Discover the World with Arrangements Abroad
For the intellectually curious traveler
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Cuba is Hot!
April 17, 2012
Cuba fever is spreading! Caribbean Travel Magazine is the most recent publication to feature a story on the many reasons Cuba is one of our most popular destinations. Check out the article here:
Cuba: A Firsthand Account
February 28, 2012
George Metes and Jean Sanborn report on their favorite experiences during their recent trip to Cuba.
On arriving in Havana we were introduced to “habaneros” at the Sunday Callejon de Hamel Santoria celebration, which was the perfect way to introduce us, people-to-people, to the creativity and energy of the Cubans. On the planned itinerary we visited several artists’ studios, the Ceramics Museum and the large Fine Arts Museum, dancers, singers, and lively kids performing, thus seeing a range of art and learning how the Cuban artists interact with the larger art world.
Informal opportunities to interact with Cubans were plentiful. We had enough free time in Havana to get out and meet people and explore areas off the main tourist track. We already knew the generally cheerful energy of the Cuban people; we discovered how safe and clean Havana is despite the crumbling infrastructure.
The opportunities to eat on our own led us not only to a paladar for a moonlit meal in a beautiful home full of art but also to Los Nardos, the hugely popular national restaurant down the street from the hotel where we got to chat with Cubans also waiting for a table. As in the paladares, we enjoyed wonderful music in the national restaurant. (Contrary to what we had been led to believe, Cuban food is not all rice and beans).
We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the organizers and leaders of this trip; everyone gave their time, their creativity, their energy, their patience, their wide-ranging knowledge of Cuba, and their good humor to make this such a special week.
Performing Arts in Cuba
December 26, 2011
I was fortunate enough to lead our company’s first trip to Cuba since 2003, and was thrilled to find that the Cuban art world is thriving. Our trips are focused on interaction with locals, so we were able to meet, talk to, and enjoy performances by a surprising variety of artists and performers. Here’s a glimpse at two of my favorite performances:
In Havana we attended a rehearsal of the Contemporary Dance Company of Cuba in their studio. During most of the rehearsal, a bongo player and singer provided live music and filled the room with energy as their songs became more and more up tempo. Later the male dancers joined in as the group practiced a new routine for an upcoming performance. We were all envious of their talent, and surprised at how quickly the time flew by while we were watching! Here’s a short video clip of their rehearsal:
Los Cantores de Cienfuegos serenaded us with a variety of popular Latin American and Spanish songs, as well an American song sung so beautifully that sent chills down my spine. The acoustics were fantastic, and the group was very friendly and happy to answer all of our questions. (I didn’t include a clip because it just doesn’t do the group justice!)
The Cantores told us that there is an intense audition process to become a member, and that the group practices nearly every day. They really treat this as their job. Many went to school to become musicians, and play instruments and practice their own music on the side.
I hope you enjoyed these clips and photos as much as we enjoyed the performances!
Revealing the Layers of Cuba’s Architecture
November 2, 2011
The New York Times reports that 4 new books on Cuban architecture have recently been released, and we couldn’t be happier! Our office loves to read and is thrilled to be accompanying trips to Cuba. Below the link to the New York Times article are a few photos of Cuban architecture taken on one of our recent trips, as well as a photo of historian Julio César Pérez Hernández, who often lectures during our programs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/arts/design/new-books-on-cuba-and-an-americana-collection.html?_r=2
Old Friends: Jim’s Return to Cuba
September 9, 2011
It has been almost 10 years since we ran the last of approximately 100 programs to Cuba…..and now I am back in Havana. While the purpose of my trip has been an exhausting set of meetings with our ground operator in Cuba, I have also had the pleasure of breakfast and dinner with a series of artists, museum directors, heads of foundations, and other friends from years past who have met with our groups and arranged the local insight and behind-the-scenes access that helps makes Cuba so special.
So what’s new after 10 years? There are nice new hotels and even some of the older ones have been renovated. Though none are up to top international standards, the new Hotel Saratoga is regarded locally as the best hotel in Havana. There are new restaurants and plenty of paladars (private restaurants usually in people’s homes). There are exciting young artists producing interesting work and even a new night club being built as a private investment–something unthinkable 10 years ago. The PC way to express this change is that “market tools are being used to enhance the socialist model”…the expectation and fear of change permeates many conversations.
So what has not changed? Well, Cuba still boasts all of the natural beauty it always has….beauty perhaps ever more precious in this changing world. The best colonial architecture in the western hemisphere continues to crumble slowly in much of the city, though the historic old town is looking fresher than I remember. The visual and performing arts, which infuse so much life into this country, remain vibrant and accessible. But mostly what has not changed are the people. Old friends that were knowledgeable, insightful, involved, and remain the same wonderful people that I remember. Though there have been changes, returning to Cuba is always special when you can reunite with old friends.
As a licensed travel service provider, we are operating more than 25 trips this year for non-profit institutions that hold people-to-people licenses for travel to Cuba (the next is scheduled for October and nearly every week thereafter). Many of our senior staff have spent a lot of time in Cuba and we are all excited to be returning to the Havana we all know, as well as new destinations in the country…easy to get to, relatively inexpensive, and at a turning point in its history….this is a great time to go.
Jim Friedlander
Read With Us!
August 10, 2011
Arrangements Abroad hosts a monthly book club for our employees, reading travel writing and fiction and non-fiction accounts of far-off places.
This month’s selection is “Our Man in Havana,” by Graham Greene. This black comedy is set in Havana during the Fulgencio Batista regime. James Wormold, a vacuum salesman in need of money, is recruited by the British Secret Service to gather information for them. Unfortunately Wormold has no information to send and so begins faking the information, eventually constructing an intricate world of secret agents and intrigue. Along the way, Greene also touches on themes such as social class, international relations, and the Catholic Church. If you can’t get enough of “Our Man in Havana,” don’t worry – the novel has also been adopted into a film, opera, libretto, and play.
What did you think of “Our Man in Havana?”
Cuba Looks Back and Forward
June 30, 2011
Cuba has always been one of our favorite destinations, and a destination that tends to surpass peoples’ expectations. We hope to return one day soon, but will reminisce with a few photos in the meantime.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/04/cuba_looks_back_-_and_forward.html
