A Cuban Cock-up


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Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana
June 29th 2005
Published: June 29th 2005
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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 place. Our Cuban guide said it would take about 2 hours to get there. It took four and a half hours to get to Cayo Saetia, and then we had to go straight to where they serve lunch as it was only served between one and two o'clock.
After lunch some of the group decided to stay at the site as it had a nice beach but my wife and I wanted to get to our room and take a shower as out previous hotel in Santiago de Cuba had an eighteen hour power cut and our shower did not work.
It took us one hour twenty minutes to do what was supposed to be a ten to fifteen minute journey to the hotel. On route my wife and I were treated to ring-side seats of a punch-up between the driver and the rep as they had an argument as to which way to go! Eventually we arrived at the hotel and were able to check in shower and go for a walk. That evening we were 'treated' to a most inedible meal we have ever had the misfortune to have endured!
The following day we were to transfer to the hotel in Baracoa, a journey of around 2 hours our rep said! Some five hours later we arrive at the hotel in Baracoa, or rather at the bottom of a very long flight of steps leading up to the hotel!
We carry up all the small luggage leaving the larger items at the bottom of the steps to be collected by the porters. On arrival in reception it is evident that not all is well, the hotel has no rooms for us. Quite how this had come about and why we were not informed earlier, or why we had to carry our luggage all the way up the flight of steps leading to the hotel no one can explain. Tempers flared as you can imagine, but there was nothing for it we had to make our way down the flight of steps to rejoin the coach to make our way to another hotel that did have rooms for us. Quite why we did not head straight there was and still is a mystery to us all. Especially as this other hotel was expecting us?!
Then to cap it all rather than being on the early flight back to Havana we were now on the late flight, which meant we had no time in Havana as promised on our last night. So another day was spoilt due to poor organisation by Cubanacan!
On arrival back in the UK the majority of the group complained to The Adventure Company who saw fit to only offer us £100 each as compensation plus 5% off another holiday with them. A rather miserly amount of compensation for the cock-up we had to endure at the end of our holiday we feel!

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