ARCHIVE: Discover Sustainable Cuba expedition. Nov. 16-27 2011 with Ron Pither
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What a great success this trip was! We'll be posting more info soon about what happened, but in the meantime you should know about our upcoming tour in March.
Critical material aids to Cuban Agro / Cultural / Health and Education sector leaders and partners are available to carry with personal luggage of Cuba Sustainability Tour 2011 participants choosing to do so at no extra charge. Please contact Ron @ 250-539-0089 or email rpither@gulfislands.com for details.
DISCOVER THE REAL CUBA
From his first to now over thirty journeys to Cuba since the mid nineties Ron Pither has realized how Cuba significantly progresses in the sustainable provision of many human needs, including world class food, education & medical systems... while also noting their astounding arts, music & sense of community!!!
Visit and learn about:
- Countryside and seashore life
- Urban and Peri-Urban agriculture
- Environmental organizations
- Health and Education systems
- Human Social and Economic Rights
- Food Security
- Havana art galleries, theatres, museums, monuments, palaces and plazas
- Educational TV & Video Production
- and mucho mucho more!
For civilization to survive Ron passionately believes we must protect the Wild and as such stewards Varalaya Farms, a diverse agro-silvicultural operation. www.varalaya.ca which is certified organic and a Conservation Partner Program member of The Land Conservancy of British Columbia. http://conservancy.bc.ca He has over 40 years experience with community, economic & cultural developments in BC & Central America.
Ron's widespread Cuban connections include a farm holding near Havana with 2010 winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize for Grassroots Environmental Activism in Cuba, Humberto Rios Labrada. This recognition was for over a decade of his collaborative / heterogenous development of farmer run networks of Local Agri-Cultural Innovations Programs (PIAL). The country wide networks are not only for production / quality increase objectives but foundationally for farmers Cultural Survival and Biodiversity management Rights.
For a wonderful overview of Humberto's groundbreaking work accompanied by bits of his hot homespun Cubano music see the Goldman Prize committee 6 min video (Eng).
For more background info on Ron, you can watch "Farmed and Dangerous: The Story of a Ruralista" on youtube.
In the early nineties, as the collapsed Soviet Union support of Cuba vanished and the criminal economic Blockade of Cuba by the USA intensified, (still continuing 50 years on), Cuba was forced to produce as much as possible locally or perish. There were no fuels nor spare parts for anything. Food grown in the countryside withered and Cubans on average lost 21 lbs per capita and most supplies or inputs if available could not get to their target needs or markets. At this time, and especially in agriculture, Cuba started many long roads to embrace holistic, diverse, adaptive & resilient systems of organic agriculture to feed its people, which won many international awards. Even rooftops & small plots of unused land were converted to vibrant organic production units. Produce was sold locally.
Cuba as an island, and for what its worth as a nation state, survived (barely) to feed its people and even export some of its amazing agricultural, medical, sports and cultural services. Organic farming is now entrenched in many of their cultural & bio-diversity management systems. 25% of Cubans are farmers and economically top other professions. Much of their success and remaining problems are revealed in the film "The Power of Community - How Cuba Survived Peak Oil".
Cuba is a magical Carribean country, but what makes it so fascinating won't last forever, caught as they are in a grey area between capitalism and communism. This will be a one of a kind adventure with Ron leading the way to his second homefront and he is pleased to put this excursion together for and with you.
BUT TIME IS VERY LIMITED FOR PARTICIPANT SIGN UP --- PEOPLE NEED TO COMMIT ASAP
Email Ron at rpither@gulfislands.com or phone 250-539-0089
Ron also has a Cuba cellphone if you need to be contacted almost anywhere in Cuba while you take what may be a trip of a lifetime!!
Let Ron and his Travel Service Providers take you on your Cuban journey of discovery through his many fascinating & diverse ways. Our group of 8 will follow an itinerary, but expect the unexpected. If you choose part of his itinerary, here's how a tour participant described it: "like a melody with a beginning and an end, a certain arc, dramatic highlights and a few surprises. He is good at improvising, adapting to the mood of guests and to circumstances that arise."
Ron will help you set up many diversionary pursuits, like historical walkabouts of Old Habana with a specialist storyteller from the Ministry of Culture, bicycle touring, Scuba diving with friends, attending a spelunking (caving) school, visiting UNDP designated "Lighthouse" beacon farms of integrated sustainability in Havana province, individual and group lessons at the beautiful mango tree shaded rooftop studio of Ron's salsa teacher, visit the nation's largest grouping of pre-Columbus conquest erotic art figurines, visit the biggest Permaculture library in the Americas, view this hemisphere's best Urban Agricultural enterprise at co-operative Alimar UBPC Organiponico (where Ron helps build capacity). You'll see what that co-op is doing with massive worm composting, pyramid form usage & magnetic energy operations to make production boom.
Cuba Si!!! and remember anything is possible in Cuba...
FLIGHT TIMES
Wednesday evening, November 16: Depart on an overnight flight from Victoria OR Vancouver for flight via Toronto with Westjet.
FLIGHT TIMES
Thursday evening, November 16: Depart on an overnight flight from Victoria OR Vancouver for flight via Toronto with Westjet.
DEPARTS FROM VICTORIA:
16 NOV - WESTJET DEPARTS VICTORIA 845PM ARRIVES CALGARY 1106PM
17NOV - WESTJET DEPARTS CALGARY 1240AM ARRIVES TORONTO 622AM
17NOV - WESTJET DEPARTS TORONTO 955AM ARRIVES VARADERO 130PM
RETURN FROM CUBA
27 NOV - WESTJET DEPARTS VARADERO 230PM ARRIVES TORONTO 555PM
27 NOV - WESTJET DEPARTS TORONTO 715PM ARRIVES CALGARY 927PM
27 NOV - WESTJET DEPARTS CALGARY 1000PM ARRIVES VICTORIA 1030PM
Return Airfare from Victoria or Vancouver is 950.00
In Country Cost as per itinerary below is $1299.00CAD, keeping in mind CAD dollar at 95 cents
For participants the tour design is the very best way- offering core interest areas explorations as well as other subject choice pursuits with pleasant places to sleep every night with many meals provided and they will have a guide and 6 hours a day minibus in Vinales to explore parts of the beautiful western province of Pinar del Rio. If people want to B&B or ruralize their accommodation levels that may be arranged separate to tour cost and perhaps on the spot by Ron for those wanting to sort of rough it.... or through his bonded travel arrangement partner contractor or TSP (Travel Service Provider) for Cuba:
---
Judy Gallant
Owner/Group Sales
9421 Jane Street-Unit 121
Maple (Vaughan), Ontario L6A 4H8
1-877-586-8747 toll free office
1-905-303-0200 local
1-905-303-0155 fax
1-613-539-4045 Kingston cell
skype: cubajudy
SUSTAINABILTY TOUR ITINERARY
NOVEMBER 17-27, 2011
HOSTED BY RON PITHER / VARALAYA FARMS
Notice to Participants: This tour is constructed in a way that affords you the most flexibility whilst in Cuba. While in Tarara, Havana and Varadero there are no pre-planned excursions. You may follow Ron and meet his amazing contacts or you can do as you wish with transportation easily available. The sights and sounds of Havana are yours to discover. Only in Vinales where there is no good transportation will you have a Cuban English speaking guide and your personal mini-bus to bring you to all the places that Ron knows. Ron will bring you of course to the La Palma area where new & old bio-diverse & culturally proud work of farmers (now the PIAL program described above) began to nationally transform Cuba's agricultural landscape over the past decade. We will be very warmly welcomed there.
Day 1 - Friday, November 17
Arrive in Varadero where we will be met and transported to the former weekend retreat destination of the pre-revolution rich: Tarara on the eastern beaches, close to Havana. Tarara is now used as a treatment centre for the children of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. It was also home to Che Guevara. (B, D)
Day 2 - Saturday, November 18
Free day to enjoy the beach or visit Organic farms with Ron (B, D)
Day 3 - Sunday, November 19
After breakfast and check out we will be transferred to Havana to our seaside hotel Copacabana. (B)
Day 4 - Monday, November 20
Day at leisure with planned visits with Ron Pither. Hotel Copacabana (B)
Day 5 - Tuesday, November 21
Day at leisure with activities done as a group or individually. Hotel Copacabana (B)
Day 6 - Wednesday, November 22
In the western part of Cuba we will have transportation and a guide. This will allow you to freely visit the places Ron has planned for and also give you the availability to drive around to see the mogotes, the caves and the fabulous deserted beaches of the area.
Today after breakfast we depart for the beautiful Pinar del Rio province in the western part of Cuba. Here we will see tobacco farms, known worldwide for the production of the most famous tobacco used for Cuban cigars. We will check into a Vinales hotel to be decided. (B)
Day 7 - Thursday, November 23
A day with the guide and Ron with visits to La Palma (B).
Day 8 - Friday, November 24
A day to discover the beauty of Vinales.
Day 9 - November 25
Today is our last day in Vinales. After check out we board our bus and head towards Varadero, with a quick visit to Hemingway's haunt in the fishing village of Cojimar. On our way to Varadero we will board the Hershey train ($) bringing us to the Hershey Botanical Gardens -- in the town that is a reproduction of Hershey, Pennsylvania, circa 1930. We continue to our all inclusive Playa Alameda resort for our last 2 nights in Cuba. Playa Alameda Resort (B, D)
Day 10 - November 26
Free Beach day in Varadero (B, L, D)
Day 11 - November 27
Transfer to Airport for our flight home at 230pm (B, L).
The IN COUNTRY cost is $1299.00 per person based on two people sharing a room.
Included in this package:
- 10 nights Cuban hotels
- All Transfers- Varadero/Tarara/Havana/Vinales/Varadero/Airport
- All breakfasts and meals as indicated B=breakfast/L=lunch and D=dinner)
- Air conditioned coach accompanied by an English speaking Cuban guide in Vinales
- Cuban tourist card: good for 90 days. If you want more than 2011 Sustainability Tour time to experience Cuba the Westjet ticket change fee is only $50. A fare seat class differential payment may apply to some flight departure or arrival date changes but those who chose extended stays thus far needed only pay the $50 "change fee" for new date desired. Call P&G Travel toll-free for more info or contact Ron.
- The personal touch and passion that is Ron Pither!
Not Included:
- Travel Insurance
- Meals and entrance fees not indicated
- Gratuities (guides, bus driver, hotel services)
- Cuban departure tax of 25cuc
- Personal items
Terms and conditions:
Payment in Full is required and is non-refundable. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.
Please call P&G Travel at 1-877-586-8747 with your full name as on passport, address, phone number, passport number, email address and credit card information. Mention the Agriculture tour to either Mary or Sylvia who will answer the phone.