So it begins

Cuba!

Published Date : October 3, 2013

I’ve been humming and hawing over my next couple of trips for a while now.  I want to go everywhere and see everything (if you’re going to dream, dream big I say �� ), so deciding where to go next is always tough.

I decided to treat myself for my birthday this year and do a 5-star sun vacation.  Originally, I was looking at Cuba, but then all the trips I had been watching were cancelled.  Doh!  So I went through a few backup possibilities including the Bahamas and Bermuda.  I thought about completely switching gears and hopping down to New York or even over to London for a few days.

The stars realigned for me though and Cuba is back on the menu.  I’ll be spending a long weekend at a 5-star resort in Holguín.  I always feel like a bit of a sell-out when I do package holidays or tours, especially all-inclusive deals.  It’s not “real” travelling after all.  Real travel though, is a lot of work, and sometimes I just need a vacation!

I probably won’t be spending much time relaxing on the beach though.  There are a few places nearby that I would love to see.  Havana will be much too far away for a day trip, but Santiago de Cuba is a definite possibility if I can figure out the local buses.

6 weeks and counting…

Away we go

Published Date : November 15, 2013

I’m off to Cuba tomorrow.  Yay!  This trip really sneaked up on me.  I’ve done absolutely no prep for it beyond a quick read through a travel guide when I booked the trip a couple of months ago.

This will be my second foray into the world of all-inclusive holidays (my first one was a trip to the Dominican Republic 5 years ago).  My original thinking was to just be a bum and relax – this is, after all, my birthday present to myself.  Plus, with only three days there, I’m not going to have a lot of time to explore.  I foresee at least a couple of forays off the resort though.  Sitting around, drinking on the beach just isn’t my style.

Today though, I do believe it’s time for a last minute refresher in Spanish.  Ola, por favor, gracias and de nada will only get me so far!

Paradise Found

Published Date : November 16, 2013

As usual, travel days are always long and tedious.  With an afternoon flight at least I didn’t need to be up at ridiculous o’clock for once.  I spent this morning doing the last minute packing scramble.  After years of doing this, I’ve become rather blasé about prepping for trips and usually wait until the last minute to pack.  It’s normally a pretty smooth process, but this morning I was feeling particularly disorganized. This trip is all about relaxing, so I didn’t need to pack my usual range of gear.  No cargo pants, no hiking boots, no jackets or waterproof layers.  I felt like I was forgetting something all day.

Out the door at last, I dropped the cat off with the sitter and made for the airport.  Check-in and security was a breeze, so with plenty of time until boarding I enjoyed a nice lunch and explored the airport.  This is the first time I’ve ever flown out of Terminal 1 at Pearson – it’s sooooooo much nicer than the dingy old Terminal 3.  Bonus points for being gadget-friendly with power points everywhere.

As with most charter flights to the tropics, today’s flight was loud and raucous.  There was a large group on board headed for a destination wedding and they started the celebrations as soon as we were airborne.  It made for an entertaining couple of hours.

It was already dark when we landed in Hólguin (why is it always dark when I land in tropical places?).  After leaving sub-zero temperatures behind in Toronto, I was delighted to be met by the wall of heat and humidity when I stepped off the plane.  It was organized chaos outside in the parking lot as attendants pointed people to the right bus.  There were a lot of taxi drivers looking for fares and a few bartenders on wheels selling cold beers.  There was no hassling though – everyone was friendly and polite.

The bus trip out to Guardalavaca took about an hour in air-conditioned comfort, and it was stunning.  Despite the lateness of the hour, there was a full moon.  In the distance I could see low hills, silhouetted against the star-filled sky.  Royal palm trees dotted the horizon and lined the road.  Everything was cast in shades of silver and blue.  It was beautiful.

Moonlit Night. Guardalavaca, Cuba

Paradisus Rio de Oro was the last stop of the night.  The five of us left on the bus were greeted with chilled glasses of champagne and live music wafting in from the on-site bar.  After checking in, I was delivered to my private bungalow by electric golf cart.  The bungalow was well worth the added expense!

King-sized bed, ocean views, private patio and an outdoor shower = heaven!  I must admit though that it still feels strange to stay in private rooms when I travel.  After so many years of hostel dorms or tents, I’ve come to associate travel with communal lodging.  It seems odd to have my own space.

It was about 10pm by the time I arrived at my room.  As per usual, I was too wired to sleep, so I set off to explore the resort.  Paradisus covers a lot of ground, but it doesn’t accommodate a lot of guests.  There are a couple of bars and restaurants, but its main attraction is the beach and the spa.  It’s an adults only getaway with no nightclub.  All of that means it’s quiet.  Perfect for a relaxing break.

I found myself a spot on the cliff overlooking the beach and just soaked it all in.  Yup, it is going to be a great couple of days here.

Ahhhhh!

Published Date : November 17, 2013

Paradisus Rio de Oro, Guardalavaca, Cuba

This morning I felt like I stepped straight into a travel brochure.  Sunshine, clear skies, tropical birds singing, sheer white billowing curtains with turquoise water and a white sand beach just steps away.  All that before I even climbed out of bed!

It was already topping 30C when I made my way up to the restaurant for breakfast.  I can already sense that the theme of this trip is going to be champagne.  I enjoyed a nicely chilled mimosa (or two!) with a side of fruit cocktail, hard-boiled egg and fresh bread.  Mmmm, mmm good.

After breakfast I headed to the bar for the info session.  I had been hoping to do at least a couple of scuba dives while I’m here, but I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out with my flights on such a short stay.  Unfortunately, there will be no diving for me this trip.  After the session, I struck up a conversation with Eleanor and her mother, Jan.  Ellie is also an engineer, in her mid-thirties, with a penchant for solo travel adventures.  We hit it off immediately.

Ellie and Jan had plans to shop for the day.  I, on the other hand, had a date with the beach.  Mask and snorkel in hand, I staked out my piece of sand.  The water was a bit rough and murky after some wind and rain overnight, but it was still heavenly.

A relaxing day of sun, sand and chatting to Jorge, one of the resort’s watersport employees, and I was ready for a nice meal.  I met up with Ellie and her mother for dinner.  I had been warned that the food in Cuba was bland and poor quality.  I have to disagree.  It’s certainly not five-star by North American standards, but it was excellent.  I’m always a sucker for a good tiramisu though.