Well, this is fairly overdue, but hey! I thought it’d be fun to share my spring break adventures to Cuba.
So I heard that Calgary was cold when I was gone, and it just made my trip so much more gratifying. Okay, apart from that, I had a super fantastic time because my best friend was there to keep me company and be my partner in crime. It was our two families vacationing together and we stayed at a resort called Las Morlas.
To be honest, it wasn’t as shiny and new as your average Hilton hotel, but it was cozy, homey and the food was delicious (which apparently is something rare of Cuban resorts). I love all-inclusive resorts, but staying at one for a week will definitely make you gain a few pounds. A typical scenario would go down like this: you’re just chilling in the sun, then you decide to go get a Shirley Temple. Oh, make that two Shirley Temples, and why not some fries to go with that. Yep, that happened daily and now I’m making up for my bad eating habits with two hours of badminton everyday and lots and lots of carrots o_o
Okay, let’s move onto the interesting stuff. Two photos below, I’m forcing myself to smile. Oh, but not because my parents said to pretend you’re having a good time. There’s actually more to it. That morning was our first day in Veradero, and I was so stoked to go on the beach and bask in the warm sun. After breakfast (when it wasn’t extremely hot and the sun was still relatively low in the sky), my friend and I decided to find a place under some shade to talk and be girls. (So look down, the closest two white chairs are the ones we sat in).
So we laid down and ashdajuskdjbaskjd… I fell asleep. No big deal, right? Uh-uh. I slept for two hours, and since the sun likes to move, the rays got me good even with my SPF 70. I woke up with heat stroke, and an attractive burn. My parents also happened to be casually reading books under the umbrella next to us and hadn’t bothered to wake me up despite my super red shoulders.
Now my shoulders have stopped being red, and they’ve transitioned into a very uneven dark tan. Notice how my shoulders are completely covered? Also, people had a habit of clapping my shoulders, so I wore a jacket to cushion the blow >.>
But hey! We had good entertainment with some swingy Cuban music along with delicious dinner. This was all at the resort. I love when large quantities of food are nearby.
FACT ATTACK: So as you may already know, Cuba is a communist country and in terms of human development, it lags a little. They have these ration cards that determine the food distribution. This little booklet indicates what certain age groups are allowed to eat and therefore what they’re allowed to collect, so a child under seven years old is allowed one litre of milk a day, among other foods. You bring this booklet to a government-owned market and they give you your rations while checking it off on the booklet. It is said that these public markets are 20 times cheaper than the privately owned markets, but they only provide the minimum requirements for a family. Everyone gets this booklet regardless of status and income. That’s their approach to equality.
It’s shocking how closed off they are from the world and their economy still has much to develop. They definitely don’t trade with the USA due to embargoes (which extends back to deep-rooted conflicts from the Cold War). Basic pleasures like chewing gum, modern cars, chocolate and candy are things that the citizens don’t come across often. I remember there was this one beggar begging for chewing gum, not money.
Okay, back to the trip. We went and took pictures at Cuba’s tallest bridge — Puente de Bacunayagua. However you pronounce that. It wasn’t really enjoyable for me because it was super windy and my hair was attacking me.
Yeah, this is getting too long. I should probably write about this on a second blog. It’s all just ranting now. Toodle loo~
Oh wait. Meet Joey the kitty. There were actually several cats at Las Morlas and after a while, they all started looking like Joey. He was cute and I appreciated that. Here, also take a look at the gazillions of lizards just cutting you off as you try to get around.
