Blogs from Cuba, Central America Caribbean - page 80

Elisa, Sergio and I enjoyed a very beautiful 4 days of family time together in Cienfuegos and Trinidad. We walked Cienfuegos...a very well kept, not crowded, colonial city that had a lot more wealthy neighborhoods than I had previously seen...at least wealthy by the standards of a soicalist country in the developing world. We stayed in the most adorable house with the nicest family who cooked delicious, fresh seafood for us everyday. On Sunday we took a day trip to some very popular waterfalls...it seemed that most of the families of the city were there too...swimming, diving, drinking up bottles of rum, splashing, lounging, eating and enjoying one of the most beautiful spots in their country. It was fun to witness...but definatly not the peace and quiet that could have been in such a beautiful natural ... read more

Ultra Inclusive and Infinite in Varadero - The Emotional Finale Fri 30/05 - 01/06/08 Friday, 4pm. The wedding is over, and Barney and Leanne are married. We all move to the wedding villa, to begin the celebrations. Sadly, the fathers of both bride and groom are taken ill and have to withdraw from proceedings. I wander in amongst the party, mind hazy from champagne, feeling slightly out of place and out of kilter with things. I'm floating in a social void, a space between sober and drunk where my judgement of what's socially acceptable and proper is askew and my inhabitations still make me self aware, bordering on self-conscious. I just not sure of my role in it all. I'm not a parent or a relative, not married or in a couple. I'm not one of ... read more

So I just spent 2 days in Santiago de Cuba...didn't like it from the moment I arrived at 6:30 in the morning after a freezing 15 hour bus ride with the craziest soundtrack ever (courtesy of the very flirtacious bus driver). At least the music he played provided some comic relief...think BeeGees, Michael Jackson, weird electronic reggae, very sad boleros, and of course plenty of salsa. The upside of Santiago was the family i stayed with. They were wonderful and their casa was just beautiful. I ended up spending most of my time with them in their home...practicing my spanish and taking turns informally interviewing each other about our respective countries/cultures. I was sick (sore throat and cough) and just didn't feel like dealing with the very aggressive jineteros (gigilos and prostitutes) who were everywhere throughout ... read more

Ok...I am back. I found a much better computer at yet another of Habana's finest hotels. So yesterday I wandered my way through the narrow, cobblestoned streets of Habana Vieja. This is an amazing city with so mucy history and personality. It is hot and humid, but always with that cool ocean breeze. It can be very pleasant actually while sitting in one of the city's many plazas under the huge, very old shade trees. The plazas are full of children playing, old people lounging, lovers smooching, workers resting, musicians playing their instruments for the tourists, vendors selling ice cream, fresh flowers and the typical cheesy tourist memorabilia... These are always my favorite spots while traveling. It is here in the plazas that I just sit and watch with my camera...waiting for a moment that I ... read more

Ultra Inclusive and Infinite in Varadero Wed 21/05/08 The bus from Havana to Varadero, Cuba's most popular tourist resort, costs 10CUC and takes around two hours. I leave at 2pm, full of positive vibes. There are, as usual, a few variables that could place a potential spanner in the works and put a frown on my happy, happy face. Firstly, I'm not 100% sure in which hotel my friends are staying. I'm almost certain it's the Paradisus Varadero, a five star, ultra-inclusive hotel with two pools, eight restaurants and a sports centre, but I haven't actually gone as far as checking my emails to make sure. Secondly, they don't know that I'm coming today. Surprise is a wonderful thing if there's someone around to receive it. However, I'm arriving on the day of the Champions League ... read more