Cuban Adventure

Sunrise Rotarians Max Bridges ( Green Guara shirt) and Rich Randolph traveled to Cuba in January for 11 days with their spouses Dee Dee and Betsy respectively. The Cultural Exchange tour was arranged through Grand Circle Travel's Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT).  During the three nights in three cities tour, the itinerary explored Havana, Cienfuegos and Trinidad.  Cuba's modern era, a 500 year history including independent, colonial and revolutionary periods is reflected in magnificently diverse architecture, ethnicity, music, food and dance. While Rotary has been absent in Cuba for over 50 years, a growing entrepreneurial climate and stalwart collaborative spirit would seem to be a ready foundation for re-establishing club activity and International Goodwill.

With tourism's tide rising, and certain change in the foreseeable future, the opportunity to witness cultural and economic resurgence is a chance of a lifetime. For this traveler, many preconceived stereotypes were broken.  The Cubans met were open, progressive, eager to engage socially and commercially with their northern neighbors as well as welcome EU, Central American neighbors, as well as Canadian visitors.  Yes, the coffee Cubano, tobacco, textiles and sugar cane derived rum is alive and well, the pride of resilience, creativity in dance, music, graphic art and medical services are world class.  Hospitality giants from England, Italy and Spain have established Five Star sites, and there is room for many more. Once the boast of Havana, the Hotel Nacional is still a Grand Dame.  Aged, new in the 1930s, this landmark is referred to as a lady with plenty of powder on her face.

Wonderful service, cuisine and welcome, all of the hospitality industry we experienced shined well.  Next visit will undoubtedly bring more choices of equal caliber, and likely a "Rotary Meets Here" wheel to greet.

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