Varadero

We arrived just after lunch in Varadero, which is basically a 20 KM peninsula dedicated mostly to hotels with a huge strip of white sandy beach. As you drive down the peninsula you drive through Varadero town, and on to the hotels which are spaced out along one-side. At our hotel in Varadero the Blau we said goodbye to the driver, guide and the rest of the group who were all staying in different hotels.

PDF hotel Brochure:

http://www.blau-hotels-cuba.com/content/attachments/folleto_varadero_EN.pdf

Our room wasn't ready but we were given our all inclusive wrist bands so went for a late lunch. We were all a bit hot and bothered and pleased to be checking into our room. The hotel had a very modern and clean feel too it.

After a quick change and freshen up we started to explore. The hotel was impressive - inside there were 2 bars, a large dining room El Flamboyan used for breakfast and dinner buffets and an entertainment room where they but on a nightly show. There was also a games room, a few shops and a spa and gym. Outside you walked out over a board walk out into the gardens and pool area. The pool was clover shaped divided into two halves one area for swimming and a jacuzzi area and the second was used mostly for ball games. Next to the pool there was a poolside bar and the lunch restaurant Las Adelfas which turned into one of the two"fine dining" restaurants at night.

Outside also there was a crèche for the kids, tennis courts a mini golf course and La Palma Real the second and more up market fine dining restaurant . Beyond the pool area there was another board-walk which led past the beach bar down onto the beach. The beach is a public beach with plenty of sun loungers and shades reserved for hotel guests. The beach was white sand and the sea was an impressive shade of blue - you had to walk pretty far out before you were out of your depth and the water was always warm.

It's a strange feeling suddenly being hit with an unlimited amount of drinks and massive buffets.

Food-wise for breakfast, lunch and dinner there was a buffet selection with plenty of variety. At breakfast there was a smoothie bar where you could pick the fresh fruit you wanted and have it made into a smoothie as well as an omelette station where you could pick you fillings then have the omelette cooked in front of you. For lunch there were freshly cooked meats, sausages and burgers as well as a bbq area outside where they would make paella style dishes. For the dinners there would be a theme and a lot of effort went into the presentation of the food. My favourite theme was Cheese Night (not sure if that was it's official title but there was a dedicated table and server!) Again there were freshly cooked meats and fish as well as an area where you could choose your pasta and sauce or pizza and topping and have it freshly cooked for you. Also included was a visit to each of the fine dining restaurants. The first one Las Adelfas by the pool was passable foodwise but had a good atmosphere and a band playing while we ate. The second was very classy, the food was of a much higher standard and there was a string quartet playing. We went there for Chelsea's birthday and they surprised her with a cake while the quartet played happy birthday for her - a nice touch.

It didn't take us long to familiarise ourselves with the bars and drinks menus. The main bar is in the atrium on the ground floor of the hotel La Orquidea we probably spent most drinking time here, there's a piano bar where a classical pianist played most evenings.

The poolside bar was open during the day and as well as a full range of drinks also did lemonade slush - which cooled you down. The beach bar was OK too but the service was not as good and as we mostly went down there in the evenings we tended to get bitten. We all found our favourite drinks - Chelsea liked San Franciscos (no-alcohol), Jen liked Pina Coladas whilst I had many "favourites" including Cuba Libres, Margaritas and Black Russians.

The staff were brilliant all very friendly - often, especially at lunch you couldn't finish a drink before the next one arrived. The entertainments team were always trying to get you involved - we steered clear mostly but we did enjoy a cocktail making lesson. In the evening there were a variety of shows which I really thought wouldn't be my thing and although some like the water ballet and Cuban dancing weren't there were some really good ones. The magic show was good and there were also magicians that came up to your table and did some street magic. We were well impressed by one trick where he took a note - rolled it up, tipped some of my drink into it which seemed to spill on the ground - he unrolled the note and re-rolled it - told me to tip my head back then poured my drink from the note!

The two best shows were the poolside Rock Show and Halloween night. The rock show was a cover band which got an excellent response from the crowd.

We were impressed with the effort they made for Halloween - they decorated the hotel and had lots to do for the children before putting on a Michael Jackson Thriller style show complete with Zombies that attacked the guests.

Chelsea's birthday coincided with the Hotels 5th Birthday and their was a massive all day party - including a monkey riding pony and free coconut drinks!

I think what I liked most about the Blau was the little touches such as the themed evenings, the bands playing all different styles of music (even including a mexican style Mariachi band! and the maid coming up with more and more elaborate towel animals and room decorations!!

The second week was very relaxing and although we did spend a lot of time relaxing in our favourite spot in the gardens by the pool we did decide to venture out one day and check out Varadero town.

There was a hop on, hop off bus service which ran the length of the peninsula, our first stop was a bar and restaurant which was supposedly Al Capones which he used during the American prohibition era.

Next we stopped at some markets had a look around the stalls and checked out some vintage cars parked nearby.

We moved on to the Plaza America - supposedly Cuba's biggest shopping complex - but a bit of a let down to be honest - our final stop was much better though the Mansion Xanadu - a plush colonial style villa.

We paid to have a look around at the paintings and furnishings and were impressed by the marble and wood, however the highlight was the Bar Mirador on top of the mansion overlooking the golf course and beach. The barman talked us into having one of his Mojitos which he reckoned were the best in Cuba - the guy must have been well into his seventies but we could not dispute his claim. After enjoying the views and cocktails we headed back to the hotel.

And so the holiday drew to an end. A really contrasting two weeks - the first week packing everything in to sight seeing trips and the second really chilling out and over doing it with the never ending food and drink! We all had a fantastic time and would recommend Cuba to anyone. If you are staying in Varadero you should really make sure you see Havana at least but we were so glad we got to visit all the places we did, meet the locals and sample some real Cuban culture.

¡Hasta La Victoria Siempre!

Cienfuegos

We arrived at Cienfuegos and got our first glimpse of the city from the coach. Also a Unesco sight but very different to Trinidad it had a real nautical feel to it. It was much plusher and had the natural bay as a backdrop. Our first stop was the Palacio de Valle a very ornate building where we headed up to the roof top terrace to admire the sea views and of course enjoy a cocktail.

We got back on the bus which took us into the centre and we walked through the streets down the main thoroughfare of Paseo del Prado and Avenue 54 to the central park and square - Parque Jose Marti. This was a really nice area and just around the corner from our hotel. Alberto showed us inside one of the main buildings the Teatro Tomas Terry - a very grand building both inside and out we sat down whilst Albert sang some of the national anthem which was a bit unexpected but a nice touch. After looking around the theatre we had some free time so we had a coffee and looked around some of the art and craft shops in the square.

After that we headed via our hotel (which was a bit pointless as we couldn't check in or look around really but just unloaded and stored our bags) to the Club Cienfuegos where we had lunch. Lunch was OK but by now we had very high standards to compare to. After lunch we had a cruise out on the bay, fortunately for me the water was very flat and I found it very relaxing and they even served cocktails on board! One of the notable things about Cienfuegos is the abandoned Nuclear power station up in the hills - building stopped when the soviet money dried up and the Chernobyl disaster happened especially as it was to be built to the same design!

From the cruise we went back to check out our hotel properly. Again we were not disappointed we stayed in the Cubanacan Boutique La Union - a colonial style hotel full of marble and antique furnishings with a Roman bath style swimming pool.

The rooms had an antique feel to them too and we had the biggest bed I've ever slept in. We relaxed in the room for a while before heading up to the hotel roof terrace to take in the views then down to the poolside bar. For dinner we met up with the rest of the group and enjoyed a very nice meal altogether. After dinner we headed out although everywhere was pretty quiet we had a few drinks in the Teatro CafeTomas and a nice bar set in one of the cities oldest buildings El Palatino for surprisingly our only music free night since arriving in Cuba.

After a good nights sleep and a tasty breakfast we loaded up the coach and headed off for the second part of our holiday in Varadero.

Trinidad

My first impressions as we pulled in to Trinidad were not good - I couldn't imagine spending two nights there - fortunately my first impression was very wrong! I was amazed that the Iberostar Grand Hotel that we checked into was in line with the Nacional plus it was right in the middle of the town.

We liked everything about the hotel from the welcome cocktail to the pool room, which had Internet, which although was the slowest I'd ever seen pleased Chelsea, although, I did laugh when Facebook presumed her account was being hacked! Chelsea had to go through a laborious identification process of identifying pictures of her friends, waiting an age for each one to load - she did finally get in though to check her messages and make some updates).

That night we had dinner in the hotel which was sensational - the whole meal was top class with the selection of starters and the main course of Steak. After dinner we rather apprehensively stepped out into the streets to try and find the main square but we quickly learned that we need not have worried as everyone was friendly and pretty soon we could follow the music. We had heard from Alberto that every night different bands play for free in the main square - you could just sit on the steps and listen if you wanted to but it seemed a shame not to sit in one of the surrounding bars and have a Cuba Libre!

We didn't stay out too late as we were all tired we got Chelsea up to bed before a couple of drinks down in the hotel bar.

Next morning after breakfast which was also first rate we met Alberto and headed out to the Valle de los Ingenios - a Unesco heritage site it is a picturesque valley filled with the ruins of old sugar mills. Our first stop was la Manaca Iznaga a mansion house overshadowed by a huge 44m tower used by the plantation owner to keep watch on his slaves. We climbed the tower for some great views an had a look around the house. At the back of the house we saw a device used to press the sugar cane and extract the juice.

Back on the bus we headed to a look out point and true to form there was a bar with a complementary cocktail - the view was fantastic and we watched a steam train head across the valley below.

We headed back into Trinidad for a city tour. Seeing the place by day was like stepping back in time seeing people riding around on donkeys and horse and cart. We called in at a bar Taberna La Canchachara where we tried the cocktail of the same name made from rum, honey, lemon and water. Alberto showed us around the place and even took us into a colonial house owned by his friends which I thought was a nice touch. We then had some time to explore before lunch so we checked out the local markets - we were impressed by the ingenuity as the crafts people had used all sorts of things to make jewellery and toys - there were toys made out of tin cans and bags made of ring pulls - Jen bought herself a bracelet made from a fork! We also called in for a drink in a patio bar called Palenque de los Congos Reales - this had rumba drums and Africa dancing.

After a self service lunch we were free to wander around a bit more but it was a hot day so we found another bar in the shade Casa de la Trova (a type of Cuban music) - we felt a bit bad walking in here as it was obviously siesta time - we were the only customers but the staff and band all woke up to serve us and played us a few songs. After that we headed back to the hotel.







That night after another nice dinner we headed out but as it was a Sunday there was not much open except Casa de la Trova so we headed back there for some more beers and music.

We left Trinidad next day to head to Cienfuegos the next stop on our tour.

Havana to Trinidad

I was sorry to leave Havana - it's a great city and I certainly felt there was a lot more to see and do and I would like to go back one day. Next day we had an early start with lots of travelling - we left Havana and headed for Trinidad via Santa Clara.

Our first stop in Santa Clara was El Monumento Che Guevara - basically a monument, mausoleum and museum of Che Guevara. Che is burried under the monument and you are led through the tomb where he is buried with 17 others killed in a failed revolutionary attempt in Bolivia, past an eternal flame and into the museum which tells his life story with pictures and various artefacts.

From here we headed into Santa Clara town where we stopped for a coffee and ice cream after looking around the square. Following this Alberto walked us down to La Toma Del Tren Blindado where on December 29 1958 Che Guevara and his men derailed a military train with a bulldozer and some Molotov cocktails - it was said to be the battle which signalled the end to Batista's rule and allowed Castro to take power. We looked around the boxcar museum then got back on the bus to go to lunch at a place called Villa la Granjita, which is part of a nice holiday park that is popular with the Cubans. After lunch we continued our journey to Trinidad.

Havana Tour Part 2

Still trying to adjust to the time difference we were all awake early and up for breakfast before we jumped on the bus to start day 2 of our tour.

First stop of the day was the Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagas (cigar factory) one of the oldest and most famous cigar factories in Havana founded in 1845 by Jamie Partagas. The building facade was pretty interesting - inside we met our guide who walked us through the various stages of cigar making from the arrival of the leaves to the pressing and rolling. We saw a school were would be cigar makers are trained but learned that only a few make it through the tough training. We were told that different blends of leaves are selected by the master cigar maker to make up the different cigars, however the workers never learn which combination make up which brand. The factory was a bit of a rabit warren of stairs but interesting enough. The workers are allowed to take home the rejected cigars (which I guess is where some of the on street sales take place) and they are also allowed to smoke whilst they are working. We learned that someone reads the newspaper to them as they work and in the afternoon they are read a novel. The last bit of the tour showed us the colour and size sorting (although colour has nothing to do with quality apparently) and all the other quality checks including a smoking machine which ensures that the cigars aren't too tight and enough air could pass through. We were shown down to the shop and got a glimpse of the VIP smoking area with leather bound armchairs - we didn't buy anything here as Alberto had told us it would be cheaper to buy things at our next stop.

Our next stop was a rum factory where we saw Legendario rum being bottled. Whilst we waited for an English speaking guide to talk to us about rum and cigars our driver Ivan called us into the coffee bar - the coffee was great but the barista also heated up some of the rum and dimmed the lights to pour "molten" rum into the cups - it was great. Next we got a guide who talked us through the rums and cigars.

I picked up some Cohiba Siglo VI which the guide at the cigar factory had said he smoked himself. They were dirt cheap and I was surprised when I came back and checked the price on-line:

http://www.thecigarsmoker.com/cohiba-siglo-tubo-single-cigar-p-1356.html

Next we headed out of town to Hemingway's house situated in San Francisco de Paula. It was a strange place basically it was left practically untouched since Hemingway left in 1888. You can't go inside but instead look in to the various rooms through a series of open doors and windows. The house was full of books and hunting trophies. We climbed a tower for a view around the place before walking around the gardens where we saw a dog cemetery and his fishing boat El Pilar. We also saw the pool where Ava Gardner supposedly swam naked. The house was worth a look but starting to look a bit shabby and the pool could have been better maintained as it was empty and had missing tiles. We learned that the Hemingway Society in the US wanted to send over money to help with the preservation but this was blocked by the US government. We ended the visit with a beer on the patio - Cuba only has 2 beers Cristal and Bucanero.

After the visit we headed back into Havana for lunch, but of course had time for another drink this time in Hotel Ambos Mundos - the hotel Hemingway stayed in where he supposedly wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls. We checked out the lobby bar where there was a classical pianist playing.

We had lunch in Santa Angel which was OK there was a young group of musicians playing. After lunch we had our own time to look around Havana. Our first stop was el Museo del Chocolate (Chocolate museum) which I thought Jen and Chelsea would like - you could see them making chocolate - Jen had a drinking chocolate which was Spanish style really thick melted chocolate, I had a chocolate milk and Chelsea ordered herself a box of chocolates.

Then for a bit of culture and history (before a pub crawl) we headed over to the Museum of the Revolution. This was a very impressive building which used to be the presidential palace, in fact it was attacked by revolutionaries and bullet holes can still be seen in some of the walls. The inside was pretty interesting too especially the Salon de Espejos (room of mirrors) which was designed by Tiffany of New York and the presidential chambers. There was a lot of weapons and blood stained uniforms on display. Outside we saw various military transport including a tank used during the battle of the bay of pigs and with its own armed guard displayed in a large glass enclosure the boat the Granma which Castro and Guevara arrived on from Mexico to start the revolution.

From there we ducked into the Bacardi Building but could only see the lobby as the tower was closed. Our next stop was El Floridita - allegedly the bar where the daiquiri was invented there is a huge life-size sculpture of Hemmingway propping up the bar - it was very touristy but worth a look even if the drinks were a bit pricey.

For our next stop we went back to the Hotel Ambos Mundos this time checking out the roof terrace bar which had sensational views of the city.

After that we headed down the busy Obispo street to find the Lluvia de Oro a busy bar with yet another live band. From here we went on to Taberna de la Muralla the brewery pub this time we sat outside and had a beer and Hamburger.

Our final stop after a bit of a detour (I got us lost - although we got to see a really non touristy part of the city) was la bodeguita del Medio - yet another Hemingway bar and probably the most famous in Havana. The walls are covered with signatures of the many famous (and not so famous) people who'd visited. The small downstairs bar was packed so we headed upstairs to sample the Mojitos before heading back to the hotel.

That evening we checked out the Winston Churchill cigar bar before heading over to the Parisien cabaret which was worth a look but not really our cup of tea - the place was packed and the dancers pranced around the room as well as on stage but we decided not to stay until the end and instead headed down to the cinema corner where we had a pizza before Chelsea headed to bed and Jen and I went for our nightly night cap out on the terrace ending our last night in Havana.

Havana tour Part 1

The tour started by bus taking us to revolution square. It's a very large square were one million Cubans gathered to see the pope. Towering over the square is the Jose Marti memorial. The square has the iconic image of Che Guevara on the Ministry of Interal affairs with the phrase Hasta la Victoria Siempre (Always toward victory) which you see throughout Cuba.

From there we headed up to El Parque Historico Militar Morro-Cabaňa or El Morro a fort built in 1589 to protect the entrance to the harbour from pirates and other invaders. We learned that the fort had withstood many attacks but was finally captured by the British in 1762 after a 44 day siege. From the fort we had dramatic views of the city and harbour all the way back along to our hotel. There was also a collection of artists there and a small market with friendly but not pushy sellers.

From the fort we headed back down into the city to central Havana where we parked up in front of the Capitolo Nacional (the Capital building, similar to, but larger than the US Capital building in Washington) to get our first taste of the hustle and bustle of the city. We did get hassled a little bit here but. The architecture of the Capitolo and surrounding buildings was stunning but much like the rest of the city there was a lot of decay and neglect which I understand is due to lack of funds. We also saw a lot more of the old 1950s American cars that Havana is famous for. We went to buy water which was a bit of a chore as we had to work out the locals queuing system who were using the same shop to spend there rations. We were amazed at the price difference here compared to the hotel. It was one of the few places where we were hassled purely for money but I did help out an old lady who assured me she would be buying milk for her grandchildren.

From here we got back on the bus and headed to Habana Vieja (the old town). The central part of Havana is pretty compact and you could walk around quite easily.

In the old town we parked up next to an area where they were working on on uncovering parts of the historic wall which used to surround the old town. From there we headed to the first of the 4 main squares in the city - the cathedral square which was very impressive. We were laughing at the two old ladies dressed in traditional costumes but heavily made up where they would sell kisses and a photo - I think that's what I liked about Havana and Cuba in general were the innovative ways the locals made money from the tourists. After spending time looking around the Catedral de San Cristobal we were led through the old streets and squares where we stopped to watch some impressive street performers. We called into el Museo de la Farmacia Habanera - a very impressive old chemist shop with lots of old jars and a skeleton in a case.

Before lunch we walked down to Plaza de San Francisco de Asis and Plaza Vieja where we stopped for a beer in the Taberna de la Muralla a micro brewery. We had lunch in a restaurant called el Meson de la Flota accompanied by a Flamenco show and of course another beer.

After lunch we walked the Plaza de Armas. We were told that part of the road was wooden but made to look like stone - the reason being that the governor didn't want the noise of his parading troops to interrupt his siesta! The square which is lined with palm trees has a statue of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes Cubas first revolutionary freedom fighter. Also taking up a large area of the square was the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales built on the site of Havanas first church as well as el Castillo de la Real Fuerza the oldest existing fort in the Americas. There was also a book fair going on.

With the jet lag kicking in we headed back to our hotel. I didn't fancy a siesta but I did want to find out more about the hotel so I went down to find one of the free daily tours. I was the only person on the tour so I got a personal tour of the hotel by the resident historian. She showed me around the hotel and it's link to the Mafia. The hotel was built in 1930 as a copy of a hotel in Florida. In 1946 the hotel hosted the largest ever meeting of the American Mafia outside of the US. Mobsters Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano set up the meeting under the guise of a frank Sinatra concert. They still show off the Mafia suites and although all the roulette and gaming tables have gone you can see what was the casino. One really surprising feature of the hotel were the tunnels and Tagana Cave, fortifications and gun batteries used during the Cuban Missile crisis - you can still see boxes of soviet ammunition as well as a piece of a U2 American spy plane shot down over Havana. I also saw the Santa Clara battery a canon which had been used to cover the harbour from the opposite side of to the fort we had visited earlier in the day. The tour ended in a bar which we had totally missed Bar Vista al Golfo which included pictures of all the famous people who had visited the hotel including a surprising number of American celebrities who had visited unofficially.

When the tour ended I collected Jen and Chelsea to show them the new bar before we took a taxi back into central Havana for our evening meal and Buena Vista Social club 50s night concert. The concert was held in the Bacardi Rum museum and we arrived early so checked out a bar next door called Dos Hermanos. It was a nice but but pretty quiet so the resident musicians came right up to our table to give us a personal performance.

We headed next door for our meal and concert and received our complimentary cocktail and took our seats. Chelsea's eyes lit up as they gave her a Mojito but one sip and it was quickly handed over! The meal was OK but overpriced - you could have just come for a drink and the concert which in hindsight we should have done however the concert was excellent. A lot of the musicians and performers were very old however it was amazing how much energy they had and the music they could produce. As well as the musicians their were dancers in 50s costumes and everyone was invited up to dance - all in all an excellent day and night.

We left the concert feeling merry and I negotiated a good price back to the hotel in a dodgy looking taxi before having a nightcap out on the terrace bar.