This was a mixed trip.
Mixed in that we spent two weeks at a resort and almost a week at a casa
particular (the Cuban equivalent of a bed and breakfast). We usually do one or the other but these mixed
trips are becoming more popular with a lot of people. Even with a hotel included as part of the
package, often a weeklong package trip is cheaper than airfare alone. And certainly if you want two weeks but the
budget is tight, leaving your hotel for a casa particular rather than a flight
home might make it possible.
An ex-co-worker of mine and his partner book the cheapest
resort they can find (usually in Veradero) and never even bother checking
in. And they still save money compared
to what a flight alone would cost.
The resort was the Melia Las Dunas on Cayo Santa
Maria. We were there once before, about
10 years ago, for three weeks. It was
fine then and it was fine this time around.
The usual except that we were upgraded to a suite.
The family or ‘actividades’ side of the resort was to be
avoided. The pool was packed to the
rafters, hardly any space between the chairs and every chair was occupied or
marked somehow by 0800 each day. And noisy. Staff shouting instructions or enticements to
games and such or music.
At lunch one day I heard a young couple, parents of a
three year old, refer to the wading pool attached to the families pool as ‘the
vomitorium’. 😊
The adults-only half was much different. A lot quieter and it is where a pool table is
hidden away. Geri would call for a cart
and we’d be anywhere on the resort or even next door at the Melia (aside from
wanting to chat with folks and see how the hurricane damage had been repaired,
as both resorts are Melia-managed we could eat and drink too) in 10 minutes at
most. Lots of space, gentle music on low volume and a swim-up bar with empty
seats at any time. And lots of empty
loungers.
Late afternoon onwards you could just wait on a path and
a cart would be by in 15 minutes at most.
Which is how we got to dinner each night. Our building was very convenient to the beach
though and Geri had no trouble walking to it and back.
The food was resort food.
The Mediterranean restaurant had the best dinner of the eight or ten we
had. Unless you count the pizza at the Italian
restaurant which we also liked because it was open and not enclosed and air
conditioned.
Saw some old friends who have been working there or in
neighbouring hotels that we go to on a regular basis. That was fun.
But we may, after 28 years of going to Cuba at least once
a year (sometime as many as three times a winter) and mostly for ‘lie down for
two weeks and read then get up and go home’ holidays, be about done. Since I retired this kind of holiday isn’t
anywhere as needed as it once was. And
Geri is spending more and more time in the shade. We started talking about it soon after
arrival and I think we are close to concluding that perhaps a more active
vacation in Cuba at a cooler time of year would be better for us right
now.
Or that we try a winter at home with the fireplace and
then apply the savings to a spring in
Portugal or some similar location.
The 6 days in Caibarien were much different. We stayed with a woman we have known since
she was our room attendant at the first resort to open on Cayo Santa Maria in
2001. She moved around the resorts a bit
and eventually ‘retired’ to open a casa particular in Caibarien, the fishing
town at the far end of the causeway from Cayo Sanata Maria to the
mainland.
Now also a dormitory town for the staff who work at all the
resorts that have appeared on CSM over the years.
We had a wonderful time.
The only downer was that the day we arrived Noemi had fallen and broken a wrist and elbow. Lots of pain.
And great medical care but the shortage of drugs was a problem, though
it was interesting to see how friends and neighbours would spread the word and
collect a few tablets here and a few more there and almost get her what the
prescription called for.
The photos of the town tell most of the story. Just a lot of fun to walk around in.
The pedalos were a tough one. Those drivers work hard. We used them a lot and
compensated with tips that worked out to about 400% of the charge.
The food was a huge relief after the resort. We had some really quite nice dinners and
lunches. One exception (still better
than the resort meals, even the best) was a beautifully restored building owned
by a dental surgeon. The food was OK,
but it was by far the most expensive meal we had at about $40CAD for a pork
dish, fish and a couple of beers. Desert
was included but we were stuffed. The
olives appetizer was really nice. The
same place had great fries and icy beer when we snacked at lunch when getting
out of the sun.
The best dinner was the first: at El Coliseo, a two-minute
walk from Noemi’s Hostal La Nena. Both
highly recommended. Pasta dinner for two
plus five beers (hey, it was 34 that day) came to about $12CAD including a 24%
tip and Hostal La Nena was a flat $25CUC a day for the room and two breakfasts
(see photos of the latter, though Geri had an omelet a couple of days) with
lots of fresh guava and squeezed just before being served pineapple juice. Lovely.
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