Cuba: the resort

Since there is so much interest in the Sirenis Playa Turquesa on the Trip Advisor site (I was told over 3,400 people read my review in the past week), I've decided to post some photos of the resort to give people a better idea.  

The entrance lobby - this is not what you see when you first enter, I just like the light from this angle

View from the lobby - shop to the left, theatre and snack bar to the right, the pools straight ahead

This is what most units look like - two floors, 4 - 8 units in one building

The bed was made up everyday with a different pattern using the blankets

Every unit has a walkout balcony

This is the view from the top level - these are kiddie pools

Second level - we really liked the shade option on the right when we've had enough sun

We called this our Chichen itza (the mayan pyramid in Mexico) because of the steep climb to the higher level pool 

Nice archway that takes you to a gazebo outside the snack bar that is open 24 hours

A shaded descent to the lower level pool, the main one where the bar is, and closest to the beach

The beach 

Nice fine sand on the beach - catamaran rides available

We had a great time!

Cuba - Getting around

Or not - gosh, it's hard work!

Transportation seemed to be a big preoccupation in Cuba - partly because of its scarcity.  But there are many options.   You can go by horse cabby

or by donkey

by vintage car

or by vintage truck.  

More than one tour guide described this mode of transportation as how the government ensure there is transport for everyone.  An official wearing top to bottom yellow uniform would be stationed at major intersections and all vehicles with yellow licences are legally required to stop and pick up extra passengers.  And it looked like a lot extra...

Rain or shine

To market, to market...

More about this beauty in the next post...

Cuba Revisited

I can imagine Berlin being as cold as Toronto in January, so it's time to take a winter break and visit Cuba to warm up.  We visited a resort near Holguin in north-east Cuba last week.  It was everything we expected - hot and sunny, blue skies and turquoise seas, palm trees and fragrant flowers.  But we also took some time to get a glimpse of Cuban life.  We took a day trip to Santiago.  One of the highlights we visited was a farmer's market near the Antonio Maceo monument.

Antonio Maceo Monument in Santiago - the farmer's market was just across the street from this impressive monument with its 23 machetes

Locals seem to really enjoy shopping here

This man used what looked like a machete to slid off the bananas from their stalks in one sweeping motion

Enough bananas for you?!

 To give you an idea of prices - these are in Cuban pesos, the non-convertible kind

Family fun!

More interesting glimpses of life in Cuba in the next post - transportation in Cuba!

Berlin: Renewal (repost)

Sunday, January 1, 2012

It's New Year's Day and what's more appropriate than the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin to inspire thoughts on renewal and rising from the rubble.  This 19th century church was badly damaged during the war and the spire was kept as a memorial to the destruction of war while the new church was built adjacent to it in 1963.  What a beautiful and meaningful idea!  The new chapel is quite spectacular with the millions of pieces of broken stained glass from the old church reframed to form the backdrop for the altar.  


We also earlier stumbled upon the ruins of another church near Alexanderplatz, the Church of the Franciscan Monastery, a beautiful gothic structure from the mid-13th century, one of the oldest buildings in Berlin.  This too was damaged during the war and kept in its ruined state, although it is being used as backdrop for arts and cultural events.  There is something about seeing ruins in the middle of the busy city centre that caught one by surprise and created an even more dramatic impact!  

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

The new chapel

Ruins of the Church of the Franciscan Monastery with the TV tower nearby

Berlin: Renewal

It's New Year's Day and what's more appropriate than the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin to inspire thoughts on renewal and rising from the rubble.  This 19th century church was badly damaged during the war and the spire was kept as a memorial to the destruction of war while the new church was built adjacent to it in 1963.  What a beautiful and meaningful idea!  The new chapel is quite spectacular with the millions of pieces of broken stained glass from the old church reframed to form the backdrop for the altar.  


We also earlier stumbled upon the ruins of another church near Alexanderplatz, the Church of the Franciscan Monastery, a beautiful gothic structure from the mid-13th century, one of the oldest buildings in Berlin.  This too was damaged during the war and kept in its ruined state, although it is being used as backdrop for arts and cultural events.  There is something about seeing ruins in the middle of the busy city centre that caught one by surprise and created an even more dramatic impact!  

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

The new chapel

Ruins of the Church of the Franciscan Monastery with the TV tower nearby