Cuba Travel Guide:
Take
Spanish lessons and visit Cuba, before its too late! by
Roger Johnson
The
Highly Thought Of Cuba Resort Cavo Coco For A Last Minute Cuba Vacation
by Jeff Cowan
Take
Spanish lessons and visit Cuba, before its too late! by Roger
Johnson
Cuba...the very name produces
images of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, vintage Cadillacs, Spanish colonial
architecture and beautiful beaches! In reality, it is all of these
things...and much, much more.
Cuba
is the largest island in the Caibbean, some 750 miles in length and is
the worlds 16th largest. The Republic also includes some smaller
islands, the largest of which is the Isle of Youth. The notorious
Guantanamo Bay has been leased to the USA since 1903.
Cuba
was a Spanish possession for 388 years but after long, protracted wars of
independence and with the help of the USA, it finally gained full
independence in 1902.
Fidel
Castro and Che Guevara overthrew the former corrupt regime, which was in
large part financed by the American Mafia. The revolution of 1959
saw Castro installed as Cuba's President, which makes him now one of the
world's longest serving.
Since
the Revolution,very little has changed in Cuba. That is what makes
it such an interesting place to visit and why you should try to get there
sooner, rather than later.
Many
beautiful Spanish Colonial buildings have survived and they can be found
all over the island. Many have been restored and are colourful
reminders of the past.
Cuba
is famed for its music and it can be heard everywhere you go. Jazz
and Salsa are played in the smallest villages and in the largest towns.
Cuba
has pristine beaches, mountains, lush tropical vegetation and friendly
welcoming people.
In the
countryside it is still possible to see sugar cane harvested with
machetes, ploughs pulled by oxen and hedges made of cactus.The little
fincas (farms) grow sugar cane,sweetcorn,tobacco and a large variety of
fruits.
Things
will rapidly change. As the health of Castro deteriorates, so will
his his influence. The necessity to adhere to his form of socialism
will no longer prevail. The Cuba in the books of Ernest Hemingway and
Graham Greene survives. But for how much longer?
As
with almost all Spanish speaking destinations,a knowledge of the
language, however small, will be a real help and will really enhance your
experience.
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About
the Author - Roger Johnson speaks English and Spanish and has a Colombian
wife. For more information visit www.blueskyspanish.com
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The
Highly Thought Of Cuba Resort Cavo Coco For A Last Minute Cuba
Vacation by Jeff Cowan
Cayo Coco is a small island
linked to Cuba by a 17 km man made road over the sea. The hotel is an
adult only all inclusive hotel, at the far end of a long beach, so is not
as busy.
We
travelled with Thomas Cook, and are very glad we paid extra for Premier
Class Seats, and we landed at Jardines Del Ray, and it only took about
ten minutes to get to the resort. We changed money at the airport, but it
would have been better to have done this at the resort.
Champagne
and a cool flannel greeted us at the resort, and check in was quick and
efficient. We had a Lagoon Room on the ground floor, a large balcony,
chairs, sunloungers facing east so we got a great view of the sunrise.
Also being over the lagoon we could feed the fish.
We
liked the beach, even if it was a bit narrow, plenty of sunbeds and
palapas. The sea was very clean and crystal clear, warm, and full of
friendly tame fish. There is a beach bar, a watersports and diving
centre, and to be truthful we spent most of our time on the beach, partly
because of the persistent breeze.
We did
visit the pool area, but felt it too warm, although it was a good place
to go in the mid afternoon, by which time sunbeds were not a problem.
There
are three restaurants, serving good food, the Buffet, The Italian, and
The International. Whilst the buffet got a bit repetitive, there were
stalls cooking dishes to your liking. The a la carte options in the other
restaurants were all good. We could not fault the catering at all, and
during the day there is the snack bar next to the pool, and the beach
grill were you could choose all the usual suspects, freshly cooked and
brought to the table.
One
word of caution, mosquitos - make sure you bring sprays etc, because they
are a nuisance, so Deet is an essential.
Finally,
what really made the holiday was the staff. They were happy, friendly,
helpful, and the management believe in managing by wandering about -
always a good thing.
This
may not be on the best of the Cuba vacation beaches, but Cuba resort Cavo
Coco comes from us as the top cuba vacation recommendation. We will
definitely return.
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