From Oct 4th
through 12th, eight members of the Rotary Club of San Francisco Evening went on
a Cuban adventure. Past Presidents Sarah, Danielle, and me,
President Elect Krissie, and Current or Past board members Cathy, Karen,
Kathryn, and Erica (newlly named President Elect Nominee) were part of the 20 person group lead by Jon Kaufman of
H2OpenDoors, and also of the San Mateo Rotary Club. We met new friends,
reconnected with old friends, and had an amazing time along the way!
Dia Uno - Hit the ground running
We left Miami on Friday morning, not without a little
suspense…both Sarah and I had misspellings in our names! We thought, you know,
Cuba might not be the place to go when your passport name doesn’t match exactly
with your flight reservation. It took some time, but we made the flight!
Arriving in Cuba we met our tour guides, they took care of us the entire time.
Jesús and Tatiana were the first Cuban friends we made on this trip. They are
knowledgeable, kind, funny, and so caring. We exchanged money at the airport,
then hit the ground running - first to Old Havana to Cathedral Square.
"Plaza Catedral." Absolutely stunning.
We then had lunch at a paladar, that’s the word for a home run restaurant business. These only became legal since the early 1990’s! Before that NO private businesses. After a delicious meal, we went to a print studio where artists and students could use the printing presses for their art, and sell it to make a living. I bought a piece with a beach scene. There is so much art in Cuba…
We then had lunch at a paladar, that’s the word for a home run restaurant business. These only became legal since the early 1990’s! Before that NO private businesses. After a delicious meal, we went to a print studio where artists and students could use the printing presses for their art, and sell it to make a living. I bought a piece with a beach scene. There is so much art in Cuba…
A quick stop to check into the hotel and change for dinner, then
to Mabel’s home art studio. She created light installations, 3D art pieces, and
worked with a Grammy award winning sound engineer. It was such a wonderful
home, and to be invited in was special. Then back to the buses and to the
famous paladar which Michelle and Barack Obama ate dinner. San Cristobal. The
food was wonderful, the wait staff and chef were so sweet and gave us a tour.
The walls were covered with photos of famous patrons.
All that on the first day.
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