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We had a great group of folks: ​Evelyn Dunphy and her students.
All the preparation and planning were going well... until they weren’t. We
landed in Havana and got on our charter bus to the hotel. That’s where the fun
started: I went to check us in and watched as the receptionist calmly looked to bring up the reservation on her computer. Then she looked at me and said those terrifying words "We don't have a reservation for you."

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We sat around in shock until (trumpets please), I called my local guide and told him what had happened. We worked together to find a solution because we were there and weren't going back home yet.

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The solution provided us with an unforgettable adventure. Each day we wound up staying at a different hotel and other lodgings. In one case, we were lucky to stay at the fanciest hotel in all of Havana. Other nights the lodging was not as elegant (understatement).

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But it worked, and the bottom line is that people had a great adventure and a good time painting.

This is part of running an international workshop. All the planning that goes into a workshop happens behind the scenes, and then stuff happens.

There are innumerable phone calls and emails, negotiations, backup plans, transportation problems, hotel issues, medical emergencies, lost luggage, travel insurance issues, client travel coordination, ground transportation issues, cancellations, and dozens of little decisions that happen behind the scenes. And the key to success is to respond immediately to problems - do not wait!