Havana Light. Neon, Art & Music
October and November 2018 departures!
Sold out! Not accepting more sign ups. Thank you!
A tour for those who want to experience Cuban Culture and its urban heritage !
Habana Light Neon + Sign is happy to announce this trip to Cuba for those who want to experience the urban fabric of Havana and learn about the City's development from the middle of the 20th Century through today. We will spend a week in Havana looking at the historic signage and hearing the stories of the places they promoted, we will also learn about some of the new cultural and economic developments that are creating a new and exciting city especially the new private sector initiatives that are changing the face of the city. We will also explore the historic architecture and delve into the Post War history of the City. We will ride classic cars around Havana, explore the Colonial architecture, listen to excellent Cuban music, visit artist studios and eat at some of the most interesting restaurants in the Capital city. Havana has gone from a food desert to a foodie scene over the last ten years. You will visit venues and hear concerts that will trill you. Along with visiting clubs like La Zorra y el Cuervo, Havana's foremost Jazz bar you will chance to step in Ernest Hemingway's favorite bar and home of the Daiquiri and raise a glass to Papa.
Throughout the visit we will be on the lookout for Havana's historic neon signs. Many of them dark and many of them blazing with new light!
This is an excellent time of year to visit the tropical island. The days are warm and the Caribbean trade-winds roll in to cool off the evenings, making for delightful nighttime activities.
Havana is a photographer's dream. We will offer a photo guide during your advise you on your photography questions.
This six day/five night program focuses on meeting everyday Cuban people, learning about historic preservation and urban issues from Cuban experts in the fields of art, and preservation and seeing private sector economic development projects on the island. You will also hear lots of wonderful Cuban music and visit a variety of artists' studios, museums and galleries.
Cuba was a leader in all of the sign developments of the Twentieth Century and there is plenty of original neon signage left. If you are a vintage sign lover this is the trip for you.
Program Price
$ 2,490.00 per passenger (double occupancy) Land package only.
Please note that air to Havana from the USA is at record low prices due to the new flights established by commercial air carriers. We will help you find the lowest and best price for your visit to Cuba.
The price quoted is for double occupancy. If you would like a single room, please add $200.00 for a new price of $2709.00.
Two dates to choose from! Sign up today! First come first served!
Trip Details
Your trip begins with a commercial airline flight to Havana from your destination. Although this is not included we will help you find the right flight for you.
You will stay for five nights in one of Havana's most luxurious casa particulares (home inns). You will enjoy several days of exploration and discovery in the Cuban capital, then visit the Vinales Valley in the tobacco growing region of the island.
The trip includes ten meals: daily breakfasts at your deluxe casa, three lunches and two dinners. There will be time for dining and exploring on your own. You will partake of the exciting Havana foodie revolution and night time music activities! We will visit after hours music venues for late night jazz jams.
Included
*Cuban Visa
*US Gvt paperwork
*Accommodations five nights in a deluxe home inn
*Breakfast every morning
*Welcome dinner
*Farewell dinner
*Two Lunches
*A ride through the city in a fleet of classic American convertibles
*Visit to REX DUPLEX Neon Center
*Walking tours, city tours, Vintage sign hunts
*Artist Studio visits
*Music and night time activities
*Folklorico Nacional Rehearsal
*Day visit to Vinales Valley with lunch
*Guide service
*Van transportation for 12 hours a day
*Airport transfers
Not Included
*Round trip airline travel
*Passports
*Some tips (Guide, Driver, baggage handlers)
*Trip Interruption insurance
Please sign up now!
Departure is a weeks away. This is the perfect time to book this special visit to Cuba. Sign up now to ensure your place; reservations are accepted on a first come first served basis.
ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE WRITE TO: habanalight@gmail.com or projectporamor@gmail.com
Cuba Remains a Safe Country for American Travelers
Cuba/US Diplomatic Relations continue
Please note that The US still maintains diplomatic relations with Cuba and its embassy in Havana remains open. The US Embassy continues to provide emergency services to US citizens in in Cuba.
Americans continue to travel to Cuba and the relationship between the Cuban People and Americans is still strong and positive.
Historic Habana
Havana was once graced by thousands of electric signs on theaters, stores, hotels and nightclubs. It was a city of lights that rivaled even Paris in the 1950s. Neon and incandescent signs heralded the urban chic of the city before the practice fell into disfavor in the early 1960s and they slowly evaporated from the city’s skyline. The politically incorrect implications of the fabulous signage, as well as the maintenance required in the harsh, tropical climate propelled the signs into decay. Today, Havana is a city with a new vigor and energy that is quickly reclaiming old traditions and breathing new life into the electric signs that are the architectural equivalent of the rolling stock of antique American cars the city’s streets.
Tropicana: Under restoration
Hotel Deauville: Completed 2016
El Megano: Completed 2014
On the Neon Trail in Havana
It is amazing to see the sudden focus on street and building signage in Havana simply by calling attention to it through our efforts to relight a number of signs as part of an art project of the artist Kadir Lopez Nieves. We will tour the restoration project he has started and have a meal with him in his studio and neon shop. Please open this link for more information on this project: http://www.signweb.com/content/havana-artist-brings-vintage-cuban-neon-signs-back-life#.VtnxxfkrKUm
Now it's easier to visit Cuba!
On January 16, 2015 President Barack Obama liberalized People to People educational travel, which now allows Americans to travel to Cuba without all of the paperwork previously needed. Very recently President Donald Trump discussed tweaks to the Cuba travel Laws but he did not stop travel to the island. We are waiting for the final regulations but do not expect it to hurt group travel in the People to People category. This makes travel to Cuba infinitely easier. People to People travel is not tourist oriented or self-directed but it is both rewarding and unique. It allows participants to visit a wide scope of organizations, institutions, and community projects that provide a deeper understanding of Cuba, its people and its culture. Our trip includes a full time schedule of educational exchange activities designed to promote meaningful interactions between Americans and the people of Cuba.
For more information on OFAC licensing please visit the following document:
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/pages/cuba.aspx
INSURANCE INFORMATION AND MEDICAL EVACUATION Health insurance in Cuba is provided as part of the program cost through the Cuban visitor’s health insurance agency Asistur. We also encourage each participant to purchase Trip Interruption/Cancellation insurance with a third-party provider such as Allianz or Travel Guard. Please note that it is only possible to purchase trip insurance within two weeks of paying your deposit.
Your trip Host
ADOLFO V NODAL is devoted to a vibrant cultural landscape for both Los Angeles and Havana. A native of Cuba, he is currently a producer and consultant on Cuba business and culture. He was General Manager of the City of LA’s Department of Cultural Affairs for 12 years ending in 2000. After that he was President of the LA Cultural Affairs Commission for three years. He has also served in other LA City Commissions and until last year was the President of the Sister Cities of Los Angeles Association. In 2003, Al published Memoria: Cuban Art of the Twentieth Century. Al is a committed neon sign restorer having relit over two hundred historic signs in the City of Los Angeles through the LUMENS project that he founded and ran for over 25 years. Currently Mr. Nodal is restoring neon signs in Havana as co founder of the City's new sign restoration program Habana Light Neon + Signs
Habana Light Neon + Signs
Habana Light Neon + Signs is a public art practice and historic preservation project by Havana artist Kadir Lopez Nieves in collaboration with Cuban producer Adolfo V. Nodal.
“Alumbrando el Barrio/Lighting up the Neighborhood” is our motto!
Havana Light Neon + Signs is an art studio with a neon shop, a dedicated crew and and focus on restoration of our urban jewels and creating new art as an urban public practice.
We are currently restoring the Rex Duplex Theater in Havana to create a center of neon production, exhibition and education in Cuba,
For more information on Havana Light Neon + Signs and our work restoring the historic neon signs of Havana visit them at their facebook page Habana Light Neon + Signs
About Project Por Amor
PROJECT POR AMOR is an education, arts, and travel production organization devoted to advancing cultural understanding between Cubans and Americans. We specialize in producing high quality Peo-ple-to-People Educational Travel, Public Performance, and Professional Research delegations to Cuba. Trough our extensive experience and unique network throughout the island we design custom exchanges for U.S. professionals to visit Cuba and pioneer new partnerships with its leading players. We comply with the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control to legally bring Americans to Cuba on People-to-People exchanges.
For more information on who we are and what we do, please visit our site: projectporamor.com
Project Por Amor
310 961-1574
projectporamor.com
CST2131480-40