New Santiago de Cuba tour will feature square dancing & fiddling!

I'm very pleased to announce an exclusive new JennicaCuba tour! 

Celebrated Canadian instructors Bill Russell and Anne Lederman will offer daily 

group sessions for folks in square dancing or playing music as part of a dance band. 

For those not participating in the dance/music sessions (spouses/partners, traveling 

companions), plenty of other optional activities and excursions will be available.

The group will fly out of Toronto's Pearson airport on Nov. 16 and, for most of the 

10-day trip, will be based in beautiful Santiago de Cuba. Founded in 1515, this is one 

of the island's seven oldest cities, its 2nd largest and one of my personal favorites!

I will be delighted to help you explore Santiago de Cuba and learn about the 

country's intriguing history and culture. Our newly renovated hotel will be about 

one block away from the iconic Parque Céspedes, the city's heart and soul. 

The first two pages below have the basic information about prices and other details. 

The third page is a booking form for you to complete, when you're ready to sign up.

You can contact me by email (jennicacuba@gmail.com), if you have any questions

or would prefer to book by phone. [Please note: I'll collect booking info and 

credit card data but will not process deposit payments or book flights until 

the minimum requisite number of people have registered for this trip.]

I'll be looking forward to hearing from you! ~ Jenny
.

 

Welcome to the year of whatever!

I just realized that I added links (on the right) to a couple videos I made but did not actually write posts to "introduce" them. So, here they are... 

This is the most recent one, celebrating 2019, the Chinese Year of the Pig: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi0_M-HXfAY&feature=youtu.be

I made this one last year to welcome the Year of the Dog: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VTo9zT5o2A&feature=youtu.be

I also made this one in 2018, using photos I took at the annual May 1st Workers' Day Parade in Pilón, Cuba: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN-JZ6Hn9Lk&t=12s 

Sorry that I repeated the same song in two of those videos... I just needed something short, sweet and upbeat, and I like to feature musicians I know. 

New music by Cuban songwriter Luisito Rosell will be coming soon. 
Stay tuned!

Hasta luego,
Jenny

Here's a great Valentine's gift idea for someone special... including yourself

Happy Valentine's Day to ALL!

 

Dear Everyone,
 

Valentine's Day is about love but I think that includes love for friends and family, too, not just significant others. And, it can be a reminder to love and care for ourselves.

So, if you're looking for a last-minute Valentine's gift for someone you love - including yourself - you may want to consider going to Cuba with me and my crew! There are about half a dozen seats available at present.

XOXO
Jenny

The Feb. 8 deadline is past, so the prices MAY go up! Contact me as soon as possible & I'll do my best to match the original rates, as noted below. 

Cuba's warmth awaits! Let's go...

NOW BOOKING my April 10 group trip!

As promised, here are the revised prices for my JennicaCuba group trip to Marea del Portillo, Cuba. We will leave from Toronto on April 10 and you can return either before or after Easter, which is on April 21 this year.

We'll have our usual private "Welcome Dinner" at the resort, complete with special music, of course. We'll also have an exclusive excursion to a nearby village for a "Cuban Fiesta" that will feature a different group of top-notch musicians and an awesome, home-style meal.

If you want to be home for Easter, you can join the group for one week, returning April 17. Or, if you would like to experience Easter in Cuba, book for two weeks and return on April 24. For anyone interested in going to a local church for Easter Sunday, I can assist with arrangements.

For those familiar with the Club Amigo Marea del Portillo resort complex, the Farallón del Caribe hotel will be open only during the first week; at present, it is scheduled to close for the season on April 17. Even though our accommodation will be in the beach-level Marea section (hotel or cabañas), you'll be able to go "up the hill" to dine at the Farallón, see the evening show and use the pool or other facilities as long as it remains open.

Please note that, since the booking deadline is so close to our departure date, you will be required to pay the full amount for your trip instead of just a deposit. As always, the first 10 people to request Sunwing insurance will be able to take advantage of their low prices for cancellation and medical insurance packages. This insurance, however, must be paid for upon booking. If you want to take a second checked bag or a bike, these items must also be paid for at booking (but they can be cancelled later, if you change your mind).

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me!

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Jenny

New departure date for April Cuba trip!

Does April 10 work better for you?

"That's the plan," one of my friends used to say, then pause before adding, "until we change it." Yes, plans sometimes need to be revised. I usually lead group trips to Marea del Portillo after Easter. This year, however, the holiday falls rather late in April, pushing more markedly into Spring.

After discussion with folks who were willing to travel with me on April 24, we decided to shift the dates forward. The departure date will now be April 10, which will allow those who want to be home for Easter to go for one week, then blast back to Canada, hide eggs, eat chocolate and commune with loved ones. The rest of us can hang out in warm, wonderful Cuba for a little longer without stressing about yard work or whatever.

Two things to be aware of regarding this revised plan:
1.) I won't be able to get a new quote until the end of January, so booking will not begin until about Jan. 29 or shortly thereafter.
2.) You may need to pay in full for this trip when you book because Sunwing requires full payment at least 60 days prior to departure.

I hope the revised departure date will allow more people to join the posse for this exclusive JennicaCuba trip to my favorite place in the sun. I also hope Sunwing will be offering better prices by the end of January!

Bye for now,
Jenny

Some sunrise thoughts for 2019...

Because of the significance of this 2009 photo, it serves as my website logo image.

The sun will soon rise on a new year

The photo above may look like a sunset but it was really a sunrise, taken on the beach at Marea del Portillo, Cuba, back in 2009. I was up at about 4:30 a.m., after a minor earthquake punctuated my semi-sleepless night. It was such a mild "coffee stirrer" that most other resort guests didn't even wake up. For me, however, it was significant.

I'd been tossing and turning, thinking about ways I could work with people in the surrounding rural community to improve their lives. One of the things I came up with was leading tour groups there, since that could help to create more work opportunities in an area where the tourism industry is the biggest employer. Then – BOOM! – the earthquake seemed to say, "Yes, do it!" So I did.

Now, as we move into 2019, I'm still wishing I could do more to assist and empower the people in that region. I take groups there twice a year and, when I lead bus tours of the island, I make sure Marea del Portillo is one of our stops. I do have other projects in the works, of course, and I'll be sure to let you know when they come to fruition!

Meanwhile, for those who are thinking about joining my April 24 group, please remember that the deadline to sign up is Jan. 4. Also, if you're pondering one week or two, here's something to keep in mind: May 1st is International Workers' Day and, in Cuba, that's cause for a big celebration. I attended the parade in Pilón last year and used my photos to make a little video. Here's a link to it... May Day!

Happy New Year! Feliz Año Nuevo!
Until next year,
Jenny

NOW BOOKING: April 24 group trip to Marea del Portillo – deadline is Jan. 4

Deposits needed by Jan. 4 for this trip!!!

The timeline for booking my annual April trip to Marea del Portillo, Cuba, is a shorter than usual, so please reply promptly, if you want to join this group.

For those of you who have enough time available, I would encourage you to consider going for two weeks, April 24-May 8. Since Sunwing is now charging $400/person in taxes & fees whether you go for one or two weeks, the prices per week are better when you stay longer. The first week (April 24-May 1) will be when the group activities are offered but, don't worry, there will be lots of fun options during the second week too... or you can just relax!

Please note: I will be out of the office Jan. 7-26. During that time, I'll have limited Internet access, so I won't be able to make late additions to the group, as I've sometimes done in the past. IF space is still available after Jan. 26, I may be able to add more people but there's no guarantee there will still be seats on the plane. In other words, if you want to go, don't procrastinate!

Another thing to note: A maximum of 10 people in a group can purchase cancellation &/or medical insurance through Sunwing & it must be done upon booking. So, if you want this insurance, let me know when you sign up.

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Jenny