In 2020, members of the ISBA are invited to join Law & Culture delegations to Portugal, London, Scotland, Cuba, and Morocco. In 2018 and 2019, ISBA members traveled together on trips to Cuba. Read below to learn about Bruce Kamplain's experience in Cuba during the February 2019 trip. Click here to learn more about the 2020 travel abroad opportunities.

I thoroughly enjoyed my February 2019 trip to Havana, Cuba. The small group lent to great discussions during our CLE. The opportunity to see and enjoy the music and dance of Cuba was quite profound in that the skill levels were quite high and the performances were as entertaining as any professional troupe in the US. I would love to return to Cuba but for President Trumps ban on such travel.

Visiting a communist country was impactful when one compares the judicial system in the U.S. with the legal system of Cuba. It reinforces the ideals of democracy when compared to a controlled state.

If the U.S. government permits travel to Cuba, I would highly recommend such a trip. Attendees are immediately immersed into the culture of Cuba with its three mixed economies – the state economy, the gray market economy and the black-market economy. You will find yourself interacting with all these different economies. The environment, social, food, and culture of Cuba are quite different from south Florida. When we were there it was quite warm and humid. But enjoyable when traveling from Indiana. The tour permitted many opportunities to enjoy the myriad types of Cuban cuisine.

I particularly enjoyed sitting in the park across the street from our hotel enjoying a cigar. On several occasions, a Cuban would join me on the bench with his cigar. Despite our language barriers we were able to communicate and enjoy the evening.

The Cuban people I encountered were very friendly and engaging. One night I joined two other attendees for the Buena Vista Social Club for dinner and music. We walked from the hotel to the venue. Some blocks were lit, some were not. My companions were a bit timid to walk down the sidewalk that was not lit, but at no time did I feel afraid of any criminal element. On our first day I got separated from the group and made my way back to the hotel alone walking through northern Havana. I never felt that I would be the victim of crime. In fact, two Cuban woman stopped to help me with my map to get directions back to the hotel.

The photographic opportunities are boundless - I'm still working on my Cuba book of photos.

I highly recommend ISBA trips. They are educational, expose you to different cultures, and demonstrate that we are all in this together (or at least we should be).

Bruce Kamplain is an attorney at Norris Choplin Schroeder LLP.