[Editor's note: This is an extraordinary offer at US$675 (one week) and US$900 (two weeks -- including roundtrip air fare from Canada, plus hotel, two meals a day and translators/guides. By comparison, SeeingRed costed out a similar one week tour at $800US from Cancun (you still had to pop around US$400 to get there) -- even with our excellent Cuban contacts. Montreal, by contrast, is cheaply accessible by car, bus, train or air from much of North America. The organization running the trip is solid: Jay Moore, author of pieces in the last two issues of SeeingRed, used them to participate in the 1 January celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Again, this is an extraordinary offer ... and opportunity. Note the 15 March deadline. We encourage you to take advantage of it -- and to distribute it as widely as possible. - SeeingRed]

January 1, 1999 marked the 40th Anniversaryof the Cuban Revolution. This is how one of the foreign participantsat the 40th Anniversary Celebration in Santiagode Cuba described, in part, this memorable experience in an e-mail dated January 2, 1999: [here they reprint the letter by Jay Moore which appeared in last month's issue of SeeingRed]

Encouraged by the reaction of people from Canada and the United States at the 40th Anniversary Celebration on January 1, Vacation-Culture in Cuba (VCC) is organizing a special group trip for people in Canadian and American solidarity organizations and trade unions as well as the general public for the May 1st demonstration in Havana. The entire year of 1999 is being dedicated by the Cubans to the 40th anniversaryof the revolution. May Day 1999 marks the 40th anniversary of the first May Day celebated in a free Cuba, a tradition which has since been carried out without let-up every year.

The special package organized by VCC includes two Conferences given by representatives of the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC). One conference will focus on the history of the workers^Ò movement leading up to the successful completion of the revolution 40 years ago. The second conferenece will deal with the role and accomplishments of the workers and their organizations over the last 40 years.

A guided tour of the Museum of the Revolution, which provides the most recent history of Cuba, will complement the conferences. Translation will be offered for both the Conferences and the museum visit. The highlight of the activities will be the participation in the May 1st mass demonstration in Revolution Square in Havana. We invite you, if you so desire, to bring banners representing your organization or your city.

A representative of VCC will be present to assist you and specifically to help those who would like to make other visits not included in the package. All the activities included in the package will take place during the first week of the visit, and so those who plan to stay for only one week will not miss anything, while those who can remain for the second week can further get to know Cuba while vacationing.

Our package rate is one week: CAN$899; two weeks: CAN$ 1,189 --Please note that the price is in Canadian dollars.-- Departure is 25 April from Montreal, return 2 May or 9 May.

The package includes:
-Return flight to Havana from Montreal with Cubana Airlines
-Canadian taxes and Cuban visa (please note that the visa is not stamped on your passport, but is issued as a seperate document)
-Double occupancy at Hotel Casa del Cientifico, in historic Old Havana.
-Two single beds, air-conditioning, T.V., telephone, shared bathroom.
-Two meals per day, breakfast and supper.
-A few minutes walk from a swimming pool (about US$ 3 entrance fee), and a 20 minute drive from the beach.
-Two conferences on the history of the workers movement before and since the revolution given by a representative of the CTC.
-Guided tour of the Museum of Revolution.
-Participation in the May 1 demonstration.
-Translation.
-Represetatative of VCC on the spot to help you.

This package does NOT include:
-Single occupation at the hotel, supplement: CAN$ 80 per week.
-Entrance to the nearby swimming pool (approximately US$ 3).
-One meal per day: dinner.
-Transfer airport-hotel-airport (approximately US$ 10 total).
-Havana Airport Departure tax: US$ 20.

We'd like to take the opportunity to inform you that VCC also organizes a series of other trips to Cuba, one of the most popular being "Spanish Immersion/Getting To Know Cuba" with departures every two weeks from December right through to August. Learn or improve your Spanish while getting to know the country and its people!

Visit our web site indicated below for further information, or ask us to mail you our documents.

PLEASE LET YOUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS KNOW ABOUT THE MAY 1st PACKAGE AND OUR OTHER TRIPS.

In order to participatein the My 1st celebrationsand benefit from our special package,please send us, with your payment, the following details : Family name as in passport :
First name as in passport :
Profession :
Street address :
City:
Province/ State:
Country :
Zip Code:
Tel.: (home) : ( )
Tel.: (work) : ( )
Fax : ( )
e-mail :

If you prefer single occupancyplease add the weekly supplement ofCAN$80.00 to the payment.
If you prefer double occupancyplease specify : with Mr./Ms:
A CAN$100.00 deposit has to be paid by March 15 1999 (payment must reach our office by March 15 1999) and the final payment has to be made before 1 April 1999 (payment must reach our office by 1 April 1999).
Make a cheque out to CARIBE SOL in TRUST and mail it or bring it to our office If paying by credit card,please fill in the following authorization for credit card payment and fax it, mail it or bring it to our office:
I, the undersigned^Å^Å^Å^Å^Å^Å^Å.authorise CARIBE SOL to debit from my credit card
(Visa Master Card American Express) Number: Exp. Date:
the amount of:
Signature : Date :
If you or your association requires further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

_____________

ORGANIZED BY VACATION-CULTURE IN CUBA, INC>
1160, St. Joseph blvd. E. Suite 303
Montreal (Quebec) Canada H2J 1L4
Tel. (514) 528 9912 for Montreal and surroundings
1-888-691-0101 for Canada and U.S.A.
e-mail:
site
Flight in collaboration with Caribe Sol, Quebec Permit.
Voyages Culturels Cuba Inc.
Vacation-Culture in Cuba Inc

_____________

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