CUBA
The weather is hot...hot...hot...miles of pristine beaches and the oceans beckon me in... I love Cuba!
Fidel Castro commemorated the grand opening of this state of the art hotel in 1977. Covering many a acres of land it is huge! I think they designed this one as a template for hotels to come after it. There is the huge the main building and then mini condo type buildings two or maybe three story high through-out the grounds. Trees and grass and flowering shrubs.... most places have electric golf carts to help get guests around but not this one. Lots of swimming pools and entertainment during afternoons and most evenings there is a live entertainment show of some kind. The arts are well supported in Cuba and they have schools that specialize in just the Arts. Lots of talent here.
This is Cuba so there are a few things you need to get used to ...beds are not plush, more on the hard side, pillows are scarce and flat and well used. Things that are not working ( a light in entrance way flashes like a disco ball...on and off) gets fixed four days later... no promised beach towels til three days later. (Room towels are very small and scarce) Showers started out with hot water and turned to lukewarm three days in. Take toilet paper everywhere with you and small change for tipping (btw the Cubans are very respectful and would never hold out their hand for a tip). They cannot help you if you complain because chances are it is out of their control to insure you get those towels or pillows or faceclothes. Pick the food you feel most comfortable eating and stick to that.... should mention here that we are here five days in and shredded lettuce shows up at breakfast...wth? No lettuce all week anywhere....
This is Cuba so there are a few things you need to get used to ...beds are not plush, more on the hard side, pillows are scarce and flat and well used. Things that are not working ( a light in entrance way flashes like a disco ball...on and off) gets fixed four days later... no promised beach towels til three days later. (Room towels are very small and scarce) Showers started out with hot water and turned to lukewarm three days in. Take toilet paper everywhere with you and small change for tipping (btw the Cubans are very respectful and would never hold out their hand for a tip). They cannot help you if you complain because chances are it is out of their control to insure you get those towels or pillows or faceclothes. Pick the food you feel most comfortable eating and stick to that.... should mention here that we are here five days in and shredded lettuce shows up at breakfast...wth? No lettuce all week anywhere....
OH ...AND...AND....BRING YOUR OWN FACECLOTHS !!! I don’t know why they can’t have face clothes but I sure missed them! They seemed to have a basic problem with the laundry all week. I find out that Laundromat that does all the laundry is broke down and having lots of repairs done (it is also 15 miles from hotel)....ah well things look up later in the week for the laundry. I try to bribe the maid for face cloths and pillows ...she comes through with one pillow AND an adapter for our power ....shit....we forgot to bring an adapter ! I think the 5 stars had them ...can’t remember, need to plug in the iphone ! I didn’t bother bringing my computer because the internet sucks here!
Ok be forwarned ....just dis-connect and leave all the techy things at home before you come and enjoy your holiday....phone service sucks as well even the texting is very hit and miss!!!!
I want to put in a footnote here that there is a definite difference (ok....for me anyway) in the star rating. This one is 3 and a half stars and seems to be going through some changes ...they are expanding but the property is in need of a lot of repair and tender loving care ...the chefs really do ok with what they’ve got ...hmmmm I am going to take that back and say someone needs to go in and smarten them up on cooking practices and preparing food. Bar fridge is not stocked with beer, pop and rum....waw!
I want a job consulting here ... they need cooking lessons , the vegetables are mostly over cooked and lacking taste.( when you come bring your own little soya sauce packets and ketchup packets) just sayin. Five stars that I’ve stayed in have a bit more style and flare with the food. Wine is always included with the meals as is pop and drinks and juice (no tomatoe juice ). But if you are looking at a cheap holiday in the sun and not going for the food ...what the heck, there is no snow here...lol.
We take the Havana tour fourth day in (China supplies fairly new and comfortable tour buses to Cuba, thank goodness!) and the weather has turned ... brrrr .... Which is good because touring Havana on a hot day can be brutal (did that last trip). I am noticing a lot of renovations in the city. Ownership does that , they are finally allowed to buy their homes but the cost is prohibitive...they some get help from relatives living in Miami . I love Havana and would consider a stay right in the city so I could explore more of it and experience the flavours and feel of this grand place. The crime is pretty much non existent....credit long jail terms for crimes... same with drugs. Kids are pretty much drug free, what a blessing that must be. I love the Cuban people they are so friendly and helpful.
The hotels and resorts are owned by the government and a joint venture with the French, Spanish and Germany 49% for the foreigners and 51% for Cuba. Gardeners get paid the same as the hotel clerks. The average wage here is 40 dollars a month. Cars cost approx. 35,000.00 and the national sport is hitch hiking. The tourism industry attracts a lot of professional people because they can make a lot more money in tips than they can practicing law or medicine. Isn't that just insane? At the orientation our guide tells us to forgo the tip to the bartender once in awhile and give it to the gardener instead or some others that don't usually get tips... in other words , spread it around!
She also said IF YOU OVERSPEND YOUR ALLOTTED LIMIT which is 700.00, she wants us to come and see her... she wants to see what the heck we bought! There is NO 'made in China' stuff here everything is made in Cuba and the artworks and woodcarvings are second to none (very bulkiy to pack in suitcases though). They make stuff out of everything... including small nuts and springs and shells and seeds and ... and... and... it is amazing ! Needless to say necessity is the mother of invention here and what a creative lot they are. More and more restaurants are opening up. We had a fantastic lobster meal in Varadaro in a little side street 'hole in the wall' place that was spotless clean and so was the tiny kitchen, as I observed, when I had to use the little girls room.This is basically a ground floor apartment with about four tables jammed into the small living quarters and one outside....where we sit and enjoy this great meal. You should know that they did this whole meal and served guests at the other tables as well from a couple hotplates.... no big stoves and ovens here.
I want a job consulting here ... they need cooking lessons , the vegetables are mostly over cooked and lacking taste.( when you come bring your own little soya sauce packets and ketchup packets) just sayin. Five stars that I’ve stayed in have a bit more style and flare with the food. Wine is always included with the meals as is pop and drinks and juice (no tomatoe juice ). But if you are looking at a cheap holiday in the sun and not going for the food ...what the heck, there is no snow here...lol.
We take the Havana tour fourth day in (China supplies fairly new and comfortable tour buses to Cuba, thank goodness!) and the weather has turned ... brrrr .... Which is good because touring Havana on a hot day can be brutal (did that last trip). I am noticing a lot of renovations in the city. Ownership does that , they are finally allowed to buy their homes but the cost is prohibitive...they some get help from relatives living in Miami . I love Havana and would consider a stay right in the city so I could explore more of it and experience the flavours and feel of this grand place. The crime is pretty much non existent....credit long jail terms for crimes... same with drugs. Kids are pretty much drug free, what a blessing that must be. I love the Cuban people they are so friendly and helpful.
The hotels and resorts are owned by the government and a joint venture with the French, Spanish and Germany 49% for the foreigners and 51% for Cuba. Gardeners get paid the same as the hotel clerks. The average wage here is 40 dollars a month. Cars cost approx. 35,000.00 and the national sport is hitch hiking. The tourism industry attracts a lot of professional people because they can make a lot more money in tips than they can practicing law or medicine. Isn't that just insane? At the orientation our guide tells us to forgo the tip to the bartender once in awhile and give it to the gardener instead or some others that don't usually get tips... in other words , spread it around!
She also said IF YOU OVERSPEND YOUR ALLOTTED LIMIT which is 700.00, she wants us to come and see her... she wants to see what the heck we bought! There is NO 'made in China' stuff here everything is made in Cuba and the artworks and woodcarvings are second to none (very bulkiy to pack in suitcases though). They make stuff out of everything... including small nuts and springs and shells and seeds and ... and... and... it is amazing ! Needless to say necessity is the mother of invention here and what a creative lot they are. More and more restaurants are opening up. We had a fantastic lobster meal in Varadaro in a little side street 'hole in the wall' place that was spotless clean and so was the tiny kitchen, as I observed, when I had to use the little girls room.This is basically a ground floor apartment with about four tables jammed into the small living quarters and one outside....where we sit and enjoy this great meal. You should know that they did this whole meal and served guests at the other tables as well from a couple hotplates.... no big stoves and ovens here.
Btw, americans are welcome in Cuba and they accommodate them by not stamping their passports when entering the country....something that is important, I guess. They would have to enter through another country though, as there are no direct flights to Cuba from the states. There are a lot of Russian tourists along with Chekoslavakia and Poland ,Germany and the French of course . A lot of Canadians (the Cubans prefer us to the Russians who are loud and rude, drink copious amounts of alcohol and are very inconsiderate... or so I've been told). We pass by a familiar logo painted on huge oil containers from back home, Canada seems to have a big stake in the oil industry here (so I am informed)...helping them produce it.
Health care is free (and the doctors do HOME VISITS and are expected to visit ALL of their patients at least once in a year) these visits are also designed to educate the people on preventative care as well. Cubans also receive FREE dental and eye care. Education up to and including university is free. While it is true they are not free to chose what ever they want to study ... they do have a choice of about five fields. The government also expects two years of service in the military from its citizens or you can exchange one year of military for one year of university.
Health care is free (and the doctors do HOME VISITS and are expected to visit ALL of their patients at least once in a year) these visits are also designed to educate the people on preventative care as well. Cubans also receive FREE dental and eye care. Education up to and including university is free. While it is true they are not free to chose what ever they want to study ... they do have a choice of about five fields. The government also expects two years of service in the military from its citizens or you can exchange one year of military for one year of university.
Time has stood still in Havana especially old Havana. The American older cars are plentiful and kept going with great ingenuity using parts from all kinds of motors and or reinventing some to fit these older modesl and much photographed gems!
I did however notice changes that were not to my liking on my last visit and also our tour guide pointed it out. We are teaching these proud but poor people how to beg. Most of us bring things like pencils and paper and colouring books , make up , toothpaste , perfumes and lots of small goods that are scarce in Cuba. We throw or hand out stuff along the way on our tours and now we have kids and women in some places along the way waiting for our arrival in the buses or jeep safari tours. We need to stop doing this the tour guide advises... a lot of these people are making a living at this and they should be doing real work. DO NOT GIVE MONEY TO THAT CHILD THAT IS BEGGING they are being used as fronts front by unscrupulous adults waiting around the corner to collect that money.
Leave these things at the hotel or distribute it among staff there. Tell the begging child in the market place to go home and study for school or get a job. Good advice I think , they may be poor but nobody is left wanting for food , shelter, healthcare or education. Who are we to upset this balance?
Sent from my iPhone
I did however notice changes that were not to my liking on my last visit and also our tour guide pointed it out. We are teaching these proud but poor people how to beg. Most of us bring things like pencils and paper and colouring books , make up , toothpaste , perfumes and lots of small goods that are scarce in Cuba. We throw or hand out stuff along the way on our tours and now we have kids and women in some places along the way waiting for our arrival in the buses or jeep safari tours. We need to stop doing this the tour guide advises... a lot of these people are making a living at this and they should be doing real work. DO NOT GIVE MONEY TO THAT CHILD THAT IS BEGGING they are being used as fronts front by unscrupulous adults waiting around the corner to collect that money.
Leave these things at the hotel or distribute it among staff there. Tell the begging child in the market place to go home and study for school or get a job. Good advice I think , they may be poor but nobody is left wanting for food , shelter, healthcare or education. Who are we to upset this balance?
Sent from my iPhone
No comments:
Post a Comment