental, and humanitarian institutions based in Cuba and the United States, as well as internationally.

Snapshot of Fundación Amistad

• Over 120 Educational and Humanitarian missions in 12 years of Cuba work
• Effective international partnerships in Academia and the Arts
• Benefiting the people and professional development of Cuba
• Uniquely positioned with goodwill accumulated on and off the island
• The �go to� resource on Cuba, recognized for effectiveness and high impact 

 

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