 Winter Escape to Central CubaJanuary 28 - February 11, 2008 |
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[Barceló Marina Palace Resort] [Varahicacos Ecological Reserve] [Ambrosio Cave] [Cayo Blanco] [HAVANA] [Old Havana] [Hotel Nacionale] [Tropicana] [Cathedral] [Boduegita del Medio] [Cigar Shop] [About Town] [CIENFUEGOS] [Central Park] [Hotel ?] [TRINIDAD] [Pottery Shop] [On The Streets] [ZAPATA NATIONAL PARK] [Guamá] [Playa Girón] [En Route] [OTHER] [Cars] [Flora & Fauna] [Souvenirs] [Churches] [Music] [People] [Beer et al] [Miscellaneous] [Copyright] [HOME] Background Music: Chan Chan Choose other background music: Besame Mucho, Perfidia, Guantanamera, Hasta Siempre, Quizas Quizas |
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| Barceló Marina Palace Resort [Top] This was only the 3rd time in all my travels that I went to an all-inclusive resort. This resort was okay, but I don't think I'd revisit. If you truly care to know why, my "official" review can be found on tripadvisor.com, where you simply search for the resort by name, then scroll to Heatmonger's comments. |
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| Varahicacos Ecological Reserve [Top] When I travel to a country that's new to me, I like to visit "the big city" for the insights it offers into the national character, its history, architecture, nightlife, and cultural mosaic. I also like to get off the beaten path and see "real life" by visiting smaller rural communities, and preferably sharing stories with the locals over a beer or whatever. Finally, a visit to a protected area, be it a national park or some other reserve, gives me a taste of the nation's ecological heritage. One reason I chose the resort that I did in Varadero was its relative proximity to this ecological reserve. I was told that the trail is about a 45 minute walk, but I spent almost four hours tiptoeing among the cacti, geckos, mangroves, and dolomite formations. |
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| Ambrosio Cave [Top] Cueva Ambrosio is located near the Varahicacos Ecological Reserve, about 7 km from the top end of the peninsula. Outside, the cave area's most prominent feature is the highway speed trap and its police tower. Inside, the most prominent feature is the four species of bats that "hang out" there. Cryptic cave art provides a cultural history story hinting at an archaic Muslim connection. Openings in the ceiling were just frequent enough to let some light inside this 200+ m deep cave complex. Bats may be virtually blind, but they were still skittish to my presence. At first, I had to remind myself of what the guide at the gate told me: these bats were fruit or insect eaters, thus harmless to me. I was glad that the place also lacked any noticeable accumulations or smell of guano. As a naturalist, this cave was definitely a highlight of my trip. |
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| Cayo Blanco [Top] The day-long Catamaran tour included on-board refreshments, a stop for snorkelling, and a day of partying on the island of Cayo Blanco. Unfortunately, rough water made the snorkelling part a limited pleasure. The power of the currents at the snorkelling spot surprised me. The island itself was a private club for 150 of us that day. |
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| Old Havana [Top] |
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| Hotel Nacionale de Cuba [Top] |
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| Tropicana Nightclub [Top] Before Vegas showgirls, before Radio City chorus lines, ... there was the Tropicana. If song & dance turns your crank, this is a show for you. Everybody gets a cigar (gents) or a flower (ladies) on the way in. Each table of four gets a bottle of rum. Well-choreographed and a killer big band sound! Lots of nice bodies too. I stayed for a half hour, just to say I'd seen it. After all, I only had one night in Havana, and this musician was more inclined to checking out some loud, smoky Cuban jazz bars. |
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| Cathedral [Top] I haven't been to an old Christian town yet that didn't have a prominent, historic, sometimes famous, church. Here's Havana's version, replete with masonry blocks carved out of petrified coral reef (reef dolomite?). |
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| Bodeguita del Medio [Top] |
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| Cigar Shop [Top] Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar .... |
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| About Town [Top] |
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| Central Park [Top] Nice building restorations encircle this "central park". Benches, statues, and numerous species of trees are sprinkled around the site. Alas, our guide gave us only 20 minutes to explore. |
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| Hotel ? [Top] This is probably one of the most ornate buildings in the country. The ornamentation, while admittedly pretty, is a bit too much for my taste. Maybe it was supposed to be some sort of Taj Mahal, but it reminds me more of a wedding cake. |
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| Pottery Shop [Top] Some nice stuff here, but how do you get it home unbroken? |
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| On The Streets [Top] This town is a World Heritage Site, albeit one in need of a bit of tidying up. Ancient streets of natural cobblestone set this place apart from the other Cuban towns/cities I visited. I suspect the locals have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the tourist traffic, something I have found to be the case in almost any "tourist town". This is not to say that the Cubans here I met were any less friendly. I spent quite a while looking around for a small piece of cobblestone that I could actually pry from the road. Such stones have become a cheap, but cool, souvenir for me over the years. |
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| Guamá [Top] This area of the national park boasts a crocodile hatchery, boat tours, trails, rich and varied avifauna, and interpretive displays, as well as a couple of restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops. The boat tour took us out across a freshwater lake to an island with a repro native indian village and some inspired sculptures. En route, I saw anhingas, pelicans, terns, egrets, and warblers. I suspect this place gets pretty buggy in the summer. The terrain reminded me a bit of the Everglades. |
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| Playa Girón [Top] I'll not forgive myself too soon for neglecting to bring along my snorkel gear today. As such, I only got to watch others enjoy the views of craggy geology and brilliantly coloured marine life. I tried my best to capture some fish shots from above. Somewhere beneath the surface of this pond is a large underwater cave. Saltwater and tropical lifeforms notwithstanding, this area and its geology was very reminiscent of Tobermory and the upper Bruce Peninsula in Ontario. |
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| En Route [Top] Drove through lots of countryside, and a few towns, on the way to Zapata. We stopped at several plantations to sample the local produce, including bananas, oranges, and sugarcane. Cutting my own sugarcane was a nice mini-experience and my "harvest" kept me sucking and chewing for over an hour. |
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| Cars [Top] Okay, I admit it: I'm not a car buff. But one can't help but appreciate this aspect of Cuba. I'll rely on my brother-in-law, who is into cars, to tell me what they're called. I did make sure that at least one taxi ride in Havana was in one of these hulks. One tour guide told me that these vintage cars are preferred over more modern ones because they have minimal electronics. A Cuban mechanic can perform miracles when the issues are mechanical ... parts can be had or improvised. Its the electronics in newer vehicles that are more problematic. |
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| Flora & Fauna [Top] |
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| Churches [Top] Churches stand among the architectural and historic icons of many cities around the world, but especially in Catholic places. |
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| Souvenirs [Top] A staple part of any country's tourism industry, there's a trinket for everyone. If I didn't already have them all, Cuba would have been a great place to stock up on Latin percussion ... but that's just me. |
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| Music [Top] Santana was my first influence towards a love of music that blends Latin percussion with guitar. In this respect, Cuba was a pilgrimage of sorts, and taking my nylon-string along was compulsory. Some songs you hear so often, they qualify as signature tunes of Cuba and basically become your trip's soundtrack. |
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| People [Top] The resort staff, and Cubans everywhere, were friendly, outgoing, and often georgeous people. The other travellers I met were mostly Canadian (60%), European (25%) and South American (15%). The generally-appreciated absence of Americans has helped keep much of Cuba's tourism landscape from turning into over-commercialized crap. |
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| Beer et al [Top] Nothing special in the beer department. All 4 brands were light and drinkable, though they tended to go flat rather quickly. Native rum is everywhere, including brands like Havana Club, Cubay, Vigio. Cuba libre por favor! |
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| Miscellaneous [Top] |
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