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Baracoa, Cuba, © RaulCañibano 2006
Ten days of Baracoa and Santiago- 3 Rivers, the Sierra Maestra, Home of the Patron Saint of Cuba and the birthplace of the Cuban Revolutions
Dates November 13-22, 2024, with Raul Caibano
Join EyeCuba with the renowned Cuban Documentary Photographer Raul Cañibano for an exceptional trip to El Oriente. After arriving in Santiago de Cuba, having lunch at El Morro (the large fort commanding the bay, and taking an “overview” tour of the city, we will check in, leaving time for a sunset walk and photo exploration before a relaxed dinner will complete our first day. The next morning starts with a “Dawn patrol,” followed by a leisurely breakfast and the long drive over the Sierra Maestra Mountains via the winding La Farola highway with breathtaking views.
El Yunque, “a mountain like an anvil” mentioned in the logs of Columbus, looms out of the view to the west. Green and jungle-like, Baracoa is the oldest (European) town in Cuba and was founded by Columbus. Spilling down the hillsides of the Sierra Maestra, this village on the north coast has a broad bay fed by two rivers fed by frequent rains. These rivers and their settlements and activities along the banks and beaches offer scenes with livestock, gardening, homebuilding, washing clothes, and more. The Toa, Miel, and Yumuri are integral to the inhabitants of this region, and it is along these river banks and mountains that you find farms for coconuts, cacao, coffee, and bananas.
After three days of exploring these rivers, hillsides, and settlements, we will retrace our path across the mountains past Guantanamo back to Santiago de Cuba.
All of Cuba's forays into independence from Spain and its final one against Batista started in the El Oriente or “the East.” Political murals are maintained and freshly painted in this section of the country, “Patria o Muerte,” “motherland or death.” Like Baracoa, Santiago is at the foot of the mountains, so it is a city of hills and contours down to the shores of its bay. Steeped in history and rich with a distinctly Haitian influence, it is musical, vibrant, and photographically alluring. Santiago is a unique colonial city that has suffered and rebuilt from many natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes, and it is a city of endurance. Santiago will provide textures, colors, cultures, and hospitality for five nights and six days. It will serve as a base for forays into the countryside with neighboring towns, mountains, islands, and bays.
Nearby at El Cobre, a copper mining town, is a shrine built for the patron saint of Cuba, a black virgin, Our Lady of Charity. A beacon for pilgrimages, this large church dominates the town nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Maestra. It was from these mountains that Fidel Castro successfully mounted and waged his guerrilla-styled revolution against the dictatorship of Batista. Fidel and eighty-one compatriots landed from Mexico on the peninsula west of Santiago in 1956. The peninsula and province Granma honor the name of the yacht that delivered them. The twenty-one that survived the landing and immediate attack fled into the mountains for sanctuary and from camps in these mountains, successfully building the 26th of July Movement to topple the Batista government on January 1st, 1959. When exploring these mountains for coffee plantations, cacao farms, and vistas, our paths will cross many of those used by Fidel’s Barberos.
Arrive on Nov. 13, 2023, in Santiago, Cuba.
Depart Nov. 22, 2023, in Santiago, Cuba.
Limited to 6 participants and a minimum of 4. This is limited to 6-8 participants. The cost is $4,300, not including airfare to and from Santiago, but covers lodging, most meals, all transportation, and locations in and around Cuba. All breakfasts, eight lunches, and five dinners are included. The last full day is “your” day to visit /revisit locations of your choosing. Lodging will be provided in various private homes and hotels, and meals will be served in private restaurants so your trip more than adequately meets the criteria the US government (OFAC) sets for travel to Cuba. Participants should pack lightly and expect warm but comfortable weather. Rain gear and good hiking shoes are advisable to handle getting wet and drying quickly. One should expect to be on their feet a great deal. Still, the walking distances in most locations can be mitigated with some form of transportation, whether mechanical, human, or animal. Photographically, we think it wise to pack lightly and carry less than more. However, should you need to shed extra gear, we always try to keep some transportation nearby. Tripods and prime lenses can be optimal for the low light of “dawn patrols.”There will be at least three image reviews and a celebratory group show and dinner on the last night.
“I have worked with many GREAT photographers and met many more. Based on that experience, I can say that Raul Cañibano is one of the finest documentary photographers working and living today. His images combine humor and humanity with a dash of cynicism. Combined with his craftmanship, choice of moment, and frame, each image invokes compassion that intimately connects the viewer, the photographer, and the subjects. He is a humble yet gifted friend to photography and, most thankfully, to me.” Kip Brundage, EyeCuba
Raul Cañibano Ercilla
Born in 1961, his work focuses on people and demonstrates the vitality of modern-day Cuban photography. Trained as a welder, he was self-taught in photography. During the “Special Period,” Cañibano sought books and images from the masters in painting and photography. He challenged himself to build upon their artistry to develop his vision and points of view. He has exhibited worldwide and won a significant prize in Cuba for a project on the life of rural workers. Magnum has recognized Raul, who is, without question, among the top photographers in Cuba. He has been published and exhibited internationally, beyond Cuba, in the United States, England, France, Norway, Australia, Japan, and Spain. His work is part of the Collection at the International Center of Photography in New York.
Kip Brundage will lead the group, has recently swum against the current and moved to Havana to be with his wife, Yunaysy, and her son, Royce. Also leading the group will be Sandor Rodríguez, who has a talent for finding photo-rich situations. He is highly sought after because of his knowledge, good nature, and command of English. He and his wife, Claudia Corrales, are Kip’s partners in EyeCuba. They also run a photographic center for emerging photographers and a gallery for the archives of Raul Corrales, the famous revolutionary photographer.
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Upon the arrival of your commercial flight to Cuba, the EyeCuba crew will take over and see to your transportation, lodging, and most meals and provide you with a schedule of activities that meets the criteria required by the US Department of Treasury (OFAC). Private Cubans and independent enterprises provide all hospitality, transportation, and assistance. The Cuban photographers who offer local expertise are fine photographers, patient, experienced, and excellent teachers. Regardless of a participant’s skill level, The EyeCuba crew can help you achieve your goals for the trip and more. Non-photographers are welcome. A key is a small group, so organize a group of like-minded friends and let us open doors for you in Cuba. Or join one of our many theme-based trips to learn about Cuba and return with great images to spread the knowledge.
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