Cuba - Jan 2006
Our travels in Cuba from West to East. Two week trip with
'Adventures Abroad'
Cayo Guillermo beach walk
Pier view to the Melia Resort
One of the many towel creations
Picking up the coconuts
The morning catch
Beach walk
Beach Walk
Cayo Coco morning adventure trip
Cayo Coco morning adventure trip
Cayo Coco morning adventure trip
Cayo Coco morning adventure trip
Beach side view
Coming back from fishing
Beach walk
Habana street with 'Floridita' bar - Hemingway's hangout
Fresh mint for your Mojito
Bike repair shop
Balcony
Catholic church in old Habana
My pet dog
Our hotel lobby in old Habana - Palacio O'Farrill
Our hotel lobby in old Habana - Palacio O'Farrill
Our friendly neighbours across the street from the hotel. "Santeria" practitioners
Habana balconies
Habana's unique mailboxes
Old friends - looking dapper
Ché
Monument to the Revolution
Hemingway at his seaside bar
His seaside bar
Mini cabs in Habana (called Cocos)
Libre
Traditional costumes
Local parade
Local parade
Walking the back roads
National bird of Cuba, the Tocororo (Trogon)
Flower
Roadside bus stop on the way west to Vinales
Our group on the way west to Vinales
Our group on the way west to Vinales
The streets of Pinar del Rio
Local wine
Making high quality cigars
On the way to the Vinales valley
Hotel Los Jazmines, overlooking the Vinales valley
Vinales valley with the "Margotes"
Tobacco leaves
Farmer
The big pig
Sugar cane press
Sugar cane juice inside fresh grapefruits
Sugar cane juice inside fresh grapefruits
Hotel Los Jazmines pool
Cow
GB
"Quinceanera" (celebration of a girls fifteenth birthday)
Historical hotel in Cienfuegos
Sunset
Old russian truck to take us for a tour up the mountains
rum drinks after a long walk
Resting after the walk
Pig roast
Catch of the day in Trinidad
Trinidad kids
Trinidad musician
"Santeria" alter (combo. of Christian & Voodoo)
Market day in Trinidad
Buena Vista Social Club !
Trinidad doorway
Trinidad doorway
Trinidad steps
Rest area
Ancon Hotel beach view - Trinidad
Ancon Hotel beach walk
Hotel in Camaguey
Hotel in Camaguey inner courtyard
lobby
Afternoon pedi cab tour
Sculptures
RCA dog
Domino game
Proud of his old 1950's car
Our group
Evenings entertainment
Holguin - stairmaster at our hotel
Holguin hotel
Leaf insect
Coconut and Cocoa (chocolate bean)
Cocoa bean and finished product
River tour
Nut
Very rare "Polymita" land snail near our hotel El Castillo in Baracoa
This little piggy went to market
Dog with earring
Ché mural Baracoa
Russian built utilitarian waterfront apartments ;)
Baracoa waterfront
On the road to Santiago del Cuba
On the bus
Rooftop drum circle - Santiago del Cuba
Taxi
Taxi 2
Revolution monument
Castillo del Morro - at the harbour entrance to Santiago del Cuba
Castillo del Morro
Paul had lunch here, so did we!
Santiago del Cuba market walk
Final walk along the Malicon in Habana.
Habana 18 wheeler bus - Russian style
Habana plaza balcony
Lunch on the plaza in old town Habana
Central plaza in old town Habana
Our final dinner together - Keri our "Adventures Abroard" tour guide
on the left
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A short trip report of our travels in Cuba. (A full report will be posted in 2013)
Flying from Winnipeg to Toronto we overnighted at the Shereton Hotel right at the airport. The next morning we were able to fly directly to the new airport at Cayo Coco, a small island on the North East coast of Cuba. A 25 minute cab ride and we were at the beautiful Meliá Cayo Guillermo, an all inclusive hotel.
After and very relaxing week, we returned to the airport for a quick 45 minute flight to Havana. We had booked ourselves into the Hotel Farrrill, right in the historic "old town" area of Habana. This was also the same hotel where the rest of the group would arrive for the start of our two week tour throughout Cuba with "Adventures Abroad". We had taken two other tours with this company, Turkey & Morroco, and would highly recommend them. After spending a few days by ourselves walking around the amazing sites of the old town (a world heritage site), the rest of our small group of ten people arrived. Two couples from Kamloops B.C. two ladies from the US, one couple from Victoria, B.C and our tour guide Keri from Vancouver.
From the map we've made up, you can see that over the next two weeks we travelled all the way from the Western part of the Island all the way to the far Eastern end.
At the end of the tour in Habana, we stayed a few more days and then returned to Gimli via Toronto.
Cuba was an wonderful cultural journey. The sites, the amazing musicainship, the history and the people.
We will return one day.
Hotels for reference
Vinales - Hotel Los Jazmines
Baracoa - El Castillo
Santiago de Cuba - Hotel Casa Granda