Blogs from Cuba, Central America Caribbean - page 6

Cuba Day 5 Friday A good nights sleep for me in the Classic Vueltabajo Hotel in Pinar del Rio. Room average but comfortable, others fared a bit worse I heard. The previous evening meal was very good, as have all meals so far. Salad, rice and beans, pork, chicken and other meats. I think they are trying tpyfatten us up. Today 26%, cloudy and wet at times but rain not as hard as yesterday, although glad of rain jackets. The roads were filthy and we were like drowned, filthy rats at the end of the day in the village of Pons and 100k of riding. Still loads of ponies with carts and several with men on board with lassos hooked on the saddle. Cuba, a country of contrasts with two boys and one man seen today ... read more

Cuba Day 7. Sunday 27 Jan 19 Feeling much better today, thankfully, ready for the long coach journey to Santa Clara in the centre of Cuba. Old American cars, pre 1965 and most 1950’s make up towards 50% of cars on the road here and at our pickup point there was an iconic 57 Chevrolet which had been fitted with a Mercedes Diesel engine. We met other Chevvies during the day, one of which was an immaculate blue 52 model and we also saw an good looking 1950’s Austin A40 of British origin. We climbed up out of damp Vinales into the clouds where every window was steaming up with the humidity until we dropped into the valley onto the three lane dual carriageway of the A4 where the sun shone. This was Sunday and there ... read more

Cuba Day 3. Wednesday A great day again with a following breeze and a sunny 27 degrees becoming 30 as the sun rose higher. 51 miles today with 660 metres of ascent and the first and last thirds interesting and middle bit on boring busier roads. As we were leaving Havana we stopped at a fishing area community who had tile mosaics around their houses with a nautical theme and they were selling various bits to tourists. I bought 7 fridge magnets for 5 CUC (£4.50). We now need a bigger fridge at home, just for the trinkets. We are keeping in a group on this tour since the route seems to be variable at a bit of input from me and the whim of our guide and we run with a mechanic and coach behind ... read more

Cuba was the most eagerly awaited port of our December cruise. This tiny island has held such a big role on the world stage for most of our lives. From Batista to Castro to the Bay of Pigs to the Soviet Blockade and Missile Crisis to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba has dominated headlines. Once a notorious gambling mecca and mobster hangout ruled by an infamous dictator, only to be replaced by another strongman and it became a hardline Communist country that endured decades of embargos, travel restrictions and isolation. In the 19th century, Havana was one of the wealthiest business centers in the Americas. Now it is a rather impoverished country making its way into the 21stcentury. As Castro once said, "A revolution is not a bed of roses." Since some of sanctions have been lifted, cruise ... read more

If both beauty and decay can exist in one place, Havana is that. Cuba was our Thanksgiving vacation destination for 2018. We have been wanting to visit Cuba since the travel restrictions were relaxed in 2015. While restrictions on travel have been loosened, visits for tourism remain banned and a visa is needed to travel to Cuba under one of the 12 specific categories. In addition, level 2 increased caution is issued by US Department of State after auditory attacks targeting U.S. Embassy employees resulting in the drawdown of embassy staff in August 2018. In spite of all this, obtaining a visa through the airline was limited to answering few questions (at the airline check in counter) and paying visa fees. We rented an Airbnb apartment (Casa) for our stay to have more space and flexibility. ... read more