Q. I love your “Everyday People” column, it literally reminds me of the lyrics from the Sly & The Family Stone's classic “Everyday People” – “I am no better and neither are you, we’re all the same, whatever we do, You love me, you hate me. You know me and then. You can't figure out the bag I'm in”. What inspired you to start that interview project and what have you learned through these interviews with random people? Firstly, thanks so … [Read more...]
Guarida Paladar Restaurant, Havana – Cuba, March 2022
This popular restaurant is located 5 blocks in from the Bahia de la Habana (harbor) on Concordia Street. Like other restaurants in Havana, a small sign is the only notice of its existence. Or maybe you will spot someone waiting on the first floor and upon inquiry, you will be directed up stairs. There are no signs for the restaurant once you enter this ancient looking building dating from the early 1900s - like other parts of Havana entering the … [Read more...]
Impressions: Ulanbaatar, Mongolia
I landed in Ulanbaatar in the very early am. My pre-arranged ride was not waiting at airport so I found a taxi who promptly delivered me to my guest house, 20 mins to town w/o traffic. Two story guesthouse. I ended up on the second floor - frustrated because the inside door to the guesthouse was locked and it was 430am. Knocking over and over again resulted in no action from within. I began to prep a rudimentary sleeping arrangement in the … [Read more...]
Leisure Time in Vinales, Cuba
Needing the spirit and calming influence of the countryside, I left Havana pinched between the driver and an accompanying passenger in the front seat of a green 1950s Chevrolet. Beautiful from the outside but quite uncomfortable on the inside - 6 or 7 of us were crammed like sardines in a tin can. Hard seats, no air conditioning, a middle front seat on the 'hump' with no leg room whatsoever and a suspect suspension system all made for an … [Read more...]
Introduction to Havana
I learned that it takes a few days to warm to Cuba - but when you do, its alluring embrace grabs you with all it has and doesn't let go. The colorfully dressed person in front of me boarded the plane without any shoes and left the plane without any shoes. Never seen that before. Following a very quick wait in customs, I then caught a taxi to Havana for 30 CUC, the Cuban currency (the airport is about 30-45 minutes from the center of the city). … [Read more...]
Cuba Cars by Harri Morick & Rainer Floer
This colorful photo rich coffee table book on the cars of Cuba should be in the hands of any classic car enthusiast. Havana is a city known for featuring thousands of cars dating from prior to 1959. Locals continue to use these old cars (although there are newer cars are on the Cuban roads these days, it is currently prohibitively expensive to import new cars because of the high luxury tax) and perhaps a disappointment to collectors, there is a … [Read more...]
Curacao, One of my Favorite Islands in the Caribbean
Our introduction to Curaçao wasn't an awe inspiring inspirational place of stunning natural beauty (for instance a secluded white sand beach framed by a crescent shoreline and aquamarine waters). Rather it was in a rough part of Willemstad, the capital city. A friend and I found ourselves wandering around the dark streets late at night in search of food in a neighborhood near our hostel. We passed walls topped with razor sharp barbed wire - … [Read more...]
Varadero, Cuba’s Pampered Tourist Siren
It’s a beautiful resort but it’s not Cuba. More tourists are found here than Cubans. It's only a showplace for tourists", the young Cuban lady guide explained, as she began to give us an overview of Varadero. Her words, more than volumes of reporters' stories, sum up what the local Cubans think of Varadero - the country's top tourist attraction. Everything in this resort of some 20,000 inhabitants is geared toward foreign visitors who are … [Read more...]
Part Three: Sweet, Sweet Santiago de Cuba
In between our two ports of call, Havana and Santiago de Cuba, we had another day at sea. This is a great opportunity for passengers to relax and reinvigorate for the next port. We participated in an Introduction to Santiago de Cuba seminar. While I didn’t learn that much about the city, I realized there would be plenty of that the following day in Santiago de Cuba, and instead we simply got an overview of what to expect from the day ahead. … [Read more...]
Part Two: Viva Havana!
On day three of the Fathom Impact + Travel cruise on the Adonia, we excitedly woke up to peer outside our portal window and see the vibrant colors of Havana. Once the astonishment of being there finally set in, we boarded our bus and embarked on my first true introduction to the country of Cuba. Our first stop was to Cemetery Colon. The cemetery is named after Christopher Columbus, who ‘discovered’ Cuba, however he is not buried here. The … [Read more...]
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