(With apologies for any typos or formatting errors; typed and uploaded very quickly.)
So, Cuba.
This was my first real "get away and do nothing" vacation. I went with my mom and sister to an all-inclusive resort for seven days in Varadero, Cuba. We stayed at Breezes Bella Costa and used Nolitours by AirTransat as our travel agents. The main goal was an exercise in relaxation i.e. seriously do nothing. It was just us girls, a villa suite, and seven days on the beach. At first I thought I would be bored (I brought no less than seven books) but between the offered excursions and the ridiculous amount of food and drink I consumed -- not to mention working on my wicked tan -- I can't say I really saw the time.
So! As I mentioned, we used Nolitours, which we selected with iTravel. Included in our package for $820 was the following:
... I think that's it? As for the weather, it was beautiful all week, save for one overcast day. The sky was so clear, the water so blue. You know those postcards that look so perfectly crystalline and blue they almost look photoshopped? Cuba really looks like that.
Arrival highlights: After complaining about how cold it was in Canada, we jokingly whined about how hot it was in Cuba as soon as we stepped off the plane.
When I started writing these notes in my Moleskine, two little birds were hanging out on our patio. Mom took to bringing bread back from the buffet to feed them, and depending on the day they would either swoop in when we weren't looking, or venture almost close enough to touch.
The staff at the Bella Costa was fabulous and efficient, from our check-in lady to our porter (Pablo!) to our frequent waitress Melissa, and everyone in between.
Also, given this was a vacation of firsts, I made it a personal goal to consciously get a little tan. (I am -- was, anyway -- almost impervious to tanning, and I wanted one just this once.)
PICTURES
This is the whole trip's album. For someone who didn't do much all week, I managed to take ~350+ pics. There were some videos, too, but I haven't uploaded them yet. ♥
(I am not finished tagging/annotating the pics yet.)
( Sunday )
( Monday )
( Tuesday )
( Wednesday )
( Thursday )
( Friday )
( Saturday )
SUNDAY
- goodbye, Cuba! Thanks for everything, and see you again~
As for the trip home ... well, first there was a baggage carousel breakdown at YUL, so our plane was late arriving. So we were 20mins late at take-off, but no big deal. So we land in Montreal, and are told that another plane is still at the gate so we can't taxi in. So we wait, and wait, and finally get another gate. Once we get off the plane, it turns out the line to go downstairs and queue for Customs is this massive, bottlenecked mass of people just filling the corridor to the brim. We were there forever, and by the time we cleared Customs and got our bags, we were ~2hrs behind schedule. Ugh.
Once I was home, S and I went out for dinner and then to Starbucks. XD
Cuba Quirks:
- the nylons, again, deserve special mention because they are EVERYWHERE
- frequent absence of toilet seats in public restrooms. I mean, you don't actually put your ass on them, anyway, but it just makes a toilet look more presentable, you know?
- usual absence of toilet paper in public restrooms. Unlike Japan, where advertisers hand out packets of tissue on the streets you can hoard if you need it, in Cuba there are washroom attendants offering a measly four squares or so and want tips for doing so (bear in mind this is not the quality of asswipe from home or even your hotel.) Fortunately we were aware of this and brought our own from the hotel.
- tipping, tipping, tipping. An all-inclusive resort, yes, but you tip for this, you tip for that -- you tip your tour guides and bus drivers, tip your housekeeping crew, tip the bartenders, tip the asswipe lady, tip the muscians, etc. Mind, you don't have to, necessarily, but while my family may be a lot of things, we are not cheap-ass non-tipping heathens.
Food:
- absolutely delicious, and something for everyone! They also really like cumin, which worked out well because so do I.
Drinks:
- did not drink nearly as much as I thought I would, probably b/c even though they were free, I had to get up and get them. But got good and buzzed a couple of times!
Music:
- lots of great music, great dancing. Cuba may be poor in strictly material means, but it is rich in culture and general joie de vivre.
Cons:
- the only real con I can think of was that our room could have used some updated a/c. It was all right (except one exceptionally hot morning) once you got in and settled down for a bit, but on the days where the temperature hit 40 it was quite warm.
Books Read:
- Shipwrecks
- On the Road (the original scroll version)
Movies "Watched":
- Moneyball (plane)
- Real Steel (plane)
- How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (in the salon)
So, Cuba.
This was my first real "get away and do nothing" vacation. I went with my mom and sister to an all-inclusive resort for seven days in Varadero, Cuba. We stayed at Breezes Bella Costa and used Nolitours by AirTransat as our travel agents. The main goal was an exercise in relaxation i.e. seriously do nothing. It was just us girls, a villa suite, and seven days on the beach. At first I thought I would be bored (I brought no less than seven books) but between the offered excursions and the ridiculous amount of food and drink I consumed -- not to mention working on my wicked tan -- I can't say I really saw the time.
So! As I mentioned, we used Nolitours, which we selected with iTravel. Included in our package for $820 was the following:
- charter flights & applicable taxes
- shuttle service to/from airport w/ tour guide on the way
- separate check-in queue
- 7 nights in a suite in the villa
- welcome cocktail upon arrival
- complimentary bottle of Havana Club rum
- 3 cigars (one for each guest)
- all food and drinks (meals, snacks, coffee, etc.)
- all non-motorized water sports
- 3 a la carte restaurants
- private section of the beach
- nightly entertainment
... I think that's it? As for the weather, it was beautiful all week, save for one overcast day. The sky was so clear, the water so blue. You know those postcards that look so perfectly crystalline and blue they almost look photoshopped? Cuba really looks like that.
Arrival highlights: After complaining about how cold it was in Canada, we jokingly whined about how hot it was in Cuba as soon as we stepped off the plane.
When I started writing these notes in my Moleskine, two little birds were hanging out on our patio. Mom took to bringing bread back from the buffet to feed them, and depending on the day they would either swoop in when we weren't looking, or venture almost close enough to touch.
The staff at the Bella Costa was fabulous and efficient, from our check-in lady to our porter (Pablo!) to our frequent waitress Melissa, and everyone in between.
Also, given this was a vacation of firsts, I made it a personal goal to consciously get a little tan. (I am -- was, anyway -- almost impervious to tanning, and I wanted one just this once.)
PICTURES
This is the whole trip's album. For someone who didn't do much all week, I managed to take ~350+ pics. There were some videos, too, but I haven't uploaded them yet. ♥
(I am not finished tagging/annotating the pics yet.)
( Sunday )
( Monday )
( Tuesday )
( Wednesday )
( Thursday )
( Friday )
( Saturday )
SUNDAY
- goodbye, Cuba! Thanks for everything, and see you again~
As for the trip home ... well, first there was a baggage carousel breakdown at YUL, so our plane was late arriving. So we were 20mins late at take-off, but no big deal. So we land in Montreal, and are told that another plane is still at the gate so we can't taxi in. So we wait, and wait, and finally get another gate. Once we get off the plane, it turns out the line to go downstairs and queue for Customs is this massive, bottlenecked mass of people just filling the corridor to the brim. We were there forever, and by the time we cleared Customs and got our bags, we were ~2hrs behind schedule. Ugh.
Once I was home, S and I went out for dinner and then to Starbucks. XD
Cuba Quirks:
- the nylons, again, deserve special mention because they are EVERYWHERE
- frequent absence of toilet seats in public restrooms. I mean, you don't actually put your ass on them, anyway, but it just makes a toilet look more presentable, you know?
- usual absence of toilet paper in public restrooms. Unlike Japan, where advertisers hand out packets of tissue on the streets you can hoard if you need it, in Cuba there are washroom attendants offering a measly four squares or so and want tips for doing so (bear in mind this is not the quality of asswipe from home or even your hotel.) Fortunately we were aware of this and brought our own from the hotel.
- tipping, tipping, tipping. An all-inclusive resort, yes, but you tip for this, you tip for that -- you tip your tour guides and bus drivers, tip your housekeeping crew, tip the bartenders, tip the asswipe lady, tip the muscians, etc. Mind, you don't have to, necessarily, but while my family may be a lot of things, we are not cheap-ass non-tipping heathens.
Food:
- absolutely delicious, and something for everyone! They also really like cumin, which worked out well because so do I.
Drinks:
- did not drink nearly as much as I thought I would, probably b/c even though they were free, I had to get up and get them. But got good and buzzed a couple of times!
Music:
- lots of great music, great dancing. Cuba may be poor in strictly material means, but it is rich in culture and general joie de vivre.
Cons:
- the only real con I can think of was that our room could have used some updated a/c. It was all right (except one exceptionally hot morning) once you got in and settled down for a bit, but on the days where the temperature hit 40 it was quite warm.
Books Read:
- Shipwrecks
- On the Road (the original scroll version)
Movies "Watched":
- Moneyball (plane)
- Real Steel (plane)
- How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (in the salon)
