I AM ABEL FOUNDATION

CUBAN HEALTH SYSTEMS TOUR ITINERARY

January 3 - 10, 2021

 

DAY 1 - Arrival to Havana

• Arrival at  Jose Marti International Airport
• Welcome session by the tour guide including a very brief overview of the health care system and the tour activities in general.
• Private check-in to Hotel with assistance from your guide.
• Free time to settle in and rest up at your hotel.
• Bus tour of Modern Havana Transfer to Mediterraneo Habana restaurant for welcome dinner, included.

 

Day 2 Cuban Health Care System presentation and visit Polyclinics

• Breakfast in the hotel
• A special presentation and dialogue: "Overview of Cuba Society” by a Professor of Havana University.
• Lunch at restaurant Mojito Mojito private restaurant
• Visit to a Polyclinic in Havana
• Return to hotel to rest and freshen up 
• Dinner at Los Naranjos Private restaurant (included)
• EVENING HIGHLIGHT: We witness a most dramatic ceremony – El Canonazo – the Firing of the

9PM Cannon at the Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabana. This enchanting colonial reenactment dates back to 1519 when the city of Havana was enclosed by a tall thick rock wall to ward off attacks from pirates and the English. The cannon firing signaled the closing of the city gates for the night. If you were outside at the time, you were in "Vedado" or the forbidden zone. Today Vedado is an important cultural hub and beautiful section of modern Havana.

 

Day 3 ELAM International Medical School

• Breakfast in the Hotel
• Visit ELAM International School. SNMA MEETS SNMA CUBA!! Visit with International Students who attend the Cuban medical school for free and obtain a world class experience. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect to the SNMA in Cuba and to even plan an exchange. To be coordinated by SNMA with I AM ABEL
• Visit Youth Community Organization; teach CPR or other important exchange (January Tour visits High School in session).
• Feast on a delicious lunch hosted by Jose Fuster, one of Cuba’s most important ceramists and painters at his whimsical studio in Jaimanitas, just outside of Havana
• Evening Free to Explore - Dinner Not Included •

 

Day 4 Havana Healthcare System and Ernest Hemingway

• Breakfast in the Hotel
• Visit Maternity Hospital “Ramon Gonzalez Coro. Meet staff and talk about Maternity Health in Cuba and their amazing mother baby stats as validated by the WHO.
• Lunch at El Ajiaco private restaurant (included)
• Visit Cojimar, small fishing Village one of Hemingway’s favorite’s places Visit Finca La Vigia (House and farm of Ernest Hemingway Museum)
• Dinner at Decameron
• Fabulous Tropicana Show or Buena Vista Social Club in Havana •

 

Day 5 Consultorio and Clinica Cira Garcia

• Breakfast in hotel
• Visit to the Convento de Nuestra Senora de Belen (Convent f our Lady of Belen) a humanitarian health project in Old Havana. Construction on the Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues with amazing results. Today the Office of the Historian, local Public Health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage the Belen Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more elderly in the community. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and "love among the elderly" lectures.
• Visit Havana’s National School of Public Health (ENSAP)
• Visit “Consultorio” which is where primary care is done in the community on the ground floor 
• Lunch at La Casa private restaurant (included)
• Visit Cira Garcia Clinic, part of the Public Health National System of Cuba for attention to foreign patients from the diplomatic corps accredited in Cuba, to foreign businessmen established in Cuba and to foreign persons who come to the country.
• Return to hotel to rest and freshen up
• Dinner on your own

 

Day 6  Tour of Old Havana and Hamel's Alley

• Breakfast in Hotel
• Walking tour of Old Havana and enjoy street performers
• Visit the world famous “Hamel’s Alley”
• Old Havana walking tour a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• We'll visit four of the five historic plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. It contains the largest collection of remaining colonial-era architecture. This is a private tour led by your Cuba Explorer Tours guide. 
• Cathedral Square, the most beautiful and private 18th century colonial plaza on the island. Named after the masterpiece of Cuban baroque architecture: the Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana built by the Jesuit order. 
• Square of Arms, an ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers, surrounded by impressive buildings such as: Palacio de los Capitales Generales, former seat of colonial government. Today the building houses the Museum of the City. Palacio del Segundo Cabo Palace of the Second Lieutenant] dates from 1770
• Lunch at La Moneda Cubana 
•  Visit a Maternity Home and learn how the most disenfranchised are supported following birth
• Visit the palatial and newly modernized Capitol Building
• This is a great day to run off to the beach or explore other parts of this amazing city
• Dinner on your own

Day 7 – The Art Of Rum and Public Health Topics

• Breakfast in Hotel
• Visit the Health Promotion Disease Prevention Unit of Havana (HIV-AIDS prevention and counseling services)
• Visit the Rum museum and learn about The Art of Rum: Get to know about the origin and development of the rum production in the island. Visit to the Rum Museum. Tasting of the Havana Club Rum along with Cocktail-making lessons to follow. The barman will teach the costumers how to prepare their own Cuban cocktail.
• Lunch at El Rum Rum private restaurant (included)
• Enjoy a panoramic ride in old convertible cars as you cruise to our final event as a group
• Group dinner at Rio Mar private restaurant (included in tour cost). The seafood is amazing!

 

Day 8    Heading Back Home

• Check out of  hotel
• Transfer to Jose Marti International Airport for Flights home. Cuba travel is a challenge. Our staff and Cuban partners work super hard to make your tour unfold seamlessly despite Third World conditions on the island. Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Flexible travelers understand this is part of their Cuban adventure

 

PAYMENT

Once you register, we will send you an invoice via PayPal to plan your deposit. The deposit is $300.00 and is NONrefundable. Please make sure you have a valid PayPal account prepared for use.  We will have a PRE-PARTICIPATION MEETING ON ZOOM PRIOR to accepting your deposit so that we can make sure that all of your questions are answered in advanced!  We will give you detailed instructions regarding payment once you register online (NO payment due today at registration. It’s only to indicate your interest). Checks are welcome and help reduce fees. Final payments are due 45 days before planned travel. All payments may be paid by the following methods: -

• • PayPal
  • $CashApp
  • Zelle Quick Pay • Cash/Check

Register Now!