{"id":15947,"date":"2016-06-15T13:40:16","date_gmt":"2016-06-15T11:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flyingcigar.de\/?p=15947"},"modified":"2016-06-16T14:59:15","modified_gmt":"2016-06-16T12:59:15","slug":"cuba-2016-starting-the-journey-in-bay-of-pigs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/flyingcigar.de\/startseite\/cuba-2016-starting-the-journey-in-bay-of-pigs\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuba May 2016 – Starting The Journey In Bay Of Pigs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It was a good idea to fly into Varadero and drive straight to Playa Larga from there to start this trip.<\/p>\n

And an even better one to upgrade to Business Class and have a relaxed flight with some space. Hell, I am old enough to deserve some extra space.<\/p>\n

Two hours after landing at VRA airport and two cold cans of Cristal and a cigar later I was at Homero & Silvia’s place, being their only guest.<\/p>\n

What a relaxed way to start my trip with old familiar friends and being in “family”.<\/p>\n

The place is now entirely refurbished, glass windows and new a\/c units have been added ( OK, some work still to be done to stop the flooding from a leaking a\/c tube ) and to me it is being “home”.<\/p>\n

Waking up very early due to the time difference I always had a thermos jug full of strong, sweetened, delicious black cafecito to start my day before having a full breakfast upstairs in the terrace watching the sun go up. The only sounds being the roosters and the birds. Best time of the day.<\/p>\n

I sure did enjoy a lot of coffee as my final bill was something like 1 CUC for juice, 2 CUC for water, 14 CUC for beer and … 12 CUC for coffee !<\/p>\n

What I also did enjoy was the limitless sky, the sun, the beaches and the pools. Plus a trip back to Guama and the crocodile breeding station there. Sadly no boat trip to the Taino island as there was no gas for the boats, or so I was told – until I met a frustrated Cuban guide of a French tour group who cursed at having the same problem …<\/p>\n

Cuba is not to be understood but to be enjoyed…<\/p>\n

I re-visited the swamp charcoal guy before spending the day at Caleta Buena swimming with the fish and relaxing there.<\/p>\n

Sundowner drinks and cigars were at Noraida’s roof terrace – they even had the barman called up for me as they had no guests ( and no A\u00f1ejo for the Cubatas ). Good service.<\/p>\n

Dinner was at Homero’s terrace fighting the mosquitoes and enjoying great red snapper, conch salad, lobster and prawns.<\/p>\n

Courtesy of John Bongo<\/strong>, Homero was outfitted in stylish new golf polo shirts ( as well as many other friends in the island including the staff at Hector Luis farm ).<\/p>\n

It was a perfect start to my trip and I sure was sad leaving the place ( not before hopping on the new Soviet tank adorning the town’s entrance which Frank missed 4 months ago ) and driving to Havana.<\/p>\n

But having old friend Enrique as a driver in his new a\/c van sure helped – as well as meeting up with my friends David and Jan.<\/p>\n

Nino<\/strong><\/p>\n

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