Blogs from Oeste, Cuba, Central America Caribbean - page 45

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Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana September 21st 2005

With a hurricane class 3 on the day of our departure we tempted fate.. who spared us by having both our different flight canceled 4 hours apart (our rent a car was returned and I had already left the airport). Ted and I caught up and as there was no electricity, light, nor gas at the family house we normally stay at, we have finally checked in a hotel (which we probably can't leave until tomorrow now as the waters are rising). One happy chap is Ted cause his photos of the waves crashing on the Malecon promenade are going to be...smashing. Oh, well; travels do turn out to be adventures when unexpected things happen (like chasing after the guy who stole my photo camera last night). So all is well, even though we don't know ... read more

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana September 6th 2005

I little more of my observations of the people of Cuba... Food: I forgot to mention their passion for... mayonnaise! They sell huge pot of it and have it for breakfast and probably lunch too. I don't care cause I'm sticking to my favorite: Guayaba marmalada (goyave jam) which reminds me of my mother's. Quite hard to find anything vegetarian in normal restaurant and nothing enticing in the few vego places I have found!. I think I'll revert back to fruits (only a few cents) and daiquiri. Oh, I forgot to mention I now make mean daiquiris! The bods: It is hot, and 'occasionally', cuban man will uncover their chest -not to my displeasure-. Guys, close your eyes. Girls, this is not bad! The man here have muscly but very lean bodies with every single little ... read more

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana August 5th 2005

The only place in the world where I've seen a stretch limousine lada and a bus that looks like a lorry! And what are those peapod-like things that masquerade as taxis? A strange land indeed! My (Gerry's) sister, Ruth, joined us for a 2 week holiday on this the last leg of our round-the-world trip. Ruth had arrived earlier in the day and was already at our lodgings (casa particular) when we turned up at night. The communist government of Castro has many restrictions on capitalist ventures and private enterprises but they have recently allowed ordinary citizens who have a spare room or two to rent them out to tourists at a capped rate. This one was in a nice area surrounded by magnificent, faded and somewhat dilapidated colonial buildings. The architecture in Havana is astonishing ... read more
Statue at Capitolio
Havana at night
Couple talking

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana July 20th 2005

Thurs, June 30th Arrived 4hrs early @O’Hare STILL a traffic AND people jam! I'll never reveal what I paid for this cab to the airport. Nevertheless, time to walk NOT RUN to gate for boarding @6:24pm. Even had time to gain ‘cool points’ for wearing this cap I was able to purchase in the Loop. On plane @O'Hare-Poor kid seated behind my row never did stop fidgeting & crying......actually guessed this by passengers facial expressions beside me....... ....You know....BOSE® noise canceling headsets are worth pure gold!!....never in-the-air without em’! Thinking on my research at 30,000 feet, what I may be able to accomplish, what new videography I will have privilege to shoot.....what new source/contacts I’ll meet.......MOSTLY, where I’ll stay, as these individuals (outside of being friends of certain Cuban e-mail acquaintance/friends) are total strangers who ... read more

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana July 1st 2005

internet at last! the travelblog wasn´t as easy as we thought with fidel in charge and not a whole lot of internet cafés around, but here´s a quick sign of life for anyone out there trying to hunt us down. we did habana..not bad, but pretty busy, pretty big and pretty hot..not to mention way more expensive than we imagened! so we got out of there quick and made a run for colonial trinidad..a whole lot nicer. a small, sleepy town with plenty of live music, fresh fruit and a pretty fine beach just down the road. highlights..yes! fresh tamarind juice by the park - for about 5c a glass, jamming guantanamera with scamming habaneros by the sea - starring brad on the güiro, morning tea on the porch with mr. abuelo - the 99yr. old ... read more
cruzroja
bajo

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana June 29th 2005

Back in April we went on a two week tour of Cuba organised by The Adventure Company. At the end of our holiday we should of had two days in Baracoa, allowing us time to relax and go for walks. On the morning of our transfer from Santiago de Cuba to Baracoa we are informed that the hotel in Baracoa has been overbooked and we will have to go elsewhere for that night then transfer to Baracoa the next day. Why had it been left so late to inform us of this? The place we are taken to is Cayo Saetia, this used to be a wild animal park where people used to come and shoot the animals. Unfortunately there had been too much shooting and not enough animal husbandry which left it a rather sad ... read more

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana May 7th 2005

Last morning in Cuba, and the casa particular owner dishes up a fruit platter for breakfast ... papaya, mango, guayaba?, watermellon, and pineapple ... mmmmmmmm Flight to Mexico was meant to be at about 3pm, so spent the morning on one last walk along the Malecon. Was walking on the side opposite the sea, when a police officer or soldier directed me to walk on the other side of the road. When I crossed over I realised why. The police officer/soldier and several of his colleagues were standing outside the US Interests Building, effectively the US Embassy in Cuba. I guess they were making sure no one was able to climb over the fence to defect to the US. Or perhaps stopping people from the US defecting to Cuba... Directly opposite the US Interests Building were ... read more

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana May 6th 2005

I thought that the mango juice I had in Peru was great, but had some pretty good freshly squeezed juice for breakfast. Again, excellent coffee. After breakfast walked from the casa along a long street from Vedado through Central Havana and China Town to the Capitolio. Only saw one Chinese looking person in and only a little bit of Chinese looking writing in China Town, but have to admit only stuck to the main road, so maybe there would be more elsewhere. Along the road the buildings were pretty run down, and the narrow footpath was pretty broken up. Heaps of people on the street just sitting around, others waiting at food shops or for buses or for who knows what. Get to the Capitolio, sweating so wipe my face with a tissue, bits of dirt ... read more
Another Street
Capitolio
Looking up to the Capitolio

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana May 5th 2005

Breakfast in the casa. Fresh squeezed papaya juice, and really good coffee. Not really a fan of papaya juice or coffee, but these were so good I could probably drink them everyday. (Better than the juice and coffee in the hotel.) Feeling good, so decided to walk from Vedado along the Malecon to old Havana. Not really that much happening on the Malecon, no one launching a boat bound for Florida, only a few people fishing. From old Havana walked up to the Museum of the Revolution, which was a Presidential Palace up until 1965. Displays and information on various revolutions since colonial times, heaps on the 1959 revolution and its triumphs - health, education, Cuban astronaut... Display on Che, his last letter to Fidel. Out the back of the museum is Granma, bigger than expected, ... read more
Museum of the Revolution
Inside Museum of the Revolution
Old Car

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana May 4th 2005

Decided to take an early morning walk around old Havana. Basically walked down one street from my hotel to old Havana. Lots of people on way to work, walking or waiting for crowded buses. People waiting outside workplaces. In old Havana people walking on the streets because the footpaths too narrow or too broken up. One armed man sold me yesterday´s copy of Granma. People pushing trolleys with their stalls to tourist art market or to the old bookstalls at the Plaza de Armas. Walked back to hotel in time to check out. 10 minute taxi ride to the Casa Particular (a bit like an English B&B) in Vedado. The casa was on the 3 floor of a 3 floor apartment building. Double bed, ensuite bathroom, mini bar! better than the hotel room, and about a ... read more
Morning in the Plaza de Armas
Plaza of the Revolution
Che




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