Nov 13, 2018 - The land of Cigars and Cuba Libres

November 4th: We have landed in Cuba and unfortunately Customs is a lot more complex then Key West. The others, who are in suites, get off early and I give Brian some cash to convert. One CUC (Convertible Cuban Peso) is .87 to the American dollar. While lots of bars and shops will take US dollars, the smaller places only take CUCs. The Cubans use another form the CUP, or Cuban Peso that is 25 CUP to the CUC. More about that later on. After we get off we head along the waterfront to the big market. This is a giant warehouse full of small...

Oct 21, 2018 - Havana Cuba

So the Norwegian Sun left the Port of Miami at the scheduled time. Our next (scheduled) stop was to be Great Stirrup Cay, a 268-acre island that is part of the Berry Islands in the Bahamas. Norwegian Cruise Line purchased the island from the Belcher Oil Company in 1977 and developed it into a private island for their cruise ship passengers. Since we did NOT stop here due to bad weather, and we just added another “SEA Day” to our itinerary (that’s what they do when they skip a port) we spent the day touring the ship, which BTW is the exact...

Oct 15, 2018 - Cienfuegos Cuba – Empress of the Seas

Our other port of call in Cuba was Cienfuegos. I liked it a lot better than Havana. They seemed to take pride in their city and have come up with money from somewhere to paint the buildings in colorfully. They also had a nice boulevard throughout the town with grass in the center and benches where people could sit and rest and visit. It was much more inviting to me than Havana was. There also weren’t peddlers trying to sell you things like peanuts every where we turned. (Several peddlers interrupted our tour in Havana, much to my...

Oct 13, 2018 - Havana Cuba – Empress of the Seas

Our first port of call in Cuba was Havana. The most popular thing about Havana is the old American cars that they have fixed up and drive. We saw several of them on our tour about the city. At one point, we stopped in a big parking lot in the Plaza de la Revolución (Revolution Square) where there were a lot of these cars. For a few CUCs (Cuban Convertible Pesos), you could get a ride around the block in one of them. There was no charge for taking your picture with one. We noticed several of them were painted a kind of fuchsia color. I...

Aug 27, 2018 - Havana - steamy Caribbean gem

This is a short update on Havana - more complete details to follow.... I do love Havana and Cuba...it is a Caribbean gem, somewhat unpolished, far from living up to its potential. I missed Havana last time - spent more time in that crazy José Martí International Airport last time than I spent in the city. So, I had to get more acquainted with it yesterday - it was unfinished business, and a need to get it out of my system. Travelling back from the airport along the somewhat 3rd grade roads sub-standard for my hometown of Dalby (even today),...

May 12, 2018 - Havana, Cuba

Out for a walk this morning and looking for a place for some breakfast and it sure looks like more rain, LOL Exchanged a bit more money to CUC. Went to the Capitolio Nacional plaza check out the area then a stop for some breakfast and as I was just getting back to my room the rain started, just made it back in time. LOL It rained about a hour then stopped so headed out to check out the old fort Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta at the entry to the harbor, with this fort and the one across the channel would have been impossible to enter...

May 11, 2018 - Off to the tobacco fields of Vinales

This morning after breakfast I set off for my trip to Vinales to the west part of Cuba and the area where the tobacco fields are at, this time I was in a 1953 chevy very similar to the on my folks had when I was a child, the big difference was this on was a four door our had been a two door, and this one had a diesel engine. As we headed out of the city a little rain was falling but cleared as we got to Vinales about 180 km from Havana saw lots of field some being worked by teams of oxen lots with horses and some with tractors older than...

May 10, 2018 - Havana, Cuba

Breakfast at the BnB then repacked my luggage and waited for my ride to pick me up. Was there at 10:00 AM a bright red 1952 Chevrolet convertible car with the original engine the car was in great shape, and my local hero the young man that had set up my trip Elvy, Loaded up my bags was just enough room in the truck for them as there was a big amp and speakers in there, LOL off for a city tour with a couple stops, was a great ride, and just before we got to my new BnB it started to rain so had quickly pullover and put up the top which is not...

May 9, 2018 - Cienfuegos and on to Havana

Another small breakfast again way too much food,LOL it was a walk to the main plaza about 10 blocks away, passing many horse drawn taxis, checking out some things along the way lot's of 50's cars some in real good shape some of them having seen a lot of hard times, only a few with the original engines most blowing lots of black smoke. A stop at the bank to exchange some money then off for a city tour an a small train, checked out the naval museum then a stop for lunch at a pizza place, then back to the BnB got my luggage and off to the bus...

May 8, 2018 - Cienfuegos, Cuba

A good night rest it was another great breakfast at the BnB again for 5 CUC, then out for another walk around the town going to the top of the bell tower of a old church, back to room and checked out,then off to the bus station for the trip to Cienfuegos. This was a ride of 1 1/2 hours getting in the late afternoon. As I came out of the bus station another group of taxi drivers and BnB people wanting you to go with them, above the yelling I hear my name from across the street and my BnB host was there saying don't need a taxi just come...

May 7, 2018 - Trinidad, Cuba

Up early and breakfast at the bnb a plate of fresh fruit, fresh juice, omelet with a couple slices of meat, toast, muffin and coffee with milk for 5 CUC witch is the same as 5 dollars USA. I left my big bag there and some clothes to be washed while I am traveling to Trinidad, then off to the bus station get my boarding pass, load up and on our way at 7:00 AM. It is a 6 1/2 hour ride to Trinidad going through Bay of Pigs and Cienfuegos then on to Trinidad getting there at 1:30 PM, after getting off the bus and getting my checked small bag I...

May 6, 2018 - Havana, Cuba

A wake up call at 4:00 AM finish packing and off to the airport for my flight, see you in Cuba. I got into Havana, Cuba through passport control, bag claim and customs, with no problems, was met by my local guide, a stop to exchange money, got a taxi and off to my airBnB near the bus station. Got checked into my room, made plans for the rest of the day, then out for some lunch and then off to the beach for the afternoon returning back to my room a bit of rest and then out for dinner. A very great day in Habana, I now have traveled to 100 of...