PART ONE: Air Canada flight / Arrival / Rooms.
Resort Report Feb 05/05 Blau, Cayo Coco
Hotel
Feb 04/05 Sheraton Hotel at the airport. We arrived and settled in for a
short sleep, but 1st exchanged gifts we had brought for each other. I
brought everyone a sarong type bathing suit cover up and Peggy brought
t-shirts with a happy face and our name on the front, Judy brought wild
happy face clown hats for everyone (which, although there were photos
taken, will not be shared) and we settled down for a few hours sleep.
Air Canada Flight
Peggy and I had arrived at the hotel early and so we went to Terminal 1
to meet the plane from Ottawa and greet the rest of the sisters. It was
a good dry run as we would have to do it again at 4:30 am. There is a
shuttle from in front of the hotel every 15 minutes and it takes you to
terminal 1. We did not quite leave enough time as we forgot that once
you check in you must then wander through terminal 1 and get on a bus
and drive for 15 minutes to the departure lounge. We made it but no one
felt we had much spare time. No problem. Ken and Thea were waiting
for us and I promptly gave Ken the happy face hat to wear. (just so he
would not feel left out, of course).
Since ken and Thea and I had executive class seats we were able to board
at 1st call. I had seat 1a and was very happy with it. The service in
executive was excellent. Champagne and orange juice (you know how I
love my champagne, any time of the day) a choice of breakfasts and very
attentive service.
I went to the back to check on my sisters and met Deb (happy face from
Ottawa, going to Melia) and we had a bit of a chat and planned to meet
on the beach.
Flight was on time and we arrived early in Cuba. As we were 1st off the
plane we were through customs very quickly and I lined up at the money
exchange booth. It was fairly slow as there is a lot of paper work
required and so the luggage was arriving on the carousal. Of course,
you know what happened. I took Deb’s bag and she retrieved it.
Blau
Quick trip to the Blau and we were the only arrivals. Everyone else on
our bus went to the El Senador. We checked in and our rooms were not
ready and so we left our luggage and some of us went to the café and
some to Yareys for lunch.
Rooms:
We were all booked into building 15 (as requested). The buildings are
renumbered and it was previously bldg #21. Ken and Thea were in bldg 14
(previously 23) Perfect!!!! Peggy and Lorrie were sharing a room and
they were given a room on the 3rd floor with a king size bed (I always
wandered where they hid those king size beds) but that was very quickly
changed and they were moved down to the ground floor with the rest of
us. Everyone was very happy with the rooms and the location.
The rooms have been redone beautifully.
The little step I tripped on for so many years is gone. The floor is
one level. There is new furniture, beds and chairs and tables.
Fabulous new paintings (I would love to buy) hang on the walls and there
are new headboards that match the drapes.
The only change in the bathroom is in the closet.
The center of the closet has built in shelving floor to top shelf. On
either side of the shelves are rods and hangers for clothes. There is a
shelf that runs across the top and stores extra pillows and blankets.
The two doors are the same beautiful wood with full length mirrors on
each door. The vanity also has a full wall to wall mirror.
The shower is new and a bit of a problem as
it does not extend into the tub area and so you must take it off the
wall to prevent it from spraying on the wall or the floor. It helps one
to conserve water by wetting yourself, shutting it off, soaping and
then rinsing. I managed a few times to wash the bathroom floor when I
wasn’t paying attention while I washed my hair. My eyes were closed and
my sense of direction has never been good. Three was also a problem
with hot water. It is still a central system and often the water was
luke warm. Not a problem if you returned from the beach and were hot as
it was a nice way to cool down but it was a bit of a shocker in the
morning. At times it was cold, usually in the morning. One day we had
no water for an hour and so we had to sit out on the patio and drink
champagne.
The 1st week there were no chairs outside on the patio but they brought
new wooden chairs and a table to each of the rooms on the Tues or Wed
and it was nice to sit out.
The rooms have a fridge and a coffee maker
and both were replenished each day. We were also supplied with a large
bottle of water each day as required. Beer and pop and cans of orange
drink.
Maid service was as usual excellent. The staff are so efficient and pleasant at all times. They are a joy to meet.
PART TWO: Staff / Food - Restaurants.
Staff
I discovered that there were many previous staff returned to re-open the
Colonial Blau. It was like old home week. Everywhere I went it was
pure joy to run into staff I have known for years. It is also very
flattering to be recognized by all of them. I have no idea how they
manage to remember guests when they see literally thousands of guests in
a year. Everywhere we went there was someone we knew and/or who
remembered us.
FOOD/Restaurants
Reservations:
At check in you are given coupons for the a la carte restaurants. You
may take them at any time to the Public Relations desk in the lobby.
There are 3 a la cartes. The Cuban , the Italian/international, and the
seafood. You may go to each one evening a week. They are not open
every night. It may depend on the number of guests at the resort.
Buffet:
There are changes in the set-up of the buffet. I will try to walk you
through it. There are tables set up outside the buffet, where the
crafts and arts used to set up each day. As you walk into the buffet
(there is only the one open at this point) on the far right (north) wall
the set-up starts with the pasta station. It was very good and very
popular and so there were always long line-up in the evening. We found
at lunch it was much easier to get a delicious pasta meal. Nest to the
pasta station was a series of trays of quite a variety of foods, rice,
chicken, pork etc, the usual Cuban fare. Then there was a grill with a
chef in attendance, for breakfast, eggs etc and for lunch a variety of
items and then another BBQ grill (west wall) where the chef did pancakes
and crepes in the morning, hamburger, fish etc at lunch and dinner.
Then continuing along that wall was the soup pot, (the soup is always
the best, they are the most flavourful soups you will find anywhere) the
salad bar, then the cold meat and cheese area and then a permanent set
up for a made to order Ceasar salad station. Then there was the dairy
station which had milk etc in the morning and also champagne. At lunch
and in the evening there were several choices of ice cream. Then the
toasters (2) and the pastry table, and on the south wall at the end of
the row was the bread station, with the usual irresistible breads.
We found the food to be excellent at times and mediocre at other times.
It seems like there are some very new and young chefs (when you are my
age they look even younger). I swear some of them were a mere 12 years
old. I think they will improve the consistency as they grow into the
job. We were never hungry and always ate too much and so it was not a
problem, but there is a lot of food wasted as people would take a large
amount of one thing and then determine it was not to their taste and
would leave it and go back to the buffet and try something else. I
can’t imagine what the staff think about the amount of food we are
prepared to waste when they do not have the same access to such a
variety and quantity of food.
Italian
The pasta bar has the most variety of pasta dishes and so the new menu
at the Italian/International is different. The return guests in our
group were a little disappointed as it has always been our favorite
place to dine. The staff has not changed and it was a real treat to
meet up with old friends. The food was for the most part quite good and
we all ordered something different and so we were able to determine the
good and the not so good. (don’t order the ravioli, it comes with a
canned beef gray on it)
The restaurant was also available for continental breakfast as well as toast.
The small room next to the 24 hour café bar also had the coffee machine
where you could get your coffee, tea, hot chocolate and some pastries.
It was open in the morning.
Yarey
The pool grill was a great spot for lunch as it had pizza, (not the same
thin crust as they used to make on the spot, they are brought in) but
the same choices as before. They also had a salad bar, heated dishes,
usually a pasta and a hot vegetable and a surprise each day. One day it
was French fries and I think the word got out to the kids as they lined
up and Ken and I had to fight them off to get our share. It was always
busy morning noon and night.
At night it was the Cuban restaurant and the menu has not changed. The
staff was also familiar here and we spent some time here as it was
across the path from our rooms.
Our rooms were perfectly situated, patio looked out to the ocean and the
front door to Yarey and the pool next to Yarey. The towel exchange was
at the end of our bldg and the massage room across the path form the
towel exchange.
Seafood:
The seafood restaurant was as beautiful as I remembered it. I don’t
recall the walkway along the lagoon, steps down from the area where the
tables are. It is a lovely place to find a quiet moment and look at the
stars and the lights of the resort and the Tryp as well. It may not be
new but I just discovered it. Food was excellent. 2 sisters don’t
care for seafood and so they were limited in their choices but the
dessert made up for it.
PART THREE: Bars / Beach / General comments & Observations / Music / Loose ends.
BARS:
The Piano Bar (at the Italian restaurant)
is exactly the same as it has been since day 1 and I love it. We took
it over for an entire evening one night. It is not as well known as the
other bars and so we often had it to ourselves. We were all dressed up
and made up and decided (not my idea) that it would be a lot of fun to
have our pictures taken on the piano. We got permission form the
pianist and put a shawl on the top of the piano to protect it and took
some shots with me sitting at the piano playing(as if) and one of my
sisters singing (not ever) and then each of us posed on the piano in
various poses. What a hoot and they all turned out great. Derek may
scan one and post it. We went to the piano bar most nights. Champagne
was available at all times and we certainly enjoyed that.
The outdoor caf, next to the Italian and just of the central square
was always a busy place. The wrought iron furniture is still there and
still as hard to sit on but were always filled. It is a very popular
place and a meeting place for guests. The bar is open 24 hours and
everything was available including grilled sandwiches.
Yarey
As I mentioned before it is the pool grill, the Cuban restaurant on some nights and the pool bar.
It was also very busy and the staff was great fun. Some old timers
and some new faces. We had a lot of fun at this bar and it was very
handy to the room.
Seafood restaurant bar upstairs still has
the great view from every angle and the bartender (who spoke perfect
English) was fun and did magic tricks and shared some jokes with us. We
were there a lot as well. We didnt spend all of our time in the bars
but the evenings are long and we usually had dinner at the 6:00 pm
sitting.
Raunchon Beach Bar (formerly Hemmingway and still referred to as)
found on the sight of the previous beach grill. Much smaller, with
tables and benches and a bar, but with only cold sandwiches (you know
the kind, ham and cheese ) Very busy all day with only 1 bartender but
he was always in good spirits. There was music as well and so you could
dance while you wait and a few days they announced a party at the end
of the beach day. We were always having to go and get ready for those
early dinners so we didnt check them out.
BEACH
The beach was as perfect as I remember it.
The 1st several days it was cool and windy and the waves were a little
rough. It rained a bit on one day and we hung around under the palapas
and it was over in a few minutes. The evenings were cool but 1 sister
brought shawls for everyone and we were never cold. It is the 1st time
we have ever had cool weather early in Feb. There were many palapas
along the beach and everyone that wanted one was able to locate their
chairs out of the sun. The second week the weather was warmer and the
ocean quite calm and the beach had changed formation as always happens
after strong winds.
It was a wonderful experience to watch 2 of my sisters who had never
been to the ocean, discover the sand and waves and the salt water. They
were convinced on day 1 and were talking about coming back. We walked
the beach alone and together. We swam and when we had a fairly calm day
we took out the paddle boat and 4 of us went snorkeling down in front
of the water sports bldg. My sister took to it like a duck to water
and I had trouble getting her out of the water.
I walked the beach down to the Sol and had forgotten the difference in
the beach and the sand from one end of the beach to the other. Near the
El Senador the sand is like powder and at the Sol much courser and the
depth of the water is very different as well. The beach at the Tryp
almost disappears at high tide and some days the water would go right up
to the steps at the beach grill.
GENERAL COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS
All of us talked about the real reason we go to Cayo Coco and agreed it is the people we meet and the way we are treated.
The staff greeted us with pleasure everywhere we went. They knew we
were coming and I guess they were surprised to see 5 sisters at once.
There were many comments made and they watched us pretty closely. If I
wanted to find any of my sisters I just needed to ask one of the staff
and they knew where they were or where they were going It was great fun
for everyone. The PR staff was very helpful each and every time I
requested their assistance. They mentioned D&B and the happy face
group and so I knew we were welcome. Dayami and Iliana helped us with
reservation (not an easy job when it was for 7 people at times. They
were also very helpful in arranging a celebration of my sisters
birthday. It was held at the Italian and they couldnt have done more.
We had champagne (notice a trend here) and they baked her a cake and
allowed us to hang balloons and have noisemakers and streamers. We
saved the streamers for outside so as not to cause the staff more work
cleaning up for us.
We also had a celebration at the Seafood restaurant as the captain
wanted to help us celebrate her birthday. We had champagne and another
cake and a great deal of fun. We were treated like roalty where ever we
went and it was the trip of a lifetime for us all. All of my sisters
plan to return to the Blau in the future. My #2 sister wants us to go
back in November to celebrate her birthday. I asked if she would like
to try another resort and she said why would you look for somewhere else
when you have found perfection at the Blau. They now all understand my
love for the place.
We spent 2 days at the pool, one each week
and although the water was cool it was very protected from the wind and a
cozy spot to be when the beach was too cool. The pool now has the
plastic chairs and the cloth ones are at the beach. I like that as I am
at the beach at all times (when possible) and need the softer chairs.
There was no need to save chairs until near the end of our trip. We did
find there were a lot of people from the Tryp who came down to share
the beach at the Blau (due Im sure to the narrow beach when the tide was
in). No problem as there were only a few times when chairs were
scarce.
3 of us went para sailing. It was awesome.
I have always wanted to do that and it took my novice sister asking me
to do it that tipped the scales. I wanted her to enjoy every
experience and so she agreed to go up if I did and so we went one
afternoon when it was really windy. The experience is one I will never
forget. The complete silence at 500 ft in the air is wonderful. All
you can hear is the wind and you can see for miles. It is totally
controlled by the pilot and he lands it on the same spot on the beach
each and every time. Both of them also truly enjoyed it $40.00 convertible pesos and well worth it. (the man controlling the sail has a Tom Cruise smile and that was a bonus)
We did not leave the resort as there was not enough time. There was an
agreement that 1 week was not enough and future trip would be for 2
weeks.
Quality of the alcohol has greatly improved. Wine ad champagne and liqueurs are much better and more available. And are at every bar.
MUSIC
For the most part the practice now appears to be a group will come to
the buffet to play but will do so from a stationary spot near the door.
At the outdoor caf there was a group each night and they played beside
the bar. The seafood restaurant had a boat floating in the lagoon
serenading the guests and it was magical. Sorta like Venice but a lot
less expensive. They would then come up and play at the tables.
LOOSE ENDS:
It took me several days of complaining about the food at the buffet and
wasting 3 omelets before Ken told me it was the pepper and sure enough
as soon as I stopped using the table pepper and used my own everything
was fine. It was horrible.
The rooms provide cotton slippers, there are new paintings, new drapes new floor lamp,
There is a money exchange in the lobby that is much better that the front desk where the staff are very busy and they never ran out of money.
TV you can now get CBC and CTV very exciting.
Now Derek wants to go asap. I actually got to watch Corrie St. CBC
is out of Winnipeg and CTV out of Halifax and so the times are
different.
We had massages and enjoyed them very much. Appointments are booked at the towel exchange.
Re the water sports, there are hobie cats
and they are available as long as the ocean is not too rough. You have
to make an appointment and one of the staff take you out. If you wish
to go out on your own there are paddle boats,(seats 5) and kiaks (sp)
for 1 or 2 persons. I did not see anyone with a sail board at the Blau
but things change every day.
PART FOUR: More
comments on restaurants, Disco, Entertainment etc. Update on facilities
& renovations at the West end of BLAU.
The seafood restaurant is still the El Dorado
and you access the walkway from the area just in front of the hall that
leads to the washrooms and there is a flight of stairs that take you
down to walk all along the logoon for the length of the entire
restaurant. It is very romantic and there I was without Derek. The
music was magic. I loved it. It was a typical Cuban effort, with one
man to operate the motor on the boat, one to steer with a long pole when
the motor didn't work and one musician playing the violin beautifully.
It was at times haunting and lonely and romantic and at times lively.
The El Caribeno is now the gym (temporarily) . It has some bycicles and treadmills and a few weights and the washrooms are available.
The rest of the area from the east end of the pool to past the tower are fenced off.
The gate was opened at the west end and we did go for a walk through
the area. The salt water pool is empty and everything is closed. The
vegetation is still beautiful. The tower is closed but we did walk up
to the top for the view. We could see the Play Coco from the tower. It
looks quite small. You can also see from that view there is coral in
front of the resort on one side of the beach.
The electric boats are not running but the
signs are still there. The 2nd buffet on the way to the salt water pool
is also closed up tight with the windows covered.
Staff say they expect that section to be opened in a year. They also
say the El Caribeno will also re-open as the Cuban restaurant when all
is finished and the gym will be relocated.
I did not see ice cream availble during the day except in the buffet.
The Churro man was at his station in the courtyard and he made all of my
sisters pronounce charro the cuban way before he would give them one.
It was a hoot. We don't do the rrrrrs well.
One of my sisters is finishing her university degree with a spanish
course and she brought her study cards with her. Everyone was very
helpful and they so appreciate when anyone can communicate in their
language.
The disco is running full blast till 2 or 3 am. Great music and dancing. Some wonderful cuban dancers on hand to show us how it is done. We had a lot of fun in the disco.
There were not evening shows per se but a couple of nights they had events for the youngsters, a magic show and some games.
There were more families there than I used to see at the Colonial.
Perhaps they were booked at the Tryp side, previously. They are putting
together an entertainment team. They did come to the beach one day
looking for volley ball players but I never saw a game in progress.
I think they are still working on the finished product. Some work left to do.
Showing posts with label cayo coco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cayo coco. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Blau (as it was) Colonial Cayo Coco April 2006
Blau Resort Report for April 16 –23
Trip to Airport
It was quite a sight. That Judy just brings so much luggage. The station wagon was full and Derek put 2 suitcases on the roof of the car. Judy also had one with her in the back seat. And we had not yet picked up Ally Bear. Derek suggested he take us to the airport and then go back and get Ally Bear but I am always nervous about getting separated. He tied down the suitcases on the roof and Judy was sure they would not hold and so went through the garage looking for additional rope. Derek went to various places in town, but it was Easter Sunday and everything was closed. We would just have to take our chances. Derek was not impressed that there was doubt. I was sure it would be okay because Derek is overly careful and cautious rather than lax. It was a very pleasant drive however, as Derek drove slower than I have ever experienced. Once we had got passed Oshawa, he figured that the cases would be staying on the roof and we would make it.
When we arrived at my daughter’s place Ally was ready and she had only 1 suitcase and a carry on shoulder bag. It went in the back seat between her and Judy for the drive to the airport.
As usual once we arrived it was a series of hurry up and wait. We hurried through the line, went quickly, we hurried through security, went quickly and then it was the waiting game. We always arrive too early and then get very bored just waiting.
We flew Club Class and it makes everything much easier, faster and more comfortable. Champagne and orange juice while everyone boarded. Good food and wine throughout the flight. 1 washroom for 24 people means no line ups. Good flight.
Arrival & check in
Arrived and our luggage was very quick, except for my little suitcase. I had filled it with candy. They wanted to check it. They wanted to know if my granddaughter would eat all of the candy and I said she would share it with friends. They allowed it all to go through. Judy was also stopped and so it delayed things. The trip to the resort is not long so it was okay that we did not get to sit near the front of the bus, however, I did get slightly sick even on that short trip. I was wearing my “Happy Face” button and lanyard and 2 young women who were on the bus asked if we were from the happy face forum on the internet. She said she had just discovered it before they left and really found it to be very helpful. It was the best one they saw and she would be asking me things during the week if that was okay. Of course, it was. We did see them on the beach and even shared our lifeguard with them (well, a little bit) Judy is pretty stingy in that area.
Arrived safe and sound and then had some difficulty with check in. The Blau has not adopted the pre check in and you have to line up and there are no tags for the luggage until you check in. Derek and Ally and I decided to let the crowd go ahead and we would relax at the outdoor café. Judy was on an earlier bus and so she was all done when we arrived. Her luggage was in her room but not the room or the building we had requested. When I went to registrar they were already trying to work on a solution. They were working on my solution before I knew I had a problem. They had put Derek and I in bldg # 14 and Ally Bear in bldg # 22. That would not work. I am not sure if they just figured it out when Judy asked for bldg 15 as we requested and they looked it up or what but we needed to do something. After a very long discussion and a lot of to-o o o o oo-ng and fr o oo o o o o o ing , it was agreed that we would both be in bldg 25 for 1 night and then in the am we would both move to bldg 22. By this time Derek was ready to flop anywhere and has an aversion to moving no matter what. He headed off to bed and Ally and I went around to say hi to all of our friends and then to do a short walk on the beach. No need to unpack and si it was nice to sit and listen to the waves and relax.
Trip to Airport
It was quite a sight. That Judy just brings so much luggage. The station wagon was full and Derek put 2 suitcases on the roof of the car. Judy also had one with her in the back seat. And we had not yet picked up Ally Bear. Derek suggested he take us to the airport and then go back and get Ally Bear but I am always nervous about getting separated. He tied down the suitcases on the roof and Judy was sure they would not hold and so went through the garage looking for additional rope. Derek went to various places in town, but it was Easter Sunday and everything was closed. We would just have to take our chances. Derek was not impressed that there was doubt. I was sure it would be okay because Derek is overly careful and cautious rather than lax. It was a very pleasant drive however, as Derek drove slower than I have ever experienced. Once we had got passed Oshawa, he figured that the cases would be staying on the roof and we would make it.
When we arrived at my daughter’s place Ally was ready and she had only 1 suitcase and a carry on shoulder bag. It went in the back seat between her and Judy for the drive to the airport.
As usual once we arrived it was a series of hurry up and wait. We hurried through the line, went quickly, we hurried through security, went quickly and then it was the waiting game. We always arrive too early and then get very bored just waiting.
We flew Club Class and it makes everything much easier, faster and more comfortable. Champagne and orange juice while everyone boarded. Good food and wine throughout the flight. 1 washroom for 24 people means no line ups. Good flight.
Arrival & check in
Arrived and our luggage was very quick, except for my little suitcase. I had filled it with candy. They wanted to check it. They wanted to know if my granddaughter would eat all of the candy and I said she would share it with friends. They allowed it all to go through. Judy was also stopped and so it delayed things. The trip to the resort is not long so it was okay that we did not get to sit near the front of the bus, however, I did get slightly sick even on that short trip. I was wearing my “Happy Face” button and lanyard and 2 young women who were on the bus asked if we were from the happy face forum on the internet. She said she had just discovered it before they left and really found it to be very helpful. It was the best one they saw and she would be asking me things during the week if that was okay. Of course, it was. We did see them on the beach and even shared our lifeguard with them (well, a little bit) Judy is pretty stingy in that area.
Arrived safe and sound and then had some difficulty with check in. The Blau has not adopted the pre check in and you have to line up and there are no tags for the luggage until you check in. Derek and Ally and I decided to let the crowd go ahead and we would relax at the outdoor café. Judy was on an earlier bus and so she was all done when we arrived. Her luggage was in her room but not the room or the building we had requested. When I went to registrar they were already trying to work on a solution. They were working on my solution before I knew I had a problem. They had put Derek and I in bldg # 14 and Ally Bear in bldg # 22. That would not work. I am not sure if they just figured it out when Judy asked for bldg 15 as we requested and they looked it up or what but we needed to do something. After a very long discussion and a lot of to-o o o o oo-ng and fr o oo o o o o o ing , it was agreed that we would both be in bldg 25 for 1 night and then in the am we would both move to bldg 22. By this time Derek was ready to flop anywhere and has an aversion to moving no matter what. He headed off to bed and Ally and I went around to say hi to all of our friends and then to do a short walk on the beach. No need to unpack and si it was nice to sit and listen to the waves and relax.
Blau (as it was) Colonial Cayo Coco Nov 2006
Resort Report for Nov 06
I think we have reported how Judy and I managed to get 2 weeks instead of 1 week at the Blau and so I will leave that for now.
Flight
Judy and I need lessons in packing. It is always frightening to walk up to the check in desk and wait to see what the weight is going to be and how we will fare. We did not go to the same check in but we were beside each other and could hear what was going on. At least I could, as Judy seems to tune out the entire world and lose her mind in these situations. I was overweight, news flash, and I quickly said but what about my sports bag? She said I will allow 15 lbs for that and so once i have deducted that it is going to cost you $100.00 and Judy is being told it is going to cost her $450.00 for excess weight. Time I stepped in and said "what about the sports bag and then she remembered, oh ya, one of those is my sports bag and he was even nicer and allowed the whole bag to go with no charge. She was charged $100.00 as well and we trundeled off to the plane a few dollars short.
We flew to Cuba with Sun Wing. It was our first flight with this airline. We picked up our tickets at the airport and received our tourist cards as well. There was a separate line for pre-booked seats, so we did not have to line up. We were, of course, overweight. They allowed 15 kilos for sports equipment only. Therefore, we were only charged for 10 kilos over. As of May 2006, the rate per kilo went to $10.00 and so we got our boarding pass once we had paid $100.00.
Flight was on time and we settled in to our seats, aisle and window, no one in the center, and were treated to champagne. They handed out free head seats and asked everyone to keep them for the return flight as they did not have enough for everyone on the way home.
They served a full meal. A choice of teriyaki chicken or pasta, a salad, and a brownie with white chocolate pieces. Cheese and crackers were included. Also included were white or red wine and tea or coffee.
We dropped off people in Varadero and continued on the Cayo Coco. There was not a long wait as they did not service the plane till Cayo Coco.
Customs and luggage were a breeze and I was able to get money changed quickly. Buses were waiting and we were off in no time.
Arrived 10sh and got checked in and went for a walk to see whom we could find. It was everyone’s night off and so we went off to our rooms in building 15.
Arrival - Check in:
The Blau still requires you to line up to check in and so there is always a rush when you get off the bus to get to the desk and receive your room assignment , your luggage tags, towel voucher and safe key. It is a slow process as they do have extra staff on hand to deal with a lot of people. Also, there is a delay when someone is not happy with the room they were assigned. Since they cannot make changes until the room manager arrives in the morning there is no real point unless it is a dire emergency to even ask. You need to have the clerk make a note and come back to the front desk in the morning.
There was also only one bell hop and that means you either take your own luggage or you wait till he gets to you. Since we were assigned a room on the 3rd floor, we were not willing to carry all of our bags ourselves.
Further to the check in issue, when we had been there for 6 days we were asked to attend at the front desk and bring our Hotel Voucher from Signature for the 2nd week of our stay. WE took our travel envelopes to Jackie at the front desk and we both looked through it all several times and there was not a hotel voucher to be found. We thought it was weird but Jackie assured us that if we went to the Signature rep (Yunior) he would take care of the problem.
Since we had to see him anyway to inform him that we were already at the resort with Sunwing and therefore would not be arriving at the airport but would be going home with Signature the following week.
He assured us it was no problem, that he would write up a voucher and we need not worry about the flight home. He would get on the computer and confer with Signature in Toronto.
The next day, Sat, we went to see Jackie and she informed us that the check in the night before was total chaos. Everyone arrived in the pouring rain and it was very late, like 1 or 2 am. They lined up at the desk and were asked to provide their hotel voucher. No one had a voucher. The front desk was insisting that they were required to provide one or they could not be assigned a room. You can imagine what that couple of hours was like. The next day Signature was contacted and the reservations folks were informed, well after the fact, that Signature was no longer using the voucher system, it would all be done by computer, as they do with other resorts. This will allow them to do the check-in in advance and explains why some resorts are able to do it on the bus, or arrive at the airport with the complete package and room assignment as in Santa Maria.
Both the staff and the guests would have appreciated knowing this in advance, I'm sure. I am so glad we were not one of the people arriving in that downpour to be faced with the problem of no voucher no room, and the suitcases sitting in the rain with nowhere to go.
Be sure to check with your agent in the future. A good reason to always use an agent.
Resort:
We went to check out the Seafood bar and met Leber’s replacement. He appeared to have everything under control. He informed us that Leber was on a months vacation but would be returning on the 1st of Nov. Since this was the 29tth we knew it would not be long before he was back where he belongs.
Monday am and we took a walk around. The Churro stand has not only been moved, there is a brand new beautiful teak wood stand built at the north end of the buffet beside the ponds. They have also taken some of the tables and chairs from the courtyard and put them in that area. A very nice place to sit quietly and read or watch the birds and the people come and go.
We attended the orientation to see what, if anything was new. Henry is the Sun Wing representative. They have re-introduced the towel deposit. The safe key does not require a deposit.
They have provided permanent stalls for the venders. It means they no longer have to tote the rather precarious tables to display their wares. The venders change daily, for the most part, but there are some who were there every day. They are located around the corner from the main lobby on the north side of the building.
The a la cartes were not all open every night. The El Fontanella and the piano bar was open every night but the seafood, El Dorado, and the Cuban (Yarey) was not. When one was open the other was not. Menus have not changed in the a la carte’s but Judy and I found a marked improvement in the buffet.
The bread supply was very limited. Regular sliced and baguettes were all that was available most day. A few days they had sliced whole wheat. We were very surprised. They did however have great meat selections. We were especially pleased on turkey nights. Also large pork roasts with crackling. Beautiful hams and BBQ’d pork ribs. We never went to the a la carte until we had checked out the buffet and often it was our 1st choice.
There were students working throughout the resort and we found them to be a delight. Judy wanted to take one of the young women home, she was so adorable.
The beach bar now has hot food every day. Fries, triangles of pizza and various tidbits. They were not the same every day and I didn’t check very often. They seemed to be popular.
Rooms:
We were booked into a room on the 3rd floor. Now I know where all of the king size beds are. I wonder why that is. Nothing has changed. I was able to sleep with the door open and listen to the ocean. There were no mossies (at least in my room). It rained very hard in the night and woke me but it was not long before the sound of the rain lulled me back to sleep.
Carnival:
On Wednesday evening there was a carnival held in the town square. It was available to guests from all of the resorts. Guests from the other resorts paid a entry fee (12 cuc) and that entitled them to all drinks and food for the evening.
There were bars and food tables set up around the square and seating for everyone.
There was a mixture of presentations. There was a group from Moron that performed amazing acrobatic feats on stilts. We enjoyed that event very much and there were a lot of oohs and aahs from the large crowd.
There was a small theatre group who performed and they were awesome
The resident dancers (more later) performed several numbers and they were spectacular.
There was an older dance group from Moron who performed traditional Cuban dances in traditional Cuban dress. They were very good and incredibly energetic for a group that was obviously of a certain age. Let’s just say we had a lot in common age wise.
There was also a live band that played for the groups as well as playing some dance music. There was a jazz band that really got your toes tapping.
Once the show was over, the disco was open for dancing and the performers were there and available for dancing.
The carnival is a weekly event. It was held indoors the 2nd week as it was raining out. The Cuban dancers were not there but perhaps it is a variety of performers. Judy and I have lots of photos but neither of us have put them up.
Entertainment:
Previously, Derek and I have said we have seen all of the shows that the animation team perform and so do not attend the shows anymore (actually the real reason is , Derek can’t stay awake) but Judy like to attend and so I will go with her and will stay if I am enjoying the show.
We were blown away by the caliber of dancing and the choreography was new, innovative and varied. There are 3 men and 4 women with one woman being the principal dancer who performed a solo. There was modern dance, ballet, contemporary, suggestive and progressive. I mentioned it to several of the staff and they informed us that the resort had hired a new choreographer 6 weeks previous and he had worked with the new dancers every day. The dancers were young (I swear they did not look a day over 12) talented and energetic. They were fresh out of the dance academy and were not required to do the regular duties of the animation team. The previous animation team was still there and did the daily fun on the beach and in the pool as well as the Spanish and dance lessons and the pros (dancers) rehearsed every day. I have not seen such talent since we were at the Mayonaba in Camaguay, where Derek and I watched the talent every night. They also were only required to put on the evening show and they rehearsed every day. It makes for a very professional show and we were delighted every night.
Beach:
We have always loved the beach at Cayo Coco and especially in front of the Blau. It was very disappointing to find on the 1st day, a sea of weeds on the beach that was not cleaned up. Day 2 the weeds were still there and although the 4 men were trying to get it cleaned up it was a bigger job than they could handle.
I went to speak to the PR person, (Dayani) and suggested that a resort that bills itself as a 5 star (and charge 5 star prices) needs to have a clean beach and must be prepared to hire more people to clean the beach if that is what is required. It was explained to us that the job of cleaning the beach is contracted out to an outside company. I suggested that the resort is still responsible to the guests and perhaps a word to the contractor was in order. I do realize they have to do it by hand and it is not an easy job. I also realize it is much too big a job for 4 men.
The next day there were several more beach cleaners and the beach was cleared. Part of the problem is they start at the Tryp and by the time they reach the Blau the work shift is over and they leave. Once that was sorted we had a clean beach for the duration of our vacation.
Food:
Judy and I were impressed with the improvement of the food at the buffet. They had huge roasted turkey on more that 1 occasion, roast pork, a big glazed ham. We enjoyed several meals at the buffet. I was disappointed as I said with the lack of variety of the bread. We are used to such great bread at every meal and it was not available this trip.
Churros stand
The stand is now to be found at the end of the buffet building. If you go past the doors and look to the right you will see it. The tables and chairs are set up there and it is a nice quiet place to sit and have a drink or a churro. It is next to the pools and before the bridge which is at the end of the buffet.
The West end:
There has been no movement whatsoever at the west end of the resort. There are security guards and some gardeners but that is it> No activity at all.
I think we have reported how Judy and I managed to get 2 weeks instead of 1 week at the Blau and so I will leave that for now.
Flight
Judy and I need lessons in packing. It is always frightening to walk up to the check in desk and wait to see what the weight is going to be and how we will fare. We did not go to the same check in but we were beside each other and could hear what was going on. At least I could, as Judy seems to tune out the entire world and lose her mind in these situations. I was overweight, news flash, and I quickly said but what about my sports bag? She said I will allow 15 lbs for that and so once i have deducted that it is going to cost you $100.00 and Judy is being told it is going to cost her $450.00 for excess weight. Time I stepped in and said "what about the sports bag and then she remembered, oh ya, one of those is my sports bag and he was even nicer and allowed the whole bag to go with no charge. She was charged $100.00 as well and we trundeled off to the plane a few dollars short.
We flew to Cuba with Sun Wing. It was our first flight with this airline. We picked up our tickets at the airport and received our tourist cards as well. There was a separate line for pre-booked seats, so we did not have to line up. We were, of course, overweight. They allowed 15 kilos for sports equipment only. Therefore, we were only charged for 10 kilos over. As of May 2006, the rate per kilo went to $10.00 and so we got our boarding pass once we had paid $100.00.
Flight was on time and we settled in to our seats, aisle and window, no one in the center, and were treated to champagne. They handed out free head seats and asked everyone to keep them for the return flight as they did not have enough for everyone on the way home.
They served a full meal. A choice of teriyaki chicken or pasta, a salad, and a brownie with white chocolate pieces. Cheese and crackers were included. Also included were white or red wine and tea or coffee.
We dropped off people in Varadero and continued on the Cayo Coco. There was not a long wait as they did not service the plane till Cayo Coco.
Customs and luggage were a breeze and I was able to get money changed quickly. Buses were waiting and we were off in no time.
Arrived 10sh and got checked in and went for a walk to see whom we could find. It was everyone’s night off and so we went off to our rooms in building 15.
Arrival - Check in:
The Blau still requires you to line up to check in and so there is always a rush when you get off the bus to get to the desk and receive your room assignment , your luggage tags, towel voucher and safe key. It is a slow process as they do have extra staff on hand to deal with a lot of people. Also, there is a delay when someone is not happy with the room they were assigned. Since they cannot make changes until the room manager arrives in the morning there is no real point unless it is a dire emergency to even ask. You need to have the clerk make a note and come back to the front desk in the morning.
There was also only one bell hop and that means you either take your own luggage or you wait till he gets to you. Since we were assigned a room on the 3rd floor, we were not willing to carry all of our bags ourselves.
Further to the check in issue, when we had been there for 6 days we were asked to attend at the front desk and bring our Hotel Voucher from Signature for the 2nd week of our stay. WE took our travel envelopes to Jackie at the front desk and we both looked through it all several times and there was not a hotel voucher to be found. We thought it was weird but Jackie assured us that if we went to the Signature rep (Yunior) he would take care of the problem.
Since we had to see him anyway to inform him that we were already at the resort with Sunwing and therefore would not be arriving at the airport but would be going home with Signature the following week.
He assured us it was no problem, that he would write up a voucher and we need not worry about the flight home. He would get on the computer and confer with Signature in Toronto.
The next day, Sat, we went to see Jackie and she informed us that the check in the night before was total chaos. Everyone arrived in the pouring rain and it was very late, like 1 or 2 am. They lined up at the desk and were asked to provide their hotel voucher. No one had a voucher. The front desk was insisting that they were required to provide one or they could not be assigned a room. You can imagine what that couple of hours was like. The next day Signature was contacted and the reservations folks were informed, well after the fact, that Signature was no longer using the voucher system, it would all be done by computer, as they do with other resorts. This will allow them to do the check-in in advance and explains why some resorts are able to do it on the bus, or arrive at the airport with the complete package and room assignment as in Santa Maria.
Both the staff and the guests would have appreciated knowing this in advance, I'm sure. I am so glad we were not one of the people arriving in that downpour to be faced with the problem of no voucher no room, and the suitcases sitting in the rain with nowhere to go.
Be sure to check with your agent in the future. A good reason to always use an agent.
Resort:
We went to check out the Seafood bar and met Leber’s replacement. He appeared to have everything under control. He informed us that Leber was on a months vacation but would be returning on the 1st of Nov. Since this was the 29tth we knew it would not be long before he was back where he belongs.
Monday am and we took a walk around. The Churro stand has not only been moved, there is a brand new beautiful teak wood stand built at the north end of the buffet beside the ponds. They have also taken some of the tables and chairs from the courtyard and put them in that area. A very nice place to sit quietly and read or watch the birds and the people come and go.
We attended the orientation to see what, if anything was new. Henry is the Sun Wing representative. They have re-introduced the towel deposit. The safe key does not require a deposit.
They have provided permanent stalls for the venders. It means they no longer have to tote the rather precarious tables to display their wares. The venders change daily, for the most part, but there are some who were there every day. They are located around the corner from the main lobby on the north side of the building.
The a la cartes were not all open every night. The El Fontanella and the piano bar was open every night but the seafood, El Dorado, and the Cuban (Yarey) was not. When one was open the other was not. Menus have not changed in the a la carte’s but Judy and I found a marked improvement in the buffet.
The bread supply was very limited. Regular sliced and baguettes were all that was available most day. A few days they had sliced whole wheat. We were very surprised. They did however have great meat selections. We were especially pleased on turkey nights. Also large pork roasts with crackling. Beautiful hams and BBQ’d pork ribs. We never went to the a la carte until we had checked out the buffet and often it was our 1st choice.
There were students working throughout the resort and we found them to be a delight. Judy wanted to take one of the young women home, she was so adorable.
The beach bar now has hot food every day. Fries, triangles of pizza and various tidbits. They were not the same every day and I didn’t check very often. They seemed to be popular.
Rooms:
We were booked into a room on the 3rd floor. Now I know where all of the king size beds are. I wonder why that is. Nothing has changed. I was able to sleep with the door open and listen to the ocean. There were no mossies (at least in my room). It rained very hard in the night and woke me but it was not long before the sound of the rain lulled me back to sleep.
Carnival:
On Wednesday evening there was a carnival held in the town square. It was available to guests from all of the resorts. Guests from the other resorts paid a entry fee (12 cuc) and that entitled them to all drinks and food for the evening.
There were bars and food tables set up around the square and seating for everyone.
There was a mixture of presentations. There was a group from Moron that performed amazing acrobatic feats on stilts. We enjoyed that event very much and there were a lot of oohs and aahs from the large crowd.
There was a small theatre group who performed and they were awesome
The resident dancers (more later) performed several numbers and they were spectacular.
There was an older dance group from Moron who performed traditional Cuban dances in traditional Cuban dress. They were very good and incredibly energetic for a group that was obviously of a certain age. Let’s just say we had a lot in common age wise.
There was also a live band that played for the groups as well as playing some dance music. There was a jazz band that really got your toes tapping.
Once the show was over, the disco was open for dancing and the performers were there and available for dancing.
The carnival is a weekly event. It was held indoors the 2nd week as it was raining out. The Cuban dancers were not there but perhaps it is a variety of performers. Judy and I have lots of photos but neither of us have put them up.
Entertainment:
Previously, Derek and I have said we have seen all of the shows that the animation team perform and so do not attend the shows anymore (actually the real reason is , Derek can’t stay awake) but Judy like to attend and so I will go with her and will stay if I am enjoying the show.
We were blown away by the caliber of dancing and the choreography was new, innovative and varied. There are 3 men and 4 women with one woman being the principal dancer who performed a solo. There was modern dance, ballet, contemporary, suggestive and progressive. I mentioned it to several of the staff and they informed us that the resort had hired a new choreographer 6 weeks previous and he had worked with the new dancers every day. The dancers were young (I swear they did not look a day over 12) talented and energetic. They were fresh out of the dance academy and were not required to do the regular duties of the animation team. The previous animation team was still there and did the daily fun on the beach and in the pool as well as the Spanish and dance lessons and the pros (dancers) rehearsed every day. I have not seen such talent since we were at the Mayonaba in Camaguay, where Derek and I watched the talent every night. They also were only required to put on the evening show and they rehearsed every day. It makes for a very professional show and we were delighted every night.
Beach:
We have always loved the beach at Cayo Coco and especially in front of the Blau. It was very disappointing to find on the 1st day, a sea of weeds on the beach that was not cleaned up. Day 2 the weeds were still there and although the 4 men were trying to get it cleaned up it was a bigger job than they could handle.
I went to speak to the PR person, (Dayani) and suggested that a resort that bills itself as a 5 star (and charge 5 star prices) needs to have a clean beach and must be prepared to hire more people to clean the beach if that is what is required. It was explained to us that the job of cleaning the beach is contracted out to an outside company. I suggested that the resort is still responsible to the guests and perhaps a word to the contractor was in order. I do realize they have to do it by hand and it is not an easy job. I also realize it is much too big a job for 4 men.
The next day there were several more beach cleaners and the beach was cleared. Part of the problem is they start at the Tryp and by the time they reach the Blau the work shift is over and they leave. Once that was sorted we had a clean beach for the duration of our vacation.
Food:
Judy and I were impressed with the improvement of the food at the buffet. They had huge roasted turkey on more that 1 occasion, roast pork, a big glazed ham. We enjoyed several meals at the buffet. I was disappointed as I said with the lack of variety of the bread. We are used to such great bread at every meal and it was not available this trip.
Churros stand
The stand is now to be found at the end of the buffet building. If you go past the doors and look to the right you will see it. The tables and chairs are set up there and it is a nice quiet place to sit and have a drink or a churro. It is next to the pools and before the bridge which is at the end of the buffet.
The West end:
There has been no movement whatsoever at the west end of the resort. There are security guards and some gardeners but that is it> No activity at all.
Balu (as it was) Colonial Cayo Coco 2007
Blau Nov '07:
There is good news and bad to share with you. There are many new ideas and improvements and the same wonderful staff and there are some things that really need work.
Flight:
We traveled with Air Transat and all went well. The flight was on time except for the luggage. One suitcase was too overweight and so I had to open it and transfer stuff from one to the other. We always travel Club Class and really enjoy it. It is worth the additional cost. Boarding when you want, extra luggage allowance (double) champagne and orange juice, (good at any time of the day). The meal is usually good and all drinks are included. A decent wine is served and there is no line-up for the washroom.
Customs:
We were one of the first off the plane and so no long wait. Got through and to the money exchange immediately. 91 CUCs for $100.00. All but 1 piece of luggage came quickly and then the 4rth one came out with a customs agent accompanying it. It was a young woman who did not speak English well. She asked me to fill out a customs declaration and I said I had nothing to declare and I had received one on the plane and read it and had nothing to declare. She asked me to come and speak to another agent, who did speak English and who I knew from our many previous trips. He asked if I had a DVD player and I responded I did but it was for my own use at the resort. He asked what else I was importing and I responded nothing. He commented that I had a lot of clothes and I must be leaving some in Cuba. We discussed at great length what I had brought. I explained that I did bring many small gifts for tips, but nothing that I was going to sell in Cuba. He wanted me to pay duty on the DVD and we kept showing me the declaration form. I pointed out to him that the form allows $50.00 duty free and I had the receipt for the DVD player and it was $49.99 and therefore I did not have to claim it or pay duty on it.
He then asked if they could weigh our luggage. I wanted to know why. At this point Derek was getting a little panicky, wanting to just give them what they wanted and get out of there. The agent then explained to us that we were allowed 30 kilos of luggage each and any more than that we could be charged duty at the rate of $10.00 a kilo. At that point Derek worked out (he’s very quick with the math) that we would be paying over $400.00. At that point he decided to let me continue to DISCUSS the issue with customs. They did weigh all of our luggage, including the dive bag. He was not interested in the fact that we were allowed the weight according to the airline and was not interested in the dive bag exemption.
Sooooo, they weighed each bag and wrote down the weight of each one and had both Derek and I confirm the weight. He then punched the numbers into a calculator and had us both confirm each one again. He added up the total and guess what. 101 kilos. (and that did not include either of our carry-ons, where all my shoes were, or my purse, that I could barely lift). After much discussion and my repeated requests for them to show me where in the declaration form it had any weight restrictions or where it said we could not bring in small gifts for tips.
Finally, he asked me if it was a portable DVD player and took the receipt and said on this occasion they were not going to charge us for the additional weight but suggested when we returned home we should check the Cuban website to confirm the weight limit per person. I thanked him and we were on our way.
We spoke with 3 other people who just happened to have DVDs or a Play Station and they were each charged $50.00 duty. I guess I am just stubborn and/or contrary enough or perhaps even charming enough to avoid that.
I mentioned that we were frequent travelers to Cayo Coco and other areas of Cuba and had never run into this before. He said he was aware of that and recognized us from many trips.
We were not the last people on the bus so others were being looked at.
Funny thing happened on the bus. There were a few people who had enjoyed a few drinks on the way down and at the airport in Cuba and one of the women kept coming to the bus and asking why we were not leaving yet. She asked the representative
Several times and the representative said they were waiting for one couple. Finally the representative
came onto the bus and asked if anyone knew a certain couple that they were waiting for as they had not picked up the package with the check in info and sign in card. Well, guess what, the woman who was complaining was the one who had not picked up her package and was holding up the bus. That was good for a bit of ribbing.
Trip to the hotel was fast and we were the only ones going to the Blau. We walked into the lobby and there was Leber at the new lobby bar to greet us. It was like coming home and having the family there to meet you. Derek checked in while I took on the important task of getting drinks for us. It was a bit rainy but warm. Suitcases were delivered to our room and were waiting for us when we got there. WE were in Bldg #14 on the second floor with a king size bed, a view of the ocean if there were not such large tall trees, but we could hear the ocean and we were able to sleep with the windows open the whole time. I love to be lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore.
Arrival at Blau / Room / Resort:
We had a great vacation and were happy to see all of our friends in CC.
The rain stopped when we arrived Thursday evening and never came back. It was windy and the roar of the ocean could be heard throughout the resort.
We were greeted by Leber and Alexander, both of whom were working the NEW lobby bar that night. We had a drink while our luggage was taken to our room. We were very impressed with the new bar and lobby. New paint job and recovered furniture. I must warn you, the beveled glass topped coffee tables are dangerous. Derek cut his leg as did several others. The glass protrudes out from the table top and they are quite low and so just out of sight. We noted there were a few bleeding legs. I did not use the couches much because they were also very low and hard to get out of. They recovered them but did not re-stuff them.
They have moved the pool table from the disco to the other end of the lobby, (near the bank) and it is much brighter and surrounded by couches for viewers. The cues are kept at the pool during the day as there is another pool table there for daytime use. If you have your own I would bring it along with chalk. There is no charge and the balls are kept at the front desk.
We were in building 14 on the 2nd floor. A very nice room with a king size bed and a view of full grown trees. You would be able to see the ocean but for the trees. They are having difficulty providing ocean view rooms as the vegetation is so mature. They made a decision not to cut down trees and I support that. The balcony was L shaped and so we also had a view of the walkway to our room. On the stairs up to our room we noted (you will see photos ) of plants growing under and up the stairs and the wall. I loved it. The second week we were there the gardener chopped it all down. It looked naked. I asked him why and he said the boss ordered it.
A group of workers spent more than a week working on the pipes leading to building 14 and 15 and after a few days we could really notice the difference in both temperature and force of the water. Judy had her shower head cleaned and said the shower could knock her backwards. It is certainly an improvement over the way the water has been for several years.
There is a lot of repair work that needs doing at the Blau. There are broken chairs, the steps leading to the beach are in very bad shape. They are dangerous and someone is going to seriously hurt themselves if they don’t get some attention soon. The steps and ramp leading from the beach bar have been closed completely as they are treacherous. The ones to the west of the bar are also in poor repair and the bottom step is so far off the sand you must jump to the beach. The ones near bldg 15 are also problematic. The rails are wobbly and if you actually use them for support they break. Someone comes along and bangs the one nail holding it together back in the same hole until the next person tries to use it for support. The paths further east are safe as they are a gentle incline and do not require a walkway or steps. Au Natural. However it would be very difficult if not impossible to get a wheelchair to the beach.
There was a team of builders erecting new palapas along the beach. It was very interesting watching them work with little or no tools. There is now a steady row of palapas from one end of the beach to the other. They are putting a roof on them so they will provide complete shade rather than slatted shade as before.
There are all new lounge chairs (see photos) at the beach and the pool and there are lots of them. They are a much softer plastic and seem sturdier but that may be the newness.
The ocean was wild when we arrived but it got less and less each day until the day we were to leave and it was perfectly calm. There aught to be a law.
The beach was dirty for several days as the storm had just ended. The Blau and the other resorts along the beach have a contract with an outside company to clean the beach. As I have mentioned previously the beach in front of the Blau (unlike the other beaches) is very soft and therefore the tractor cannot clear the weeds. It must be done by hand and since it is the most difficult area it is left to the last. The company (there is only one) does not provide additional staff after a storm. The lifeguards and chair personal cleared us a path to the beach and day 4 they raked all of the weeds into piles for the crew to pick up We really appreciated that. It was not their job to do and they spent an entire day raking.
The Hemingway BBQ Grill is a work in progress. They are aware that a lot of loyal return guests miss the old Hemingway Grill and so are working toward having it available again. They are doing BBQ lunch, (didn't try it but friends said it was fine) (hamburgers etc) and hope to expand the evening but at the moment it is just for the VIP guests as a special treat for those who have either paid for the VIP package or been offered it as a multi return guest.
We know things change from one visit to the next but I can tell you that they have managed to have a BBQ set up and it is unlikely it will go away. It will at least be there for lunch.
There was no beach animation at this time but they were at the pool. They had a Cuban feast one day at the pool, where the animation staff built a fire, cleaned and cut up vegetables and made a giant pot of soup (Cuban style) for all to enjoy.
Wednesday night was beach party night. Although we did not attend we heard it loud and clear. Sounded like a good time. It was the only night we closed our windows.
There is a new gym with new equipment. It is located at the pool in what used to be the children’s center. They have machines as well as free weights and an attendant. On the stage beside the gym is a pool table and ping pong table.
The new facilities for the children is currently being built at the east end of the pool in the building that is in front of the seafood restaurant, on the ground floor and it looks good. There is also an outdoor playground with a slide, swings and rocking horses and other bouncy things, etc. It is behind building 16.
As to the salt water section, the news is that they expect to reopen both that section and the other buildings not currently in use by March /April. We did not see a lot of work going on over there but "they" say the government has made a commitment to the Blau and so it will be done. We did mention to the new Director General, Ernesto Dominguez, that many Happy Faces were looking forward to the salt water section opening again.
Yareys has a new menu as do all of the restaurants.
Leber introduced Judy and I to the new Director General and he had heard about us, ie: Happy Faces who have been to visit many times. He was very gracious and welcomed us and offered his services 24/7. He said he lives at the resort and works everyday and we would be welcome in his office at any time to discuss the resort improvements or problems. He appears to be very popular with the staff, who believe he will improve many things.
VIP Package for returning guests:
One of the things he has approved and that is the VIP package for guests who have been to the resort many times. I was not aware but there is a VIP package available at the resort for approx $50.00 a day. The VIP package was posted late in the second week and I'm sorry I didn't write it down but it was for the week and not a day. I don't know how it would work for 1 day but you can always talk to public relations.
It includes:
1 massage per guest in the room, (that is a full 1 hour massage),
continental breakfast (juice, tea/coffee, breads, yogurt, toast, croissants and jam) in the room (ordered the previous day),
unlimited a la carte restaurants (booked the day before)
special shrimp and lobster meals (requested the previous day)
VIP dinner on Tuesday evening at the new steakhouse (beach grill)
ocean view rooms
slippers and robe
a welcome bottle of rum
and late checkout (5:00 pm) on the day of departure.
We were given the package as a thank you for our many stays at the Blau and our yellow bracelets were replace with clear plastic ones.
I enjoyed the massage very much. I also enjoyed Derek’s massage very much. I had one each week.
We had the breakfast in the room and it was lovely to sit on the balcony and have breakfast.
The seafood restaurant is closed for renos. They are hoping to enclose it somewhat so it is more comfortable in inclement weather. If you have ever been caught in a heavy rain you will understand. So the bar is also closed. The seafood restaurant is currently in the 2nd buffet building. I have always love this room with it’s frescos and beautiful décor. There is a lounge area with a bar, on one side and the tables on the other.
The 24 hour bar has all new tables and chairs in the open area and wicker chairs with cushions under the eaves of the Piano Bar. The Italian restaurant and the piano bar are still running smoothly.
The bank is now open 24 hours. He does however, have to have meals and so it is occasionally closed for short periods.
We saw a wedding while we were there. They have not perfected that as they have at other resorts but it was beautiful. It was held over by the ponds, across the bridge and to the right. There was a 4 piece band, some flowers and balloons. The wedding party was all in white and the bride was in red. It was quite striking. They had the dinner at the Italian restaurant. We could have gone there as well so it was not closed off to the public. We chose to not share the occasion.
The street party did not happen while we were there this time. We didn't ask about it. Shows were very good. The entertainment staff are really polished now. Recall last year they were very new and had only rehearsed for 1 month. You could see the difference in the polish as all of the routines were the same. They were however a much more serious group than they were last year. It was all fun and happy then and now they are serious entertainers.
I will tell you about our day excursions soon. Time for Judy to kick in here.
EXCURSIONS by Derek:
Delayed muchly, but here's our 'Out and about on and off (some of) the Cayos' report from our most recent trip to CC.
We had a couple of excuses to get off campus this trip.
First was Judy’s birthday party in Pina.
To get there we had to drive through a small flood across the main road into Moron. For those who know the drive, it was just at the south end of the large Z turn just before the fish farms on the west side of the road. Even though the last of the storm was a week or more in the past at that point, the road was still awash in mebbe 10-15cm of water.
Pina is a small town (perhaps 5,000 people if you include the surrounding rural bits) roughly 30km (from memory) from the end of the causeway out to Cayo Coco.
As you can see from the photos, the party was great. I also have a set of photos I took while on a short walk around the block. I can’t add much to the photos I think. Nice people, everyone smiling and nodding to me.
Our hosts have a de Soto in their yard. It’s slowly being brought back to (original) working condition. Mechanics are done, bodywork and interior still to come.
I took some photos of people and just did the usual request for permission before shooting and everyone I snapped was happy to pose…which is a problem. But the advent of digital cameras means you can ask permission, take one photo with the subject posing for you, wait until they return to doing what you want a snap of, and then shoot the ‘real’ photo.
Judy and a friend acting as guide and I drove from Pina into Ciego d’Avilla. It’s always fun to drive about in another country just for the anthropological experience of things like bus stops etc. On the way back we visited the site of an important battle during the War of Independence against the Spanish. No other stops though as the party was waiting.
Judy may wish to detail what happened on the visit to Ciego d'Avilla per se.
On another day we rented a car and again with a guide wandered around Cayos Coco, Guillermo and Paredon. Judy hasn’t ever really been off-campus save for a trip to the nude beach and then on to the wild boar caverns.
Headed east we managed to get out onto Paredon, despite a rather dilapidated bridge. Holes that were rather large and which went through the bridge so that we could peer down and look at the rather quickly (or so it seemed) rushing water. Our friend had to guide me over and around them.
Judy was so confident in my skills as a driver that she refused to be in the car going over the bridge and walked both coming and going.
At the bridge, which is also a fishing dock, is a small coast guard station. The staff has a pet bird that was a hoot. If you look closely at the photos you can see it eating a rather large fish in one go. And no, it’s not a pelican. Dunno what it is really.
Hungry perhaps?
The roadway to Paredon is chained, you must ask at the Coast Guard station to have it (very graciously and without any promise of a gift or tip in return) opened for you.
Out on Paredon is a cast-iron lighthouse almost 100 years old. Much fun climbing up it and the mechanism, apparently original, was interesting. A large counterweighted clockwork system for rotating the light.
Great views.
Long drive getting there though as the road is rather rough (not to mention the holes in the bridge) and this slows things down a fair bit.
We also hit Playa Flamingo for lunch (very nice) and beer (even nicer). Lunch was lobster and rice done on a BBQ. The grill has gotten quite a bit fancier since we were last there. There are flush toilets and something that looks like it might be a band shell.
Sigh. I must be getting old. As with the grill at the nude beach, I can remember when it was a bunch of stumps sticking out of the sand, a thatched closet with a cooler full of beer and a BBQ pit scooped out of the sand.
Say, I AM getting old. I can remember when that would describe what is not the Sol Cayo Coco! J
As well, the sand dunes between the nude beach and the caverns (impressive, great views, no cars allowed any more as it has just been declared a reserve, but you can walk to them), and Playa Pilar of course.
The grill at Pilar is being rebuilt, but the beach is as spectacular as I remembered.
After that we had to zip back to the hotel as it was close to 18:00.
Photos here: Wandering Cayos Coco, Guillermo, Paredon.
There is good news and bad to share with you. There are many new ideas and improvements and the same wonderful staff and there are some things that really need work.
Flight:
We traveled with Air Transat and all went well. The flight was on time except for the luggage. One suitcase was too overweight and so I had to open it and transfer stuff from one to the other. We always travel Club Class and really enjoy it. It is worth the additional cost. Boarding when you want, extra luggage allowance (double) champagne and orange juice, (good at any time of the day). The meal is usually good and all drinks are included. A decent wine is served and there is no line-up for the washroom.
Customs:
We were one of the first off the plane and so no long wait. Got through and to the money exchange immediately. 91 CUCs for $100.00. All but 1 piece of luggage came quickly and then the 4rth one came out with a customs agent accompanying it. It was a young woman who did not speak English well. She asked me to fill out a customs declaration and I said I had nothing to declare and I had received one on the plane and read it and had nothing to declare. She asked me to come and speak to another agent, who did speak English and who I knew from our many previous trips. He asked if I had a DVD player and I responded I did but it was for my own use at the resort. He asked what else I was importing and I responded nothing. He commented that I had a lot of clothes and I must be leaving some in Cuba. We discussed at great length what I had brought. I explained that I did bring many small gifts for tips, but nothing that I was going to sell in Cuba. He wanted me to pay duty on the DVD and we kept showing me the declaration form. I pointed out to him that the form allows $50.00 duty free and I had the receipt for the DVD player and it was $49.99 and therefore I did not have to claim it or pay duty on it.
He then asked if they could weigh our luggage. I wanted to know why. At this point Derek was getting a little panicky, wanting to just give them what they wanted and get out of there. The agent then explained to us that we were allowed 30 kilos of luggage each and any more than that we could be charged duty at the rate of $10.00 a kilo. At that point Derek worked out (he’s very quick with the math) that we would be paying over $400.00. At that point he decided to let me continue to DISCUSS the issue with customs. They did weigh all of our luggage, including the dive bag. He was not interested in the fact that we were allowed the weight according to the airline and was not interested in the dive bag exemption.
Sooooo, they weighed each bag and wrote down the weight of each one and had both Derek and I confirm the weight. He then punched the numbers into a calculator and had us both confirm each one again. He added up the total and guess what. 101 kilos. (and that did not include either of our carry-ons, where all my shoes were, or my purse, that I could barely lift). After much discussion and my repeated requests for them to show me where in the declaration form it had any weight restrictions or where it said we could not bring in small gifts for tips.
Finally, he asked me if it was a portable DVD player and took the receipt and said on this occasion they were not going to charge us for the additional weight but suggested when we returned home we should check the Cuban website to confirm the weight limit per person. I thanked him and we were on our way.
We spoke with 3 other people who just happened to have DVDs or a Play Station and they were each charged $50.00 duty. I guess I am just stubborn and/or contrary enough or perhaps even charming enough to avoid that.
I mentioned that we were frequent travelers to Cayo Coco and other areas of Cuba and had never run into this before. He said he was aware of that and recognized us from many trips.
We were not the last people on the bus so others were being looked at.
Funny thing happened on the bus. There were a few people who had enjoyed a few drinks on the way down and at the airport in Cuba and one of the women kept coming to the bus and asking why we were not leaving yet. She asked the representative
Several times and the representative said they were waiting for one couple. Finally the representative
came onto the bus and asked if anyone knew a certain couple that they were waiting for as they had not picked up the package with the check in info and sign in card. Well, guess what, the woman who was complaining was the one who had not picked up her package and was holding up the bus. That was good for a bit of ribbing.
Trip to the hotel was fast and we were the only ones going to the Blau. We walked into the lobby and there was Leber at the new lobby bar to greet us. It was like coming home and having the family there to meet you. Derek checked in while I took on the important task of getting drinks for us. It was a bit rainy but warm. Suitcases were delivered to our room and were waiting for us when we got there. WE were in Bldg #14 on the second floor with a king size bed, a view of the ocean if there were not such large tall trees, but we could hear the ocean and we were able to sleep with the windows open the whole time. I love to be lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore.
Arrival at Blau / Room / Resort:
We had a great vacation and were happy to see all of our friends in CC.
The rain stopped when we arrived Thursday evening and never came back. It was windy and the roar of the ocean could be heard throughout the resort.
We were greeted by Leber and Alexander, both of whom were working the NEW lobby bar that night. We had a drink while our luggage was taken to our room. We were very impressed with the new bar and lobby. New paint job and recovered furniture. I must warn you, the beveled glass topped coffee tables are dangerous. Derek cut his leg as did several others. The glass protrudes out from the table top and they are quite low and so just out of sight. We noted there were a few bleeding legs. I did not use the couches much because they were also very low and hard to get out of. They recovered them but did not re-stuff them.
They have moved the pool table from the disco to the other end of the lobby, (near the bank) and it is much brighter and surrounded by couches for viewers. The cues are kept at the pool during the day as there is another pool table there for daytime use. If you have your own I would bring it along with chalk. There is no charge and the balls are kept at the front desk.
We were in building 14 on the 2nd floor. A very nice room with a king size bed and a view of full grown trees. You would be able to see the ocean but for the trees. They are having difficulty providing ocean view rooms as the vegetation is so mature. They made a decision not to cut down trees and I support that. The balcony was L shaped and so we also had a view of the walkway to our room. On the stairs up to our room we noted (you will see photos ) of plants growing under and up the stairs and the wall. I loved it. The second week we were there the gardener chopped it all down. It looked naked. I asked him why and he said the boss ordered it.
A group of workers spent more than a week working on the pipes leading to building 14 and 15 and after a few days we could really notice the difference in both temperature and force of the water. Judy had her shower head cleaned and said the shower could knock her backwards. It is certainly an improvement over the way the water has been for several years.
There is a lot of repair work that needs doing at the Blau. There are broken chairs, the steps leading to the beach are in very bad shape. They are dangerous and someone is going to seriously hurt themselves if they don’t get some attention soon. The steps and ramp leading from the beach bar have been closed completely as they are treacherous. The ones to the west of the bar are also in poor repair and the bottom step is so far off the sand you must jump to the beach. The ones near bldg 15 are also problematic. The rails are wobbly and if you actually use them for support they break. Someone comes along and bangs the one nail holding it together back in the same hole until the next person tries to use it for support. The paths further east are safe as they are a gentle incline and do not require a walkway or steps. Au Natural. However it would be very difficult if not impossible to get a wheelchair to the beach.
There was a team of builders erecting new palapas along the beach. It was very interesting watching them work with little or no tools. There is now a steady row of palapas from one end of the beach to the other. They are putting a roof on them so they will provide complete shade rather than slatted shade as before.
There are all new lounge chairs (see photos) at the beach and the pool and there are lots of them. They are a much softer plastic and seem sturdier but that may be the newness.
The ocean was wild when we arrived but it got less and less each day until the day we were to leave and it was perfectly calm. There aught to be a law.
The beach was dirty for several days as the storm had just ended. The Blau and the other resorts along the beach have a contract with an outside company to clean the beach. As I have mentioned previously the beach in front of the Blau (unlike the other beaches) is very soft and therefore the tractor cannot clear the weeds. It must be done by hand and since it is the most difficult area it is left to the last. The company (there is only one) does not provide additional staff after a storm. The lifeguards and chair personal cleared us a path to the beach and day 4 they raked all of the weeds into piles for the crew to pick up We really appreciated that. It was not their job to do and they spent an entire day raking.
The Hemingway BBQ Grill is a work in progress. They are aware that a lot of loyal return guests miss the old Hemingway Grill and so are working toward having it available again. They are doing BBQ lunch, (didn't try it but friends said it was fine) (hamburgers etc) and hope to expand the evening but at the moment it is just for the VIP guests as a special treat for those who have either paid for the VIP package or been offered it as a multi return guest.
We know things change from one visit to the next but I can tell you that they have managed to have a BBQ set up and it is unlikely it will go away. It will at least be there for lunch.
There was no beach animation at this time but they were at the pool. They had a Cuban feast one day at the pool, where the animation staff built a fire, cleaned and cut up vegetables and made a giant pot of soup (Cuban style) for all to enjoy.
Wednesday night was beach party night. Although we did not attend we heard it loud and clear. Sounded like a good time. It was the only night we closed our windows.
There is a new gym with new equipment. It is located at the pool in what used to be the children’s center. They have machines as well as free weights and an attendant. On the stage beside the gym is a pool table and ping pong table.
The new facilities for the children is currently being built at the east end of the pool in the building that is in front of the seafood restaurant, on the ground floor and it looks good. There is also an outdoor playground with a slide, swings and rocking horses and other bouncy things, etc. It is behind building 16.
As to the salt water section, the news is that they expect to reopen both that section and the other buildings not currently in use by March /April. We did not see a lot of work going on over there but "they" say the government has made a commitment to the Blau and so it will be done. We did mention to the new Director General, Ernesto Dominguez, that many Happy Faces were looking forward to the salt water section opening again.
Yareys has a new menu as do all of the restaurants.
Leber introduced Judy and I to the new Director General and he had heard about us, ie: Happy Faces who have been to visit many times. He was very gracious and welcomed us and offered his services 24/7. He said he lives at the resort and works everyday and we would be welcome in his office at any time to discuss the resort improvements or problems. He appears to be very popular with the staff, who believe he will improve many things.
VIP Package for returning guests:
One of the things he has approved and that is the VIP package for guests who have been to the resort many times. I was not aware but there is a VIP package available at the resort for approx $50.00 a day. The VIP package was posted late in the second week and I'm sorry I didn't write it down but it was for the week and not a day. I don't know how it would work for 1 day but you can always talk to public relations.
It includes:
1 massage per guest in the room, (that is a full 1 hour massage),
continental breakfast (juice, tea/coffee, breads, yogurt, toast, croissants and jam) in the room (ordered the previous day),
unlimited a la carte restaurants (booked the day before)
special shrimp and lobster meals (requested the previous day)
VIP dinner on Tuesday evening at the new steakhouse (beach grill)
ocean view rooms
slippers and robe
a welcome bottle of rum
and late checkout (5:00 pm) on the day of departure.
We were given the package as a thank you for our many stays at the Blau and our yellow bracelets were replace with clear plastic ones.
I enjoyed the massage very much. I also enjoyed Derek’s massage very much. I had one each week.
We had the breakfast in the room and it was lovely to sit on the balcony and have breakfast.
The seafood restaurant is closed for renos. They are hoping to enclose it somewhat so it is more comfortable in inclement weather. If you have ever been caught in a heavy rain you will understand. So the bar is also closed. The seafood restaurant is currently in the 2nd buffet building. I have always love this room with it’s frescos and beautiful décor. There is a lounge area with a bar, on one side and the tables on the other.
The 24 hour bar has all new tables and chairs in the open area and wicker chairs with cushions under the eaves of the Piano Bar. The Italian restaurant and the piano bar are still running smoothly.
The bank is now open 24 hours. He does however, have to have meals and so it is occasionally closed for short periods.
We saw a wedding while we were there. They have not perfected that as they have at other resorts but it was beautiful. It was held over by the ponds, across the bridge and to the right. There was a 4 piece band, some flowers and balloons. The wedding party was all in white and the bride was in red. It was quite striking. They had the dinner at the Italian restaurant. We could have gone there as well so it was not closed off to the public. We chose to not share the occasion.
The street party did not happen while we were there this time. We didn't ask about it. Shows were very good. The entertainment staff are really polished now. Recall last year they were very new and had only rehearsed for 1 month. You could see the difference in the polish as all of the routines were the same. They were however a much more serious group than they were last year. It was all fun and happy then and now they are serious entertainers.
I will tell you about our day excursions soon. Time for Judy to kick in here.
========================
EXCURSIONS by Derek:
Delayed muchly, but here's our 'Out and about on and off (some of) the Cayos' report from our most recent trip to CC.
We had a couple of excuses to get off campus this trip.
First was Judy’s birthday party in Pina.
To get there we had to drive through a small flood across the main road into Moron. For those who know the drive, it was just at the south end of the large Z turn just before the fish farms on the west side of the road. Even though the last of the storm was a week or more in the past at that point, the road was still awash in mebbe 10-15cm of water.
Pina is a small town (perhaps 5,000 people if you include the surrounding rural bits) roughly 30km (from memory) from the end of the causeway out to Cayo Coco.
As you can see from the photos, the party was great. I also have a set of photos I took while on a short walk around the block. I can’t add much to the photos I think. Nice people, everyone smiling and nodding to me.
Our hosts have a de Soto in their yard. It’s slowly being brought back to (original) working condition. Mechanics are done, bodywork and interior still to come.
I took some photos of people and just did the usual request for permission before shooting and everyone I snapped was happy to pose…which is a problem. But the advent of digital cameras means you can ask permission, take one photo with the subject posing for you, wait until they return to doing what you want a snap of, and then shoot the ‘real’ photo.
Judy and a friend acting as guide and I drove from Pina into Ciego d’Avilla. It’s always fun to drive about in another country just for the anthropological experience of things like bus stops etc. On the way back we visited the site of an important battle during the War of Independence against the Spanish. No other stops though as the party was waiting.
Judy may wish to detail what happened on the visit to Ciego d'Avilla per se.
On another day we rented a car and again with a guide wandered around Cayos Coco, Guillermo and Paredon. Judy hasn’t ever really been off-campus save for a trip to the nude beach and then on to the wild boar caverns.
Headed east we managed to get out onto Paredon, despite a rather dilapidated bridge. Holes that were rather large and which went through the bridge so that we could peer down and look at the rather quickly (or so it seemed) rushing water. Our friend had to guide me over and around them.
Judy was so confident in my skills as a driver that she refused to be in the car going over the bridge and walked both coming and going.
At the bridge, which is also a fishing dock, is a small coast guard station. The staff has a pet bird that was a hoot. If you look closely at the photos you can see it eating a rather large fish in one go. And no, it’s not a pelican. Dunno what it is really.
Hungry perhaps?
The roadway to Paredon is chained, you must ask at the Coast Guard station to have it (very graciously and without any promise of a gift or tip in return) opened for you.
Out on Paredon is a cast-iron lighthouse almost 100 years old. Much fun climbing up it and the mechanism, apparently original, was interesting. A large counterweighted clockwork system for rotating the light.
Great views.
Long drive getting there though as the road is rather rough (not to mention the holes in the bridge) and this slows things down a fair bit.
We also hit Playa Flamingo for lunch (very nice) and beer (even nicer). Lunch was lobster and rice done on a BBQ. The grill has gotten quite a bit fancier since we were last there. There are flush toilets and something that looks like it might be a band shell.
Sigh. I must be getting old. As with the grill at the nude beach, I can remember when it was a bunch of stumps sticking out of the sand, a thatched closet with a cooler full of beer and a BBQ pit scooped out of the sand.
Say, I AM getting old. I can remember when that would describe what is not the Sol Cayo Coco! J
As well, the sand dunes between the nude beach and the caverns (impressive, great views, no cars allowed any more as it has just been declared a reserve, but you can walk to them), and Playa Pilar of course.
The grill at Pilar is being rebuilt, but the beach is as spectacular as I remembered.
After that we had to zip back to the hotel as it was close to 18:00.
Photos here: Wandering Cayos Coco, Guillermo, Paredon.
Blau (as it was) Colonial Cayo Coco 2010
We flew Sun Wing and had a good check –in. We convinced the ticket agent
that we wanted window and aisle seats. We were very happy to see that
the middle seat was not allocated.
NOTE!!!! Our bags were underweight. We had one carry-on.
We were impressed with Sun Wing. They actually served a meal.
Customs and immigration went well. No one checked our bags or asked us any questions. Quick trip to the Blau. Arrived about 11:00am.
Checked in and were told we had a VIP room in the salt-water section on the 3rd floor of building 32, room 61. The room was not ready and so we said hello to several friends and had a few cocktails. Our room was ready before noon and we went to check it out.
The front entrance faced the Tower and the Suites building was on the right. The building was fenced off and there were several workers working everyday on this building. I saw them carry wheelbarrows of cement up 3 flights of stairs.
Observations
The lagoon pedal boats are in operation again. There is a notice that children must have animation staff in attendance. Guess they got tired of kids getting stuck in the lagoon.
The saltwater pool is as beautiful as we remembered. They have new statues near the bridges. The swim up bar is in operation but they have removed the island that used to be in that area. Remember, with the palm trees in it?
The buffet that was open was the one near the saltwater area. The larger one was closed. They had tables outside on the veranda as well as some on the grass.
Derek took several pictures of the new children’s play area. It is quite nice. It has a clubhouse, a pool and sand play area. It is well situated to the right of the area between the buffets. You can see it when you come across the bridge where the turtles and ducks are housed. They have cleaned up all of the pools in that area and the fountains are working and it is very pretty. One of the pools that had been dormant for a while has been made into the kid’s pool. For further directions, it behind the disco and near the north end of building 14 and very close to the Hemingway beach grill.
The kids liked the ducks and fish and turtles. The fountains were all working. It really looks beautiful.
The artisans were found in front of the 1st buffet, where the outdoor tables were previously. Likely, will find a new home when the buffet reopens.
The stores in the square were also open. The end shop now houses the gym but is poorly equipped, with no airflow at all.
The fresh water section is now under construction. The crews were working 2 x 12 hour shifts in order to get the buildings prepared for a group coming in the following week. We spoke with Eduardo and he was hoping to have the pool painted and filled by Monday, but it seemed very unlikely. They were concentrating on the buildings to the right as you entered the resort, between the bridge and the old seafood restaurant. We did notice there were guests there before we left. On the other side of the pool they are doing major infrastructure work. The area has been dug up and pipes and electrical are all being replaced. Building 15 is closed and it is all dug up in front. Derek also took some pictures of the work being done. Eduardo said there is work being done in the rooms and they will all be the same in both sections of the resort.
There is a change in the tennis court area. There are still 2 tennis courts but the other courts are now a beach volleyball court, a soccer pitch, and a basketball court. A very good idea, as the tennis courts were not getting much use. Now there are options.
Restaurants
Buffet for breakfast lunch and dinner. The usual food but I really like the way it is laid out. It is very easy to get around and there are no clumps of people. We never found a line up and the resort was quite full, at least in the saltwater area.
Saltwater pool grill was open fro breakfast and that was very pleasant. It opened at 9:30 am, so great for late sleepers. Real coffee available, a bread basket with every meal, and bacon and eggs sausage, fruit, cereal, yogurt, juice, coffee and tea, all table service.
Several friends were working there so it was always a pleasure to have a meal or a coffee. It was also open for lunch and they had a grill as well as the kitchen. I was able to get some fresh fish (10 minutes out of the ocean) cooked to perfection with grilled vegetables. The staff treats us so well, it is no wonder we all keep going back and back. The chef is always willing to cook fish for you if you are able to get any. They do a very nice job and always add grilled veggies.
At lunch hamburgers, hot dogs, veggies were available from the grill and pasta, pizza from the kitchen. Of course, at all times Papa Fritas. They know how we all love French fries and they were plentiful.
The churro stand is back in the square. It was quite busy. Kids loved them.
In the evening the Grill became the Cuban Restaurant. It is very nice and well protected from the wind.
After the 1st day it was quite windy at the beach and so the pool area was very busy. There were always chairs available and it did not seem crowded as the pool is so well laid out. Three was a volleyball net in one of the pools and the staff did play some other games as well as aquafit each day.
They have sun umbrellas around the pool and they are set in concrete. They are quite large and we enjoyed them. Chairs are the same as the beach.
In one area of the pool there were 5 massage tents. Curtains are hung completely around the table but are pulled back to catch a breeze. Several lounge chairs that surround the tents require, for some at least, to keep their bathing suits on. I require bare back for an effective massage.
All Transat guests got a free massage per week as did VIP guests. You had to book at the Public relations office and they were very busy. I would have preferred the massage therapist who has been there for years but she was fully booked the days I tried to get an appointment. The massages provided at the pool were “relaxation” massages and were really nothing more than rubbing oil into your skin. Much like someone putting sunscreen on for you. There was no therapeutic value whatsoever. Nice but Derek could have done it better. Too bad, but I guess when it is free--------------
Observations
I must comment on the General Manager, Eduardo. He is everywhere on the resort. He attends the show every night with his wife and takes a bow at the end of the show. I am very impressed with the way he runs the resort. It is also evident that the staff all respects him and are happy to have him as a boss. He is in constant motion and you do see him everywhere. He is very approachable, very friendly and happy to listen to any ideas that guests put forward. He meets the staff bus when the workers arrive. He compliments the staff and they work very hard for him. He seems able to get things done that were not possible before. He really seems to be on top of it all. He was working with the crews who were working so hard to get the buildings ready for the guests that were arriving in a few days. He makes an appearance in the square before dinner to greet people and at the buffet and all of the a la cartes.
I complimented him on all of the changes and he immediately credited the staff. Classy!
There were many families with small and school age children. More kids than I have ever seen at the Blau. It seemed like a lot of kids were missing school.
New furniture in the lobby was quite comfortable.
Bit of a problem with kids on the pool table in the lobby. Parents allowing kids free rein with pool cues and no instructions regarding the felt on the table. Kids didn’t seem to know the balls don’t bounce of the floor. There were actually some balls with chips in them. There was no chalk and only 2 cues, one without a tip on it. Makes for fun game of pool. Derek and I like to have a glass of wine and a game of pool before dinner and we usually bring our own cues and chalk but we packed so light this time we had to make do.
There is new lobby patio furniture, looks like wicker but is actually durable plastic. Also beautiful new furniture in the square. Very comfortable. Finally, that uncomfortable wrought iron tables and chairs are gone. Who cares where?
The piano bar has also set up tables on the south side of the bar. Didn’t see much use of them but a good idea for when it is busy and people want a quieter place than the square.
Resort was nearly full on the salt-water side. More guests expected but for the fresh water side. Staff still working all out to get the buildings ready for the Monday.
On the Friday they decorated the Pool grill area and had a Cuban party with a live band. It barely started and the rain came pouring down and the wind blew in. We were already in our room so we missed the wet party. Eduardo was of course in attendance.
Up until the Friday we had great weather. We woke up to see huge white caps and a warm but strong wind. Slept in and then set up at the pool, did some aquafit and some dance routines? Pool was quite warm and enjoyable. Sun disappeared about 3:00 pm and so we decided to head home and have a nap. There was an umbrella in the room and so we had no problem getting to dinner.
The wind and the rain were awesome. Giant white caps. It rained hard and it was coming in the front set of widows, even though they were closed. There was a crack at the bottom of one set of windows. Had a bit of a flood but towels saved the day. A lot of mopping up and wringing out but once it was cleaned up we used towels to dam the flow. Once the wind slowed down or maybe changed direction we were fine
The wind was so strong it was snapping the clothespins off the line on the balcony. Brought the clothes in and saved the day. Our towels were dry when we put them out but were soaked in minutes. So much for freshening up the towels. We then didn’t have them to mop up the flood as they were so wet, but we managed. We used a metro shopping bag to get the sopping towels from the window to the bathroom to wring out and use again. I felt Cuban. I looked around for a solution of sopping wet towels and spotted the bag and the light went on. It worked like a charm. I left the bag there thinking it would be put to very good use by the staff.
We hung around the room till dinner. The square was out of the question. We started to think we were in Costa Rica again.
Rooms
The rooms were the same as the other section with new canopies over the bed. TV offered T.S.N., BBC news, HBO and a few new stations. The balconies are L shaped, there were front windows as usual and 2 side windows, one with a Juliet balcony. Everything else was the same. I love the rooms with the large windows. We were able to sleep with the windows open and hear to the ocean. I love to sleep to that sound.
The wind stayed pretty fierce on Sat and Sunday and only the very brave were in the water. Anyone on the beach was using chairs to block the wind. Looked like little forts all along the beach.
New
Near building 14 and 15 they are building a new Grill and restaurant. It is a huge outdoor and indoor building. The current beach bar and grill will be just a bar when it is completed. It will block the ocean view for a good part of building 15.
The area in front of bldgs 14 and 15 was all dug up and all new wiring and plumbing was being installed.
Yareys was not open and the pool was still empty and waiting for the last coat of paint.
The old seafood restaurant is posted as dangerous. It will never be fixed. It will need to be dismantled, as it is a hazard. I doubt they could afford to do the necessary work to get it back.
Building 22 and 14 were in use before we left. They managed to get them done.
The 2nd buffet, on the way to the salt-water pool will become the Nolitour’s only buffet when the 1st one reopens.
All the palapas on the beach were gone and they are in the process of rebuilding them. It must get discouraging when the keep getting blown away,
The entertainment was excellent. The young dancers are very professional and we enjoyed all of the shows. They work very hard every day and it shows.
There was an excellent band at the piano bar each evening (guitar, keyboard sax and clarinet) that we also enjoyed. We also enjoyed the family band with the young woman who plays the flute. She is growing up and I feel that I have watched her become a young woman. They played at the buffet as well as at the disco before the show.
VIP Lounge
There have been some changes to the VIP Lounge. The large room that used to serve as the smoking lounge is now a regular seating area. The smoking room is a very small area off the main lounge. They took down a wall and opened up a room that used to be off to the side and then partitioned off a small area. It has a window looking out onto the tarmac. You can watch the planes arrive. Service is still excellent and now has 3 staff members.
I still love the VIP check in. That alone is worth the cost.
I think that is it for now. Any questions I am happy to answer
NOTE!!!! Our bags were underweight. We had one carry-on.
We were impressed with Sun Wing. They actually served a meal.
Customs and immigration went well. No one checked our bags or asked us any questions. Quick trip to the Blau. Arrived about 11:00am.
Checked in and were told we had a VIP room in the salt-water section on the 3rd floor of building 32, room 61. The room was not ready and so we said hello to several friends and had a few cocktails. Our room was ready before noon and we went to check it out.
The front entrance faced the Tower and the Suites building was on the right. The building was fenced off and there were several workers working everyday on this building. I saw them carry wheelbarrows of cement up 3 flights of stairs.
Observations
The lagoon pedal boats are in operation again. There is a notice that children must have animation staff in attendance. Guess they got tired of kids getting stuck in the lagoon.
The saltwater pool is as beautiful as we remembered. They have new statues near the bridges. The swim up bar is in operation but they have removed the island that used to be in that area. Remember, with the palm trees in it?
The buffet that was open was the one near the saltwater area. The larger one was closed. They had tables outside on the veranda as well as some on the grass.
Derek took several pictures of the new children’s play area. It is quite nice. It has a clubhouse, a pool and sand play area. It is well situated to the right of the area between the buffets. You can see it when you come across the bridge where the turtles and ducks are housed. They have cleaned up all of the pools in that area and the fountains are working and it is very pretty. One of the pools that had been dormant for a while has been made into the kid’s pool. For further directions, it behind the disco and near the north end of building 14 and very close to the Hemingway beach grill.
The kids liked the ducks and fish and turtles. The fountains were all working. It really looks beautiful.
The artisans were found in front of the 1st buffet, where the outdoor tables were previously. Likely, will find a new home when the buffet reopens.
The stores in the square were also open. The end shop now houses the gym but is poorly equipped, with no airflow at all.
The fresh water section is now under construction. The crews were working 2 x 12 hour shifts in order to get the buildings prepared for a group coming in the following week. We spoke with Eduardo and he was hoping to have the pool painted and filled by Monday, but it seemed very unlikely. They were concentrating on the buildings to the right as you entered the resort, between the bridge and the old seafood restaurant. We did notice there were guests there before we left. On the other side of the pool they are doing major infrastructure work. The area has been dug up and pipes and electrical are all being replaced. Building 15 is closed and it is all dug up in front. Derek also took some pictures of the work being done. Eduardo said there is work being done in the rooms and they will all be the same in both sections of the resort.
There is a change in the tennis court area. There are still 2 tennis courts but the other courts are now a beach volleyball court, a soccer pitch, and a basketball court. A very good idea, as the tennis courts were not getting much use. Now there are options.
Restaurants
Buffet for breakfast lunch and dinner. The usual food but I really like the way it is laid out. It is very easy to get around and there are no clumps of people. We never found a line up and the resort was quite full, at least in the saltwater area.
Saltwater pool grill was open fro breakfast and that was very pleasant. It opened at 9:30 am, so great for late sleepers. Real coffee available, a bread basket with every meal, and bacon and eggs sausage, fruit, cereal, yogurt, juice, coffee and tea, all table service.
Several friends were working there so it was always a pleasure to have a meal or a coffee. It was also open for lunch and they had a grill as well as the kitchen. I was able to get some fresh fish (10 minutes out of the ocean) cooked to perfection with grilled vegetables. The staff treats us so well, it is no wonder we all keep going back and back. The chef is always willing to cook fish for you if you are able to get any. They do a very nice job and always add grilled veggies.
At lunch hamburgers, hot dogs, veggies were available from the grill and pasta, pizza from the kitchen. Of course, at all times Papa Fritas. They know how we all love French fries and they were plentiful.
The churro stand is back in the square. It was quite busy. Kids loved them.
In the evening the Grill became the Cuban Restaurant. It is very nice and well protected from the wind.
After the 1st day it was quite windy at the beach and so the pool area was very busy. There were always chairs available and it did not seem crowded as the pool is so well laid out. Three was a volleyball net in one of the pools and the staff did play some other games as well as aquafit each day.
They have sun umbrellas around the pool and they are set in concrete. They are quite large and we enjoyed them. Chairs are the same as the beach.
In one area of the pool there were 5 massage tents. Curtains are hung completely around the table but are pulled back to catch a breeze. Several lounge chairs that surround the tents require, for some at least, to keep their bathing suits on. I require bare back for an effective massage.
All Transat guests got a free massage per week as did VIP guests. You had to book at the Public relations office and they were very busy. I would have preferred the massage therapist who has been there for years but she was fully booked the days I tried to get an appointment. The massages provided at the pool were “relaxation” massages and were really nothing more than rubbing oil into your skin. Much like someone putting sunscreen on for you. There was no therapeutic value whatsoever. Nice but Derek could have done it better. Too bad, but I guess when it is free--------------
Observations
I must comment on the General Manager, Eduardo. He is everywhere on the resort. He attends the show every night with his wife and takes a bow at the end of the show. I am very impressed with the way he runs the resort. It is also evident that the staff all respects him and are happy to have him as a boss. He is in constant motion and you do see him everywhere. He is very approachable, very friendly and happy to listen to any ideas that guests put forward. He meets the staff bus when the workers arrive. He compliments the staff and they work very hard for him. He seems able to get things done that were not possible before. He really seems to be on top of it all. He was working with the crews who were working so hard to get the buildings ready for the guests that were arriving in a few days. He makes an appearance in the square before dinner to greet people and at the buffet and all of the a la cartes.
I complimented him on all of the changes and he immediately credited the staff. Classy!
There were many families with small and school age children. More kids than I have ever seen at the Blau. It seemed like a lot of kids were missing school.
New furniture in the lobby was quite comfortable.
Bit of a problem with kids on the pool table in the lobby. Parents allowing kids free rein with pool cues and no instructions regarding the felt on the table. Kids didn’t seem to know the balls don’t bounce of the floor. There were actually some balls with chips in them. There was no chalk and only 2 cues, one without a tip on it. Makes for fun game of pool. Derek and I like to have a glass of wine and a game of pool before dinner and we usually bring our own cues and chalk but we packed so light this time we had to make do.
There is new lobby patio furniture, looks like wicker but is actually durable plastic. Also beautiful new furniture in the square. Very comfortable. Finally, that uncomfortable wrought iron tables and chairs are gone. Who cares where?
The piano bar has also set up tables on the south side of the bar. Didn’t see much use of them but a good idea for when it is busy and people want a quieter place than the square.
Resort was nearly full on the salt-water side. More guests expected but for the fresh water side. Staff still working all out to get the buildings ready for the Monday.
On the Friday they decorated the Pool grill area and had a Cuban party with a live band. It barely started and the rain came pouring down and the wind blew in. We were already in our room so we missed the wet party. Eduardo was of course in attendance.
Up until the Friday we had great weather. We woke up to see huge white caps and a warm but strong wind. Slept in and then set up at the pool, did some aquafit and some dance routines? Pool was quite warm and enjoyable. Sun disappeared about 3:00 pm and so we decided to head home and have a nap. There was an umbrella in the room and so we had no problem getting to dinner.
The wind and the rain were awesome. Giant white caps. It rained hard and it was coming in the front set of widows, even though they were closed. There was a crack at the bottom of one set of windows. Had a bit of a flood but towels saved the day. A lot of mopping up and wringing out but once it was cleaned up we used towels to dam the flow. Once the wind slowed down or maybe changed direction we were fine
The wind was so strong it was snapping the clothespins off the line on the balcony. Brought the clothes in and saved the day. Our towels were dry when we put them out but were soaked in minutes. So much for freshening up the towels. We then didn’t have them to mop up the flood as they were so wet, but we managed. We used a metro shopping bag to get the sopping towels from the window to the bathroom to wring out and use again. I felt Cuban. I looked around for a solution of sopping wet towels and spotted the bag and the light went on. It worked like a charm. I left the bag there thinking it would be put to very good use by the staff.
We hung around the room till dinner. The square was out of the question. We started to think we were in Costa Rica again.
Rooms
The rooms were the same as the other section with new canopies over the bed. TV offered T.S.N., BBC news, HBO and a few new stations. The balconies are L shaped, there were front windows as usual and 2 side windows, one with a Juliet balcony. Everything else was the same. I love the rooms with the large windows. We were able to sleep with the windows open and hear to the ocean. I love to sleep to that sound.
The wind stayed pretty fierce on Sat and Sunday and only the very brave were in the water. Anyone on the beach was using chairs to block the wind. Looked like little forts all along the beach.
New
Near building 14 and 15 they are building a new Grill and restaurant. It is a huge outdoor and indoor building. The current beach bar and grill will be just a bar when it is completed. It will block the ocean view for a good part of building 15.
The area in front of bldgs 14 and 15 was all dug up and all new wiring and plumbing was being installed.
Yareys was not open and the pool was still empty and waiting for the last coat of paint.
The old seafood restaurant is posted as dangerous. It will never be fixed. It will need to be dismantled, as it is a hazard. I doubt they could afford to do the necessary work to get it back.
Building 22 and 14 were in use before we left. They managed to get them done.
The 2nd buffet, on the way to the salt-water pool will become the Nolitour’s only buffet when the 1st one reopens.
All the palapas on the beach were gone and they are in the process of rebuilding them. It must get discouraging when the keep getting blown away,
The entertainment was excellent. The young dancers are very professional and we enjoyed all of the shows. They work very hard every day and it shows.
There was an excellent band at the piano bar each evening (guitar, keyboard sax and clarinet) that we also enjoyed. We also enjoyed the family band with the young woman who plays the flute. She is growing up and I feel that I have watched her become a young woman. They played at the buffet as well as at the disco before the show.
VIP Lounge
There have been some changes to the VIP Lounge. The large room that used to serve as the smoking lounge is now a regular seating area. The smoking room is a very small area off the main lounge. They took down a wall and opened up a room that used to be off to the side and then partitioned off a small area. It has a window looking out onto the tarmac. You can watch the planes arrive. Service is still excellent and now has 3 staff members.
I still love the VIP check in. That alone is worth the cost.
I think that is it for now. Any questions I am happy to answer
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Typical Cuban Resort Family Trip
Blau Resort Report for April 16 –23 2006
Trip to Airport
It was quite a sight. That Judy just brings so much luggage. The station wagon was full and Derek put 2 suitcases on the roof of the car. Judy also had one with her in the back seat. And we had not yet picked up Ally Bear. Derek suggested he take us to the airport and then go back and get Ally Bear but I am always nervous about getting separated. He tied down the suitcases on the roof and Judy was sure they would not hold and so went through the garage looking for additional rope. Derek went to various places in town, but it was Easter Sunday and everything was closed. We would just have to take our chances. Derek was not impressed that there was doubt. I was sure it would be okay because Derek is overly careful and cautious rather than lax. It was a very pleasant drive however, as Derek drove slower than I have ever experienced. Once we had got passed Oshawa, he figured that the cases would be staying on the roof and we would make it.
When we arrived at my daughter’s place Ally was ready and she had only 1 suitcase and a carry on shoulder bag. It went in the back seat between her and Judy for the drive to the airport.
As usual once we arrived it was a series of hurry up and wait. We hurried through the line, went quickly, we hurried through security, went quickly and then it was the waiting game. We always arrive too early and then get very bored just waiting.
We flew Club Class and it makes everything much easier, faster and more comfortable. Champagne and orange juice while everyone boarded. Good food and wine throughout the flight. 1 washroom for 24 people means no line ups. Good flight.
Arrival & check in
Arrived and our luggage was very quick, except for my little suitcase. I had filled it with candy. They wanted to check it. They wanted to know if my granddaughter would eat all of the candy and I said she would share it with friends. They allowed it all to go through. Judy was also stopped and so it delayed things. The trip to the resort is not long so it was okay that we did not get to sit near the front of the bus, however, I did get slightly sick even on that short trip. I was wearing my “Happy Face” button and lanyard and 2 young women who were on the bus asked if we were from the happy face forum on the internet. She said she had just discovered it before they left and really found it to be very helpful. It was the best one they saw and she would be asking me things during the week if that was okay. Of course, it was. We did see them on the beach and even shared our lifeguard with them (well, a little bit) Judy is pretty stingy in that area.
Arrived safe and sound and then had some difficulty with check in. The Blau has not adopted the pre check in and you have to line up and there are no tags for the luggage until you check in. Derek and Ally and I decided to let the crowd go ahead and we would relax at the outdoor café. Judy was on an earlier bus and so she was all done when we arrived. Her luggage was in her room but not the room or the building we had requested. When I went to registrar they were already trying to work on a solution. They were working on my solution before I knew I had a problem. They had put Derek and I in bldg # 14 and Ally Bear in bldg # 22. That would not work. I am not sure if they just figured it out when Judy asked for bldg 15 as we requested and they looked it up or what but we needed to do something. After a very long discussion and a lot of to-o o o o oo-ng and fr o oo o o o o o ing , it was agreed that we would both be in bldg 25 for 1 night and then in the am we would both move to bldg 22. By this time Derek was ready to flop anywhere and has an aversion to moving no matter what. He headed off to bed and Ally and I went around to say hi to all of our friends and then to do a short walk on the beach. No need to unpack and si it was nice to sit and listen to the waves and relax.
Trip to Airport
It was quite a sight. That Judy just brings so much luggage. The station wagon was full and Derek put 2 suitcases on the roof of the car. Judy also had one with her in the back seat. And we had not yet picked up Ally Bear. Derek suggested he take us to the airport and then go back and get Ally Bear but I am always nervous about getting separated. He tied down the suitcases on the roof and Judy was sure they would not hold and so went through the garage looking for additional rope. Derek went to various places in town, but it was Easter Sunday and everything was closed. We would just have to take our chances. Derek was not impressed that there was doubt. I was sure it would be okay because Derek is overly careful and cautious rather than lax. It was a very pleasant drive however, as Derek drove slower than I have ever experienced. Once we had got passed Oshawa, he figured that the cases would be staying on the roof and we would make it.
When we arrived at my daughter’s place Ally was ready and she had only 1 suitcase and a carry on shoulder bag. It went in the back seat between her and Judy for the drive to the airport.
As usual once we arrived it was a series of hurry up and wait. We hurried through the line, went quickly, we hurried through security, went quickly and then it was the waiting game. We always arrive too early and then get very bored just waiting.
We flew Club Class and it makes everything much easier, faster and more comfortable. Champagne and orange juice while everyone boarded. Good food and wine throughout the flight. 1 washroom for 24 people means no line ups. Good flight.
Arrival & check in
Arrived and our luggage was very quick, except for my little suitcase. I had filled it with candy. They wanted to check it. They wanted to know if my granddaughter would eat all of the candy and I said she would share it with friends. They allowed it all to go through. Judy was also stopped and so it delayed things. The trip to the resort is not long so it was okay that we did not get to sit near the front of the bus, however, I did get slightly sick even on that short trip. I was wearing my “Happy Face” button and lanyard and 2 young women who were on the bus asked if we were from the happy face forum on the internet. She said she had just discovered it before they left and really found it to be very helpful. It was the best one they saw and she would be asking me things during the week if that was okay. Of course, it was. We did see them on the beach and even shared our lifeguard with them (well, a little bit) Judy is pretty stingy in that area.
Arrived safe and sound and then had some difficulty with check in. The Blau has not adopted the pre check in and you have to line up and there are no tags for the luggage until you check in. Derek and Ally and I decided to let the crowd go ahead and we would relax at the outdoor café. Judy was on an earlier bus and so she was all done when we arrived. Her luggage was in her room but not the room or the building we had requested. When I went to registrar they were already trying to work on a solution. They were working on my solution before I knew I had a problem. They had put Derek and I in bldg # 14 and Ally Bear in bldg # 22. That would not work. I am not sure if they just figured it out when Judy asked for bldg 15 as we requested and they looked it up or what but we needed to do something. After a very long discussion and a lot of to-o o o o oo-ng and fr o oo o o o o o ing , it was agreed that we would both be in bldg 25 for 1 night and then in the am we would both move to bldg 22. By this time Derek was ready to flop anywhere and has an aversion to moving no matter what. He headed off to bed and Ally and I went around to say hi to all of our friends and then to do a short walk on the beach. No need to unpack and si it was nice to sit and listen to the waves and relax.
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