Live in the Moment

I patiently waited until 9am and Teresa was very helpful.  She even spared me some coins in CUP for me to give her a call for bus information when I decide to return.  She also mentioned to me that a couple of young tourists have travelled to Playa Santa Lucia yesterday – I suspected them to be Frederic and Hugo.  Finally, a special service Transtur, an air-conditioned bus frequently used for bus tours arrived and Teresa informed me that it would cost CUC15.  Frederic did mention that I should not pay more than CUC10. So I told her I only have big notes to cover another CUC5. She said that she will inform the driver that I am a student so that I will only be charged CUC10. Locals normally pay CUP23, which is equivalent to CUC1.

Teresa walked me to the gate and like a mother instructed me to be very careful and refrain from speaking to anyone while in the bus.  To my surprise, I was the only tourist on board.  We had a number of stops to picking up locals on the roads.  There was a time that the bus deliberately stopped for a little boy who needed a toilet break and the kid used the front tyre of the bus as his toilet.  After that interesting break, the bus ride continued.  During the whole trip all that was lingering in my thoughts was the anticipation of a good stay and a warm dazzling beach – magical as it can be according to what I have read and heard.  Stuff like these fuels the traveller, the chance to explore and relish a piece of paradise.

After an entertaining and non-engaging 2-hour bus journey, and being the last passenger on board, I realised that it was the end of the bus service.  The driver with my instruction drove me to Hotel Escuela Tarraco, a very bare foyer and old looking hotel.  I decided to call Hugo for advice from reception.  After speaking with him, I immediately checked out other hotels that cater for all-inclusive pricing.  Gerardo at the front desk had suggested that I stay at the Gran Club Santa Lucia where he used to work. The Gran Club was within walking distance but since I was starving to death, I decided to take a cab for CUC2.

I finally got to the hotel and tried to negotiate for a better deal using the argument that it’s low season. The receptionist had kindly suggested that I see and check the tour desk that is located on the foyer of the hotel.  The tour desk was selling packages customized for locals and tourist could also book on the same package utilising the same rate.  I decided to book 2 nights for CUC36.50/night for a standard room.  At the front desk, I was quoted CUC48 per night. That is a saving of CUC11.50 inclusive of all meals/drinks.

I was also tempted to take the hotel deal or a junior suite and other room types near the beach. Then again, I thought that since I would be spending most of my time at the beach anyway, it would be more practical for me to stay in the standard room.  The travel desk only offers a standard room package pricing.  And for a single junior suite bookable at the hotel, it was only CUC59, considerably still a fantastic rate.   To access the safe in the room, a CUC25 deposit was required and CUC15 for the beach towel.  Both you can collect back upon checking out.

The hotel complex is big. All standard rooms were situated on the main roadside of the hotel. I have been told that junior suites are mainly differed in size and position. It has one pool, and around the pool is a quick access to the cabaret stage, the Cuban a la carte Restaurant, the outdoor souvenir stalls, the pool bar, a 24-hour café bar and the buffet restaurant.  In total, the hotel houses three a la carte restaurants but due to low season they only used one and alternate each night with different cuisines.  A la carte dining must be pre booked.

My first Cuban buffet experience was at the Gran. This certainly gave me an indication as to what to expect in a Cuban buffet in most 3.5 star hotels hotels.  Although you can get all the basic foods, the serving was limited, and the quality was relatively very low standard.  It is certainly not the Secret Silversands. I charge the experience as a way for me to limit what to eat and obviously not over eat.

I met with Frederic and Hugo at the beach where I literally spent the rest of my afternoon. One of the beach huts was equipped with beach beds.  My first impression of the place was okay. What I like most about the beach was the fact that it wasn’t crowded.  Seaweeds on the seashore were not prominent which indicate that it was maintained well.

I also culminated the evening with Frederic & Hugo over dinner.  One thing I most enjoyed of this trip was a dinner at a local Cuban house of Orlandos.  The owner of the place, Orlando wanders around the beach during the day to promote and offer his casa a home cooked meal (with rice & salad) prepared by his wife.  Seafood in Cuba is very affordable. We requested from Orlando if his wife can prepare for us a lobster specifically grilled with garlic and butter.  Finding Orlando’s house on the beach in the dark was a performance.  Firstly, we were stopped by the hotel security with a curious look in his eyes directed at me wondering why I am with tourists.  Apparently, security monitors locals’ activities and making sure they are not hanging out with the tourists.  Gladly, Hugo and Frederic managed to converse with the security person and prove to him that I was not a local.   We eventually decided we yell out Orlando’s name, trying to find our luck that he’ll hear us.  The hotel security heard us and volunteered to walk us to the house – felt sorry for us seemingly lost souls I guess!

We dined in a very small room facing the beach with two tables set  – one being on the very corner of the room.   Orlando’s friend, in his drunken Cuban condition, joined with us. He repeatedly told and shared so many funny and interesting stories. He was our entertainer that evening. The rain, which has played a difference that evening, persisted.  Suddenly I noticed Frederic with a fearful expression as he stared on to something across the table. I then realised, when I turned around and look down on the wall of the room, that he just saw a lone cockroach roaming around.  Soon he jumped fearfully from his chair as the cockroach moved towards the back wall behind him.  It was hilarious, as I have never seen anyone so scared of a cockroach.  Sorry, Frederic I could not resist not sharing this story – I am sure Hugo would agree with me!

The meal cost CUC20 for the three of us, it was the best Cuban meal I had so far – the chats and laughs definitely added spice in the food. When the rain stopped, we left the house for a more eventful evening by firstly going to Brisas – the hotel next to Gran Club where we watched the end of their cabaret show.  From there, we walked through the complex of Brisas onto the dark main road of Santa Lucia towards Club Amigo Bar.  Here I witnessed the unenduring part of Santa Lucia.  Solicitation is prohibited in Cuba, however, and this is evident in Santa Lucia with the locals having easy access to tourist hotels.  In my opinion, this explains why Santa Lucia is frequented by a lot of single tourist of all ages.  From Club Amigo we ended back at the Brisa’s outdoor discothèque, which is set up at one of their tennis courts. This place is a popular hang out place by both locals and tourists.  Although the rain persisted through the night, the party continued!  This brought me back my childhood days when I used to play in the rain. I love the sound of the rain up until now.  Playing in the rain is good fun and I totally appreciated that night.  When you are having a great time, nothing else matters, so I could certainly say that I ‘lived in the moment’. 

We learn life lessons from our friends, books and even movies. But the most effective way is to travel, to leave each of those moments and to immerse ourselves in the reality of the world—experience, as they say, is the best teacher. I was pretty much wet and drenched when I returned to my room but having enjoyed that night, I couldn’t care less.

Along with the rain, mosquitos throughout the night also persisted.  So my tip when travelling to Cuba is to make sure you pack a good mosquito repellent.  I have never seen that many tourists with so many mosquito bites.

Monday, 18 October I had my first Cuban hamburger. On that day hamburgers were literally served all day at the bar beach.  Hamburger has been since my usual lunch for the rest of my stay at the Gran Club.

I sadly bid my farewell to Frederic and Hugo who continued with their travel to Santa Maria that afternoon. They both decided to rent a car after.  This was decided after over four hours of figuring out and trying to organise the most economical way to get a car rental.  These guys are great companies, and real gentlemen. They treated me like their genuine friend. I do miss them.

In order for me to get an inclusive transfer to Cayo Coco which is my next beach destination, I extended my stay for an extra three nights at the Gran for CUC106.

Following my first dinner at the Cuban a la carte restaurant, I met Nancy from Montreal and her 13yo son William who I ended up hanging out with most of the time throughout my stay at the Gran.  Eric, a single traveller, whom I met earlier that afternoon also ended up hanging out with us.  Playa Santa Lucia is a popular holiday destination among Canadian tourists.  Cuba is like Bali for Canadian tourists for its accessibility and short flight.  There is a direct flight and multiple services available to/from Montreal.  Some of the Canadian tourists have travelled over 5 times this year.  It is very affordable to have a seven night holiday in Cuba for Canadians.  Eric as a single traveller only paid CAD450 for a package of airfare with Cubana Airlines and a seven night stay on a junior suite.

The rest of my stay at the Gran was spent on nothing but eating, drinking, walking and enjoying the beach, relaxing & sleeping.  I also attended some of the complimentary activities offered by the hotel e.g. Spanish lessons, dancing lessons and aquatic exercise.  Every night I had the chance to witness entertaining cabaret shows (click here to watch the video).  The performances were fantastic and the dancers exuded so much passion and energy when performing.  The hotel entertainers are very friendly. My favourite is ‘Froggy’. He has so much character and is very good at what he does.

Thursday, 21 October was my last day in Playa Santa Lucia, and I was looking forward to getting to Cayo Coco for a change of scenery. I was hoping for a better beach.  I spent a relaxing afternoon on the beach and got to meet Sam, a professional soccer player from Canada, where we both shared our travel stories of Cuba.  However, I would consider him the 2nd person I met whom I did not have a completely trusting impression.

I culminated my last night at the Gran Club Santa Lucia by having dinner at the Cuban a la carte Restaurant with Nancy & William along with another family from Niagara Falls (Rominia, her husband & son Martin).

After an early breakfast, on Friday 22 October, I boarded the Transtur bus at 8am to transfer me to Cayo Coco. This trip cost me for CUC149 (inclusive of transfer from Camaquey and 2 nights stay all-inclusive at Tryp Cayo Coco (Sol Melia Hotel chain). I paid an additional CUC10 to the driver for transfer from Santa Lucia to Camaquey.

We picked up few locals along the way as the normal routine.  At one time, we were stopped by two policemen who just arrested two lawbreakers who were handcuffed together – thankfully they did not get on the bus.  I soon found out that this is not something to be concerned about as this is normal. They will not endanger any passengers for the type of crimes they may have committed. The other interesting pick up was from a house of an old lady on a walker which took a good 15 minutes to get transported from the house to the bus.  The rest of the drive was rather pleasant as I enjoyed the views of farms after farms, lakes, lots of goats, cows, chickens and horses.

Finally, at 10:15 we arrived at the pick up point in Camaquey, the Casino. A group of locals got on the bus along with Yosan, the Cubanacan tour guide. Yosan has sold about 25 packages so she was able to take the group and also her partner, son and beautiful niece as well.  Yosan spoke very good English and from this bus journey, I learnt so much more about Cuban livelihood.  I learnt that a Cuban doctor, working abroad, only earns $250/month. It is even less during the first 3 years as the Government deducts some money to reimburse the school fees paid by the Cuban Government while they were studying.  Although you will be away from the family, this sort of work opportunities is too strong to resist as for many Cuban doctors who stay and practice in Cuba, earn an equivalent of $25.  I asked her politely how much she earned.  Her sort of job earns CUP315 equivalent to approximately CUC14 plus CUC10/month allowance for shampoo etc. So when the bus stop for a break, I could not resist but buy the kids some snacks and gave Yosan some cash to buy the kids something.

We drove via Sierra De Cubitas (Group of Mountains), which is 30kms shorter than going via the highway and this route has less traffic.  The province of Camaquey is flat but the roads are narrow and curvy which forced the driver to drive slowly. Along the way, we drove over the spread of raw rice being dried on the side road. Cayo Coco is mainly surrounded by hotels and is not easily accessible by locals due to the Security Check point requirement when entering from the start of the man made road – a 30 kms stretch.  Cayo Coco is frequented by couples or honeymooners because of its secluded location and hotel offerings.

We finally arrived at 2:15pm at Tryp Cayo Coco. Yosan spoke to Carlos from the reception to inform that I work in the travel industry.  After enjoying a much better buffet lunch, I got into my room, which I have been allocated a top floor and far back from the main enormous pool, away from the noise.  Tryp is a 4-star property, 10 times better and bigger with more facilities than Gran Club Santa Lucia.  It has six A la Carte restaurants and pre booking is also required.

I can’t deny that the most emotionally challenging part of being a solo traveller is when you bid farewell to new friends you met along the way. Especially friends whom you had the opportunity to spend time with. A journey is indeed best measured in friends, rather than miles.

For my first solo dinner, although all a la carte restaurants were already booked out earlier that day, I decided to take my chance to see if I could get in at the Seafood Restaurant.  I was lucky enough to get a table and enjoyed a grilled fish dish.  I did not stay long at the restaurant, as I generally don’t like dining alone. After watching the resort’s show I went over to the Churros stand and got myself 2 pieces to bring back to my room.

By midday, Sunday 23 October I decided not to extend my stay at Cayo Coco after working out the difficulty to get a transfer to Varadero, which I intended to visit next.

I had an opportunity to visit NH Krystal Hotel, which is located next to Tryp and where Yosan and her family were staying. Yosan accompanied me to take a short visit to the beach area and to give me an overview of the resort.  After which, she took me to the pool area where her family was. We sat at the bar for a drink whilst watching ‘Wilmer’ the pool bar attendant showing off his bar tending tricks/acts.

Wilmer is apparently the #1 bar attendant who won in a bartending competition in Latin America, and #4 in the World. My favourite part of the resort is the Elmelecon Restaurant which is situated on the water where some water bungalows are also located.

At NH Krystal, I was also introduced to Ariel who is the wedding coordinator of the hotel.  He shared with me some of the wedding photos he arranged.  The one wedding stuck in my mind was about a couple who has been together for 7 years and the groom has been in wheelchair for 14years.

I walked along the beach on my way back to Tryp. This was an enjoyable option than going back via the main road even though the beach was slightly a longer walk. Cayo Coco beach is definitely much better than Playa Santa Lucia. The seashore is a little smaller but the water is much cleaner and less sea weeds floating around.

After lunch at the beach restaurant, I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and sun bathing at the beach.  At the beach, I met two couples (Marie & Mario, Natalie & Jaquilin) from Montreal.  We all met again over dinner at the Italian Restaurant. I enjoyed their company although it was only Marie who could speak English.  Her partner Mario tried to be as engaging as he can despite his limited English and his favourite statement  ‘I am happy for you’ stuck into my head.  Being around with them, I realized that you don’t need to speak the language to be engaged.  The connection doesn’t have to be lengthy or super involved.  It can be a shared laugh or a few phrases.

We culminated our last evening with a drink at the lobby bar and back at the Churros stand for two as my night snack back to my room.

So far, I have met five family/couples from Montreal whom I will continue to stay in touch with and Montreal has definitely been mapped into my itinerary during my stay in North America.