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First Ever Outreach Mission to Our Sisters and Brothers on the Island
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School Cuba Education Tour |
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| PROGRAM OVERVIEW |
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| CITIES AND SITES VISITS |
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Havana City and Havana province |
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Classic French inspired Cienfuegos in the province of the same name |
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Legendary Trinidad de Cuba in Sancti Spíritus province |
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| TRIP ACCOMMODATIONS |
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The recently restored Hotel Parkview in the center of historic Havana – safe fun cultural district. |
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Trinidad's all-inclusive beach resort Club Costa Sur on the white sand beaches of Caribbean Sea. |
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| ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS |
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Attend mass in cathedrals in Havana, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad de Cuba |
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Guided walking tour and coach tours of the main historical sites of Old Havana, Trinidad de Cuba, and Cienfuegos |
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Tour the ruins of a sugar plantation once staffed by slaves |
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Help out at a secular/religious-run community center serving the elderly, orphans, and the needy |
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Visit the Museo Bellas Artes spanning 300 years of Cuban art, and the Museum of the Revolution |
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Visit a visual arts school and a training college for architectural restoration |
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Travel to jungle mountains and find out what Cubans are doing to protect and conserve the natural environment |
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Visit a centuries-old family run pottery factory and ceramics studio |
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Attend a regal cannon firing ceremony dating from 1519 |
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Dance lessons taught by Cuban professionals with live music and attend a Cuba baseball game |
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Witness the largest collection of colonial-era architecture in the Americas and inspect restoration and preservation efforts |
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Friday 23 January to Sunday 1 February 2009 |
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Ten days on the grand island of the Caribbean, six nights in Havana, three nights in Trinidad de Cuba |
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Social justice, urban and community development, volunteerism, history, culture, ecology, sustainability, church and charity |
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Help out at an urban architectural restoration school and at a religious/secular community center housed in a former convent |
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Experience tropical nature from jungle mountaintops to rural villages to white sand beaches |
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Spend time with your Cuban peers, establish lasting friendships and future collaborations |
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| OLMCSS faculty Mr Kendall Brownlee is the inspiration for this program and will serve as tour leader. Read his invitation to join this January 2009 study abroad trip, and his objectives and goals. |
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This program is fully escorted from the minute you touch down in Havana until you return home. While on the island you're in the conscientious care of an expert multilingual Cuban guide together with our professional bus chauffeur. Our Canadian and Cuban staff ensures worry free Cuba travel before, during and after your tour. |
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Time to commit. This tour is limited in size and airline seats are limited. Please register now so you can start planning for your January 2009 Cuba Education Tour. |
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Check out our travel planning page: what to take, packing tips, gifts, gratuities, local customs, clothing, and free Spanish primers. |
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| TOUR ACTIVITIES LEGEND |
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Mary and child icon for special OLMCSS events |
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Owl icon for nature and ecology romps |
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Turret icon for history and architecture |
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Face icon for art, museum, and education visits |
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Shoe icon for music and dance activities |
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Fork icon for tour meals included |
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Ball icon for beach, sun and swimming |
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Smiling icon for free time and leisure |
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| Hint BLUE text links across this site offer extensive details and pictures. |
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| Notice to students This is an alcohol and drug free study abroad program. All OLMCSS good behavior rules apply while you are in Cuba. |
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| Included in costs All activities listed below unless noted otherwise. |
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| Meals All breakfasts are included. Some lunches and dinners are not. Your guide is glad to suggest eateries for every taste and budget |
| Travel insurance Students and teachers have comprehensive trip interruption and health coverage while on this tour. |
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Island transportation You travel in a private luxury tour coach chauffeured by a professional driver. |
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Memories of Cuba last forever. Discover the island on routes less traveled. |
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 Five star treatment round-the-clock from our Cuban and Canadian staff ensure worry free travel abroad. |
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Rooftops in Old Havana. |
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| CLICK TO REVIEW EACH TOUR DAY :: 01 :: 02 :: 03 :: 04 :: 05 :: 06 :: 07 :: 08 :: 09 :: 10 :: |
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| Day 1 :: FRIDAY |
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HELLO CUBA |
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| Musician and dancers in Havana. |
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Cuban girls perform folk dance. |
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Musicians on nearly every corner. |
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| OLMCSS Cuba Mission graphics. Click images to enlarge! |
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| The city of Havana as seen from the fortress El Morro, across the harbor from your hotel. |
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Arrival at Havana's José Martí International Airport.
Collect your bags and go through customs. See What to take to Cuba.
You're welcomed at the airport by your Cuba Education Tours guide and professional bus chauffeur.
Your Cuba Education Tours guide will direct you to a bank or exchange bureau (CADECA) to purchase Cuban Convertible Pesos.
Group transfer to the Hotel Parkview located at the boundary between Old Havana and central Havana.
Private check-in with assistance from your guide.
Afternoon and evening are free for you to settle in, rest up, and explore the vibrant neighborhood surrounding your hotel.
All breakfasts are complementary and served daily from 07:00AM to 10:00AM. Many meals are included in Havana. All meals are included in Trinidad.
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José Martí International airport in Havana – a colorful welcome. |
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TIME AND CLIME IN HAVANA NOW
Island-wide annual averages
Summer temp average: 81F | 27C
Winter temp average: 72F | 22C
Ocean temp average: 78F | 25.5C
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Havana's Malecón seawall near your hotel – a place for relaxation, contemplation and new friendships. |
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CUBA IS THE LARGEST and least commercialized island in the Caribbean. It hosts 6000 plant species, half of which are endemic. There are 20 million palms in Cuba comprised of 30 species. Other flora includes the rare cork palm, a holdout from the cretaceous period; the jagüey, a fig with aerial roots; the palma barrigona (pot belly palm); the ceiba (sacred silk-cotton tree); and the mariposa (butterfly jasmine, Cuba's national flower). The most abundant land fauna is reptilian: crocodiles, iguanas, lizards, salamanders, turtles and 15 species of nonpoisonous snakes. The biggest land mammal is the jutía, a tree dwelling rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. The native bee hummingbird or zunzún is the world's smallest warm-blooded vertebrate weighing between 1.6 and 1.8 grams. The Cuban trogon or tocororo is the national bird – its red, blue and white plumage reflecting the colors of the Cuban flag. |
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| Day 2 :: SATURDAY |
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DISCOVERING OLD HAVANA |
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Example of restoration in Old Havana. |
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Street pantomime in Old Havana. |
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View of the Capitolio from the Malecón seawall. |
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Inside view of the dome of El Capitolio. |
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Ballet Nacional de Cuba (NBC) dancers are also stars abroad: Victor Gili (NBC), Carlos Acosta (London Ballet's lead male), and Jose Losada (NBC) here linking steps at 2007 performance in the UK. |
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| Left Alicia Alonso, founder of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, in her trademark role "Giselle." Right Alonso, grande dame of Cuban dance, in 2005. |
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Ornate filigree and statuary adorn Havana's Gran Teatro where the National Ballet performs. |
Morning walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll visit four of the five historic plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. It contains the largest collection of remaining colonial-era architecture. This is a private tour led by your Cuba Education Tours guide.
Cathedral Square, the most beautiful and private 18th century colonial plaza on the island. Named after the masterpiece of Cuban baroque architecture: the Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana built by the Jesuit order.
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| Square of Arms, an ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers, surrounded by impressive buildings such as: |
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Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, former seat of colonial government. Today the building houses the Museum of the City. |
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Palacio del Segundo Cabo, seat of the second authority of the island. Today it houses important publishing concerns. |
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Museo de Artesania at Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the second oldest fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies. Today it displays treasures of artistic ceramics by the most prestigious Cuban artists from the middle of the last century to present. The institution is host to the Ceramic Biennial. |
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We continue onto San Francisco Square, one of the oldest plazas in the historical quarter. The square is named after magnificent Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco de Asís dating from the 16th century. The basilica is a striking example of Cuba baroque architecture.
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Plaza Vieja in Old Havana. |
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And later to Plaza Vieja, the only civic square of colonial times. Absent are churches and government buildings, and is in contrast surrounded by opulent aristocratic 17th century residences. We'll visit an important center for the visual arts.
Free time in the famous open-air handicraft market near Cathedral Square where you can purchase all sorts of crafts and souvenirs by local artisans.
Program highlight Attend a performance of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba (BNC). The troupe was founded 1948 by Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso, who remains its chief choreographer and artistic director. The BNC ranks among the top ballets in the world. (Performances typically begin at 5PM. Tickets not included in cost. If ballet does not perform tonight, this activity will take place on another tour evening, or we'll attend a performance of the Spanish Ballet of Cuba.) |
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| Day 3 :: SUNDAY |
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MASS AT THE GRAND CATHEDRAL, MUSEUM VISITS |
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| Exterior and interior of the Cathedral of Havana initiated by Jesuits in 1748 and completed in 1777. Click photos for larger view. |
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Modernist sculpture by noted Cuban artist Rita Longa stands outside the entrance to Palacio de Bellas Artes. |
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Magnificant hallway of the Museum of the Revolution. |
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This morning we have the honor of attending mass at the Great Cathedral of Havana together with Cubans of shared faith.
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Víctor Manuel's Gitana Tropical, known as the Cuban Mona Lisa, painted in 1929. |
Followed by a guided tour of the Palacio de Bellas Artes [Palace of Fine Arts] dedicated exclusively to housing Cuban art spanning three centuries. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life. A gallery devoted to the 1970s displays the latest generation of Cuban artists whose works reflect the strong symbolic imagery prevalent in recent decades. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island's Spanish, French, Chinese, African cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam.
Lunch (not included in program cost).
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Museum of the Revolution was the former presidential palace of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista prior to 1959. |
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Afterwards we'll explore the Museum of the Revolution, the former Presidential Palace. Today it exhibits the history of the Cuban Revolution through documents and objects among which we find the famous Yacht Granma that returned Fidel and his 82 guerilla fighters from México to Cuba to launch the struggle for liberation from the Batista dictatorship.
Evening highlight Tonight a Cuban band plays for us. They'll teach you how to perform and dance to Salsa, Rumba, Son, and Rueda de Casino and other popular Cuban rhythms from members of Grupo Dulce María. |
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| Day 4 :: MONDAY |
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Convent of Our Lady of Belen |
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| Left Doña Flora, a 102-year-old resident of the Belén Convent in 2008. Right Tower and entrance to the Convent of Our Lady of Belén. |
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Restoration of Belén Convent began in 1991 and continues today. It serves as a public health facility for the elderly in the neighborhood and a permanent residence for 50 retirees. Eventually a section of the facility will house small a hotel. |
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Fresh from urban organic gardens: farmers market in Havana. |
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Morning reflection mass with the elders and friends of the Convent of Our Lady of Belén.
Followed by a tour of the Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a community center in Old Havana housed in an ancient convent. Construction on the Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991, restoration began and continues with amazing results. Today the Office of the Historian, local Public Health authorities, and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage the Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to old folks in the community. The Convent also houses an orphanage, storm shelter, pharmacy, daycare, eye and medical clinic, computer workshop, museum, art gallery, and services for handicapped and disabled kids. We'll meet with project director Nelson Aguila and tour this world famous project.
Next there will be a special ceremony where OLMCSS students present donations to the residents and staff of the Convent of Our Lady of Belén.
We'll spend the balance of the day helping out Convent staff and residents with improvement projects and chores.
Depending upon the playoff schedule, we'll attend a baseball game in Havana – always a rousing, friendly experience. Baseball is Cuba's national sport. |
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Entrance to Convent Belén today. |
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In the countryside many youth are engaged in organic agriculture combined with rigorous academics. |
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Members of the Organoponico Alamar cooperative at work. |
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Youth at a Cuban baseball game. |
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| Day 5 :: TUESDAY |
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Convent of Our Lady of Belen |
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Afrocuban dance in Havana. |
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Above Soldiers fire the 9PM cannon. Below Students watch the blast.
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Today we'll spend our time volunteering at the Convent of Our Lady of Belén. We'll help out with projects that are priorities for children with special needs and the elderly.
Tonight we witness a most dramatic ceremony – El Cañonazo – the Firing of the 9PM Cannon at the Fortress of San Carlos de La Cabaña. This enchanting colonial reenactment dates back to 1519 when the city of Havana was enclosed by a tall thick rock wall to ward off attacks from pirates and the English. The cannon firing signaled the closing of the city gates for the night. If you were outside at the time, you were in "vedado" or the forbidden zone. Today Vedado is an important cultural hub and beautiful section of modern Havana. |
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Volunteer at Convent Belén makes mechanical adjustment to wheelchair. |
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 Cuban hip hop. |
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Havana street percussionist. |
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| Some among many staples grown organically in Havana: Left to right Bananas, coffee beans, cucumbers, pineapple, sweet potatoes, eggplant, and avocados. |
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| Day 6 :: WEDNESDAY |
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volunteer day at Escuela Taller |
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Restoration of architectural details. |
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Students repair stained glass window. |
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![Instructor at the Escuela Taller [Workshop School] for historical restoration.](images/204escuela_taller2.jpg)
Instructor at the Escuela Taller [Workshop School] for historical restoration. |
This morning we'll meet with the professors and students of La Escuela Taller Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos Workshop School). This unique institution was established in 1992 in a heroic effort to train youth in the arts, crafts and theoretical knowledge to rehabilitate and preserve their architectural heritage. The school teaches young people archeological and restoration skills necessary to sustain the physical heritage and cultural patrimony of Old Havana. The Cuban capitol harbors the largest collection of colonial-era Spanish architecture in our hemisphere.
Now that you've met the students at Escuela Taller, you'll have a chance to help them out with their restoration projects. Be sure to wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty. This is a great opportunity to make new Cuban friends while learning from them at the same time. They'll have lots of questions about Canadian life for you too. Don't be shy.
Return to your hotel to refreshen up and have dinner.
Tonight is free to explore the neighborhood around your hotel and local entertainment options. Students will travel in groups of four or more. |
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| Day 7 :: THURSDAY |
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CIENFUEGOS |
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Cienfuegos also has a Malecón seawall. |
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Intricate detailing on a heritage building. |
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Cienfuegos, founded by French colonists, has a replica of the Arc de Triomphe in its central plaza. |
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Teatro Tomas Terry was built in 1889 by the sons of Tomas Terry (a Venezuelan immigrant who became wealthy via the slave trade and later mayor of the city). It is clad in Carrara marble; sports carved wooden seats, ornate ironwork, and an impressive romantic fresco on its arched ceiling. It once hosted the likes of Enrico Caruso and Sarah Bernhardt. Below Fresco detail.
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Cienfuegos' waterfront has undergone various stages of restoration and modernization. |
Morning departure to Cienfuegos – founded by French immigrants at the beginning of the 19th century is renowned for its wealth of stunning historical buildings.
Lunch upon arrival (not included in cost).
Afterwards, your guide will recount the story of the origins of this beautiful cosmopolitan city, known as the "Pearl of the South." You'll walk its main Plaza Martí where the ceremony of its foundation took place, as do many important events still today.
We'll visit such neoclassical buildings as the Cathedral built with donations from wealthy slave owning families – enduring names like Lebranc, Albi, and Terry. Inside the Cathedral a marvelously rendered stained glass mural of the Twelve Apostles imported from Paris will awe you. The original machinery of the Cathedral's tower clock was also crafted in France and keeps on ticking to this day.
Now we journey on to the historic city of Trinidad and check to your all-inclusive beach resort Club Costa Sur. You'll have time for dinner and a swim in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.
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Get ready for some fabulous beach fun.
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| Day 8 :: FRIDAY |
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EXPLORING TROPICAL NATURE |
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Left Cuban youths ride horse on beach. Above A boy and his prize piglet. |
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A bumblebee hummingbird called a zunzún (actual size), gets its name from the sound of a bumblebee. It weighs less than a dime. Watch a short zunzún film clip. |
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Orchid. Exotic and unique plants and animals thrive in Cuba. The island has more protected areas than any other country. |
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| CUBA HAS MORE than 30 types of palms, including royal palms. Other indigenous plants are mahogany, ebony, lignum vitae, cottonwood, logwood, rosewood, cedar pine, majagua, granadilla, jagüey, tobacco, papaya trees, and the sacred ceiba tree. |
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| Topes de Collantes National Park in central Cuba's Escambray Mountains is the perfect environment to spot the Cuban parakeet left, Fernandina's flicker center, and the Cuban parrot right. |
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This morning we board Soviet Army trucks to climb the peaks of Topes de Collantes in the Escambray Mountains. The Escambrays comprise the island's second highest range, reaching to 3,700 feet atop Pico San Juan. The Escambrays are home to small villages and a true delight for birders and naturalists alike. Dramatic slopes are swathed in Caribbean pines, ancient tree ferns, bamboo and eucalyptus.
Upon arrival at Hacienda Codina, an old Spanish coffee plantation, we'll enjoy a traditional Cuban lunch, followed by a walking tour of the area to admire the beauty of the surrounding landscape and the animals and plants it hosts.
Late afternoon return to your Trinidad resort hotel. Dinner and beverages are included.
Your evening is free to enjoy the beach, the all-inclusive amenities of your hotel, and the lively streets of Trinidad. Your guide will keep you posted on local entertainment options.
Entertainment suggestion Live Cuban popular music at the nightclub Casa de la Trova – a great opportunity to dance with Cubans and your tour companions. |
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Peasant hut in the high altitude jungles of Topes de Collantes. |
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A Soviet Army truck is deployed to educate about nature. You'll ride in one to the top of the Escambray Mountains today. |
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Fresh water pool on the way to Topes de Collantes. The Escambray Mountains are located in central Cuba and form the second largest range on the island after the Sierra Maestra in the eastern province of Guantánamo. |
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Rural middle school students. |
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| Day 9 :: SATURDAY |
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TRINIDAD DE CUBA |
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Sixth generation member of the Santander family spins decorative pots at centuries-old workshop. |
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The jutía, native to Cuba, is a large rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. They dwell in trees and are vegetarians. Jutías are the preferred breakfast of crocodiles and the biggest endemic island mammal. |
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Cuba Crocodile The endangered Crocodylus rhombifer is found only in Cuba's Zapata Swamp and the Isle of Youth. It jumps to feed by thrusting its powerful tail and can leap up to four-and-a-half meters (15 feet) from the water to snatch arboreal animals such as jutías from overhanging branches. Today, barely 4,500 Cuban crocodiles remain in the wild. Photo Dan Macintosh. |
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Today we explore on foot one of the oldest cities founded by the Spaniards in the West Indies, Trinidad de Cuba, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was established in 1514 on orders of the conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar who traveled to Cuba with Columbus in 1493.
We visit its Plaza Mayor, Museum of Architecture, Museum of the Romantic Era, the main town parish and other amazing sites, some dating back centuries.
We stop at a mirador (lookout) over the Sugar Mill Valley, also an UNESCO World Heritage Site, where sugar barons constructed their opulent countryside mansions and huge refineries.
Trinidad is well known for its pottery makers. We'll meet a family that has been passing on the tradition for generations: the Santanders.
Free time to wander the streets of Trinidad's historical center, examine the oldest architecture in the Americas, and inspect local art and shop for souvenirs.
Your evening is free to enjoy the beach, hotel amenities, and the lively streets of Trinidad. How about live Cuban popular music on steps of Casa de la Música – a great opportunity to practice your newfound dance moves with Cubans and your tour companions? |
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Above Reef fish. Left Sea slug, Nudibranch. |
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| Fisher returns home with catch from Península de Ancón near your beach resort. Sea life thrives in the clean ocean waters near Trinidad. Most popular dinner treats are shrimp, red snapper, tuna and lobster. |
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Building in Trinidad's main plaza. |
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The Península de Ancón is fun, clean and safe. |
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Join in on a volleyball game. Or stroll the beach for miles in peace. |
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The Valle de los Ingenios [Sugar Mill Valley] brought untold riches to select families. You'll see their mansions and monuments.
![Trinidad's Sugar Mill Valley [Valle de los Ingenios]](images/540sugar_valley333.jpg) |
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| Day 10 :: SUNDAY |
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GOODBYE CUBA |
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| KEEP IN TOUCH with your new Cuban friends – exchange email addresses! Bring some business cards to pass out on the island. Take pictures and keep a journal. Upon your return, we'll post them on this website for all to see and enjoy. |
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Early morning transfer to Havana's José Martí Int'l Airport for your return home. Don't forget to save 25.00 CUC for your Cuban airport departure tax and some money for meals on Air Canada flights home. |
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Old Cuban saying, "a true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics." |
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