Blogs from Oeste, Cuba, Central America Caribbean - page 8

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Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana May 30th 2016

8 months, 18 countries, 74 cities (and those are just the ones I stayed overnight in) and approximately 18,729km travelled and my journey through Latin America is complete. It is so far the longest trip I have yet undertaken and it's hard to believe that this is just partof a journey that is not even halfway through! Just like I did following my European sojourn in 2007 and my time living and travelling in London, I think it is appropriate that after a trip of such length, with so many different and unique experiences, that I should revisit and relive some of the highlights (lowlights) of the journey. Also as before, this will be done in a list form - lists of the best, the worst and my favourites... read more
Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil
Varadero Beach, Cuba
Havana, Cuba

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » Varadero May 29th 2016

Santiago de Cuba is a pretty small place; we kept bumping into the same locals all over town as well as Emma and Patrick again, two days after they had left us behind in Baracoa. Having all enjoyed each other's company so much first time around, we thought we might as well reconvene in the evening for one last night out together. Famed for its music and nightlife, Ching enjoyed both so much in Santiago de Cuba last time around that she was keen to hit Casa de la Trova again that evening. I enjoyed it too but thought that once was enough and so I joined Emma, Patrick and a girl Emma had previously met on her travels – Aude from France and her casa-mate Lara from Holland – for a few ‘quiet drinks’. With ... read more
Varadero Beach
Streets Of Santiago de Cuba
Parque Vidal

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste May 16th 2016

Si je vous dis « Cuba », vous me répondez ? Salsa, cigares, rhum, superbes plages et vieilles voitures américaines. Le paradis quoi. Moui, moui, moui..ça aurait pu être ça.. Mais c'était sans compter les cubains et leur gouvernement. J'aurai pu venir à Cuba en voyage organisé, dormir dans des grands hôtels, manger de la langouste tous les jours et boire des mojitos dans des bars à touristes où le chapeau des musiciens tourne toutes les trois chansons et vous dire à quel point Cuba est magnifique. Oui, sauf que je suis un backpacker (voyageur au sac à dos) et que ce que j'aime c'est prendre les bus, manger dans des restaurants de locaux et aller dans les petites rues où les autres touristes ne vont pas et où je lis dans les regards que je ... read more
DSC06155

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana May 8th 2016

Cuba! The time had finally come. To be completely honest, during my last or three weeks in Central America, I was feeling pretty jaded about my experiences there – there was nothing that I saw that was especially exciting or that I hadn’t really seen before and my travels from Antigua onwards felt more like a means to an end…with the end being Cuba! Of my entire trip through Latin America, Cuba has been the place I have been looking forward to the most. A place of genuine difference and uniqueness – I wanted to see what likfe would have been like 50 years ago, by visiting a place that has hardly changed since. I’d never been to ‘communist’ country before so I wanted to see what it was like. It is the same reason that ... read more
Classic Cars
This Was Taken In Present Day?
Plaza Vieja

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana April 29th 2016

Back in Habana I find myself here a bit earlier than expected. Tattoo shop found and appointment made I am most definitely a happy camper. Had enough time and no plans to check out a cigar factory. Too bad I got there at about 3pm cuz they closed at 1:30. Not open sat, sun, or mon because of an observed holiday….blurg. But I did purchase a few stogies for the states to help me remember the great times I had in Cuba. Hopefully customs is cool about it! Its totally legal now, but who knows…anyways. There was a girl from Malaysia in the hostal and we went to Habana vieja to find the original bars of La Bodeguita del Medio and Floridita (the ones in Trinidad were franchised out and now there are a bunch of ... read more
Hemmingway haunt :)
the original Floridita (home of the daquari)
fancy

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana April 25th 2016

So Ive had some weird border crossings in my time. Places like Bolivia where they almost didn’t let me in just because my passport says “America” on it, Paraguay and Colombia where I accidentally walked past the guard booth and had to ask someone where to get my passport stamped, and Rwanda where there were I walked right on through and no one checked my anything and I got an exit and entrance stamp at the same little office, oh, plus I got my temperature taken to see if I had Ebola or something…WEIRD. But. Cuba takes the cake! I walked to the passport control booth in the airport and dude looked at my passport, looked at the tourist card (visa), and asked me if this was my only passport. I said yes and he said ... read more
fat and furious 8 set
che and two other dudes
old havana!

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste March 29th 2016

LAS TERRAZAS: LIVING THE HIGH LIFE It was the road less travelled- the panoramic, breathtaking, twisty-twervy, unmarked, you-are-bound-to-get-lost road less travelled. And we took it - a nondescript turn-off from the highway to Havana that led up into the desolate but beautiful highlands and then to the north shore. From there, the road snaked along thru El Rosario, Las Posas and Bahia Honda, pass raucous groups crowded around battling roosters. In more than four hours of driving, we only saw one other group of tourists. As the afternoon sun slid beneath the tree line, we turned our attention to finding a place to sleep and it didn't help that the pot-holed asphalt road had disintegrated into a tree-covered dirt track. We were lost. Hopelessly so. But the lone farmer walking along the dark roadside with mud-caked ... read more
Las Terrazas
Classico In Focus
Peaceful Cuba

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana February 27th 2016

Ola to all! I realize this blog has not been updated in a while, but apparently it's hosts have been busy going to school/working/saving the world (the last one may not be entirely accurate, but we're working on it). So please pardon the brief interruption, but travelling has commenced again, hence this blog will be updated! Peter, and his buddy Luke, both decided they wanted to see Cuba before it opened up to tourism so they managed to find a crazy seat sale and hopped on a plane to the sunny Caribbean. The plane arrived in Toronto in the middle of the night and, after been given directions by a very nice flight attendant (with the longest and pointiest fingers nails either of them had ever seen), Peter and Luke found a couple of nice benches ... read more
Habana Vieja
Centro Habana
The Malecon

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » Varadero February 15th 2016

Geo: 23.12, -81.36We departed Halifax for our one-month trip to Cuba on a perfect fly day – blue skies, crisp weather. The required three-hour arrival prior to flight seemed ridiculous but not wanting to end up without a seat or something equally as silly, we left with time to spare on our new Nova Scotia Heritage Day holiday. Our good friend CG offered to park our car at her home while we were gone and drove us to the airport. Sweet! I continue to use a crutch to facilitate mobility; if I have to walk far or stand long, the crutch enables me to take the weight off my osteoarthritic knees which have experienced a flare-up. Although I debated at great length whether to use my hiking poles or bring a crutch, the crutch won out ... read more
Beach Beauty
Pelican Diving
Who Knows? Not Me.

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana February 2nd 2016

The next morning we woke to face a typically British problem. There were three bedrooms but only two tables for breakfast, both of which were already occupied. Would it be more rude to impose ourselves, or retreat to our room having already opened the door? We tried retreating, hoping that they'd finish soon, as this seemed least likely to provoke discomfort. However, time was ticking by and we were acutely aware that we didn't have time to waste. After a while we gingerly opened the door and went to sit down, whereupon one of the couples announced they had finished and departed. Crisis averted, we tucked into the strange breakfast of chopped banana and papaya along with a cheese and ham toasted sandwich, all served with exceptionally strong coffee. I don't think we've ever walked into ... read more
El Capitolio
"Ché Lives"
El Capitolio and Pink Lada




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