8 Sept 2012

Hello my friends! (Hola mis amigos!)

Welcome to JennicaCuba (YennicaCuba), a site set up to provide information to anyone interested in travelling to Cuba with me, Jenny Cressman. It may also be helpful for people going to Cuba without me, of course...but that wouldn't be as much fun!

This is the next stage in the evolution of my involvement with Cuba, and this site will continue to grow as my projects and tours expand. The trips and other activities I organize are primarily focussed on Marea del Portillo in the Granma region of southeastern Cuba, where my heart is inexplicably, inextricably drawn. Several times a year, my body follows it there.

In 2009, I stumbled upon a humble little resort called Club Amigo Marea del Portillo. I had never been to an all-inclusive resort before; that style of holiday never really interested me but, since I am a curious person, I decided to try it one dreary winter. The biggest reason for choosing it was that, at the time, this was the most inexpensive place I could find! It continues to be very affordable, I've learned.

Since that initial visit, I've been returning on a regular basis. Why? That's a big little question! The easiest answer is to say I fell in love – not with a person but with the people, their culture and the lovely landscape. Cuba is a remarkable country and this place, in particular, is very special. I'm certainly not the only one who is enthralled and enamoured by Marea del Portillo, or Cuba in general. This humble little resort has one of the highest rate of returning customers on the entire island.

For me, however, just making friends and hanging out there wasn't enough. I wanted to do something that would help the surrounding community. I began organizing groups and encouraging people who travel with me to get involved in some of my small-scale humanitarian projects. So it began.

To find out more, please peruse this site and read all about it! Maybe you will want to travel with me. Maybe you will want to support what I'm doing in another way. Maybe not. Maybe you will gain a little knowledge about Cuba or be inspired to do something to assist and empower people in another part of the country. Maybe you will just enjoy reading what I've written and looking at some of my photos. That's fine.

The invitation to join me is wide open but it is just that – an invitation. Even if you sign up for one of my group trips, there is no pressure to do anything....except to treat people the way you would like to be treated and, whenever possible, to smile and be happy!

Thanks for reading this much!

Keep smiling,
Jenny (a.k.a. in Cuba, "Yennica")