..:: Pieces of Mandy ::..

The vacation is over and I really feel like Seb and I not only relaxed during this week, we learned a lot too. I mean, it was great to stay in the resort and everything but I think we were a bit more adventurous with this vacation - being our first one - and decided to see what Cuba was really like.

First, when we got to Cuba, it was absolutely gorgeous. The palm trees were swaying, the air was hot and the sky was clear. We got to the airport and already, the lady sitting beside me could not stop moving, she was practically jumping out of her seat. We got off the plane and got our luggage with ease...got to the resort via shuttle bus. At first, Seb and I were scared because we were the only ones getting off at that resort. We were confused because the resort had lost the "R" from Palma Real and only read "Palma eal" when we arrived (they quickly got that fixed the next day). We thought to ourselves, "What kind of ghetto resort is this!?" But it turned out to be quite nice on the inside with a lot of open space and beautiful pools.

Our room was painted in this orange/fuschia colour which kept us happy. We didn't get the King bed we wanted but thought the two double beds would be fine - considering it would be bigger. We had an awesome view of the back of the hotel and the ocean. Every room at this hotel had a balcony...Our room was #3215 and located in the private corner - we didn't have anyone beside us, over us, or under us. Talk about privacy.. it was wonderful!

The first night there, I realized I had forgotten my contact solution at home and basically dragged Seb out of bed at midnight and we walked the Cuban streets looking for the international medical clinic. They told us that it was Sunday night and nothing would be opened.

So on Sunday, we roamed the streets of Cuba some more and took a long walk down first avenue (1a Avenue). We walked all along the strip and stopped by some gift shops and just got a feel for the local Varadero neighbourhood. Went to the beach and relaxed.
On Monday, we decided to rent a scooter and go around Varadero. We hadn't planned on going from one end to the other but Seb was having too much fun riding the scooter. It pushed 50KM/hr at most but it was sooo fun. First we drove down to the end of Varadero where the marina was and where they were building all the new resorts. Then we drove to the local Plaza America to get some contact solution for me (it cost me $15US for a bottle!). The mall was beautiful. Once again, everything existed in open space... hardly any rooftops and a huge-ass garden in the centre of the mall. It was quite the site. The back of the mall actually led right out into the beach!

When we got back to the resort, we had another hour with the scooter so Seb decided we should take it down first avenue again and go through some side streets to check out some of the homes and local stores. It was quite nice considering we didn't know where we were going or how far we would actually travel!

On Tuesday, we had planned for our Sun Cruise. This was a day filled with lots of fun and adventure. First, we got up at 8:25 to catch the bus that would drive us to the marina at the end of Varadero. We got on this beautiful catamaran that was immaculate because the captain told everybody to take off their shoes. It was an open bar ALL day and Seb and I managed to get a seat on the mesh of the boat so we got an awesome view of the ocean the entire time. We were so busy having fun and drinking that we didn't even realize it was only 10AM!

The catamaran travelled for about an hour and then stopped over a reef in the middle of the ocean. We had stopped to go snorkeling!! I was scared cuz I can't swim - but that's nothing two life belts can't fix! It was absolutely gorgeous - we saw tons of fish and coral reefs..it was just beautiful.

After the snorkeling, we went to this deserted area in the ocean and discovered that it was where we would swim with dolphins. They were the most affectionate animals ever...I got in, once again, with the life-belt and hung on for dear life to Seb.

When we got back onto the boat, the catamaran sailed towards an island called Cayo Blanco where we feasted on lobster and shrimp (with a side of rice and french fries!). Cayo Blanco has some of the finest sand that I have ever laid foot on - it was so fine that it felt like chalk underneath my feet. We were alloted about an hour and a half of beach time. Seb and I hung out in the shade hut and drank beer.. it was great. :)

On Wednesday, we hung out by the pool and played cards. Then we read and just relaxed. We had booked a time for the Chinese restaurant at the resort so we got all dressed up and went for dinner. The food wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. I was telling Seb I should have gone back to the kitchen and shown them a few things...but instead, we went to the buffet and had dinner number 2. At night, we went to check out the entertainment at the resort...which consisted of a number of funny acts that were pretty impressive...

I was really excited about Thursday because we had planned our Havana trip. Our World of Vacations representative (Tanya) told us that if we really wanted to see what cuba looks like, we should head to Havana...because Varadero is mainly a tourist city. So instead of booking a tour with the hotel, Seb and I decided to be a bit more adventurous and we asked the towel girl (Gabby) to recommend a friend who could take us around the city. She found us a taxi driver named (Jourley) and his uncle (Dias). We were supposed to be a group of four but the other couple cancelled last minute so Seb and I basically had a whole car to ourselves for a private tour. It was great because the taxi drivers took us through the scenic route to Havana and showed us the beautiful countryside. we went through the cities and when we finally reached Havana, they dropped us off and told us to meet back at the park in 1.5 hrs. It was great because we got to explore the city on our own. Jourley introduced us to his friend who sold us our cheap cigars. It was kind of scary for me because he led us into this house where he kept locking the doors after we passed them. We enter this tiny little room where there is a guy guarding the door and we managed to bargain with him. He sold us 25 cigarilles for 40 bucks. And they're COHIBAS!

Old Havana was gorgeous - we saw the Capitolo building, the Cigar Factory and ventured into the Museum of Revolution where we read a lot about Che Guavara,the infamous revolutionist who fought with the likes of Fidel Castro. After Old Havana, the taxi drivers took us to a traditional Cuban restaurant where Seb had the lobster in cuban sauce and I had smoked pork chop - both served with rice, salad, and sweet potatoes. Yummy! They took us around New Havana and we saw all the famous sites via the taxi-ride. Then they dropped us off at the market (which is only available wed-fri) and we spent and hour there buying souvenirs.
After Havana, we drove back to Varadero (it's a 2 hour ride). Seb and I were both exhausted. I think we both passed out at about 9:30 or so that night.

Friday was beautiful. Seb was a bit dehydrated from the 8-hr trip before so we hung out at the beach and tired some of the non-motorized sports. Seb and I took the paddle boat out in the waters where I "briefly" tanned topless. hahaha! We had a dinner date that night at the BBQ Cuban restaurant at the resort. We slept early because we knew we'd have to get up early for our flight in the morning.

Saturday was the flight home. We were happy to be returning to Canada... it was quite the adventure we had together in Cuba. We missed the lights, the clean streets, the air that was free of diesel fumes...Seb was cute - as soon as we reached Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and saw the Toronto lights at night... he had the biggest smile on his face. It's nice to be home but we're missing the summer breeze...