The DER below is from the expedition to Cuba that began on March 22, 2017.
Our second full day in Havana began on a great note with mild temperatures and a bright blue sky. Our Cuba specialist, Christopher P. Baker, accompanied guests on the Cuban Art Tour, which began with a visit to the studio of artist José Fuster, whose remarkable ceramic creations inspired by Gaudi adorn many homes throughout his community of Jaimanitas. Group A then traveled the short distance to Complejo Artística El Romerillo—the art complex of Alexis Leiva (aka Kcho), perhaps Cuba’s most influential community artist. Here, guide Qirenia Montello informed us about Kcho’s vision, including opening specialist libraries and a Google internet room for the Cuban public.
Meanwhile, Group B visited the Fábrica de Tabaco Partagas cigar factory for a up-close-and-personal education on how Cuba’s world-famous hand-rolled cigars are produced. They then headed to the taller (workshop) of Nostalgicar for a “people-to-people” discussion with Julio Álvarez Torres, the vivacious founder and owner of this private company that restores 1950s-era American cars to museum condition for chauffeured rentals to tourists and VIP visitors. Guests then gleefully piled into a fleet of cars for a nostalgic trip to a sandwich lunch alfresco atop the appropriately 1950s-era Hotel Capri, offering vast views over Vedado—the Havana district forever associated with the swinging Fifties mobster era (actor George Raft managed the hotel’s mobster-owned casino).
In the afternoon, Group A guests explored the University of Havana campus, expertly guided by postgraduate student Ernesto Moora, who offered insights into the state-funded education system and the university’s vast importance in Cuba’s revolutionary history. The group then visited the Museo de la Revolución for a more in-depth profile on Cuba’s most seminal historic event, guided by Juan José Figueredo.
Group B spent the afternoon meeting at the Fundación de Naturaleza y El Hombre with Yociel Marrero, an academic expert who spoke about sustainable development in Cuba. They then traveled to the offices of OnCuba, a Cuban-American owned magazine catering to the North American market yet staffed by young Cuban journalists. Here, the group learned from editor Claudia García Pérez about journalistic protocols and freedom of expression in Cuba, and of the new breed of young journalists exploring the boundaries of publishing.
The day ended with a rooftop dinner atop the Hotel Lincoln, where guests were entertained by one of Cuba’s most celebrated traditional bands—El Septeto Nacional. Like the salt-and-pepper shakers in a Disney movie, many guests couldn’t resist leaving their tables to dance!
