Cuba holiday

Cuba day 1

Here we are in Cuba on our most recent adventure.  Some of this blog was written as it was happening and some of it retroactively. 

It's 17 November 2012 as I type this and we're sitting somewhere in old town Havana.

There are a few adventures that I haven't had time to write about and these will follow shortly.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy our Cuba vacation.

We left Lethbridge this last Friday and drove up to Calgary.  Our flight for Cuba was only the next morning but we decided not to chance the snow gods and gave ourselves a little leeway in case we had a problem.

We arrived in Calgary a little later than expected and met Duncan, Chantal, Bump (Chantal's baby bump), Brenden and Jenn at a lekker pizzeria in downtown Calgary.  I don't want to go into too much detail about dinner but suffice to say that we had a delicious dinner with 4 fantastic people and got to know Brenden and Jenn a bit more (They are all great people!).  Brenden and Jenn have been to Cuba previously and we were excited to learn as much as we could from them.

After a fantastic dinner we had some of the best ice-cream that I have ever eaten and had a quick coffee at Brenden and Jenn's house before sorting out our bags at Duncan and Chantal's.

It was a really good night!  

So we set of from Duncs and Chan (and Bump) fairly early in the morning.  We have been crazy busy and had not really planned out our Cuba trip.  As such we were excited but a little nervous.  We knew that we wanted to stay in Havana the first night and we knew a little bit about the local currency and what type of accommodation is available but we (I) had left booking too late and we were flying blind on most things.

The flight to Cuba was a really interesting one.  The Visa for Cuba was included in our ticket and because we were flying in from Canada we did not have to supply any other documentation.  Adele and I had not been able to book seats next to each other.

I sat next to an accountant who was sick of, and did not care too much for Cuba (after 4 trips), and on the other side, a 60 year old who had been to Cuba a few times before and did not care too much for Raul or Fidel but loves Cuba.  Adele sat next to the 60 year old's friend and another lady who chatted and laughed with her throughout the flight (She turned out to be a professional body builder).  

I spent some of the flight reading about Cuba and trying to learn a little Spanish but most of the flight chatting to the really interesting 60 year old.  

I can tell you a lot about Helmut, the German Canadian, who moved to Canada at 21 and has lived in Montreal and then in British Columbia and then studied and practiced law in Calgary and the rest of Alberta.  I can tell you about him being engaged to a Peruvian women and then marrying a Pakistani women who hates warm weather and likes to read – with a library of 1600 books.  I can tell you why they never had kids and about the last time he went skiing and injured himself but I won't as I am sure you can tell Helmut was pretty chatty over the 5 hour and 15 minute flight.  It was pretty awesome.  He was an interesting old bugger and it made for a quick flight.  Interestingly his stories got longer, his tongue looser and he spilt more wine on himself as the flight progressed.

I also started reading, Life of Pi, on the plane.  I started reading it and had to stop after 5 pages.  I got a pen out of my bag and restarted it.  Within the first few pages I was absolutely hooked and I hope it turns out to be a good read. I love the way this man writes.

Interesting random Cuba fact I learnt on the flight:  Cubans sometimes make makeshift boats and try to leave Cuba for Florida.  The USA has a wet foot, dry foot policy.  If you can make it onto dry land in the US you are given asylum, if not then back you go to Cuba – crazy!

I think there are about 20 000 people who leave Cuba for the USA in this or some other way every year.

So after an enjoyable flight we arrived in Varadero, Cuba.  I had been unsure of how we were going to get to Havana when Pat, a Canadian from Drumheller, offered to share a cab to Havana.  We gratefully and thankfully accepted and waited for Pat in baggage claims after coming through the Cuban customs.  

We changed some Canadian dollars to Cuban pesos (CUC) and discovered that we were sharing our cab with a fourth Canadian.  Pat is a retired prison warden who now offers tours in the badlands of Drumheller and the other Canadian, a 42 year old, makes money working in the arctic and spends the rest of his time visiting his Cuban girlfriend of 2 years.  She is a physiotherapist and makes 16 dollars a month (holy crap).  All her friends are jealous of her Canadian boyfriend who leaves her 200 dollars when he goes home (More than a year's wages!).  This was not a scheduled trip for him, he had not told his girlfriend that he was coming and was going to surprise her. 

We had a great trip talking and laughing and they offered us tips on how to get around and not to get ripped off in Cuba.  

We had the name of a hotel which we had been unable to book online and headed there but they unfortunately had no space (Hotel Raquel).

We stood and waited for probably 45 minutes while the receptionist called around trying to find us a hotel or a Casa to spend the night in.  Old town Havana seemed to be really booked up and we had no cooking clue what was going on. (This was also after not getting too much sleep the week before while trying to get ready (15 hours in 3 days for me)).  

Happily the receptionist eventually found us accommodation and we were led to a Casa particulaire (a local bed and breakfast) where we rented a room for 30 dollars a night.  

We had quite a few laughs trying to communicate with the very nice owner, Jesus, (who does not speak a word of English) and kindly showed us to a lovely restaurant where we had our first Cuban Mohitos and second round of beers (The first round of beers was at a roadside stall on the way to Havana in the taxi).

When we arrived we watched Cubans in the building across from us dancing and doing the salsa.

Our room is on the top floor and has a communal rooftop patio just off it which looks out over the city.  This city is so alive and vibrant, we love it so far!

After dinner we walked through town a bit and I think we ended up getting conned out of some money buying one of the locals a drink.  I'll go into that more if you ask me but it was really not an unpleasant experience (In a country where the average wage is 15 dollars a month, I am pretty sure the gringos who no hablo espanol look like nice fat cows to the locals).  

I am currently sitting on the roof of our casa typing out this blog.  We have no clue where we will end up tomorrow or where we will sleep but I have been thoroughly impressed and intrigued by Cuba.  We have walked around a bit now, can't communicate really well with the locals but feel completely safe.  

Jesus has just stumbled in and just asked me for our payment for tomorrow.  I'm not sure if this means he is going to stumble off to another bar but I really hope that he remembers that we have paid.

There is so much more detail I could add in but that essentially sums up Cuba day 1.  I am tired and the bed calls to me in Spanish words that I don't understand.

Hopefully I will be able to find an internet cafe and post this, adios until tomorrow.

Cuba day 2

We both slept very well after a long and tiring day of travel and excitement.  I had stayed up until 2 am writing out yesterday's blog while a tired Adele, undisturbed by me coming to bed late, had a deep and wonderful sleep.

I vaguely remember the slow hum of cars and people starting in the morning and the sun spilling into our room.  A dog barking and a child running, happily down the street finally woke me at about 8-30 and we both got up to start our day and have some breakfast.

The night before the hotel owner had stumbled up to our room, while I was blogging, and asked for his payment for night one.  He'd also told me breakfast was free the next morning (when initially he'd said there would be a minimal charge).  The free breakfast reverted back to the cheap breakfast and I really hope when we check out tomorrow that there are no misunderstandings.  This is really a wonderful, safe place to get lost in.

Breakfast was fresh fruit and an egg on a roll.  It was actually pretty good and we tried to chat and learn new words with the cook (The owner's mother).  She is warm and friendly and, as with most Cubans we have met in our short stay so far, is very nice and welcoming.

She has a wide, time weathered smile and it seems to me that she is constantly musing on these crazy gringo's.

(I would find it very interesting to ask each and every cuban what they thought of the tourists.  On one hand we are a source of income in a poor country and on the other hand we come into their country like we own it and throw ridiculous amounts of money around without blinking (have I mentioned doctors earn less than taxi drivers here +- 30 dollars per month).)

After breakfast we decided to stay in our Casa for another night instead of lugging our bags around Havana.  Both Jesus and his mother warned me to hold onto my camera and gestured that it might be ripped from my hands but, honestly, I felt 100 percent safe walking around with a backpack full of camera gear and a thick wallet in my pocket.

We walked along the touristy Obispo road with it's bars and music and tourists.  We were offered cheap cigars, food, taxi tours, dance lessons – all the best in Cuba – by multiple Cubans.  After a while we found that by saying we had eaten or already bought cigars they would finally give up with a smile and wish us luck, hinting that they would be around for the next time.

At the one end of Obispo we spent some time walking around the Plaza de Armas with it's grand spanish architecture and the multitude of second hand book stores.  

After the Plaza de Armes we walked down to the Plaza de San Francisco and then to the plaza Vieja.

The plaza San Francisco was quite a wide and open plaza with a beautiful 16th Century Basilica on it's South end.  Apparently there is a really good view from the Basilica's tower but unfortunately it was closed.  The Plaza Vieja is another magnificent plaza and used to be the main plaza in Havana before other Plazas like the Plaza de Armas and Plaza de la Catedral became more popular.    I really like this plaza and plan to come back to drink beer in Havana's only brew pub.

From there we walked back up to the Plaza de Armas and decided to check out the Castillo de la Real Fuerza – the oldest surviving fort in the western hemisphere.  It was originally built to protect against pirates but was too far inside the bay and was abandoned to become accommodation for important Cubans.  It is surrounded by a clover leaf moat, has thick walls, is lined by Canons and is definitely worth the 3 dollar cover charge (supposedly 5 if you want to take pictures but the employees there told us not to worry – they reclaimed the extra 2 dollars a little further into the visit).  So we spent a good while looking through the fort.  All the displays were in spanish but we soon were met by a well spoken Cuban lady who told us many stories and explained to us what all the treasures were.  She was excellent and definitely earned the 2 dollars that she collected in the corner of the room where she had angled us away from the cameras.  2 rooms down the same thing happened.  This time with a lady who did not speak any English but spoke Spanish in a way that Adele and I seemed to understand almost perfectly (this may have been because the previous lady had explained some of the same material).  She was also excellent and also earned herself 2 cuban convertible pesos, also away from any surveillance.

At this stage we felt museum'd out and checked out the roof of the fort before going in search of some water or a cold beer.  

We found some water and made our way to the Plaza de la Catedral where we sat for a while and marveled at the spectacular Catedral.  It is truly a beautiful piece of devoted architecture and definitely worth a visit.

From here we sat down at a restaurant, people watched and read up a bit more on Cuba.  We drank Bucanero and Crystal cervezas, both excellent local beers.  They also had a live band playing which was ridiculously good.  We settled into a second beer and idled away a little bit of the afternoon as the band marinaded us and the alcohol serenaded us into a raw and happy place.

After the band we had tasty pastries – 3 pie like sandwiches for about 2 dollars - delicious!!!

The thing about Havana is that there is music everywhere and it is really good.  You'll walk past a restaurant and people will spill out into the street dancing and having a good time.  It is really a fun place to visit (If you start to mull over the economic disparity between yourself and your server - remember to have another beer and to tip really well – they really appreciate it).

After this we decided to have an afternoon siesta.  We relaxed, snoozed and read in our casa before we left for our evening adventure.  (Despite this not being the hottest time of the year, it is still pretty hot at the peak of the day and we were thankful for our room's air conditioner).

Our evening walk took us the other way down the Obispo road and past the Capital building (magnificent) and the parque central.  All around Cuba there are wonderful old cars.  Some in really good condition and some that look wise and aged, and some that look aged and crippled.  Some pur as they drive past and others snort, growl and choke as they gasp for life with the artificial parts of Russian cars and other homemade fixes keeping them alive.  Apparently this may change due to newer laws so if you like old, vintage cars then come to Cuba soon.  (But as long as there is tourism there will probably be vintage cars so don't worry too much).

We walked past the capital and into central Havana.  Our plan was to walk up to the Malecon and try to find another Casa for the following night (There is nothing wrong with our Casa but we felt it would be nice to stay in another location).

The Cuban architecture is rich and varied.  Some building are painted and are in good condition but a lot of them are faded, their paint is peeling and they look pretty run down.  Adele and I both commented that some of the looked like they had been bombed and that in some places it looked like the ruins of war rather than a bustling Capital city (I guess internal wars are what has led to this).  (Apparently it is not unheard of for some of these building to quietly implode with their occupants).  What it leaves you with, though, is a mosaic of building styles and levels of decay that is very appealing to the senses and the camera.  It is incredibly hard to walk through Cuba without your camera pushed firmly to your eye - there is always a photo opportunity although we were wary not to photograph anyone who didn't want to be photographed or looked like they may be touting black market rum or cigars.

Anyway, we walked up central Havana and as we went we looked into the casas along the way to ask if they had any room.  We probably looked at about 5 or 6 casas.  What was amazing is that every casa looked like an absolute dive on the outside but on the inside there was a variety of accommodation.  Some casas being fairly spartan while others were fancy and rivaled any sort of 5 star South African or Canadian accommodation (for 30 dollars!!!!).  If you come to Havana book a hotel or a Casa for the first night but then go looking for accommodation on the second day (Not in peak season though or you may find yourself a bit stuck) – take this day as a part of your Havana experience (You learn a lot about the people and get to meet all sort of interesting Casa owners), it will be well worth it.  

One of the last casas we walked past looked pretty disheveled on the outside but we peaked in through the window and found a Swiss lady sitting and reading on a nice big couch facing the window.  This casa is owned by Andres who was very friendly and co-opted the Swiss lady into translating for us.  Suffice to say that this casa was much nicer and the same price as our previous Casa and we decided, after a walk and dinner, to take it for the next night.

That night we walked along the Malecon (A boardwalk along the Sea on the Northern end of Havana) and decided to eat at a place call Castropolis.

We were offered upstairs or downstairs and we opted for upstairs – which turned out to be the tourist section.

Even though we were seated in the tourist section we found the food cheaper and better than the food we'd had in old Havana the night before.  Adele had Uruguayian steak and I had fish that crumbled and oozed with delicious flavors.  We had our first Cuban coffee which was super strong and super delicious and has definitely added to my red bush of chest hair (Move aside Connery :) )

The wine and food was fantastic and it was truly a wonderful meal.  Fancy, pansy with the waiter not touching any of our cutlery and serving us like royalty (but still super cheap).

After the meal we committed to the casa and then walked back to our “old” casa along the Paseo del Prado which is a wonderful tree lined walkway with marble benches and wonderful statues.  Apparently it used to be where rich bureaucrats used to sit and muse their days away.  At night and during the day it is a lively walkway and a good spot to watch the vintage cars on either side.

It was a lovely evening and we had a wonderful day in Havana.  A lot more street smart, our appreciation for this interesting place had grown ten fold.

The rest of the evening was spent reading – the “life of pi” is a wonderful book and I find the writing style relaxed and inspiring.

I blogged until my battery died and we were happy that our only decision for tomorrow was where to spend the next 6 nights of our holiday!

I had almost forgotten to mention that we had awoken that morning to find an Irish man on the  rooftop patio.  He was very friendly and had explained to us how they had spent 4 days in Cuba before doing anything touristy (They had spent 4 days partying).  Later that day we saw them drinking a good breakfast, having much of the same for lunch and then stumbling in at 22h30 to the Casa with a very small Cuban lady in tow.  A different experience to ours but, still, they were having fun and, although rat faced for the entire time that we saw them, they were completely safe in Havana.  He also told us another story about one of his travel mates that had forgotten his toothbrush.  He asked somebody randomly if they could help him find a toothbrush and the guy arrived 30 minutes later with a, only barely, partly used toothbrush.

(The Canadian with the Cuban girlfriend had also said that before she'd met him she had only ever brushed her teeth with baking soda so if you come to cuba buy a big bag of toothpaste or toothbrushes or soap at Costco and bring them with.  Also bring old clothes that you would have thrown or given away and give them to your Cuban hosts- they will be overjoyed and it will make your stay infinitely better.)

Day 3

Today we woke in the morning to a quick and short burst of rain.  At first we were not sure if we were hearing the wind or something else because we opened our door to a beautiful day but after getting up the clouds rolled in and it started raining again.  It was a hard rain but it was still warm and short, and we seemed to be the only people equipped with rain jackets.  Cubans and tourists alike looked out from corners, doorways and nooks as Adele and I splashed our way down Obispo and to the bakery that we had found the day before.  

We bought a few delicious pastries and walked in the rain through the Plaza de Armas and then back to our “old” casa.

By the time we arrived at our casa the rain had stopped and we were completely dry.

We had thought about catching a taxi but decided to walk to our second casa which was not too far, in the central part of Havana near the Malecon.  

We off loaded our bags but did not linger too long at our new lodgings.  We walked back down to near the Capital building and found a hotel where we could find wifi for later.  The hotel, hotel Parque Central is a beautiful and grand hotel and is cheap compared to the price of hotels in Canada.  We bought a wifi card and decided to come back later with our laptop which was charging in our new casa (The old casa did not have the right plug points).

We spent the rest of the morning on the tourist bus which is hop on and off and cost us about 5 dollars each for a full day.  The tourist bus took us through some unexplored parts of Havana and to the Revolution square where we admired the Jose Marti memorial and took a lift to the top with views of Havana.  The revolutionary square was not that spectacular but we were happy to have seen it and tried to imagine the important place it has had in Cuban history.

After our morning trip we went back to the same restaurant, Castropolis, for lunch.  We decided to sit downstairs, in the public section, and had the best meal that we have had in Cuba.  We had delicious wood fired pizzas and multiple drinks between us for next to nothing.  It was fantastic and I recommend that, if you come to Cuba, that you come here and eat in both parts of their restaurant.

From here we walked back to our casa and picked up the charged laptop and went back to the hotel Parque Central to let our family know that we are safe and to book some of the rest of the holiday (We thought that we were coming in the low season but Havana has been fairly booked up and we worried we would not get accommodation anywhere else).

By this stage we had decided on spending a fourth night in Havana and then booking a few nights in Varadero where we would have the classic tourist version of Cuba (Maybe not the most authentic Cuba but we wanted to lie on a beach and get our tan on (or pink, blistery burn on – in my case)).

Anyhow we sat down at the hotel, ordered a few drinks and proceded to get some internet time.

Shortly after arriving we noticed the same Swiss girl, Michele walk in and we gestured a hello.  She is very nice and came over to say hi and then sat with us for the next 2 hours.  She has been in Cuba for 2 months learning to dance after quitting her job in Switzerland.  She is going from Cuba to Columbia for a month to meet her boyfriend and then she will return to Cuba.  After this she may move to New York or Toronto with her boyfriend and, as such, she picked our brains regarding Canada.  She was friendly and awesome and we both really liked her.  I hope she chooses Canada, I am in love with Canada and want everyone to see and love the same Canada that I do.

The evening involved more pickling and our first Cuban cigar in Cuba.  We sat there like Kings watching the other tourists come in and out as we smoked our Cigar.

After a lot of discussion we booked our last 3 nights for Varadero.  We have chosen a 5 star resort but it is all inclusive and we plan on spending our time just completely vegetating.  So now we have 4 nights booked in Havana and 3 nights in Varadero and one night in wherever land :)

After making sure the next few nights were sorted out we went back to our casa, dropped off our bags and went out for dinner.

We walked back to Old town through the Plaza de Cathedral and then to the Plaza Vieja.  We decided to have dinner at the brew pub where we drank really good beer, ate average food and enjoyed fantastic music at the hands of a local band that serenaded the Mexican table next to us (who sang and danced with the band).  The food was not great but the ambience was fantastic.

We had another drink on the way home at the Plaza de Catedral with another live band and met some Canadians from Quebec.

Another wonderful day!

And this was essentially day 3.  Back at the casa the owner's son poured me a few neat rums and I chatted and showed him pictures of Canada.  He told me a bit about the hotel and his family and it was a really good and fitting end to the night.  I blogged again for a bit before bed, chatted more to the Swiss girl and spent a good time musing on our wonderful experiences so far.

I love this holiday!  I love that we have time to read and explore and there is still time to have fun and blog and do a million other things.  The days are so full and wonderful – maybe it's also time to quit our jobs and come dance in Cuba for a month?!  Maybe not?!

On a side note.  Of interest is that Cuba has 2 currencies.  There are CUC – convertible pesos – which have the same value as the Canadian dollar and then there are CUP.  The CUP are Cuban pesos and 1 CUC is equivalent to about 24 CUP.  The locals spend more CUP and while the tourists are allowed to have both, most often use CUC.  Often something priced in CUP for locals will be charged in CUC for the tourist.  They also have strange values for their money with overlap between what is paper and coin money.  For example CUC have both coins in the 1 peso denomination and notes.  Sometimes tourists are ripped off receiving CUP instead of CUC for change.

Also interesting is that when we say we are South African this is often met with disbelief.  Some people point to their skin implying that we are the wrong color, some people say, “oh, Nelson Mandela,” and smile, thinking that they have endeared themselves enough or shown enough knowledge in your Country to make a quick buck off you.  

One Cuban presented himself by saying that we walked like South Africans and that he had not met any South Africans in Cuba before.  He said that his father worked as surgeon in South Africa but had essentially defected there.  He talked about Pretoria and Cape Town.  He seemed to genuinely have been in South Africa or had done his research.  If he was conning us, it was an incredibly smart con and entertaining.

And so ends day 3.  So far Cuba has been fantastic.  One more night in Havana and then wherever land and then 3 days of beach and all inclusiveness.  Life right now is fantastico, perfecto, wonderful!!!

Going to get some reading in and will catch you in the morning.

Day 4 – Havana, Cuba

We had another good sleep and had a very good breakfast at our Casa.  We sat with the Swiss girl, Michelle again, and chatted for a while.

She told us about a street market in Old Havana and when she left for dance lessons, we left for the market.

We walked though new parts of Havana and enjoyed the sights and smells.  We looked into rooms where people were cutting hair and walked past a few more salsa schools.  Small children waved at us from behind gates and older children played sports or smiled at us as they enjoyed their breaks from school.

After walking for a while we found the market on the East side of Havana near the dock.  It is a wonderful warehouse with goods wall to wall.  You can buy art or statues or humidors or any other number of touristy goods.  We spent a good hour or more walking up and down before eventually choosing a beautiful and unique piece of art (Which we then proceeded to forget in Havana- booooooo!!!!!).

We are definitely a lot more street smart now and a lot of people leave you alone instantly after finding out that you have been in Cuba for 4 days (Maybe as a tip – tell people you have been here for 4 days when you arrive).

We walked back from the market through more interesting streets. We found and had another delicious lunch and retired back to the hotel Parque Central for a few more drinks and some internet time.

That evening we took our books and sat on the Malecon watching people walk past.  There was a lot of local and Cuban foot traffic and was a perfect afternoon.  We watched the sun set and spent more time watching vintage cars driving up and down the Malecon.  

At one stage a man came up and chatted with us.  He'd been a taxi driver before an accident and seemed a little disillusioned with Cuba.  He was trying to find his wife and spent a little time pleasantly chatting with us.  We were both skeptical with his motives but he never asked for anything and it was a pleasant encounter.  It is so hard to know if someone is being friendly or if they are looking for a way to earn a few pesos (I would imagine that this could become tiring after a few months).  

Just after dark a group of musicians approached us.  They arrived and we immediately told them that they were welcome to sit with us but we did not have any pesos on us and if they played, we would not be able to tip them (No peso, no money, no dinero).  In any event, they started playing and singing.  Making up new words to Bob Marley and other songs.  Between each song they'd ask for a peso and we would say that we didn't have any (No peso, no dinero, no money).  They'd resume playing – trumpet and guitar.  We'd laugh and enjoy it and then kindly explain that we didn't have any money on us.  They were really good and it was really nice to be serenaded (and we genuinely had no money on us).  After a while they stopped, smiled and left.  Tomorrow we see you they said – an investment in tomorrow.

That night we had a delicious prawn pasta and fish dinner at our casa.  We ate with the Swiss girl again and chatted to the owner's son and his cousin.

The owners son is nicknamed the “little dog” in spanish because he is yappy and never sits still.  He is always dancing and moving and was a lot of fun to chat to. He is a salsa teacher.  They had lots of questions about X-Boxes and other things.  They have facebook and e-mail but it is illegal and requires a little wizardry and they are very eager to learn about other cultures.

The owner's cousin had a few tattoos (A full sleeve cost 70 dollars by an artist that spends 6 months in Canada and 6 months in Cuba.).  We compared tattoos in broken Spanish and English and it was fun communication. It always amazes me when you manage to communicate around common interests even when you don't understand each other through language.

After speaking with them for a while it became evident how hard it would be for them to leave Cuba and travel.  They will probably never experience snow and get to see the places that they watch on TV or hear about through other travelers (Adele and I are incredibly fortunate!).

The cousin summed it up well by gesturing that a spot on the table was Cuba and then he proceeded to create walls with his hand all around the island.

They also showed us their rations book which was interesting (it is a book that allows you to buy certain rations for next to nothing – although it has apparently become worse and less over the years).

We retired tired again but happy.  We loved Havana and I would recommend it to anyone.

If anyone would like the details of the second casa please let me know – stay there if you go, it is a wonderful place.

Day 5

We had another tasty breakfast with Michele while the “little dog” cooked, danced around us and entertained us.

Again, it was a wonderful stay and we were sad to leave.

After saying our goodbyes we walked down to the Malecon and then in the direction of old Havana until we found a nice looking Vintage car.

The driver drove us to neighboring Casablanca through some forest and down a winding hill past a giant statue of The Christ.  We discovered on arriving at the train stop that there is also a ferry from old Havana to the train stop which looks interesting and only takes a few minutes.  (We also sadly discovered that our painting was missing :( Hopefully we'll find a way to retrieve it).

The train sitting there was a bit rusty and looked unused.  I was convinced that there was another train coming but Adele was sure that this was the train, which it turned out to be.

We had a little time to kill and so we read and walked around for a bit.  We also chatted to some nice Londoners who were travelling around the whole of Cuba and had been to South Africa before on a motorbike trip.

After waiting for a little while we boarded the train and set off.  The train only cost 2.60 dollars (Much cheaper than a taxi) and took about 4 hours instead of 1,5 to Matanzas (The destination we had decided on the day before).  It was a slow train and ended up being a great experience.

We were the only tourists and as the train went from stop to stop more Cubans flooded on.  Adele and I tried to give up our seats for older Cubans but we were always declined and were given a fairly wide birth.

The Cubans had all sorts of branded gear with shirts from Canada and the UK and other familiar logos.  There were a few shirts from banks in Canada and I wonder how many of the clothes were donated by the tourism industry.

The conductor danced up and down the train punching tickets and greeted almost everyone with a hug and a kiss.  At times the train stopped and he jumped off to hug and greet a farmer (I guess the same people use the train often?).  I was invited up to the front of the train to take pictures where the driver sat proudly and posed for me.  Was a great vibe.

The passengers carried colorful birds in homemade cages or tools for working on farms.  Some sharpened their machettes which was, to be honest, a little disconcerting.  (Again though, we felt really safe the whole trip).

We spent a lot of time looking out the window and admiring the scenery.  It is a beautiful and lush country and it was interesting to see the farms and local life away from the city.  It was a slow and interesting way to get a different feel of Cuba and to see a bit of the bird life.  

We were both struck by the people who vary in color from black to colored to white yet all speak the same language and seem to have no hang ups about race (Love it!).

At one stage Adele played a game on her IPAD and got a lot of attention from the passengers nearby with some standing beside her and looking over her shoulder.

At the Hershey stop (Named after the famous Hershey who had a sugar mill there) we stopped and ate pompadom like things which were delicious and had a cooldrink.

At one point the train stopped for a while while everyone peered underneath and tried to fix something?!  Shortly after that part of the tracks were on fire but we drove through unperturbed and had an uneventful trip otherwise.

At the end of the train trip we had no cooking clue where we were going to spend the night.  Literally a few seconds after disembarking an elderly gentleman asked us if he could help us to some accommodation.  Now, as I have mention, there are a lot of people looking to make a buck off tourists and we were a little skeptical, but he had a kind demeanor, spoke very good english and we decided to put our trust in him.

He led us through Matanzas and to our casa for the night.  Along the way we talked about his family and life.  He was a very nice and interesting man who was a professor of Cuban history and now runs the Spanish Club in his spare time.

The casa he chose was really close to one of the rivers in Matanzas and has a rooftop view of the city. Matanzas was not as grand as Havana but we very much enjoyed walking through it.

We offered our guide a tip for his travels but he declined.  He was really happy to have shown us to the casa, which was really nice and cheaper than the casas in Havana.

The owner of the casa introduced us to his family and asked if we wanted to have lobster for dinner for 10 dollars each.  We eagerly agreed and set off for an evening walk along the river and through Matanzas, the city of bridges.  To say that everything fell perfectly into place this trip would not have been an understatement.  Everything worked out, we felt safe and we continued to enjoy Cuba and the Cubans more and more.

After walking through Matanzas for a while we decided that it was beer-o-clock and found a really nice local bar to have a few drinks.

We sat and enjoyed a few cervezas before 2 Cuban gentleman asked if they could join us.  We had no issue and they sat down, us both expecting some sort of proposition or invitation – it never came.  They both work in the hotel industry and we spent an interesting hour chatting to them about tourists, their jobs and wages.  The one gentleman was really interested in Canada, average wages, what tourists want etc.  it was almost like he was doing some market research so he could set up his own business.  They were both intelligent and shrewd and shared a lot of their feelings on Cuba and the money and the government.  It has been amazing to us the varied responses we have gotten when we have talked about this topic.  The overwhelming response was that Cuba doesn't quite work, people have minimal opportunities and that tourists do not see the real Cuba.  This was always followed by: but we have a really good education system and we do not pay for it and we have really good health care and, and ..... so it seems as if the Cuban people love their country but have a very ambivalent view of their reality.  We did not see more than 2 beggars, did not see one hungry face and never saw anyone reacting in anger.  We only saw happy, well fed, healthy people – Cuba may be broken in a lot of ways but it works really well in other ways.

After the cervezas we walked back to our casa for dinner.  We sat on the roof chatting about life and our plans while watching the last bits of the setting sun, sink on the horizon.  It was one of those wonderful moments and a memory I'd like to keep as vivid as it is now.

After a while our host came onto the roof and chatted to us for a while.  He was an engineer but earns a lot more in the tourism industry and so changed jobs.  He seemed to be a lot more pro Fidel than a lot of the people we had met, referring to him as a clever man, with good ideals.  He did mention that a doctor and an engineer should be working in their profession and not in a taxi or as a hotel owner.   Everything is upside down he said, but we are well educated and healthy (Again, some ambiguity).

As we were sitting on the roof a teenager randomly walked down the road with his friends practicing fire breathing and we watched him, getting a free show, for a while before going downstairs for dinner.  It was a perfect evening.

The dinner was fantastic, the company excellent.  The lobster was delicious and was followed by coffee and some tasty ice-cream.

The owner and his cousin were very attentive and we continued to share stories.  After dinner we shared pictures and more stories.  Adele and I (more me) were exhausted after the day and had a pretty early night.

We could not wait for the resort part of our trip the next day.  Our legs and feet ached from all the walking we had done this holiday and it was going to be nice to get our chillax on (More often than not we are exhausted after our holidays!).

Day 6 to 9

It's going to be easier for me to lump these last few days together.  I'm also not going to go into too much detail.  Apparently writing a bit of blog every day on holiday turns it into a 10 page document – no photos this time.  (You can find them on my facebook).

We had a delicious breakfast the next morning and chatted more to our historian from the day before.  He had come the previous night to speak to us but we were sleeping and he specially came to chat to us while we had breakfast.  Again, we had pleasant and interesting conversation and we asked each other many questions.  His daughter is a doctor and he says that she does it for love and not for the money (30 dollars a month), and I guess that the people who work in healthcare here must be a really passionate group.

After breakfast we said our goodbyes to another wonderful family and caught a taxi from Matanzas to our resort.  It was another old, vintage car and people piled in and out along the way as he picked up hitch hikers.

Along the way we went through a few road blocks and he was asked to stop and show papers before entering Varadero.  Varadero is very exclusive and not a place that Cubans can afford to holiday in.  It seems as if there is an effort from government not to let unnecessary cars into this area and I guess that they are protecting that exclusivity and tourism which generates a fair share of income for Cuba.

Our hotel was all inclusive and we checked in before relaxing by the pool and going for a swim.

And here started the absolute vegetation part of our holiday.

A typical day was getting up and working out in the gym, having breakfast and vegetating by the pool or going for a swim.  When hunger forced us out of our sun dazed, comatose state we would join the migration with the rest of the herd and graze ourselves on the lunch buffet.

After lunch there will be more sun tanning, reading and swimming, or relaxing in our room.

Dinner was either at the buffet or at one of the speciality restaurants that you had to book for.  One night we ate at a sushi restaurant and had pretty good sushi and teppenyaki.  Another evening was spent at the hilltop restaurant where we enjoyed more lobster.

Everything was all inclusive and we enjoyed not having to worry about anything.  The drinks and food was pretty good all round and we definitely caught up on ourselves.

The beach in front of the hotel had beautiful white sand and the water was clear and warm.  There was often some sort of hotel organized aerobics or stretching going on.

The pool was exquisite and we claimed a poolside bed each morning which we lazed on during the day.

It was all very indulgent and wonderful.  I got my massage on and we both managed to finish books.

I read a wonderful book called, “the giver” which is a must, must read.  The book has a lot to do with individuality and memories and I feel so privileged and lucky to have had the opportunities and memories that I treasure so much (Whenever I miss family and friends, I have so many memories which I can easily pull to mind and enjoy.  Thank you family and friends.  We love you).

And that was essentially our trip.

We have just had a quick and uneventful flight to Toronto and we fly to Calgary later tonight.

Going from plus temperatures to deep minuses is going to be a bit of a shock but I can't wait for Canada and snow and hopefully snowboarding this weekend.

Do yourself a favor and go to Cuba – you will not regret it!

All our love

Rooibaard and sexy legs