{"id":491,"date":"2016-07-06T21:17:28","date_gmt":"2016-07-06T21:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/?p=491"},"modified":"2018-06-28T19:12:31","modified_gmt":"2018-06-28T19:12:31","slug":"what-do-president-obama-and-mick-jagger-have-in-common","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/what-do-president-obama-and-mick-jagger-have-in-common\/","title":{"rendered":"What do President Obama and Mick Jagger have in common? \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"USA
USA vs Nicaragua Match in Havana’s Ciudad Deportiva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They both traveled to Cuba within days of one another in\u00a0March of 2016. President Obama and his family stayed\u00a0in a grand embassy mansion in Havana while the Rolling Stones performed a free concert in front of hundreds\u00a0of thousands of people at the Ciudad Deportiva just miles apart. The same Ciudad Deportiva that hosted\u00a0the U19 Boys NORCECA Continential Championship on June 22-30, 2016.<\/p>\n

It’s\u00a0not like BIP to miss out on an opportunity that combines world class competitive volleyball,\u00a0breathtaking Caribbean beaches and a peak into the fascinating history of a\u00a0socialist\u00a0state….\u00a0so we scouted out the\u00a0scene. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s 5\u00a0things you’ll want to know about taking a foreign volleyball tour to Cuba.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"IMG_0688\"
BIP’s Brooke Rundle pictured with Sam Shweisky, Head Coach of USA Boys’ Youth Team in Havana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Can anyone travel to Cuba?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, individual travel to Cuba for tourism\u00a0activities is still not permitted by the US government (as of July, 2016). However, in January 2015 the OFAC (U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control) lifted the ban on travel to Cuba for groups that fall within the 12 categories of authorized travel which include “athletic and other competitions”. \u00a0In short, you can’t go to Cuba as a tourist alone, but you can travel with your team to play volleyball. All teams considering travel to Cuba should read through the\u00a0Frequently Asked Questions on Changes to the Cuba Sanctions Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. What can we expect in terms of volleyball?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Cuban women\u2019s national volleyball team has a rich history of volleyball Olympic gold medals. The \u201cMorenas del Caribe\u201d squad captured three consecutive Olympic gold medals in Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000.\u00a0 <\/span>They also won a bronze Olympic medal in Athens in 2004.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the Cuban women’s\u00a0team has fallen in international rankings over the past decade and we won’t be seeing them compete in Rio 2016. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

However o<\/span><\/span>n our recent scouting trip to Havana, the president of the Cuban volleyball federation <\/span> enthusiastically welcomed the idea of future international competition on the island to promote the sport of volleyball. Therefore a<\/span>ll visiting teams will compete against youth, junior and national teams in Havana. One thing is for certain, you can count on competitive and passionate volleyball!<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Can our team\u00a0volunteer?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes.\u00a0When considering the lifestyle in Cuba, it\u2019s difficult to see beyond the fact that the average monthly salary for a government worker is between $30-$40 USD. Everyday items such as sports equipment and school supplies are in high demand due to lack of availability. <\/span><\/p>\n

However it\u2019s important to note that poverty does not equate to a lack of well being. Salaries are subsidized by a range of free services offered by the government.\u00a0 <\/span>Its\u2019 socialist system provides quality nationalized healthcare for all citizens, free food allowances, highly subsidized utility bills and gasoline. There\u2019s also no government taxes due on property, goods or services.\u00a0 <\/span>The nutrition, health and life expectancy of Cubans is among the world\u2019s best. Education is completely free for Cuban citizens which attributes Cuba\u2019s famously high nation wide literacy rate of 99.7% according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cuba might be short on every-day material possessions common in first world countries, but the country is not short on educational professionals.\u00a0 <\/span>And more importantly, its\u2019 citizen\u2019s don\u2019t view themselves as a third world country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the extreme poverty level, Cuba is uniquely transitioning into one of the world\u2019s most popular vacation destinations.\u00a0 <\/span>In an effort to bridge the gap, BIP\u2019s Cuban volleyball tours include community service and we strongly encourage players to pack lightly saving space in their luggage for donation materials to give to the local schools that we visit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4.\u00a0How far in advance do I need to book a tour?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We recommend contacting us as soon as you’re considering a trip to Cuba. Tours to Cuba require more advanced planning than our volleyball tours to Europe <\/a>or Nicaragua<\/a>.\u00a0The Cuba government requires that every\u00a0team tour itinerary is approved prior to travel\u00a0which can\u00a0take up to 5 months. \u00a0Hotels in Havana are also limited and fill up months in advance. Notifying BIP ahead of your preferred departure date\u00a0<\/span>provides us sufficient time to get government permission, arrange the matches, organize ground transportation and reserve hotels. <\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Havana's
Havana’s famed Malecon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. What can we expect to do on tour?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cuba offers an extremely unique cultural and volleyball experience for all those craving high level competition, community service and a taste of the country\u2019s revolutionary spirit. \u00a0<\/span>Travel back in time with soulful salsa music, vibrant colonial buildings and timeless cars.\u00a0 <\/span>Cuba\u2019s colorful capital of Havana invites travelers to open their mind to another way of life.\u00a0 <\/span>The aged Cuban Baroque style buildings and cobblestone city streets promise to transport to you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wander down the Malec\u00f3n, the walkway along the ocean; explore the open-air bazaars of Habana Vieja (Old Havana) and pay tribute to the Catedral de San Crist\u00f3bal. The Caribbean culture here is infectious. Get a taste of Cuba\u2019s cherished local cuisine, comida criolla, or make your way over to the Plaza de la Revolucion to lay your eyes on the ‘Che’ Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos monuments. When it comes to Cuba, there\u2019s no shortage of iconic revolutionary elements to take in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Contact us today<\/a> to get a complete travel guide with\u00a0more information on team travel to Cuba.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They both traveled to Cuba within days of one another in\u00a0March of 2016. President Obama and his family stayed\u00a0in a grand embassy mansion in Havana while the Rolling Stones performed a free concert in front of hundreds\u00a0of thousands of people at the Ciudad Deportiva just miles apart. The same Ciudad Deportiva that hosted\u00a0the U19 Boys […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-travel","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/491\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bringitusa.com\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}