Martinez to lead January 2013 trip to Cuba

Maria Martinez, center, with students in Cuba.

University of Wisconsin-Parkside English Professor Dr. Maria Martinez invites students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to experience an insider's view of Cuba during a one-week tour to the island nation. Centered on Cuba's Baracoa area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the trip takes place during UW-Parkside's winter break in January 2013.

Dr. Martinez has been leading groups to Baracoa for a number of years. 

"We engage in 'people-to-people diplomacy' and have long-standing relationships with key cultural, civic, and service groups rather than commercial tourist groups. Our itinerary includes walking tours, lectures and workshops led by respected scholars, including the city's historian, the director of the archeological museum, important art historians, ethno-botanists, physicians and artists," Dr. Martinez said.

Calling Baracoa "a place of exceptional natural beauty" surrounded by rivers, forests, beaches, and mountains, Dr. Martinez said excursions to the area's nature preserves, rivers, and cave systems are important parts of the trip. Topics of interest include bio-diversity and sustainable agriculture/development, green medicine, folk-healing traditions and herbalism, Taino Indian archeology and culture, Afro-Cuban religion, and regional art. Some participants choose to stay an additional week to visit Havana.

Dr. Martinez encouraged those wanting more information to visit "Parkside Cuba Trip 2013" on Facebook. More details are also available by accessing martinm0@uwp.edu via email.

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Story Status: Archived
Publish date: 8/16/2012

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