I just caught part of the Havana production of Rent. I arrived late and left early – the life of a busy tour operator! – but I did catch a lot of it. And I was delighted to catch 525,600 minutos – my favorite song from the show. I used my phone to record the audio. Here it is, in all its bootleg glory: I…
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NOTE: We run a Cuba Pride trip every May! If you’re interested in the trip for this coming May, check our recent blog posts or drop us a line. I just got word that Havana’s LGBT Pride Week will be May 4 – 10, 2015! So I’m organizing a trip from the 1st to the 11th to coincide. They don’t call it Pride Week. It’s…
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As I keep referring to People-to-People trips, I realized I should probably say more about them! For my purposes, these aren’t that different from the trips I organize anywhere else: intimate, small group trips focused on local culture and society. But for those wondering what the term officially means, here’s an explanation.
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So I just led a trip to Cuba for car freaks auto enthusiasts! We had a number of activities related to cars – like a meeting with the Nostalgicar auto club. This is a group of owner/drivers of meticulously maintained vintage cars from the U.S., imported before the Cuban Revolution. Nice bunch of people. As we rode back to our hotel in these crazy vintage…
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I’m thrilled to say I’ve just been licensed by the Department of the Treasury to lead People-to-People trips to Cuba! Officially the license was issued to my one-man tour company and not to me, but still. The license covers everyone in my groups – meaning that everyone traveling with me is visiting Cuba legally. “People-to-People” means you learn about Cuban culture/society through direct encounters with Cubans –…
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On my first trip to Cuba, I lasted about a day before someone told me about Cuba’s second national pastime. (The first being baseball, of course.) Little did I know, I’d hear about Cuba’s “second national pastime” again and again – and the pastime would change with each new telling! Cubans use this phrase to joke about any key aspect of Cuban life. So for example,…
Read MoreThese are a few of my favorite… songs.
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I sang to a tour member in honor of her birthday. Someone got a video.
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Some things you don’t forget.
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Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer and can’t offer legal advice. When I’m not leading my own tours, I sometimes lead tours for larger tour companies. This year, I’ll be taking groups to Cuba. (Update, August 2014: The Treasury Department has licensed my company, Detour Travel, to organize my own People-to-People trips to Cuba! For more information, check out my Cuba page.) A lot of people…
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