TRAVEL TOPIC May 2009

Only Travelscene American Express lets you travel anywhere, any time and pay with your membership rewards points so contact us on 3289 3700 and let us help you turn your American Express membership rewards points into your next trip.

Just continuing on from the last article.  It was in Santa Clara that our guide took us to a bar for a traditional rum cocktail and to watch salsa dancing.
Next stop was Trinidad, once a thriving sugar town but suffering badly from world sugar prices and obsolete machinery.  Trinidad was once home to half a million slaves.
We took a taxi out to the idyllic beach at Trinidad.  “No pay now. I come back”, said the driver as he dropped us off.  And yes, he did.  There were several new high-rise hotels near the beach reflecting the growth of tourism in Cuba.
On our way back to Havana we visited Ceinfuegos which had been settled by the French, unlike most of Cuba which is Spanish.
In Santa Clara and Trinidad we used homestays.  The hosts all spoke some English so it was great to chat with the locals. Delicious dinners were provided at reasonable prices. Altogether we had some excellent meals in Cuba but never want to see another cooked banana.  These are served as a vegetable, often in two different guises at the one meal.
Our guides told us that all education and health is free.  There is one doctor and one nurse, who must live locally, to every 90-120 people.  The most common reason for visits to a doctor is sprained ankles, courtesy of the cobbled streets.
Private home ownership is allowed but selling of houses is not.  If people wish to move they must arrange a suitable swap.  Multi-generational households are common and, according to our guide, responsible for the high divorce rate.
Each Cuban is issued with a ration book which enables them to buy 80% of their basic food needs cheaply at government stores.
Transport is a problem with horses still being used in many places.  Any vehicle with a government licence must stop at designated places and take any passengers wanting to go their way.  As we saw people of all ages and sexes waiting at these it is obviously quite safe.
Cuba operates on two currencies, the Convertible peso for tourists and the national peso for locals, the Convertible being worth 1 – 24.  This was a little confusing if shopping locally.
Computers were in use but the internet could only be accessed by those involved in businesses such as tourism and only at approved places.
We walked the streets, day and evening, never feeling unsafe. Indeed, we were invited in to a free concert one night when out strolling.
Cuba has a good climate, beautiful scenery, excellent guides and an enthusiastic tourism industry.  (Although they do need to fix the public toilets, which usually had no paper, often no water and cost 25c.)
All those we met spoke freely on any subject and even the stern customs officer, after taking our photo, wished us a happy stay.

Travelscene Samford would like to thank our client for this great article, stay tuned for the last instalment Panama next time in the next Dayboro Grapevine.