Blogs from Oeste, Cuba, Central America Caribbean

So I've finally gotten around to doing my blogs, one and a half years later! Thinking back, we were very lucky to have squeezed in a two week trip to Cuba as a global pandemic was forming. A few weeks later and most of the world shut down! So after a while of not doing this blog, my memory is a bit hazy. Our first two nights were spent in Havana, a nice city with a mixture of less than glamorous buildings in dire need of a make over (on the outside but nice on the inside), history and colourful 1950's American cars. Most people will splash out for a city tour in one of these cars but we opted to join the one of the Free walking tours of the city which we tend to ... read more

After our ride Friday night in the classic cars, we were ready to learn about one man’s private enterprise to literally capitalize on these flamboyant vehicles. Julio Alvarez greeted us a bit late because he already had some tourists seeing his garage. Full of good humour and passion, he had us listening raptly to his story of passion and strategy. His father was a mechanic who trained his son from an early age; however, he actually wanted him to get a better education. Julio graduated university in Mechanical Engineering and later became a specialist in computer technology, rising to CIO for a part of the government. However, when his and the country’s circumstances were right, he gave up his job and invested all of his money into restoring one classic car. Competing with the government-owned classic ... read more

We left fairly early to visit a factory for rolling hand-made cigars. On the bus Daniel explained the process thoroughly and showed a short video, which had been made by a marketing company from Kelowna, BC. The Francisco Donatien cigar factory was surprisingly small, especially compared to the very large place I had seen when I first visited Cuba in 1984. Fewer than thirty young women and men sat in straight hard chairs in tight rows of three, each working at a crowded desk with all their supplies. (A few personal items made each desk unique.) Three kinds of cured tobacco leaves were in small stacks. One was the “binder”, a large flexible leaf from which the central vein had been cut (65% caffeine in that vein). Depending on the brand being made, the worker quickly ... read more

In our big (for 7 people) bus, we began our tour with a visit to a nearby fruit and vegetable market. Suppliers were still hauling in bananas, papayas, tomatoes, green peppers, pineapples and more. Bustling shoppers moved quickly through the crowded aisles, making their purchases with practiced efficiency. For a few items, short line-ups slowed the pace, especially for the vendor selling plastic shopping bags, which will be re-sold in smaller markets. We climbed back into the bus for a drive-by tour of major buildings in Havana. The Capitol, seat of government, was modelled on the US Capitol, complete with a gigantic dome, which was in turn inspired by the Panthéon in France. The Cuban Capitol dates from the 1920s, when US influence was paramount. Also surpr... read more

We awoke early and had the lovely breakfast again that our host made. We got ready to go and sat around until it was time to go to the airport. The host drove us to the airport and dropped us off. The check in and security were quick and easy. The Atlanta flight didn't look good for stand by, we decided to take the Miami flight. The 30 minute flight to Miami was on Delta 650, an A-320 aircraft. We cleared for first class and I had 3 or 4 gin and tonics. Once in Miami, our customs and immigration experience was slow. It always seems to be and I really dislike the airport for that reason. Now we could have flown for free on Delta, Miami-Atlanta-Indianapolis. However it would have meant a long layover in ... read more