ah the rest and relaxation

robin and i have just returned from a sun and fun filled week in varadero, cuba. we stayed on the peninsula at the blau varadero hotel and resort. all around the hotel was excellent, the staff were friendly, the room comfortable and clean, the beach FANTASTIC and the food good but not great (as per cuba's rep.). we played beach volleyball every day but for the most part soaked up the sun on the beach, read, ate and drank mojitos. varadero has the best beach i have ever been on but it doesn't stop there. the temperature is perfect! it was hot but the constant wind off the water made everyday comfortable for laying and playing in the sun.

everything in cuba operates on two levels: the local level and the foreigner/tourist level. there are two currencies, two medical systems, two sets of restaurants/markets/bars/accomodations. the locals get paid in a currency that is 1/25 of the currency used by tourists and which can only be used for local (state-controlled) services. everything else must be bought in the tourist currency which can prove challenging given the exchange rate and the fact that if you don't work in the tourist industry you have very little access to it. our tour guide operator referred to the system as 'socialist to a point and capitalist beyond that'.

we went into varadero 'city' one afternoon and were seriously underwhelmed. as out tour book said 'there is very little of historical significance in varadero'. it was very tourist-oriented with a couple of flea/crafts markets and tons of places to eat and drink. it was a good way to ease ourselves into a more realistic view of how 'real cubans' live. it was very different from the artificially idealic images of the all inclusive zone further out the peninsula.

we also went on an all day trip to havana which is located about 2 hours from varadero. en route we stopped roadside for the best pina colada i've ever had (you add the rum yourself, as much or as much more as you want!) and some photo ops. we did a walking tour of old havana, drove from monument to monument, ate lunch, some more monuments, havana city museum, free time in the flea market (hot!), dinner and shower at a local hotel and the world famous tropicana show. by far the show was the highlight of the day. held in an outdoor auditorium surrounded by trees and thick vegetation the dancing and acrobatics far exceeded my expectations.

i had a hard time coming to terms with havana where the disparity between the locals and foreigners/tourists was even more apparent. while they have done a spectacular job of restoring pockets of the city it served more to highlight the other buildings some of which were in terrible condition often right next door. to the credit of the country and the government nowhere were there signs of the abject poverty that i have seen in other similar tropical destinations. i was impressed by the pride of the people with whom i spoke. they are very quick to point out the achievements of their country. overall the city was amazing and the people there were very friendly but not pushy or sketchy although we were obviously tourists.

all things considered we had a great vacation and it was just what the doctor ordered (literally!).

pictures to follow.