José Feliciano, José González, and… Nery Toro
April 21, 2017What do all three men have in common? Give up? All three play the acoustic guitar and sing! We may not have Mr. Feliciano or Mr. González, but we do have our own Nery Toro!
Nery is one of our assistant tour directors. If you have been on one of our tours you may have seen him driving his “guagua” behind the coach bus. He works behind the scenes to make sure every tour he is part of runs smoothly. From filling water coolers, to ensuring group safety, to taking an injured traveler to the hospital, He keeps Vámonos groups going.
Old San Juan #1 on the Top 12 Most Beautiful Historic Neighborhoods in America
April 13, 2017The Thrillist recently did a blog on the top 12 most beautiful historic neighborhoods in America. Old San Juan, the second oldest city in the Americas, came out number one on the list! Click on the link below to read the article and scroll all the way down to the bottom to read about Old San Juan. Also note that one of our other destinations, San Antonio, ranked #11 on the list as well!
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Ponce’s Las Casas de Los Bomberos
The Condensed Story of Ponce’s Las Casas de Los Bomberos
On the 25th of January 1899 a fire broke out in a munitions depot located at the present day location of Ponce High School. Firefighters were told not to fight the dangerous fire. Seven firefighters and one civilian disobeyed this order and put the fire out, thus saving the city.
At first the firefighters were arrested and charged with insubordination. This raised such a public outcry that the charges were dropped. The firefighters were released and honored.
Internet Access in Cuba
April 11, 2017Here is a great blog article about internet access in Cuba. Internet is still painfully slow and costly for the average Cuban. For most Cubans to access the internet, they need to purchase an internet card and head to the nearest hot spot. While cards only cost about $2 for an hour of internet access, the average Cuban only makes between $20-$40 a month. This makes it prohibitively expensive to get online. One card is 5-10% of their monthly income. To put this in perspective, imagine paying 5-10% of your monthly salary just to spend one hour on the internet.
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Student Travel Makes a Positive Social Impact!
April 6, 2017SYTA recently conducted a study on the benefits of student travel. They gathered data from teachers all across the U.S. To learn about their findings, click the button below for the full article.
Read Full ArticleThe Happiest Man In The World Lives In Puerto Rico
February 15, 2017The blog for the Marriott Hotel chain recently spotlighted one of their employees as the happiest man in the world and he happens to live and work in Puerto Rico! Felix Perez works as a door man at the La Concha Renaissance Hotel. He exemplifies what amazing customer service should be. He is so well known for the service he provides their customers that people stop by the hotel just to meet them, even if they aren’t staying in the hotel! Next time you are visiting Puerto Rico, stop by and meet the happiest man in the world.
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San Sebastián Festival
January 18, 2017The San Sebastián Festival might be one of the most celebrated and crowded festivals on the entire island. It takes place all over the old city (not just at Calle San Sebastián) on the second or third week of January every year. Approximately 500,000 people are present in this cultural event. It lasts four days from Thursday to Sunday.
One of the richest aspects of the San Sebastián Festival is its unique collection of authentic Puerto Rican art sold by artists. People from all over the island flock to the city to find great bargains on authentic handmade arts and crafts. In addition to the cultural and artistic aspect of the festival, there are numerous family events, great food, and live shows in the evening.
ArtCenter in Cuba
January 3, 2017ArtCenter traveled to Cuba in Early October. Here is a bit of what they did there:
Fresh Eyes Cuba is a 14 week transdisciplinary studio course organized around a 10-day immersive trip to Havana, Cuba in early October. Faculty and students lived in Havana and collaborated with the Instituto de Diseño (ISDi), Cuba’s design school. Under the guidance of ArtCenter faculty, communication and industrial design students from ArtCenter and ISDi engaged in an experiential workshop, building interactive pop-up installations that attracted 200 people. This final exhibition at ArtCenter will feature installations that are a reflection of and reaction to the students’ individual and collective experiences in Cuba’s ecosystem of innovation and creativity at this historic moment in time.
Vámonos Tours Offers Language Immersion in the Caribbean
November 30, 2016Article on Vámonos Tours Excerpt Published in Courier Magazine; November 2016 Edition page 42
Vámonos Tours engages students with programs that combine cultural exchange, service projects and active adventure. On a zipline and nature excursion in Puerto Rico, students hike with local organic farmers and spelunk through hidden caves.
“We make an effort to add Puerto Rican flavor, history and nature to our zipline experience,” says Pardo. “[Students] learn before flying through the forest on four to five ziplines.” Other itineraries have included meeting local fisherman.
Cuba: Travel tips and reviews
June 8, 2016Cuba: Travel tips and reviews
This is a more detailed review of my trip than my Huffington Post essay of observations and reflections.
Getting in/Visas.
From what I have read, there will be many flights a week from the U.S. in just a few months. In addition, there may additional opening of travel restrictions. Americans are only allowed to travel under certain categories. For those without business, cultural exchanges, research, or family, typically we travel under “People to People” or “Support for the Cuban People.” Until recently, these were official tours and quite expensive as you had to go with a licensed company. As of two months ago, Americans can now conduct their own tours.
I flew through Mexico City, where we attended a wedding. I was stressed about getting my visa but it was super-easy. I went to the AeroMexico counter after security in the gate area and was able to purchase it there. They did not ask for my itinerary (I had read online was that you are supposed to have one with you which I did), and I paid a fee in Pesos (I think it was $40 or so per person). Immigration in Cuba was simple and straightforward.