Varadaro, Cuba

The beautiful resort.

Hungry, thumbing biting fish...

Havana.

The empty Revolution Square.

The activity centre, where we could borrow equipment or book catamaran trips.

Terri and I and our British friends.

One of the talented entertainment dancers.

Relaxing on a large catamaran while sailing to a cay.

August, 2003

I surprised Terri with a trip to Varadero, Cuba. I booked the all inclusive Beaches Resort. Really nice facility, with great rooms, lots of restaurants, and activities.

We enjoyed lounging in and around the pool, swimming off the beach, sunning and snorkeling. We went on a snorkeling trip on a small catamaran with a couple of Britain. We had a guide and he managed to sail us out from the beach, but when we turned towards the reef he wanted to get to, there was no wind. We were becalmed. We had to 'paddle' the catamaran using our flippers as paddles. It took a while, but it was a beautiful day and a beautiful place to be so who cares. When we got there we got in the water and the guide put some food on our hands and we were immediately swarmed by schools of fish. The first one to me nipped my thumb and made it bleed. The first thought through my mind was, here I am in the water with a bleeding thumb to attract sharks! Then the guide told me to watch while he swam down to the reef, about five five, and then swam through a hole in the reef and emerged through another hole about fifteen feet further. Despite his invitation to follow him, I declined. I certainly didn't want to get lodged in there. The reef looked good and the fish were plentiful and beautiful.

I also had the chance to water ski. This is a passion of mine and I have been skiing at the family cottage for my whole life. But, on the swelling ocean, behind a boat I was unfamiliar with and a different ski, I was unsuccessful staying up for long. I was quite embarrassed and I could see the driver was impatient, so I gave up.

We took another trip on a larger catamaran to a beautiful white cay (island) made from shells and coral. Here we could snorkel off the beach and relax. It was a great way to spend the day.

We took a bus trip to Havana, to get a taste of the Cuban culture. I was quite shocked by the dilapidation of the buildings in the city. To me it looked like a war zone. We were shepherded from one place to another, which made me feel like it was a potentially dangerous place, but in retrospect I don't think it was. It was just me being slightly uncomfortable in this obviously third world environment. It had been over twenty years since I had been in such a place. We visited the Romeo and Juliet cigar factory, a colonial hotel, a couple of shops and Revolution Square where the communist government puts on rallies. In the cigar factory we got to see the conditions and stations as the workers hand made the cigars. Each person had a small job to do in the process. There was a man who tried to secretly sell us a box without the bosses knowing. 

We spent our evenings with the British couple at the theatre where the resort provided entertainment including dancers, singers and other performers, most of which was quite good.

Terri and I enjoyed our stay here very much, it was great week long break from the responsibilities of  work and kids at home.