Ah, it's Cuba!

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Saturday, Nov 8. The flights out of Chicago to Seattle then to Vancouver went without a hitch, though I was sure I'd go through some level of interrogation by customs regarding my visa status. You see I'm only allowed to be out of a job for a maximum of 10 days before I have to leave the country and since I was "let go" in early October, I was already overstaying my welcome.
I arrived at Vancouver airport at 5pm and the flight to Cuba was scheduled for 10pm. My good mate Daliha saved me from a few hours of boredom by coming early and we caught up on some goss over a few pre-holiday drinks. Slowly, the rest of the crew (all 50 or so of us) started arriving but computers were down which delayed check-in and the flight by 2 hours. Not exactly the start I was looking for.

We finally flew out at midnight and landed at Juan Gualberto Gomez airport at around 8am Sunday morning feeling pretty shithouse from the lack of sleep. It wasn't the most comfortable plane around either. Hurricane Paloma was supposed to have hit the east coast of Cuba today but our province wasn't in its direct path though it was still overcast and windy as hell. A short bus ride later and we were at our four (advertised as five) star resort, the Iberostar Playa Alameda, the second last resort located on a coast of over 50 hotels/resorts on the Varadero beach strip. Even mafia boss Al Capone had a house around here once.

The resort was set out in a bunch of 3 story blocks with about 25 room per block. Dals and myself scored big time having a room that overlooked the sea and only a stone's throw away from the beach. Others weren't so lucky... suckers! We unpacked and hit the pool and bar, as you do. This was the norm for the next 7 days - pool, bar, beach, in no particular order. Yes, it was a vicious cycle which I could gladly do forever.
Taking it easy the first night was not on the books. The local band was out and we had a crash course in salsa dancing. The combination of alcohol and my two left feet wasn't making me a better dancer but who needed coordination when you're in a congo line? At around 2am, I was found wandering aimlessly by Cecilia and Akira and was easily persuaded to go for a night swim at the beach. The conditions were perfect - big waves, warm water. Little did we know that the beach was closed due to schools of jellyfish in the area that had been washed in by the hurricane. Hey, you only live once right? After that night I was dubbed "knight rider". Step aside Hasselhoff!

Monday was more of the same. I missed the welcome meeting but my roomie is an early riser and she filled me in on all the info. The beach was still closed so we settled for sipping pina coladas by the pool. Also checked out the rest of what this resort had to offer - soccer, basketball, pool volleyball and water polo, pretty average food, but all the pina coladas, mojitos and hemingways you could drink.

Tuesday Nov 11 and the big day finally arrived. Our little Shelley was getting married. The wedding wasn't until later on in the arvo so we spent most of the day at the beach and in the pool, working on our tans. Not that I had to try hard... my mates were already calling me an aborigine.
We got glammed up and piled onto a bus for a short ride to the park which had the small outdoor chapel and reception area. The bride arrived on standard "filo time" and she was absolutely stunning. The ceremony was delivered in spanish then translated to english for us tourists. The only sour point was the dumbass photographer who managed to stick her fat head in the way of every shot. We walked to a nearby bar which, we were told, served the best pina coladas in town and it didn't disappoint.
The reception was a whole lot of fun. The speeches from Aya (the maid of honour), the bride and groom's fathers, and lastly the groom were exceptionally sweet. When the formalities were over and the bar was open the party began with Juan Carlos' side setting the pace with some slick salsa moves. Not to be outdone, the internationals were led by our own dancing queen Hersie.
The reception ended at midnight and the party moved back to the resort and continued early into the next morning. The night wasn't without its casualties though with Hersie and Jung having one shot too many, no thanks to Aya.

Wednesday was recovery day with no unnecessary effort expended. A bunch of us did muster enough energy to take the double decker into downtown Varadero for a spot of shopping at the markets and to taste some local cuisine outside of the resort. The tightly packed houses reminded me very much of the Philippines. The majority of cars are Russian Lada's and 1950s American Chevs and Cadillacs. It's like a classic car convention on every street.

On Thursday, the majority of our group went on a tour of Cuba's capital Havana - or La Habana to the locals. The bus picked us up at around 8am for the 2 hour / 140 km trek west to Havana. Choice in seating partner was important and I found a beauty in Sharlene. Extremely shy at first but very witty and entertaining once she opened up. Our tour guide Hector was great, overloading us (well, those who were awake) with useful facts as well as throwing in some clever jokes in the mix.
Did you know...
- 60%!o(MISSING)f all Cuban marriages end in divorce? Does Shelley know?
- the no. 1 cause for divorce is the mother-in-law? Again, does Shelley know?
- the average salary is 15 CUP (Cuban National Peso) per month, which is equivalent to around $15 USD. Unbelievable!
- the reason we did not see any locals swimming in the sea was because it was too cold for them... the water temp is currently 24 degrees celcius. What the?
- there is no homeless in Cuba (or that's what Hector said).
- due to bad public transportation, hitchhiking is legal. Not only that, government vehicles are required by law to pick up hitchhikers.

There was also a fair share of American bashing, the majority aimed at "dubya". The locals say that every time they flush the toilet, the sound it makes is "busssshhhhhhh". After I laughed out loud and started clapping, Sharlene pointed out there was an American couple on the bus... ooops!
We got into Havana around 11am and unloaded for a 1 hour walking tour around old Havana. Remnants of the old forts that lined the city are visible everywhere, built by the Spaniards to keep out pirates. It is by no means a beautiful city - many of the buildings are dilapidated with little or no funding to restore them to their former glory. But, this is Cuba and instead of corporate logos and advertising you'd see in any other major city, Havana is covered in great artwork and architecture which is quite refreshing for us westerners.

A quick stop for lunch and we were free to walk around before regrouping back on the bus. Next stop was the Romeo Y Julieta cigar factory (well, we only really saw the gift shop) and loaded up on cigars and rum. Back on the bus to the Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón which has over 800,000 graves. Our last stop was at Revolution Square or Plaza de la Revolución where Fidel Castro had delivered a 17 hour speech. He must've had a lot on his mind that day.
We were dropped off at some hotel to freshen up and have dinner, then off to the night's entertainment - a Cuban cabaret show Tropicana, kinda like a Cirque Du Soleil show with a lot more dancing. The show ended around 11:30pm and we piled onto the bus for the 3 hour ride back to our resort.

On Friday and Saturday, I was back to doing what I do best - nothing. The sea was flat and the water was crystal clear. The mozzies were relentless but for some reason they didn't like me as much as the canucks.
We said our goodbyes to the newlyweds at 4am on Sunday morning and made our long and miserable way back to where we'd come from. I stayed in Vancouver for one night and went back to Chicago on Monday.
I had left Cuba in perfect 29 degree celcius heat and arrived in Chicago in 29 degree fahrenheit cold... bugger.

For more photos, go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=181876&l=b4fe7&id=645380523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=181887&l=3acea&id=645380523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=181899&l=d10ce&id=645380523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=181908&l=7e580&id=645380523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=181911&l=ebae3&id=645380523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=181916&l=4c973&id=645380523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=181920&l=0a7a4&id=645380523

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Photos

View from our balcony
How could you get sick of this?

Beach closed
Such a tease... we couldn't swim cos of the jellyfish.

Salsa lessons
Left foot Vito!

Newlyweds
Shelley and Juan Carlos

Capitolio
Modelled after the Capital building in Washington DC

Che
Images of Che are everywhere.

Revolution Square
Where Castro gives many of his speeches.