We're extremely happy to once again take our groups to Las Terrazas Hotel on Santa Maria Beach, 25 km east of Havana. As many of you know, Las Terrazas is like a second home to us. We're looking forward to reuniting with old friends and making lots of new ones.
For those of you that have not met us or traveled with us before, we would like to tell you a bit about ourselves. We started going to Cuba 11 years ago when our children were teens. Relaxing in the quiet country atmosphere we found it to be an extremely fascinating, safe, and culturally diverse vacation. The American embargo combined with the collapse of the former Soviet Union has left Cuba behind in the 1950's. It is common to see a 1947 Buick cruising down the highway and oxen plowing the fields. This time warp gives the island a unique ambiance and charm. Its political system and lack of commercialization makes Cuba one of the last unspoiled countries to explore.
For 20 years we owned a fruit market and garden center in Grand Forks where many of our customers expressed an interest in joining us in Cuba. When we sold our business seven years ago, we gathered 65 of our past customers and friends for a group vacation. Several special tours were arranged through ICAP, a friendship society in Cuba. Many of the people with us were seniors and hesitant to make such a trip on their own. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being their guides and decided to make these trips an annual event. Having hosted close to 1000 people to date, we look forward to our seventh winter of group touring. Most of our participants are 40 to 75 years of age from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the U.S.A. with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests.
We book all the trips with a licensed travel agency, K. Banks Travel, of Penticton, BC. They have consistently done a great job with our groups. Most years we stayed in the Havana area. In 2000 we took our groups to the Santiago de Cuba area and last winter our tour took the form of a bus trip from one end of the island to the other.
You may have heard that on July 25 the United States House of Representatives voted 240 to 186 in favour of lifting the American travel restrictions to Cuba. The bill will go before their Senate this fall and is also subject to veto by President Bush. If it does clear these last 2 hurdles we expect this will be our last winter in Cuba. The resulting huge increase in tourism will put the prices of hotels and availability out of our reach.
We will be staying at Las Terrazas Hotel on Santa Maria Beach from January 7 until March 11, 2002 to welcome and orientate everyone and coordinate special activities and tours. We are also offering a combined holiday of 7 days at Las Terrazas Hotel and 14 days of touring by bus across the island. K. Banks Travel have been able to arrange direct flights for us from Vancouver and Calgary to Varadero. There will be a bus transfer from the Varadero Airport to our hotel. Our packages include daily buffet breakfast and 4 dinners per week during your stay at Las Terrazas. We have chosen this meal plan to give you the maximum flexibility. After a day of touring or during special nights of entertainment you can use your meal vouchers at your discretion. On other days you may choose to try out the various restaurants nearby or cook in your room. If you prefer, a full meal plan is available.
Anyone not wanting to tour with the group will be free to discover the island on their own. Cuban guides and ourselves will be there to help them become orientated. It is also possible to rent a car or travel around the island by Cuban bus or train. If you are passing through Grand Forks you are welcome to stop by and see our videos and photos covering the entire island. We can also provide you with names of people from your area that can give you their impression of our tours. If you would like to visit Cuba at a different time, contact us and we will be happy to give you a quote and assist with your itinerary.