Cuba Nov 2022: First Time at All-Inclusive

 After many amazing adventures in 2022 I had hopes for one more to finish the year off. Some of my ideas led me towards Morocco or Jordan. There was a tour with G Adventures for Jordan that had piqued my interest. Unfourtunetly I did not get the vacation neccesary for the tour I wanted but still had some time to travel somewhere in late November. I found out my vacation just before leaving for Iceland in late September, so I decided to look into November when I returned home. With having vacation confirmed so late, the flights to Jordan or Morocco were so expensive. I started looking into other options. I considered going to Cuba. There were also some cool tours through G Adventures or Intrepid. Similiar to Morocco and Jordan the flights were expensive. Last resort, I took a look at Air Canada Vacations. The prices astounded me. An all-inclusive, with flights included was so much cheaper than booking flight and tour separate. I ended up speaking to a travel agent as I knew very little about all-inclusives and ended up booking myself a week in Varadero, Cuba. I thought it may be nice to have some relaxation on my travels for once. I would try it out and if I was not a fan, I did not have to do one ever again. 

To ensure I did not miss any flights I ended up flying to Toronto the night before and stayed at the Alt hotel (which was super nice), and left the next morning for Varadero. Halifax does have direct flights to Cuba, but only during the "winter" season. So, two flights down, and two returning. I also checked my luggage for the first time in forever. Luggage was also included in the Air Canada Vactions package, so I decided to take advantage of it. 

It felt so weird leading up to this trip and even on the way there. I am so used to booking and figuring everything out myself on my solo travels. Not having to worry about anything almost made me worry more. I felt like I was missing something. Such a bizarre feeling. But, everything was smooth sailing. Flights were a bit delayed (but when are they not), and in Cuba I went through customs smoothly and found an Air Canada representive waiting for me to instuct on which bus to take to drive me to my resort. 

On the way to the resort I learned that the currency situation was a bit confusing since the pandemic. They advised us to only convert to a few cuban pesos, as if you did not spend all of the money it could not be converted back. The guide on the bus also mentioned it would be a help to them if we converted American or Canadian currencies with them, as to buy certain products at stores they had to use a credit type of card that had to be pre loaded and had to be in a "strong" currency such as, Canadian, American, Euros. The peculiar part is that Cubans are paid in pesos, so in order to buy from certain stores they have to trade currencies with travelers. Very confusing! Anyways, I ended up converting $20 Canadian. 

At the resort: Grand Memories Varadero, and after check in, I was driven in a golf cart type vehicle around the resort on a short tour and dropped off at my room and had my luggage brought up to my room for me. Again, another odd feeling for me, when I am used to doing everything myself on my travels. The room was quite nice. Two beds, TV, two chairs, and a nice view outside. The next day I would meet with an agent to look into booking excursions. For the rest of the day I went to the beach to explore. The white sand and turquoise water was so beautiful. There are many similarly beautiful beaches back home in Nova Scotia (especially on the South Shore), but the main difference here was that the water did not make my limbs go numb! After taking in the atmosphere I ventured to the buffet to have my first meal. Then returned to my room to rest and read after a busy day of travel.

Since there were days where I did not go off resort, and it would be boring to have relay identical days, I will write about my excursions and one of my rest days. The day after I arrived I was able to purchase my excursions from the Air Canada Vaction agent. I did three excursions; Cave tour, Seatour, and day tour into Havana.

My first excursion was the cave tour. This is one I suspected/hoped would be available based on the brief research I did before arriving. I was picked up from my resort and after picking up other passengers we were on the way. It was strange. For the first time in my life (that I can remember), I was driven around on actual tour bus. Usually I would go on smaller group tours and go on smaller vehicles. Before reaching the first cave, we drove through Mantanzas City. I got my first quick glimpse of cities in Cuba.

The first of two caves we visited was the Cuevas de Bellamar. This cave goes down 26 meters, and is around 300,000 years old. We walked about 750 meters into the cave. It goes much further but the cave narrows and becomes too treacherous to continue. From the building we walked in, they had stairs that led us deep into the cave. It was well lit the entire way and we had a guide walk us through. The beige crystalline look of the cave was so cool to see. Water dripped from the roof and led into icicle looking pieces of the cave. Because of this water we were advised to watch our steps as it could be slippery at times. Near the end of our 750 meteres we came to a small underground lake. I did not find any bats, but I really enjoyed exploring this cave, nonetheless. I do not think I have been in a cave since my trip to Laos back in 2014.

After a quick complimentary drink of Fanta, we continued on to the second and last cave of the tour: Cueva de Saturno. This one was really cool. After walking down steps through a short section of lush forest terrain, I came to the mouth of the cave. At the bottom of the opening there was a large pool of water that we could swim in. The guide said it was fresh water, but was too cold for locals to swim in. In some areas, it went down 10 meters. After experencing 30 degree heat it was nice to cool off in cave covered water. This marked the end of the tour and I was back to my resort by 1245.

For my second excursion I went on the Seatour. Again, picked up at the resort. I arrived at the port to switch to the boat by 1000. On the boat ride we listened to music while they provided complimentary drinks. I had some cola as I do not drink alcohol. I had read that the cola in Cuba was really good as it was made from sugar cane. I would say I agree. I really liked the taste. Definetely better than Coke, though I think I still prefer Pepsi. We saw some dolphins along the way which is always really fun. They are such a fun animal to watch. I also saw some when I went on a similar boat ride in Costa Rica. At the snorkeling spot we were given our gear and were let loose. The water was beautiful and almost a sea-green colour. The water was not quite as clear as I had hoped but it was still cool to swim around and see the sealife. I brought my gopro and was able to take some photos this time around. After the snorkel we were brought to an island called; Cayo Blancos, were we were given a meal and given time to relax on the white sand beach. After a quick walk around I snagged a beachchair to relax on and read my book. 

 

So, while I enjoyed this tour, it was not my favourite. I should have known better. I had asked the agent after booking my first two, what else he recommended. I had thought after booking a cave tour, and Havana, it would indicate I was an adventurous person. A "party boat" with music and drinks, and then spending an hour plus at a beach is not my cup of tea. Later I noted that one of the tours was an overnight one that explored a few different towns and went on a short hike, which sounded awesome. My own fault for not asking more questions or explaining more of what I was looking for. 

My third and final excursion took me to the capital city of Havanna. It was a two hour drive away but was one hundred percent worth it. Along the drive the tour guide told us that the city was founded in the 1500's. I also learned that Cuba used to have more trees. Back when Columbus first arrived, Cuba was 70% trees, but soon decreased to around 13%.  It was also mentioned that everyone in Cuba has a place to live and that no one is homeless. The governement subsidizes housing and that everyone is provided a minimal amount for food. Healthcare and education are also free.

Then after driving over the tallest bridge in Cuba we arrived at the Hemmingway house at around 1100. I had no idea that Ernest Hemmingway used to frequent Cuba so much that he had built his own house. He apparently used to love the hunting and sailing. It was neat to tour the property he used to live. No one is allowed inside the actual house but the doors and windows are left open for people to see inside. There is even an observatory with chairs and books that he had built to write, but as it was not the most convienent to get too he mostly wrote in the main house. 

Soon after leaving we arrived in the city of Havana. It was now lunch time so our first stop was for something to eat. I had chicken and rice, soup, followed by a dessert. I got to know a few of the fellow tour goers. Two from the UK and a girl from Canada, are who I shared a table with. She was also a solo traveller here in Cuba, so we spent the rest of the tour together. After lunch we stopped at a nearby tobacco shop, as it is a very popular product in Cuba. 

We then continued with a walking tour of the city. The architecture was really neat. The city gave off a European vibe with some smaller cobblestone roads, and seemed walker friendly. We came across a section of walkway that was built with wood. Years ago many of the roads were built this way so the horse and carriage would not be so loud. Some of the buildings and doors were quite colourful in greens, blues, yellows, and pinks. We also passed an apartment that Hemmingway stayed at times. 

After the walking tour we were driven to a hotel in the city that had a really nice rooftop view. It nearly had a 360 degree view all around, so I could see the coastal view of the water and the old fortress on one side, and the city view from the other overlooking the buildings and housing. This hotel was also super nice and had the Brazil game going on during the World Cup on a huge projector screen. I was a bit envious of the viewing at this hotel. I also decided this would be a great place for a bathroom stop. And I was right. I did not have to pay for the bathroom or for the toilet paper, the stalls went from floor to ceiling, and it flushed. Many of the bathrooms in Cuba have women who work outside them who provide paper if needed and also flush it with water if there is no plumbing. It is expected that you tip them after you leave. So yeah, this was like a luxury bathroom. 

We were then dropped off at a square and given some free time to explore the city. At this point I was thankful for befriending my fellow solo traveller. I was happy to have someone to roam around with. We ventured down streets crowded with people and shops with open door ways. I suppose, no need to keep doors closed when there isn't much rain. We walked through a small park type area before coming across a large white building which almost reminded me of the white house with the larger white pillar in the middle and shorter parts sprouting from both sides. We headed back with time to spare to ensure we did not get lost. The meeting spot was close to a tall cathedral. Easy to point out on a map. Once everyone had returned we took the bus over to the next location where we would have supper. Again, another three course meal with soup, main course of pulled pork, and dessert. The restaurant was quite nice and had live music while we ate. The location was also really pretty. We had crossed a bridge across a river and could see the main city across the water. It was dark at this point so with the city lights shining, it was a nice sight. 

Since I had purchased the premium tour, there was one last par to end the day. Also across the old harbour and up on the sea cliff lies the old fortress: Morro Castle. At one point it was the main defense for Havana. Everyday at 2100 they have a reinactment and have people dress as the guards and carry a flame up to the cannon and fire it (though not a real cannon ball). The fortress itself reminded me of Citadel Hill back home in Halifax, though much older. The inside was completely inclosed and had buildings on the inside and places to go inside the walls, along with some patches of greenery. The ceremony was cool to witness and the firing of the cannon was very loud. As soon as the cannon fired we made our way back to the bus and prepared for the long two hour journey home.

So that was my three excursions. As for the other three days, they were pretty much the same. I got up around 0700-0800. Grabbed some breakfast, sat on either the beach or by the poolside to read. At the beach some days they had a group stretch that I participated in that was fun. I would swim in both the ocean or pool at times to cool off. Then I would eat lunch, and return to either the beach or poolside. Then after supper I usually returned to my room to shower and relax in my room to again read. Near the end of the week the World Cup had started so I tried to watch games when I could. At first I watched in my room, but the last day I discovered there was a room set up to watch the games, that was decorated for the Cup. Wish I would have discovered this earlier, but oh well. 

 

All in all, I did enjoy myself. I mean, I'm in another country, how could I not enjoy it. Though I have to say I did miss the more adventurous aspects that I typically prefer. I also found that being on a resort surrounded by groups of people who came down with each other felt a bit isolating. Which was a feeling new to me on my travels. I found I felt more alone on a resort solo, than any of my other travels, including going to New York City solo, and in Frankfurt solo. For New York I kind of loved the fact I was in a city of millions with not a single person who knew me, and for Frankfurt, I was literally in country where not everyone spoke English, and still, being on a resort was more isolating. I suppose it doesn't help that I am quite introverted. So, I won't say I wouldn't do a resort again, I just think that in the future I would prefer to go with friends or family.

*As a special surprise on the way home, I was moved up to first class!