promo bita & moses yoga

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WWW.CULTURALCONTRAST.ORG

EXPLORE CUBA!CULTURE, HISTORY & YOGA

ALL INCLUSIVE: FLIGHTS TO AND FROM CUBA • HOTELS • MEALS • DAILY YOGA • VISAS IN-COUNTRY TRANSPORTATION • ALL LICENSES • ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDES • AND MORE…

6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS • APRIL 12-17, 2017

Travel authorized by license by the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) which authorizes registered guests of our programs to legally travel to Cuba, to parBcipate and engage in a full Bme schedule of authorized exchange acBviBes in Cuba, which will involve meaningful interacBon between travelers and people in Cuba.

(YOGA EXPERIENCE NOT REQUIRED)

!

DAILY YOGA CLASSES WITH: BITA JENKINS & MOSES BROWN

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http://www.CulturalContrast.org

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http://www.CulturalContrast.org

(FINAL PRICE AND ITINERARY ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS AND HOTEL SELECTION)

Y O U R T R I P I N C L U D E S : • 6 days/5 nights in Havana, Cuba plus day trips to neighboring towns.

• Round trip airfare via chartered commercial airline -‐ Miami–Havana-‐Miami

• All hotel accommodaDons in Cuba

•Basic gratuiDes to your guide, driver, wait staff at included meals and hotel bellboys.

• Included meals: 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners. You will be taken to experience some of the best cuisine in Cuba. Some special dietary needs can be accommodated. Call for info.

• Ground transportaDon within Cuba will be provided on a luxury coach with a professional driver.

• Your group will have an experienced, English speaking professional guide who is knowledgeable on Cuban history, poliDcs, educaDon, medical system, arts, economics and more.

• All entrance fees to the important cultural and historic sites.

• Medical insurance while in Cuba (this does not cover preexisDng condiDons).

• All US airport and airline taxes

• Cuban visa fee (if Cuban born, addiDonal fees apply)

Many extra surprises and unique opportuniDes – too many to detail!

N O T I N C L U D E D : •Travel Insurance -‐ We recommend that each parDcipant purchase trip cancellaDon insurance. CancellaDons prior to departure without insurance could cause parDcipants to forfeit their payment.

• Miami lodging -‐ Our trip originates and terminates in Miami. If you do not live in Miami, you may wish to book a hotel in Miami the night before departure.

• Upon check-‐in in Miami, baggage fees are common and are the responsibility of each passenger.

• A daily gratuity of $2 per room is customary for hotel room a[endants

OV E R V I E W: YO G A RE T R E A T - CU B A! T H I S ALL INCLUSIVE E X P E R I E N C E I S $5300 P E R P E R S O N

(+$600 S I N G L E S U P P L E M E N T )


D AY 1 - W E D N E S D AY - A P R I L 12 - I N T R O D U C T I O N T O C U B A

• The group will meet at Miami International Airport at 09:30AM for group check-‐in. (Departure time is subject to change by the airlines.)

• American Airlines flight -‐ Departs Miami at approximately 12:30 PM and arrives Havana 1:30 PM

• Upon arrival in Havana, retrieve your luggage and meet your professional English speaking Cuban tour guide. Bus transfer will be provided directly to the Hotel.

• Once we arrive at the hotel, the porters will take your bags to your room.

• Snack and a welcome cocktail are included at La Barraca, an open-‐air restaurant located among the pristine gardens of the Hotel Nacional.

• Check-‐in to the Hotel, where you will be staying on the. Upon arrival, exchange money and settle into your room. • You will have an opportunity to participate in a light heart-‐opening yoga session and set your intentions for the days to come. • ‘Havana -‐ past, present and future’. Miguel Coyula, former assistant to the city planner of Havana, will give an interactive presentation that covers the rich history and architecture of Havana, followed by a discussion about Cuba’s future.

• Group dinner at ‘paladar’ (privately owned restaurant) – Atelier – Havana’s most famous private restaurant located in a classic 1950’s Miramar home.

• After dinner, walk around and explore the beauty of Old Havana.

D AY 2 - T H U R S D AY A P R I L 13 - H AVA N A - P A S T A N D P R E S E N T • Breakfast included in the banquet room of the Hotel. • Morning Yoga on a rooftop in Old Havana. Opportunity for amazing photos too!

• After your morning yoga enjoy a professionally led tour of Old Havana. Explore the 5 plazas of Old Havana, including Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza Vieja, and Plaza San Francisco.

• After the walking tour of Old Havana, relax for a moment at the historic La Bodeguita del Medio – home of the Mojito!

• Lunch included at La Bodeguita del Medio – The home of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite mojito!

• After lunch, visit the Cuban Museum of the Revolution for a guided tour. The museum is housed in what was the Presidential Palace of all Cuban presidents and became the Museum of the Revolution during the years following the Cuban revolution.

• Enjoy some free time in the afternoon. You may wish to explore the streets of Havana in a vintage American car.

• In the evening, the group will meet for an incredible dinner at El Aljibe, Havana’s most famous and historic chicken and rice restaurant with a secret family marinade recipe.

• After dinner your join the group for live music on the Malecón with a group of local street musician and friends of Cultural Contrast.

E L M A L E C Ó N I N H AVA N A , C U B A

TRIP OUTL INE: YO G A RE T R E A T - CU B A!


“ A P L A C E W H E R E T I M E S TA N D S S T I L L ”

“H AVA N A V I E J A ” - O L D H AVA N A

D AY 3 - F R I D AY A P R I L 14 - V I Ñ A L E S V A L L E Y - E N J O Y T H E V I E W

• Morning Yoga in the gardens of Hotel. Get ready to flow with an uplifting yoga sequence and set the tone for a day of green open spaces with extraordinary views.

• Breakfast included in the banquet room of the Hotel.

• Pack your bags and be ready to leave for an overnight stay in Viñales • After yoga and breakfast, you will depart in a luxury coach bus to the western province of Pinar Del Rio, home of Cuba’s most lush landscapes and one of the main agricultural regions of Cuba.

• Enjoy lunch at El Ranchón restaurant located near the Mural de la Prehistoria, one of Cuba’s most bizarre attractions.

• Afternoon: Explore some of Cuba’s natural caves on a unique walking and boat tour that offers breathtaking views overlooking the entire Viñales valley region, an agricultural hub and the epicenter of tobacco production in Cuba.

• Visit the quaint village of Viñales, including a visit to a farmer’s home and tobacco plantation. Learn the art and science of tobacco growing and you can even try to roll a cigar!

• Check in to Hotel Los Jazmines -‐ Take some time to enjoy the hotel pool and the spectacular views from your room through the French doors that open on to a balcony.

• Dinner on your own: Enjoy dinner at Hotel Los Jazmines or a ‘paladar’ in Viñales town center. After dinner, join the group at a Patio Central Cultural Polo Montañez, or El Palenque de Los Cimarrones for incredible live Salsa Music!

D AY 4 - S AT U R D AY A P R I L 15 - S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y A N D S A L S A

• Morning Yoga session will include all levels yoga flow & guided Pranayama on the grounds of Hotel Los Jazmines. We will breathe deeply and relax with a beautiful view of the valley.

• Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Hotel Los Jazmines and prepare to explore more of Viñales valley. • Participate in an optional salsa dance class or enjoy the terraced hotel pool that looks out onto the picturesque valley.

• After checking out of Hotel Los Jazmines, we will visit a sustainable organic farm for a tour. The owners will explain how they harvest and filter their own rainwater for irrigation, use companion planting techniques and terraced raised beds and to grow dozens of varieties of organic produce on the hillside. After the tour, the the owners will host a true farm-‐to-‐table organic lunch!

• Following the farm tour, the group will return to Havana to explore and have time to meet Cuban artists and musicians…

• Havana, is now host to a multitude of private restaurants. Whether you choose a quaint paladar in Old Havana or an elegant private restaurant in Vedado or Miramar, the options are endless. Your guides will assist you in making unforgettable dinner plans.

• In the evening we’ll uncover the Havana nightlife. Practice your new dance moves at Casa de la Musica or see the legendary Cabaret show at Club Tropicana!

H O T E L L O S J A Z M I N E S

V I N A L E S , C U B A



D AY 5 - S U N D AY A P R I L 16 - B E A C H D AY !

• Breakfast included in the banquet room of the Hotel. • Beachfront Yoga practice with Eduardo Pimentel: Known as the "Godfather of Cuban Yoga”, Eduardo began his practice when he discovered library books about yoga in the 1970s. He corresponded with his guru, BKS Iyengar, via snail mail, (often waiting 4 months to receive a letter from India) before traveling to India to study with him in person. During his 40 year journey he has spread yoga throughout the entire island and is now known as a public figure. Experience for yourself how yoga is practiced in Cuba! Please remember to bring yoga supplies to donate to the Cuban Yoga Community.

• Pack your bathing suit! After yoga, we’re going to the beach! Experience the famous white sand beaches of Playas del Este, located about 15 minutes outside of Havana, Playas del Este is renowned for its pristine white sands and crystal aquamarine waters. Meet Cuban musicians and beachgoers, while you Enjoy a “coco frio” -‐ coconut water straight from the coconut while you relax on the beach!

• Lunch -‐ Included at Ajiaco, a paladar that specializes in traditional Cuban food with a unique twist. • Visit Havana’s Plaza de Armas and visit the book and antique market. • Before dinner, travel to the Malecon at sunset for a final group mediation as prepare to bid farewell to Cuba • Return to the hotel to relax before preparing for a farewell dinner with the group. • Dinner at Havana’s single finest restaurant – El Litoral. An incredible nautical themed restaurant that features it’s own fishing boat and an entirely organic appetizer bar.

D AY 6 - M O N D AY A P R I L 17- ¡A D I O S C U B A ! • Breakfast included in the banquet room of the Hotel.

• You will check-‐out of the hotel and the porters will bring your luggage to the bus.

• Before going to the airport, you will visit the quaint fishing village of Jaimanitas and visit the Gaudi-‐inspired neighborhood-‐mosaic-‐tile-‐art project of world-‐renowned artist José Fuster. Mr. Fuster turned his entire village into a mosaic project. Featured on A&E, the Travel Channel and Discovery, you will visit his private home and studio and have the opportunity to view and buy art directly from the artist at his studio/home.

• Transfer to the airport – You will check in as a group and board your brief flight back to Miami.

• Lunch options are available in the airport

• American Airlines flight -‐ Departs Havana at approximately 2:00 PM, arrives Miami 3:00 PM (Departure time is subject to change by the airlines.)

J O S É F U S T E R ’ S M O S A I C P R O J E C T


E X P E R I E N C E B L I S S AT P L AYA S D E L E S T E


AB O U T T H E HO T E L : YO G A RE T R E A T - CU B A!

The Hotel Nacional sits on a bluff known in the early centuries of the colonial Dme as Monte Vedado (vedado = prohibited) because of a Spanish government decree banning the creaDon of paths to the beach in that area. The constant a[acks by privateers and pirates, followed by the capture of Havana by the English, prompted the construcDon of various forDficaDons, including the Santa Clara cannon ba[ery which is now the hotel gardens. Together with Old Havana, the site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

The decision to build a luxury hotel was made in the late 1920s. The American firms McKim, Mead & White and Purdy & Henderson Co., tasked with the planning and construcDon, completed the palaDal edifice in 14 months. The hotel exhibits an eclecDc architectural style, reflecDng Art Deco, Arabic references, features of Hispano-‐Moorish architecture, and both neo-‐classical and neo-‐colonial elements. There are even details from the centuries-‐old Californian style. The resulDng unique example of so many schools of architecture is the most unusual and interesDng hotel in the Caribbean region. The Hotel Nacional was first opened on the night of Dec. 30, 1930. A grand ball was held that night to celebrate, and it was a[ended by a variety of famous guests.

1930s: The hotel was bombarded following the staDoning of officers of the army elite of the deposed president Gerardo Machado, in a revolt by lower-‐raking officers -‐ BaDsta among them -‐ in protest at the privileges of high office. Guests of the hotel in this decade included: Johnny Weismuller (Tarzan), Edward VIII (prince of Wales), Jack Dempsey, Tom Mix, Buster Keaton, Errol Flynn, and the mobsters Santos Traficante (father) and Meyer Lansky. Mr. Lansky secured the future of the casino business with BaDsta during meeDngs at the hotel.

1940s: In 1945, the hotel was host to the internaDonal air transport conference, a[ended by delegates from the world's airlines, which founded IATA, the InternaDonal Air Transport AssociaDon. In February 1946, Sir Winston Churchill visited Cuba, staying in the hotel's Republica Suite, and was accorded diplomaDc privileges by the Cuban government. In December 1946, the hotel was the venue for a major gathering of the Mafia, closing its doors to the public while accommodaDng the heads of the most notorious (American) Cosa Nostra families. For over 12 years, the hotel was home to steel magnate Barón Thyssen Bornemicza. The avalanche of celebriDes conDnued unabated: George Raw, Be[y Grable, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Carol II of Rumania, Tyrone Power, Lucky Luciano, Rita Hayworth, Ernest Hemingway, Fred Astaire, the Los Panchos trio, César Romero and Gary Cooper.

1950s: These were the halcyon days of tourism for the hotel. Its American management refused accommodaDon to both Josephine Baker and Nat King Cole, on racist grounds, but in 1957 relented in the case of the la[er, who gave some unforge[able performances during his stay. Other guests and visitors during this period included: Nelson Rockefeller, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gadner, Sir Alexander Fleming, Spencer Tracy, Marlon Brando, John Wayne, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Leopold and Baudouin of Belgium, and Walt Disney.

In 1956, Eartha Ki[ inaugurated the hotel's Cabaret Parisien, where the famous voices that charmed the guests included those of Vic Damone, Nat King Cole, and, more recently, Compay Segundo and Alberto Herrero, among so many who have enlivened nights at the Hotel Nacional.

The hotel was the sezng for the formaDon of the '26th July Movement' (M-‐26-‐7) revoluDonary group led by Fidel Castro. On the triumph of the Cuban RevoluDon on January 1st 1959, the representaDves of the American company that operated the hotel departed, and the hotel staff took over the management. October 1962 was the month of the Missile Crisis. AnDaircraw emplacements were

installed on the hotel's bluff, and walled trenches were excavated below the gardens -‐ a large scale engineering feat. The world's first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, stayed at the hotel. Other guests during this period included Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Josephine Baker and, appearing in cabaret, Bola de Nieve, Esther Borja, among others.

1970s: A revival of internaDonal tourism began in 1974. In December 1979, the hotel hosted the first LaDn American New-‐Film FesDval, and has remained as the fesDval's venue ever since.

1980s and '90s: The hotel was architecturally and historically restored, achieving the status of flagship of the Cuban hotel industry. It was reopened in 1992. Visitors included Geraldine Chaplin, Danielle Mi[errand, Harry Belafonte, Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, Michel Legrand, Robert de Niro, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Diego Armando Maradona, Alicia Alonso, Ana Belén, Francis Ford Coppola, Muhammad Ali, Henry Aaron, and Danny Glover. In 1994, the hotel a[ained recogniDon as the flagship of the Gran Caribe hotel group. In 1998, the first historic rooms were inaugurated, namely those that had been occupied by Maria Felix, Ava Gardner, Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan), and Jorge Negrete. The year's guests included Alejandro Vargas, son of the famed singer Pedro Vargas, top models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. The hotel hosted the 1999 ninth LaDn American summit.21st century: Guests recently have included many important figures (heads of state, heads of government, other poliDcal and social leaders, disDnguished filmmakers, Nobel laureates, scienDsts, arDsts and athletes.)

H O T E L N A C I O N A L – A N I C O N F R O M T H E P A S T


RE G I S T R A T I O N: YO G A RE T R E A T - CU B A!


E D U A R D O P I M E N T E L G O D FAT H E R O F C U B A N Y O G A

Intelligent, playful, and heart-‐based is how Bita describes her approach to yoga. Emphasizing awareness, breath, core principles, and alignment, Bita integrates these techniques in both movement and in stillness providing access to our true nature. Cultivating a sacred space to open the body, free the mind, and connect with spirit, she aspires to ignite the magic of our existence and the bliss of living this presence. Bita's classes offer down to earth yogic techniques along with ways to incorporate them into our daily lives to help minimize stress, heal our bodies, and heal and focus our minds. Self-‐transformation and awakening within has guided Bita to teach from a place of love, respect and integrity. Having studied many different yoga styles, Bita teaches these practices along with meditation to all levels of students in the Maryland/ DC area. In addition to her 500hr ERYT certification, Bita holds a Doctorate in Medicine.

B I TA J E N K I N S YOGA TEACHER

The growth of yoga in Cuba is largely the work of one man, Eduardo Pimentel. He is the president and Founder of the non-‐governmental, Cuban Yoga Association (CYA). Eduardo Pimentel began his yoga journey in 1971, studying from a book by Swami Sivananda. He furthered his yoga studies in both India and the United States and embarked on his teaching career in 1980. He is a registered yoga teacher by the International Yoga Federation. His most influential teacher has been B.K.S. Iyengar. For over 15 years Pimentel and Iyengar exchanged letters to one another before finally meeting in India. Eduardo Pimentel has trained more than 12,000 yoga practitioners while aiming to develop a prominent Vipassana community in Havana. Eduardo has taught many Cubans about yoga and has even been featured on national television.

Moses Brown is a Certified Yoga Teacher who has been teaching throughout Maryland since 1991. He also leads Yoga Teacher Trainings and Yoga Immersion Programs where his teachings create an approach that is physically dynamic, mentally stimulating, and therapeutic. Moses brings focus, concentration, and mindfulness to his classes, weaving them together with playfulness, joy and FUN! He began his studies in 1988 in both Iyengar and Anusara methods and continues his studies in Yoga Asana, Philosophy and Meditation. Moses teaches all levels of students from beginner to more advanced at The Yoga Center of Columbia, Potomac Yoga and Willow Street Yoga Center, all in the state of Maryland.

M O S E S B R O W N YOGA TEACHER

T H E Y O G A T E A C H E R S

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