Cuba is becoming a major attraction for Bermudians, after another successful charter to the communist country by Victory Charters and Tours last week.

Locals, from members of the Bermuda Under-17 national soccer team to about 70 members of the Seniors Learning Centre, recently got their first taste of the Caribbean's largest island. Many are looking forward to their next trip.

"People are finding that charters are ideal for a place like Cuba, primarily because there are no direct flights into Cuba from the United States, only State Department sanctioned flights," said Murray Brown of Victory Charters and Tours who was on the charter a week ago when the national youth team travelled for their second leg, World Cup qualifier.

Mr. Brown was also with the charter group of more than 100 in October when a large contingent of seniors seized the opportunity to experience Cuba.

"The Senior Learning Centre loved it, they went to the airport and we flew for a couple of hours and the next thing they knew we were in Havana," Mr. Brown explained.

"For many of them it was their first charter. Wwe had at least 70 members of that association, but there was over 100 on the flight. Not only was the flight smooth, when they got to Havana the buses were waiting and at the hotel we were using they got blown away. They weren't expecting that type of sophistication...Cuban tile, wide open lobby, just a fantastic hotel.

"In particular they liked the service. There is no automatic tipping there, it is based strictly on merit."

Another charter to Cuba is planned for next March and it is expected interest will be high as the country comes highly recommended by those who have been there.

"This was the first time - this flight and the last one - that people actually called the office to thank us for taking them," Mr. Brown revealed.

"The product is just so fantastic, it's unlike any place in the western hemisphere, and they really get into the people. When I went back this time I was taking packages of clothing to different people."

On the October charter, items such as school supplies, violins and medical supplies were taken to Cuba and given to those in need.

Dr. Gary Burgess, Programme Co-ordinator at the Department of Cultural Affairs, donated seven violins to a school there, a gift greatly appreciated.

"I have some connections with the National School of the Arts there and they are short of instruments," said Dr. Burgess whose first trip to Cuba was on the October charter.

Dr. Burgess said he was impressed with the country's music culture.

"Cuba has 36 schools of the arts throughout the island, which is unprecedented. Cuba is big but to have 36 conservatories on one island is incredible," he stated.

"They love music, music is everywhere, on the street, in the restaurants - all kinds of music. The Jazz Festival just happened. When I was there they put on a performance for me, performances from violin to jazz.

"It was fantastic, the average age was 14 or 15. The violins were put to good use even before I left!"

Dr. Burgess, who took advantage of last week's charter to conduct some business in Cuba on behalf of Cultural Affairs, has vowed to go again.

"Definitely - the Island lives music," he stated. "Their economic situation is not great, though they are not poor. They are so rich in their culture and heritage it's incredible. We don't have half the culture they have."

Barbara Millett's public appeal for school supplies generated a tremendous response and she was able to take six cases of books, papers, pencils and pens with her on the October charter for use by students at the Havana Elementary School.

"The children were very, very happy and a few of them remembered me," said Mrs. Millett who visited Cuba for the first time last year.

Upon her return to Bermuda she vowed to do something for the students at one school who, because of a shortage of supplies, were forced to share pencils and pens. She went to the school to take the supplies.

"One little boy said to me 'you kept your promise'. He's beginning to learn to speak English and spoke for his class in English. It was very, very touching to know that the children remembered.

"One group sang welcome in English. They are beginning to teach English in the school. They have a male teacher in the classroom there now which is very good, the only male teacher before was the gym teacher."

Mrs. Millett said the school has grown since her last visit there, with three more rooms added. "Every room has one computer and a television, because the subjects that are not taught by the school, for instance art, is taught over the television," she revealed.

"And even though I took pencils, the students will not be given pencils just to say they have them. They have to care for the one that they have and prove that they need a new one before given another one. I am sure those pencils will last them quite a while."

Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Maggie Cormack, also went on the October charter and took with her a few boxes of medical supplies such as over-the-counter drugs such as pain killers, antiseptic creams and first aid items.

"This was my fourth trip to Cuba and, having been before, I can't go empty-handed," said Dr. Cormack who previous three trips were while living in her native Britain.

"Before when I went I had taken medical and educational aid which is what I did this time. I bought some over-the-counter drugs and had contributions from other people and took a lot of educational stuff for schools.

"The thing now in Cuba is that it is very well organised at that end to receive the aid. There is a group called ICAP which is the International Friends of Cuba, and Murray Brown organised that the representative from ICAP would come to the airport to meet us.

"He came through into the baggage ball and took the stuff and then we knew that it would be properly distributed to the places it needed to go. Everything was labelled, they knew exactly what the contents of each box were and what it was destined for."

Added Dr. Cormack, who first visited Cuba in 1994: "I went at fairly short notice so I didn't have an opportunity to take a great deal. I took about four or five boxes. Previously when I had gone from Britain, I was able to arrange much more in the way of medical aid and donations were given so that we can buy prescription drugs - prescribed by a consultant - so we can take things that they have great difficulty in having.

"Cuba has probably one of the best health care systems in the world, but their big problem is they are very short of medication of all kind. If equipment breaks down they can't fix it because often they can't get the parts, which is largely to do with the embargo from the United States.

"Anything that we can do to help them seems to be very important. They are in a very particular position, different from other countries."

Dr. Cormack said she was considering going again on the next charter in March.

"For me it is one of the most amazing countries and it's going to change in time," she feels.

"It's a good idea to go while it is still as it is. A number of people would have taken things if they had realised more about the country. One of the things I have not taken but realise they need is baby formula.

"I'm part of an organisation in Britain called Cuba Solidarity and we organise each year containers to go out to Cuba and they target different things each year.

"One year we sent out a load of computers which were used by the hospital at the University where I'd been working which were no longer current but still serviceable.

"Doing it through the official organisations is so much better, because then you know it goes directly to the people who need it."