Walking in the fields of Vinales and talking to farmers there.
Sort your money out at the beginning as no credit cards and problem ATM's.
Vinales valley views, hike, horse ride, food, tobacco farm, pretty much everything about it.
Download google offline maps, American travelers must exchange USD to CAD or EUR. I lost lots of exchange money because of USD. Pay for excursions, optional tours, etc. in advance from USA.
Absolutely. Staying at Casas with local families, eating at Cuban owned restaurants, buying souvenirs and handicrafts from street vendors. Tobacco, honey, rum and coffee from the farmers. All these helped local people.
Amazing, marvelous, totally loved it. One of the best trips ever. Our guide Emilio was awesome. Very knowledgeable and suggested all the right places. Bus driver Asiel was so good in driving us place to place. Very careful. Always following speed limits and very calm.
Our guide and the coach driver were great, but many of the meals we shared with the group were overpriced - for a fraction of the cost there were local cafes and restaurants that had similar food. Having said that we went to one expensive restaurant where the portions were massive, and the food was fabulous. Check out tripadvisor for local cafes and restaurants, and you may find much better food for much less..... Take anti-diarrhoea medication - especially for Havana, and take herbs and spices to add to your food as it can be very bland if you are used to spicy or well-seasoned food. Wherever you go you get hassled - especially in Havana so smile sweetly and say no gracias (no thanks) Occasionally someone will want to help you without expecting a major tip - but most of the time people want a few CUCs. The expected tipping by the tour operator for guides and casas is a bit much and can add a lot of extra expense to your holiday.. in the end we only tipped the cleaners and kitchen staff and left a small treat for some of the families we stayed with, as well as tipping the guide and driver. Beware the stop outside Baracoa - you get mobbed by people trying to sell you stuff that you see almost everywhere you go... Do not bother with the Spanish lessons offered by the tour operator..... We followed a set curriculum, although it was one-to-one tuition - it was not personalised - it was OK for me, but my partner is a beginner, and found it a nightmare! Better to use an on-line or CDROM based course and to study locally before you go if you can. Take good walking sandals or trainers!
The holiday generally benefited the local tourist trade, but not the people living in poverty. The visit to a chocolate farm near Baracoa definitely benefited the farming family. We got the feeling that there are 2 economies in Cuba - the tourist trade, with cash tips to avoid tax, and the mainstream economy.
Great - Cuba is very safe, the Cuban people are very friendly, there is music wherever you go, and the country is beautiful, with amazing architecture and classic vehicles. It is a good introduction to Cuba - we are looking to go independently next time, and use airbnb, and the Viakul coach services which is much much cheaper.
The country was beautiful. The group that I travel with was fantastic. I being the oldest at 75 there were quite a few younger. It was a great mix of mines and personalities, the people are very friendly our guide was great. And the homes we stayed in or outstanding.
Pack light, if your us, bring a enough cash because they do not take Visa or MasterCard.
I made a point of bringing school supplies and toys for the children in the poor part of the country.
One of my greatest travel experiences I�ve had! The group site was just right. There was 13 of us. My understanding was that 3 cancelled. Our guide and bus driver went above and beyond to make are . Trip interesting, comfortable, and most of all enjoyable.
There were a few memorable parts of this trip. Firstly, the casas in which we stayed. I was surprised at how clean and tidy they were. They are really just like a motel room in most cases. Although they vary slightly in standard, they are all lovely and the owners were very welcoming. During this trip we stayed one or more nights in Vinales, Cienfuegos and Trinidad. For me the highlight was Vinales, mainly because of its tropical and unique landscape and that the town was quite small, which made it somehow more likeable.
Be ready to experience slight changes in itinerary which are unavoidable in Cuba. Although we were told that the food in Cuba is fantastic, we found it a little monotonous. If you like chocolate or sweet foods, make sure you bring some because they are not easy to obtain in Cuba.
The trip benefited local people because of the money we spent in the places we visited.
The holiday overall was great, but in my opinion we were taken to too many restaurants for lunches and dinners that were pre-organised by the tour leader. I think it would be better if we were taken to places where we could decide for ourselves as individuals or small groups where we wanted to eat. The issue for many people on our tour was the cost of these pre-booked lunches and dinners. While the food was often nice, they didn't offer very good value for money and some people like the choice of just eating a sandwich at lunch rather than a large meal.
I think learning the history of Cuba through the eyes of a Cuban and conversing with the families we stayed with was the most outstanding part of the trip. I left with a different perspective than what I had been led to believe here in the US and it is good to know both sides of the story.
I would bring a nice guest house gift for each home. I brought small scented candles and every host was visibly thrilled. Before booking the waterfall or cave trip ask the guide exactly the amount of climbing and level of danger. I am 71 and physically fit but someone even younger would have had a problem with this. You are climbing over slippery rocks in dark areas and crossing rivers in the water with only a metal rope to hang onto. But I wouldn't have missed it for anything.
Definitely! Not only did we learn from each other about our countries which could help bridge our gap but the money spent by us while touring had to help with jobs and the economy. As far as the environment, we were always refilling our water bottles and no littering took place.
I have traveled to 30 countries now and I have placed this on my top three.
Swimming in the waterfall just outside of Trinidad!
The cassa stays outside of Havana were great but I would look at a hotel for Havana, especially if you are claustrophobic as many of the rooms are internal. Consider having a few days in Havana before or after your tour. Book any additional excursions or stays before you go as these are difficult to organise when you are there.
Yes our tour guide was very focussed on responsible tourism and tried to use local services as much as possible.
Had a great time, the tour was the highlight of our holiday and we would thoroughly recommend it to see the best bits of Cuba!
To pack everything the list advises.
Yes. I hope it supported the local people. They were wonderful and kind.
We had a great time and very organized tour.
Seeing different towns and cities in Cuba. Meeting people who live and work there.
Come with curiosity, respect and an open mind. Don't expect a five star hotel resort experience. If you do, this tour is not for you. If you want to meet Cuban people, try some Spanish, learn about the culture and history with others who share this goal, then this is the best way to do so.
Yes, it benefited local people in that we stayed with local people, patronized local restaurants, avoided chain businesses and large government owned businesses.
It was an excellent educational and fun experience.
So many great things, but our guide had to be number one. He made sure we were comfortable, happy, well-informed and active at all times. I will definitely never forget the Cuban people that we met -- those whose homes we stayed in and others that we got to chat with about their work or other aspects of their lives.
It was a great idea to have our own water filters with us. It is alarming to see so much used plastic headed for who-knows-where, and it made us feel a bit better not to have contributed to that. We really liked the Grayl Ultralight Purifier-Filter-Bottle. I wish we had brought more gifts and donations for Cubans. We made several people happy by handing out USB flash drives; I wish we had brought even more. A couple on our tour packed an entire bag full of sports equipment and other useful things to give to children, so our guide made it possible for us to stop at an elementary school where they handed it over to the principal-- a great idea for others to copy, as it meant a lot to the school and to all of us on the tour. Several times people in Trinidad asked us for t-shirts we were wearing or had worn. If I had known that I would made a point to pack clothes that I could simply leave behind after being worn. Toiletries and medicines as well -- bring more than you think you need, and simply donate what you don't use.
I hope so. I have conflicting emotions about traveling in countries where locals have a lower standard of living than the tourists. It is clear that tourism helps individuals and the local economy, but it also seems opportunistic and self serving. Hopefully our visit provided more good than harm. It seemed so. I appreciated having opportunities to extend some personal goodwill on behalf of Americans since our countries have been estranged for so long. Cubans seemed genuinely happy to welcome us in a neighborly way!
Just excellent. All credit to our guide, Oswaldo Moreja.
Just being in and around Vinales.
Bring toilet paper and don't forget to NOT flush it. Take lots of pictures. Bring lots of small items (from hard candy to fish hooks) to pass on to children and hard working Cubans that you cross paths with throughout your trip.
Yes. Travel as a group makes less of an impact than the same number of people traveling separately. Staying in B&Bs as well as eating in Paldares, puts money directly into the peoples hands versus the government (military).
No complaints at all. Our driver, guides and most hosts were very professional. Some of the host tried harder than the others as far a hospitality and breakfast prep, but you will have that the world over.
laughter. We managed to have inside jokes after only 8 days together, I enjoyed every part of the trip.
Bring lots of gifts, because you'll want to show appreciation for everyone's hospitality.
Yes! This trip has stimulated my interest in the Cuban people. I wish to learn more, by reading, watching films, and of course planning future trips! But having conversations with Cuban residents let me really feel the diversity and fullness of life in Cuba--an experience I can't replicate by just reading a historybook.
Exploring Havana, Trinidad, Cienfuegos on foot; cycling in the Vinales valley and around Trinidad; beautiful Playa Ancon; sleeping in the "casas"; always live music everywhere!
Plan one or more days in Havana after your tour!
Yes, the holiday is organised in a way that supports local people, e.g. through sleeping in homestays. There is some attention to the environment as well. In Vinales we had an excellent dinner at an organic farm, organised by the tour guide.
This tour was great! Enthusiastic local tour leader, great destinations! We visited very scenic places. Great freedom, too: you can have a full-day programme participating in all optional excursions facilitated by the tour guide, but once you arrive at a destination, you can also choose to go your own way and simply wander or cycle around.
Beautiful blue sky. We had such a nice weather most of time in Cuba. I will definitely remember the blue sky.
Pre-departure note from travel agency has all the basic information you need to know. But reading some history back ground of Cuba will make your trip more interesting.
I think it benefited local people as we stayed at local home stay rather than big hotels, hired local guide and visited local farms and restaurant.
5 out of 5. Tour guide was very helpful and willing. I had wonderful interaction with group of people I travelled which was unexpected. Traveling as a group was easy and hassle free as I wanted to see different parts of country and infrastructure may not be there yet.
Our tour was just the right structure for our eleven days in Havana and Vinales. Our tour guide, Yaima Janet, made Cuba come alive for us. She shared her authentic experience and knowledge about the culture and daily life of Cuba with a seamless ease. We booked a few less structured days before the trip and then found our own way around Havana for two days after. Not being able to rely on internet for bookings made booking the tour through Cuban Adventures take the worry out of our travel. Everyday was memorable and exciting.
We faced no difficulties travelling as US citizens with our Jet Blue direct flight from NY. Travel insurance was included, the affidavit for travel was a required survey by the airline and we acquired travel visas for $50 before departure. Changing US$ to Euro$ before departure made acquiring CUC$ pretty easy. We just could never keep enough 1$ pesos for tips.
We felt we benefited local people by staying in their homes. Using local Cuban guides gave us a more intimate insight to the culture. Our tour provided water refills from a large container so that was some reduction in environmental impact. We traveled as ten people in an appropriately sized bus. We our worried about the apparent lack of emissions control on the historic population of vehicles but nothing our trip could help resolve.
Excelente! Our intended affidavit of professional research was ultimately a people to people experience.
There were so many memorable moments but I think the morning spent hiking, learning about local flora and fauna, meeting a local resident to the park and sharing herbal tea before ended up at the most beautiful waterfall pool was truely the best part of the trip. Topped off with seeing a multitude of different birds including the Cuban Trojan!
Bring a refillable water bottle so that guides can buy the larger bottles of water and fill you up along the way! Buy your rum before the airport if your layover is anywhere outside the States.
Five stars! This was extremely interesting getting to know Cuban life a little better. Our guide Alexis was extremely knowledgeable and our driver extremely professional. We learnt so much, and saw so many wonderful things. I am so very grateful for being able to have this experience.
Wow! Hard to sum up in one moment -- we have many great moments of exploring a strange land with wonderful companions and an excellent tour guide. The scenery. The meals. The gracious casa particulare hosts. The champagne our tour guide bought to toast my birthday! Meeting a real farmer and seeing how he lives. Watching our friends dive into a pond fed by a waterfall. So many moments!
Understand Cuba doesn't work like America. Have plenty of 25 cent coins in your pocket for pay toilets. Understand that toilet tissue can't go down toilets because of one heck of a country-wide plumbing challenge. Learn as much Spanish as you can because a LOT of people don't know much English. Tread lightly and be a good example to Cubans!
It definitely benefited local people. It did not reduce environmental impact and probably increased it with our use of gas and precious resources. Many Cubans are very casual about littering. We ate a lot of wonderful, organic food and were surprised to learn that Cuban leads the world in organic farming!
First rate but not first class. We didn't want to stay in hotels. We wanted to meet Cubans (not other Americans) and we did. Our casa particulares were outstanding in that our hosts tried so hard!!
The whole tour was amazing, we had the best guide and group..it was all a highlight!
Yes, we all stayed with local family's which I loved!
Spending time with a lovely bunch of really interesting people, all strangers on the first night. The countryside & stunning scenery at Vi�ales. Going back to the bar in Trinidad where I thought my camera must have come out of my back and they'd found it and kept it safe. Dinner at the organic farm outside Vi�ales.
Be flexible. This really is one of the safest & friendliest countries to travel; you will be constantly asked if you want a taxi but no one hassles you when you say no! Wifi access is possible in tourist towns with purchased cards but it's such a hassle it's far better just to let the rest of the world get on without you and enjoy your holiday!
Home stays and local restaurants / bars feed straight into the local economy. Drivers and guides are all locals. Around Vi�ales there are several organic farms, one with an excellent restaurant where we had a great meal & two of the group returned the next day for the guided tour.
Pretty cool. Sometimes there was a feeling the guide was leaving us with rather a lot of "free time" when we might have liked a bit more organisation but that's always a difficult balance to strike and I think it worked out pretty well overall.
I loved meeting/getting to know people everywhere we went. They were all so friendly! (Side note: I speak Spanish, so I was able to get to know people better than others on my tour that didn't.) We also had a great group on our tour - we often spent time together.
Allow for an extra day or two in Havana on one side of the tour - I felt like I could have spent a lot more time there!
Yes. We stayed with families in most cities, and I think they get to keep some of the extra income they make from hosting.
It was great! Loved our tour guide Tatiana from the holiday provider and our driver Giovanni.
I absolutely loved the families I stayed with! Taking the classic car tour down the Malecon at sunset was pretty awesome too!
Bring essentials, such as toilet paper, snacks, and feminine products with you.
I loved meeting local people and felt like we were supporting them.
I learned so much about a fascinating country. My tour guide, driver, and tour group were wonderful and we had a lot of fun together.
Celebrating my friend Aimee's birthday on the beach in Trinidad with live music and a picnic dinner; touring Vinales and meeting the tobacco farmer.
Be prepared for a diverse group of travelers. Your tour guide is there to help you so ask questions and get tips and don't be afraid to speak up if you want to do something different.
I definitely feel our trip benefited local people (casa familias, homestays, our guide and bus driver, some of the local guides used on excursions). I'm not sure how much it reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation - other than the visit to the organic farm in Vinales and supporting the farmer. I would love to see even more mentioned in this area in the future!
It was a great trip and I was really impressed with our guide - David Every group has its set of challenging people and we had ours = mainly a few who didn't budget properly or read the tour information so perhaps making sure people see this ahead of time and read it would be useful. In fact, this could have been useful to give out to people or to cover it on the night we arrived. I didn't feel that the opening orientation was that helpful and could have been covered in the bus as it wasted valuable/limited time in Havana.
Listening to Dady and Alex explain the complicated systems in Cuba. The meal at the farm place felt very special and a bit different.
It's basic! You might not get a decent shower at any of the Casas, be prepared. The guide outline of what you'll spend on food isn't accurate based on some of the places the company take you.
Yes. Although some of the restaurants already seemed very established and full of tourists so maybe less obvious choices could be made!
Tour guide's organization was fantastic so 10/10 for that, Dady made life easy and it's only because of her the tour is worthwhile. However, don't believe it was good value. Casas we stayed at independently were between 25 and 30 cuc and of a better standard.
Everything! I loved the tobacco fields in Vinales, the beauty of Havana, jumping into a waterfall and salsa dancing in Trinidad. Our guide, David, joined in and made sure we had fun as wel as keeping us safe and sharing his knowledge.
I think you guessed it - it was fab. We were in a group of likeminded individuals and visited many places in Cuba. Both of us have confirmed its been our best holiday ever, thanks to the holiday provider!
Do it!! It's so much fun! You can really do what suits you and the itinerary packs loads in but is really flexible as well do you can do the activities that suit you, go out and dance the nights away or sit and chill at the many cool restaurants with music playing.
So much fun!! One of the best hols I've been on - fun people, fun times and great natural and historical attractions!!! Loved loved loved it!
Difficult to say - we crammed a lot into 2 1/2 weeks! Highlights were Havana, the various excursions in Baracoa and the historic centre of Trinidad.
Book an extra day or two at the beginning or end of the trip � I found Havana difficult to cover in 2 days.
There was an obvious benefit to people directly related to the tourist industry or those who dealt directly with tourists. However, apart from that, I couldn�t discern any obvious benefit to the environment or any local conservation efforts that I could see.
One of the best trips I've been on. Each of the towns we visited were beautiful and each had their own character. There were also plenty of chances to get into the natural landscape between the towns. Also, the people were great no matter where we went. The tour was very well organised and the tour guide friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend.
Trinidad and Vinales were amazing. It was like stepping back in time. Fabulous countryside, friendly people and lots of culture.
Research areas before you go. There are lots of activities and you need to decide what you will not compromise on.
I felt our trip did help the locals and I also felt that they were still able to go on with normal life. Tourism was a positive bonus.
I loved the entire trip - snorkelling, salsa dancing, seafood, old cars, the people, the scenery, historical sights and our excellent tour guide.
Don't take bank notes with any marks on them. Eat in Casas or private restaurants and avoid state owned ones.
We stayed in Casas and often ate there in the evenings. This provides useful income for Cubans.
Chatting with the guide (Tony) for hours trying to understand Cuba! Staying with the locals and eating their amazing food. Being flexible with the daily activities.
Bring soap and mosquito repellent. Drink a lot of (bottled) water. Bring some books for the long journeys.
Very good, our guide and driver were excellent, as well as our host families. We would have appreciated our room to be cleaned when we were staying 2 nights though (simple things like the bin got full of toilet paper and we had to ask for more).
Seeing such a variety of places and people, and getting a good sense of what Cuba is all about. From the hectic bustle and non-stop noise of Habana Vieja to the silence and majesty of the Vinyales valley with its awesome mogotes, Cuba really is a unique and inspiring country that offers something for everyone.
I'm sure it's been said many times before, but 3-6 months before going, get basic Spanish under your belt, particularly to help you interact with the owners of the casas. Travel light, have an open mind and don't expect Western standards of service.
I think our presence in Cuba helped local people primarily because we stayed with real Cuban families, rather than in big hotels. Tourism is clearly an important source of income for Cuba, and the ability of families to operate as casas has given them a potentially valuable new source of income. However, as we travelled by airplane, taxi and coach, unfortunately I think we ultimately had a negative impact on the environment.
Fantastic! I would definitely recommend Cuba to the adventurous and open-minded traveller. It was also great fun being able to share the holiday with a wonderful group of people: we were a real mixture of ages, nationalities and backgrounds, and that really enriched the experience. I've never been on holiday with a group before, but would definitely choose this sort of holiday in the future.
Hi Howard, Thank you for reviewing the recent Cuban Adventures Tour you participated in. We are very happy that you had a good time and found the tour a valuable insight into Cuba ,it's people and it's culture. It is great that you enjoyed the eclectic mix of nationalities and ages in your tour group too. Come back and visit us again soon!
The group and guide I travelled with, the visit to an organic farm, learning Spanish and salsa, a BBQ by River Duaba in Baracoa, the homestays, snorkelling for the first time, learning Cuban cooking in Santiago, trip to the cemetery in Santiago, salsa and rum, watching flamenco ballet, Cuban food (it really is better than people suggested) - there's too much really to pick just one.
Have an open mind, take sunblock even in Winter, and learn some basic Spanish and salsa. The last one's not absolutely essential, but will definitely make the trip more enjoyable and make things a bit easier.
Yes - there's a real effort to keep things local, with the excursions we took and places we ate. The homestays are a big part of this. There's also an effort made to explain responsible travel principles and this is borne out in the way the trip is run. Advice was given by our local guide when people wanted to know how to help people who live there, and he helped those members of the group who'd brought medicines and school supplies to donate in Santiago as we were there not long after Hurricane Sandy.
Excellent. Great homestays, great guide, met lots of friendly people, interesting excursions, plenty of opportunities to learn about Cuba and many many chances to enjoy Cuban food, rum and salsa. I can't wait to go back. The flexibility of choosing what to do once you get to each place, and the small size of the group means that it's possible for everyone's interests to be taken into account which also makes for a more varied and interesting trip than one where lots of excursions are included in the first place. As well as our own guide, we met some of the other guides from the company and all were very friendly, interesting and enthusiastic about showing you their country. This company makes a real effort to choose good local guides both to act as tour leaders and for local excursions at each destination. We ate really well with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables on offer. This probably shouldn't have been such a surprise but I'd heard a lot before I went about how bad Cuban food was - this proved to be a myth. Like anywhere in the world, including London, New York and Paris, it's possible to have some rubbish meals if you go to a rubbish restaurant, but that doesn't mean it's not possible to eat well there. Go to the increasing number of paladares (private restaurants) and ask around for recommendations, and you will eat very well there whether you're a vegetarian, pescatarian or omnivore.
Pack as light as possible. For 7 days, you really don't need much and it makes it easier as you move accommodation every night or two. And keep your fingers crossed that your tour group is as fantastic as mine was!
Cuba's unique situation makes this a tough question to answer as most people are government employees. However, tipping our guide and driver made a huge difference to them as did staying in the private houses run by locals. The theme of the holiday was not really environmental or conservation focussed but we all seemed to be pretty responsible travellers. Inevitably using air-con and having to buy bottled water had a negative effect!
Staying in the guest houses, observing local life/culture.Being part of life in Cuba.
It is a good idea to arrive the night before the trip to spend time in Havana. Otherwise allow at least half a day at the end of the trip before the plane out. It was good to have arranged someone to meet the plane on arrival and arrange a taxi. Your notes and advice was invaluable....For a person who likes to sleep alone the single supplement is necessary.
Yes - your advice on tipping assisted as well as gifts suggested which were appreciated. However some feedback on meals from travellers would be good as only one larger meal per day would be better and keep within the budget set.
We enjoyed our experiences in Cuba with the group and the diversity offered in locations and with the casas. The original itinerary with the long drive from Havana to Trinidad at the beginning would probably have been better finishing with a relaxing time at the beach after the drive.
Wear a bum bag - I got mugged in Havana.
Staying in casas is a good idea but I don't believe they were paid very much for us staying yet the price of the holiday was high. There was no conservation aspect to the holiday and nor was it expected.
The tour guide was poor - she was totally unengaged with the group and even by the end did not know our names and we were only 8. She told us very little and on the one day she did given information it was word for word from the Lonely Planet. Some casas disappointing and most of them had bedrooms with no windows except for in Vinales. The guide in Havana talked at us for 45 mins out of 1 1.2 hours in the same place so we did not see much of the city. Suggest leaving out Cienfuegos and having more time in Havana and maybe see more in Santa Clara.
The Nightclub in a cave in Trinidad was amazing!
Pick up as much Spanish as you can before you go as many of the owners of the Casas have little or no English.
It definitely benefited local people!
Vinales was a beautiful town, I very much enjoyed the visit to the tobacco farm and the dinner at another farm near by. It was also a great experience to have a local person take us around and introduce us to other locals and to tell us so much about local life.
Be sure to sort out your money before you go, cash is best but not all currencies can be changed so check before you go otherwise it is easy to get stuck because credit card facilities don't always work so you can't rely on that.
Yes, the fact that local people were employed was certainly a bonus not only for them but for us as well because we learnt so much about local culture and life.
I had a wonderful time with my group and with the locals, it was one of my favourite holidays, I would rate it 9/10. The first few days at the beach were not so great because we were in an isolated place and it was raining and I was in Cuba to experience the culture so being isolated was not ideal, if the weather was better it would have been a bit better so it's so much the fault of the tour company.
Drinking rum and coke out of a coconut while swimming in beautiful sea waters at sunset, simply brilliant. Not only did the coconut float but so did the bottles of rum and coke waiting for topping up.
Learn Spanish - we had attempted to but failed and we wished we had stuck at it. It would have made the homestays much more enjoyable.
Yes, benefited local people as we gave gifts and paid families to cook us meals. I don't think we impacted the environment and the tour company decided that we would share the bus with another tour group to be responsible and have less an impact with pollution.
Loved it. Been on many tours, the tour guide was good and it was lovely to travel in a manageable group size.
Bring snacks for the journeys and know basic Spanish. Be prepared for basic food with little variety.
Mogotes in Vinales, or sunset over the Caribbean, or 5 course meal with full lobster for main for 10 cuc in Trinidad casa, accompanied by Guitarist, all on rooftop, under the stars, with great companions and cubre libres.
Relax and enjoy the variety on offer, mountains, beaches, superb food and drink, people and places, music and dancing, all enhanced by our informative guide.
Paying local people for local services - smiles all round.
My friend and I had wonderful time, made new friends and fell in love with beautiful Cuba. Only negative, final 4 nights arranged in old town Havana casa were changed to one in central Havana.
There was always something memorable every day, from scenery to meeting the owners of the homestays.
Excellent, had a great time, learned a lot. Thanks!
Going to the baseball in Pinar del Rio. It was the grand finals and since baseball is the number 1 sport in Cuba, the atmosphere was amazing and we had a lot of interactions with the locals. Having lunch at a Paladar with some people who helped us - we were lost and in return we took them to lunch! We got a real insight into the political system, how a normal Cuban person lives etc.
Like any other place, be streetsmart but be open to experiences that can appear dodgy at first. Cuba is pretty safe - Tourism is one of the main revenue streams for the government so people respect tourism. Don't be afraid to stray away from the group on your free time. The best experiences for my partner and I were the ones where we didn't rock up in a tour bus!
We stayed in Casas during the tour, so yes in that sense it benefited local people. We also picked up Cubans needing a lift in the direction we were going (this is common practice). The environment? Not so much. We travelled in a big bus that had empty seats, but to be fair, tourism is very regulated and on top of that, locals use a different currency.
The holiday overall was good. I must admit that I was not a fan of this particular organised tour, I�ve done a couple of others (whether it�s the destination's limitations or the structure of the tour, or a combination of both I don�t know). At times i found that the tour was an additional barrier to authentic experiences i.e. bigger group of foreigners walking around is good as wearing a shirt "I�m a tourist", big tour bus, restaurants had to be able to accommodate us all (some paladars are tiny)etc. On the other hand, the guide can be used as a communication bridge and/or an opportunity to access different things, in our case, it was one of the other guide's friend who got us into the baseball. Being in a group is safer, so you could easily walk around with the guide and have a proper look around as you are not busy keeping an eye out for "un-safetiness." My takeout would be to go for the tour but don't let it define your trip. Do your research on places you want to see within the set destinations.
The trip with this operator.
Currency - take hard cash and beware card use can be limited as the whole system in a town can go down.
Yes - home stays great.
The whole of Cuba is magical in every way and some of my most memorable parts were all the wonderful salsa dancing opportunities and watching live bands that I got chance to do.
If you want to make the most of this trip, add on a few days at the end of the holiday to chill by the beach, because throughout the week's tour, you'll want to stay out every night til the early hours dancing away as well as getting up early to enjoy the day time activities. Therefore, at the end of the week, you will want to relax!
Yes, as we stayed with host families, and ate dinners they prepared, so our money was able to go directly to them, rather than the government. Also, by buying presents from locals helped also.
There were so many memorable moments: watching the amazing dancers on the steps of the Casa de la Musica in Trinidad, walking through the Vinales valley, having an intensive salsa lesson on the porch of my casa particulare in the rain, meeting lots of lovely people . . . I don't know where to begin - or stop!
Take LOADS of extra cash with you - even if it seems excessive. Getting at your money otherwise can prove difficult. Double check that your credit card is NOT American (even if it doesn't seem like it is - I got stung badly when I discovered that my European-seeming bank was owned by an American bank...). Also, take plenty of small toiletries to give to the ladies that work in the hotels/casas/in the streets and small gifts/souvenirs from your home country to give to the owners of the casas (I wish I had done this!). Take plenty of batteries if you need them (they're not always easy to get, even in Havana!), take LOTS of pictures, just take the chance to chat to people around you. If you can, try to learn a bit of Spanish before you go.
With the obvious exception of the flight, I was satisfied that my impact on the environment was minimal and was delighted that my money was going into the pockets of Cuban people rather than the greedy corporations running far less interesting tours/holidays for far more money. Incidentally, I feel that a tour such as this gives you far more opportunities to interact with local people and learn about their country from THEM rather than travel guides!
I was constantly speechless by the warmth and welcome of the people, the fun and lively atmosphere and the beauty of the landscape. By far, this was the most interesting, well-organised and eye-opening trip I have been on. My only regrets were that I didn't know much Spanish, I didn't take enough cash, and that I wasn't there for longer. I have already started a savings fund so I can return again next year!
There were so many but if I have to single out one memory it would be hiking up to the waterfall nr Baracoa followed by a short trip in a 1950's automobile to a spot by the edge of the river where one of the homestay hosts had organised a pig fest (roasted a whole pig) for lunch!
I took enough cash for a week and credit cards MBNA & Barclays Visa cards neither worked in Cuba! Have low expectations and see them soar! Take old mobile phone accessories especially head sets for sony ericson phones - money just can't buy them!
Yes - although the emissions from some of the cars probably didn't help. Not only did we visit local schools the tour guide arranged for unscheduled stops to hand out supplies.
One of the best holidays ever - a wonderful country with wonderful people and something for everyone.
Cuba is a beautiful country but it is the people that make it so special. Favourite moments - lunch cooked by a farmer on an open fire in the hills on the way to Trinidad. Chatting to the locals in Vinales and attempting to smoke a cigar rolled by one of the tobacco growers. Swimming in crystal clear waters near Cienfuegos. Eating in a local restaurant (actually someone's spare bedroom) in Santa Clara. And music everywhere.
Travel light - as it is possible to have clothes washed in the casas. You will get more out of the trip if you know a little Spanish. If possible add a few days at the end of you tour to relax in Havana or on the beach as it is fairly full on.
Local people were very much involved throughout the whole tour.
A very good way of discovering the real Cuba and practising your Spanish.


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A tennis Hall-of-Famer brings her talents to bear on a new state-of-the-art facility in Connecticut.
Incredible touch, thinking quickly enough to handle everything smacked her way at net or baseline, determination and belief in herself. Those assets were key to Gigi Fernandez's Hall of Fame tennis career.
And now, not completely coincidentally, those characteristics provide the perfect foundation as Fernandez takes on the role of director of tennis at a new, 400,000-square-foot multi-sport facility in Connecticut. The new Chelsea Piers Connecticut (CPC) opened recently in the city of Stamford, a suburb of New York City, and is a brand expansion of the highly successful Chelsea Piers multi-sport facility in Manhattan.
For Fernandez, the touch comes into play as she works with kids whirling around her summer camp, to the Cardio Tennis fans and league-playing adults filling up the facility's seven DecoTurf courts, to area hopefuls brought to her for evaluation. The flexibility of mind is tested every few minutes as challenges present themselves in getting a world-class program up and running from its July debut. The belief in herself — in the ability to have it all — comes through when she talks about how she handles the role of mom, entrepreneur and team member.
Fernandez was in Florida after retirement from tennis, having returned to school to complete first her BA and then an MBA. Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame with the class of 2010, she had coaching in her background at the college and pro level, the former including Rollins where she had studied and the latter with Sam Stosur and Lisa Raymond when they captured the 2005 US Open doubles title. In addition to other business experience and inspired by newborn twins Karson and Madison, she had recently produced the video Baby Goes Pro to introduce toddlers to sport basics. All was settled. But plans change.
First, her partner, former LPGA golfer and then senior vice president Jane Geddess, took on a new role as director of talent for the Stamford-based WWE. Fernandez figured she would spend a few years as a suburban New York City mom — a mom who happened to have the ability to play some fairly high-level tennis, as she did in June at Roland Garros when she and longtime partner Natalie Zvereva stirred memories of their non-calendar year doubles Grand Slam while participating in the Perrier-Legends Trophy competition. "I always planned to get back to work when the kids (currently only age 3) went to kindergarten," she said recently while overseeing the third day of the just opened tennis day camp.
So, on the one hand, Fernandez is just one more mom re-entering the workforce. On the other, she has a business and coaching background, as well as being a former No. 1 and dominant tennis force during her 14-year career, with Olympic doubles gold from 1992 and 1996, 17 doubles titles at Majors, and a singles ranking that reached as high as No. 17. She seems well paired with the CPC facility and her new 65,000-square-foot tennis club.
The facility has signed sponsors Sheraton and Harrow, with a search on for sport-specific partners. Within a week of opening there were already 1,700 campers signed up for various programs through the summer and family membership goals with a fall horizon had already been met. Not only were there kids with racquets working on basics, but also the facility echoed with the sounds of peers pursuing figure skating, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, squash, swimming and volleyball.
While it is too early to seriously contemplate any of her young charges playing at the highest level, Fernandez is not shy in promising that there will be Division 1 players to emerge from the program and possibly some who can play at an even higher level. For most students, the aspirations are not as high. "I hope that we draw all the best kids in the area and I hope to introduce lots and lots of kids to tennis. It's a great sport, a sport for a lifetime that teaches life lessons" including goal setting, perseverance, dedication, overcoming obstacles and graciousness in defeat and victory.
Focus shifts in the fall to adults (whose membership programs begin at $65 a month). Fernandez, who earned her USPTA Professional 1 certification in April, will expand the offerings of morning and evening adult clinics, build a full schedule of intra- and interclub matches and USTA League play as well as social activities featuring the rooftop patio overlooking downtown. It's all in addition to the private and group lessons and Cardio Tennis classes available from a well-qualified staff.


Today, Beiseker CAO Jo Lambert and I met with Alberta TrailNet officials and representatives from the Town of Irricana to discuss the development of a trail between Irricana and Beiseker, along the abandoned CPR trackway.
I was very impressed with the preparation and design work which has gone into the project so far. It calls for the building of two foot bridges, a culvert and the surfacing of the pathway between the two municipalities. The Irricana Lions Club is improving the section of the trail which passes through that town, and they have some great plans for the future of the trail as it passes through that town.
Here in Beiseker, I know there are some folks here trying to re-establish our Trail Creation Group. Councilor Dave Mackenzie has been keeping council informed of their progress to date. I understand that at present, they are re-applying for society status.
All of the Alberta TrailNet land here in Beiseker has been leased to the Centennial Railway Museum Society. That society appears to have 'disappeared!' I indicated to those present at the meeting today that Beiseker Council could not support a trail connection between the two communities as long as the Bassano Station and the train yard sits abandoned without a plan of action and a solution!
I think everyone around the table this morning understood Beiseker's frustration and disillusionment over the TrailNet land here in our village. Stay tuned.


On the 4th floor of the hotel there is a large, leafy roof garden with sweeping views over the London skyline. There is a lounge area scatters with Whitman benches, upholstered seating and a bar. Watched over by two ancient olive trees and surrounded by apple and pear fruit trees, the garden blooms all year round with seasonal flowers from poppies and lemon verbena to jasmine creating a wild meadow.


The first great debate on the transition from feudalism to capitalism was started by the publication in 1946 of Maurice Dobb's Studies in the Development of Capitalism,1 and the second was begun by Robert Brenner's article on 'Agrarian Class Structure and Economic Development in Pre-Industrial Europe' in Past And Present (1976).2 These debates provide for Marxists a framework within which to interpret the English Revolution of 1640 to 1660. Brenner's important new book is a major contribution to the latter. It is concerned with the role of the London merchants in the revolution, but a 'Postscript' of 78 pages places his subject in the context of a general interpretation of the revolution.
The merchants were, however, part of the bourgeoisie which, in Dobb's phrases, 'compromised with feudal society' and were 'essentially parasites on the old economic order'. At the same time the great merchants were the ruling elite of London and defended not only their economic privileges but also the king's cause, because that was the defence of the existing political and social hierarchy in which they ranked close to the top.
The crucial point is that colonial merchants were involved in production as well as exchange.
Virginia (including Maryland) and the Caribbean Islands (including Bermuda) became the chief production centres in British America. Before 1640 they produced mainly tobacco, which was shipped to England, and from there to the rest of Europe and the Near East. 'In the years between 1622 and 1638, tobacco imports from the American colonies leaped from about �,000 to �000,000 a year...' The men who provided 'the crucial input of capital and entrepreneurship for colonial developments' did not come from the established elite of merchants in the chartered overseas trading companies. Some of them began by emigrating to the colonies and starting up plantations, and they often used the profits of their plantations to return to London and set up as overseas merchants, but continuing to be involved with the colonial economy. Others started as domestic traders, sea captains or shopkeepers in London, and extended their business by exporting provisions to the colonies and importing tobacco. From a mass of small traders engaged in this commerce there emerged an elite which 'provided the most important source of motivation, capital and organisation for the whole colonisation movement... They were behind almost every important colonial adventure of the period and controlled a disproportionate share of the trade... They dominated the rapidly developing tobacco trades with Virginia and the West Indies, which formed the heart of the new American commercial economy.' They are the subject of this book.
had been members of the great London trading companies, or overseas merchants of any kind. Nor did they come from the upper ranks of either London or county society. Originally men of the 'middling sort', they were mostly born outside London and were, in many cases, the younger sons of minor gentry or prosperous yeomen. A few came from borough commercial families.
How does Brenner's thesis in this book relate to his general interpretation of the transition from feudalism to capitalism and of the English Revolution? Two points of debate are central: who were the agents of transition and how far had the transition proceeded by 1640?
... Capitalism developed in England from the end of the medieval period by means of the self-transformation of the old structure, specifically the self-transformation of the landed classes. As a result, the rise of capitalism took place within the shell of landlord property and thus, in the long run, not in contradiction with and to the detriment of, but rather to the benefit of the landed aristocracy.
... saw a considerable growth of independent peasant farming by tenants who rented land as enclosed holdings outside the open-field system. Among these there developed... an important section of richer peasants or yeomen, who as they prospered added field to field, by lease or purchase... and grew by the end of the century into considerable farmers who relied on the hire of wage-labour, recruited from the victims of enclosure or from the poorer cottagers. It was by this class of rising yeomen farmers that most of the improvements in methods of cultivation seem to have been pioneered.
Dobb saw the point of transition as being when the 'growth in the resources of the small man' became 'sufficient to cause him to place greater reliance on the results of hired labour than on the work of himself and his family, and in his calculations to relate the gains of his enterprise to his capital rather than to his own exertions...' Thus a capitalist class was born 'from the ranks of production itself'.
... primary accumulation... is nothing other than the historical process whereby the producer is divorced from the means of production. It assumes a 'primary' aspect because it belongs to the primary phase that is traversed immediately before the history of capitalism begins, immediately before the establishment of the method of production proper to capitalism.
In his account of the transition Brenner leaves out industrial developments, but if agrarian developments were transforming economic and social structures in some areas, so were industrial developments in others. This is shown in two recent books, one by David Levine and Keith Wrightson on the impact of coal mining on an agricultural community, and the other by David Rollison on the impact of clothmaking on a rural district before the revolution.30 It is a one sided view to focus on agrarian changes in the 16th and early 17th centuries to the exclusion of the contemporaneous restructuring of rural societies in a number of regions--economically, socially and intellectually--by the development of clothmaking, metalworking and mining. Brenner's concentration on the landowners, and to a lesser extent his concentration on merchants, cuts him off from adequately explaining both the transition to capitalism and the English Revolution.
The aim of the radical leaders of the London popular movement was 'to overturn the established sociopolitical oligarchy in London and so to significantly democratise London's municipal government', and to overthrow episcopacy and replace it 'by a more locally--and popularly--controlled church, Presbyterian or Independent.' The popular movement was composed of shopkeepers, mariners, smaller domestic traders, craftsmen and artisans.32 But Brenner pursues this no further and fails to root the radical and popular movement in the challenge of the 'middle sort of people' to the existing order, in the provinces as well as in London. This follows from his interpretation of the transition from feudalism to capitalism in terms of the landlords rather than the producers. His theory of the transition cannot explain the revolution whereas Dobb's can.
However, there is much more work to do on identifying the revolutionary forces in the industrial districts and the relations between various elements in those districts--gentry, yeomen farmers, and merchants, landholding and landless artisans, proto-capitalists and proto-proletarians.
'Science and Society' (Spring 1950, Fall 1952, Spring 1953, Fall 1953) reprinted with additional essays in R Hilton (ed), The Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism (London, 1976).
T H Aston and C H E Philpin (eds), The Brenner Debate: Agrarian Class Structure and Economic Development in Pre-Industrial Europe (Cambridge, 1985).
V Pearl, London and the Outbreak of the Puritan Revolution (Oxford, 1961), pp243-244, 276-277, 282-284.
R Brenner, 'The Civil War Politics of London's Merchant Community', Past & Present, No 58 (1973).
R Brenner, Merchants and Revolution, pp375-388.
K Lindley, 'London's Citizenry in the English Revolution', in R C Richardson (ed), Town and Countryside in the English Revolution (Manchester 1992).
M Dobb, Studies in the Development of Capitalism (London 1946), pp86-89,120-122,168-169.
R Brenner, 'Bourgeois Revolution and Transition to Capitalism', in A L Beier, D Cannadine and J M Rosenheim (eds), The First Modern Society (Cambridge, 1989) pp291-292; Merchants and Revolution, pp668-670.
R Brenner, 'The Civil War Politics of London's Merchant Community', op cit, p65.
R Brenner, Merchants and Revolution, pp 113-115, 154-162.
B Manning, The English People and the English Revolution (Bookmarks, London, 1991).
R Brenner, Merchants and Revolution, pp114, 159, 184, 395.
B Manning, op cit, pp388-390.
D H Sacks, 'Bristol's Wars of Religion', in R C Richardson (ed), op cit.
R Brenner, Merchants and Revolution, p693.
T H Aston and C H E Philpin (eds), op cit, p299.
R Brenner, Merchants and Revolution, pp642, 649-651.
M Dobb, op cit, pp60-62, 125-129, 134-135, 160-161.
C Mooers, The Making of Bourgeois Europe: Absolutism, Revolution, and the Rise of Capitalism in England, France and Germany (London, 1991), pp36-37.
T H Aston and C H E Philpin (eds), op cit, pp79-90.
R B Outhwaite, 'Progress and Backwardness in English Agriculture, 1500-1650', Economic History Review 2nd series, vol XXXIX (1986).
M Dobb, op cit, pp20-22.
R Hilton (ed), op cit, pp25-26, 63, 118-121.
M Dobb, op cit, ch VI.
C Lis and H Soly, Poverty and Capitalism in Pre-Industrial Europe (Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, 1979).
R B Outhwaite, op cit; R W Hoyle, 'Tenure and the Land Market in Early Modern England: or a late contribution to the Brenner debate', Economic History Review 2nd series, Vol XLLIII (1990); J R Wordie 'The Chronology of the English Enclosures, 1500-1914', Economic History Review 2nd Series, Vol XXXVI (1983); J M Neeson, 'The Opponents of Enclosure in Eighteenth-Century Northamptonshire', Past & Present No 105 (1984); D Woodward, 'Wage Rates and Living Standards in Pre-Industrial England', Past & Present No 91 (1981).
D Levine and K Wrightson, The Making of an Industrial Society: Whickham 1560-1765 (Oxford, 1991); D Rollison, The Local Origins of Modern Society: Gloucestershire 1500-1800 (London, 1992).
R Brenner, Merchants and Revolution, pp688-689; 'Bourgeois Revolution and Transition to Capitalism', op cit, pp303-304.
R Brenner, Merchants and Revolution, pp689-699; B Manning, op cit.
M Dobb, op cit, pp 169-171; R Hilton (ed), op cit, pp64-65.
B Manning, op cit, pp212-229, 281-304; D Underdown, Revel, Riot, and Rebellion: Popular Politics and Culture in England 1603-1660 (Oxford, 1985), ppl70, 276, 192-207; J R Dias, 'Lead, Society and Politics in Derbyshire before the Civil War', Midland History Vol VI (1981); D Rollison, op cit, Introduction and chs 1, 2, 6.


T-T Stock/Share Prices, Buy and Sell T-T BSE Stocks – AxisDirect.
Net loss of T T reported to Rs 0.14 crore in the quarter ended December 2018 as against net profit of Rs 0.76 crore during the previous quarter ended December 2017. Sales declined 26.09% to Rs 103.68 crore in the quarter ended December 2018 as against Rs 140.28 crore during the previous quarter ended December 2017.
TT will hold a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company on 13 February 2019.
Landmark Property Development Company Ltd, Gillanders Arbuthnot & Company Ltd, IOL Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Next Mediaworks Ltd are among the other gainers in the BSE's 'B' group today, 11 December 2018.
T T Ltd spiked 13.54% to Rs 65 at 11-Dec-2018 EOD IST. The stock was the biggest gainer in the BSE's 'B' group. On the BSE, 5735 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 4510 shares in the past one month.
Landmark Property Development Company Ltd soared 11.50% to Rs 4.46. The stock was the second biggest gainer in 'B' group. On the BSE, 10 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 2745 shares in the past one month.
Gillanders Arbuthnot & Company Ltd surged 11.21% to Rs 60. The stock was the third biggest gainer in 'B' group. On the BSE, 3 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 959 shares in the past one month.
IOL Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd added 9.89% to Rs 163.95. The stock was the fourth biggest gainer in 'B' group. On the BSE, 1.03 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 1.08 lakh shares in the past one month.
Next Mediaworks Ltd gained 9.77% to Rs 17.19. The stock was the fifth biggest gainer in 'B' group. On the BSE, 24272 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 3468 shares in the past one month.
Net profit of T T reported to Rs 0.05 crore in the quarter ended September 2018 as against net loss of Rs 8.45 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2017. Sales rose 10.59% to Rs 132.83 crore in the quarter ended September 2018 as against Rs 120.11 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2017.


NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ--A renowned New Brunswick based film festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on Saturday, May 30th, by opening the festivities until the 14th of June in the Hub City. The New Jersey International Film Festival, which began in 1996, is an annual festival where feature length independent films are screened in a competition.
The organization, which is headed by Rutgers Experimental Film Professor Albert Nigrin, is throwing the festival in conjunction with the Rutgers Film Co-op and New Jersey Media Arts Center, both of which were created back in 1985.
According to Professor Nigrin, the New Jersey International Film Festival has received 383 submissions from around the world. However, according to the competitive nature of the festival, Nigrin iterated that only 25 of the submissions (almost 7%) will be screened during the event.
This is an increase in competition, when in their first year in 1996, 30 films considered finalists. Nigrin, who also is the Executive Director of the Rutgers Film Co-op and New Jersey Media Arts Center, stressed the importance of the festival and how it provides an alternative outlet for both filmmakers and audiences.
Nigrin states that the main goal of the festival is to entertain and engage the community with the art pieces that they present to the community.
Last year, the New Jersey International Film Festival received up to 5,000 audience members, who were able to participate in ways that other film festivals do not necessarily offer, such as meeting with the participating filmmakers and actors.
The film festival also offers discussions, lectures, seminars, and workshops that are held by either the filmmakers, actors, scholars, and/or media art specialists.
Previous guests who appeared at the New Jersey Film Festival include Martin Scorsese, Thelma Schoonmaker-Powell, Paul Morrissey, D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Todd Solondz, Veronica Burstein, and Jem Cohen; among many other professionals in the field.
The festival contains works of mostly professionals, however, it also includes student and amateur filmmakers as entrants.
The movies for the International Film Festival range from full length features, short films, to animations, and documentaries, providing a wide spectrum of choices for audiences interested in the independent film circuit.
According to Nigrin, the films are chosen by a jury of fifteen people, whom are divided into five groups of three. The judges are made up of academics, students, media professionals, and journalists, whom rate the submissions in a numerical scale from 1 to 10, with the latter being the highest possible score.
The film pieces that are under review are also scored within specific categories, which reflect the nature of the festival's mindset – originality, creativity, production values, and performances- and are graded from either not being applicable/poor to being superior quality in all groupings.
America's Blues by Patrick Branson – a feature length music documentary from the U.S.A.
When Things Go Wrong: The Robin Lane Story by Tim Jackson– a documentary on the first woman to front her own all male rock band from the U.S.A.
Secrets of Llewellyn Park by William Davis – a documentary on parks from New Jersey, U.S.A.
The New Jersey International Film Festival will run from May 30 until June 14 from 7:00 pm to 10 pm, every night, and will take place at Voorhees Hall Room #105 at Rutgers University – 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.
For additional information and the screening schedule please visit http://www.njfilmfest.com/.


A competitor's work (left) vs. Black Duck's work (right) They might be the same image, but execution makes all the difference.
Sometimes it doesn't take many words to make a point. At Black Duck, our point is to make your logo look professional and polished, so that you can make an impression without worrying what your decorated apparel says about you.
One of our customers that supplies correctional institutions learned the hard way the difference between getting cheap work and getting their money's worth, and it only takes a glance at our example to understand. Having already purchased a digitized design from a competitor, they originally chafed to have their digitizing redone, but their reward became obvious when the new logo brought increased orders from their customer.
Even with a simple, single-color logo such as the seal pictured here, attention to detail and skillful interpretation can make the difference between a clean, professional appearance and an illegible, unrecognizable mess. Our competitor might be cheap and quick, but so is the appearance of their finished product.
When you rely on your apparel to identify you, to promote your brand, and show your pride, you don't want a poorly decorated garment telling those around you that your logo, and by extension your company, doesn't matter enough to get the job done right.
From the most simple text to the most detailed images, Black Duck treats every logo like their own, no matter the size of the order. We let the high quality of our work speak for us every day. Give us a chance and it can speak for you too.


text:
Youth Pastor at South Carolina Church Placed on Leave After Reportedly Giving Out 'i (heart) hot youth pastors' Stickers to Students
An image posted online, supposedoy of the sticker given out at Fairview Baptist Church in Greer, South Carolina. / Screen shot
The student pastor at a South Carolina church has been placed on administrative leave after reportedly giving out stickers to students that read "i (heart) hot youth pastors."
The stickers caught attention online after they appeared in a social media post from someone who claimed their 14-year-old sister had received the sticker from her 35-year-old youth pastor, who had given them out to students.
Fairview Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Greer, South Carolina, announced Sunday (Oct. 9) its student pastor, Cory Wall, has been placed on administrative leave and will not be involved in student leadership while it conducts an investigation.
"Our student pastor, Cory Wall, acknowledges that he made a poor decision and a mistake by making a sticker available that was offensive to some," reads a post by the church's personnel team and deacon officers on its website and Facebook page.
The post did not describe the stickers Wall had made available, and Fairview could not immediately be reached for comment.
On Monday morning, Wall no longer appeared alongside church staff on Fairview's website, where he was listed as its student pastor as recently as Friday.
"We take this matter very seriously and want to be proactive as we move forward. Our main goal is to always make our campus a safe place for anyone who attends," the church's statement reads.
The original social media post, which blurred the name of the church involved, claimed a youth pastor had given "i (heart) hot youth pastors" stickers to students during Midweek. Midweek is the weekly gathering for students in sixth grade through high school at Fairview, according to the church website.
Another social media post claimed to show an email exchange between Wall and someone expressing concerns about stickers being distributed at Midweek.
"We're updating our church-wide database, and I encouraged kids to come see me to get a sticker and update their information," reads the email reportedly from Wall.
"The sticker was meant to poke fun of the 'I Love Hot Mom' culture. In hindsight, the joke was of very poor taste and a mistake on my part. I do apologize for their distribution."
Hemant Mehta — who has written about the stickers for atheist website OnlySky — noted in one piece, "The 'I (heart) hot moms' shirts which can be found online aren't a 'culture' so much as pathetic frat boy humor. But as far as I can tell, it's not like these 'youth pastor' stickers are available online."
A YouTuber named Danny Duncan sells "i (heart) hot moms" merchandise. It is unclear if that is what the stickers and email are referencing.
The stickers touched a collective nerve as churches and denominations around the world, including the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant Christian denomination in the United States, have had to reckon with their handling of sexual abuse cases in the wake of the #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements.
Leaders of the SBC's Executive Committee released a list earlier this year detailing about 700 cases, dating back to the 1960s, of sexual abuse by pastors, Sunday school teachers, camp counselors, music ministers, bus drivers and missionaries, with about 400 tied to Southern Baptist churches from Alaska to Alabama.
A number of cases involving youth pastors have made headlines in recent years, and Jules Woodson, a prominent advocate for sexual abuse survivors, helped spark reform in the SBC by publicly sharing her story of abuse by her former youth pastor.
SOURCE: Religion News Service, Emily McFarlan Miller
Cory Wall
Southern Baptist congregation
youth pastors
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Last second shot lifts Jerusalem to 97-96 victory over Maccabi Givat Shmuel in a thriller at Malha Arena.
Ed Cota's buzzer-beater lifted Hapoel Jerusalem to a 97-96 victory over Maccabi Givat Shmuel in a thriller at Malha Arena on Sunday night. Hapoel remains in fourth place in the standings, but closes the gap on Nahariya and Bnei Hasharon, who both lost their Matchday 5 games. "We only won thanks to some random plays," Jerusalem coach Dan Shamir said after the game. "We scored 97 points, but we didn't play well on defense. We have a lot of reasons not to be pleased and hopefully our weaknesses will disappear with time." Hapoel was led by Mario Austin, who scored 26 points, and by Meir Tapiro, who had 16 points and 12 assists. Jay Straight scored 25 for Givat Shmuel, but only five in the second half, with Tunji Awujobi adding 19 points against his former team. After the visitors went into the locker room at halftime with a three-point lead (47-44), Hapoel opened up a 10-point advantage in the third quarter. However, the hosts were unable to maintain their lead and the game remained tight as the teams traded baskets at the end. The draw for the State Cup quarterfinals took place at halftime of the game in Jerusalem. Maccabi Tel Aviv 87,Ironi Nahariya 73 Maccabi Tel Aviv ended Ironi Nahariya's perfect start to the season at Nokia Arena. Nikola Vujcic almost recorded his second triple-double in four days after recording 16 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Derrick Sharp was the hosts' leading scorer with 17 points. Nahariya led 45-44 at halftime, but a third-quarter run by Maccabi gave it a lead it didn't relinquish to maintain its unbeaten start to the BSL season. Hapoel Afula/Gilboa 87, Galil-Golan 86 A Michael Johnson three-pointer with two seconds remaining gave Hapoel Afula/Gilboa the narrow win over Galil-Golan at Kfar Blum. Afula/Gilboa controlled the game and led at one point by as many as 11 points, but a late surge by Galil almost cost the visitors the game. Elitzur Ashkelon 81,Bnei Hasharon 79 Elitzur Ashkelon won its second straight game by surprising Bnei Hasharon. Bnei Hasharon sharp shooter Lee Nailon was held to five points. State Cup quarterfinal draw (first leg of two-legged ties to be played January 7; second leg one week later): Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Ironi Nahariya; Bnei Hasharon vs Hapoel Afula/Gilboa; Hapoel Yokne'am/Megiddo vs Ironi Ramat Gan, Maccabi Givat Shmuel vs Hapoel Jerusalem.