Havana
Cuba
Camaguey
An artist
at work
Santiago
de Cuba
Camaguey’s
historic town centre
O
See it
with CAA
Introducing
Member Appreciation
departures
ur road trip begins
in Camaguey, one
of the first villages
settled on the island
by the Spaniards in 1528. The
city’s historic centre is a UNESCO
heritage site; much of its colonial
architecture is preserved. Today, it’s a
maze of narrow, cobblestone streets
punctuated by tree-lined plazas that
typically feature a statue of a heroic
figure from Cuban history.
These plazas are popular not only
for their pleasant surroundings, but
because public squares are among
the few places in Cuba where people,
including tourists, can access the
internet. Users log on via public
Wi-Fi using access cards that cost
two convertible pesos per hour (about
performing traditional son cubano
tunes. Music and dance are pervasive
in Cuba—nearly all restaurant meals
are accompanied by live performances
by unbelievably talented musicians.
One of the artists we meet is Joel
Jover, a tall, bearded 64-year-old who
shows us his studio. In a country where
80 percent of the population works for
the government in one way or another,
art allows people like Jover to run
businesses of their own.
“Artists like me are totally indepen-
dent; there is no support from the
government,” Jover says. “All I do
is pay tax, but it’s very high. After
50,000 Cuban pesos of income [about
$2,500], I have to pay 50 percent tax.”
When asked why he doesn’t leave
Cuba, he says with a laugh: “Someone
has to stay! My family is here. I have
a beautiful house, I make my living
from this work and my art market is
here. I lived five years in Spain and
I had a chance to stay there longer,
but Cuba is where I feel I can paint.
This is my home.” »
Cuba IntensIve voyage
AzAmArA Club Cruises
Public transit, Cuba-style
$2.60 CAD)—a significant sum in a
country where the average monthly
salary is only about $40.
Camaguey is a major centre for
the arts. We explore several galleries,
stopping at the opera house to see the
city’s renowned ballet troupe practice.
On the street, we listen to musicians
Explore Cuban culture,
cuisine and history on
a 9-night guided cruise
adventure. Your CAA
host will reveal Havana’s
hidden corners, colonial
architecture in Cienfuegos,
and Santiago de Cuba’s
rumba clubs.
Feb. 10–20, 2019
CaamanItoba.Com/travel
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