Sometimes you must take time to describe the goodness!

We're back and I must say we had a fabulous time. On the 19th we left chilly Toronto for the sunny warm beaches of Cuba.

When we arrived in Cuba we were greeted by laid back friendly people, offering us a beer, as we departed the airport to get on the bus that would take us to our resort. The beer was cold, the sky was blue and the air was warm! Immediately, there was a feeling of calm and relaxation.

We had heard really mixed reviews on the resort that we were staying at and we were pleasantly surprised at what we found when we arrived. The staff were friendly, the lobby of the resort was definitely beautiful


Hubby in the front Lobby of the Coralia Club, Playa de Oro

View of the multi level lobby and 24 hour bar at the Coralia Club

After checking in we walked through the lobby and this is what we saw.




This is the view from our room. The room was clean but very plain. When traveling to a third world country you need to remember that 4 Star means something very different than 4 Star in Canada. The room was probably equivalent to a Motel 6 or Holiday Inn without the carpeting!

We planned our excursions with our tour operator and began our week of fun in the sun.

Trip # 1- Bellamar Caves and Matanzas City

Formed 300,000 years ago, the Bellamar caves are made up of three caverns that were one whole cave in ancient times: Bellamar, El Jarrito and Soto Jíbaro.

According to legend, the caves were discovered by accident in 1861, when a slave working in a Matanzas quarry lost its working tool in a hole in the ground, where later excavations unearthed a true natural treasure.

In Cuba there is a charge for everything, there was a $5 Cuban Convertible Peso charge to take pics in the caves so Mark and Dawn brought their camera in and we left our in the tour van. I'll post those another time as they really are spectacular!

After we left the Cave, we went to Matanzas City.

The city of Matanzas (founded in 1693), land of poets also known for its many bridges that enrich the area, is also known as the Athens, and the Venice of Cuba. Right there, next to a wonderful bay, we met the town drunk that Husband nicknamed "The Mayor of Matanzas.

This is the Mayor, paying homage to one of the many heroes of the country...and don't ask me which one, because frankly the Cubans have a statue of someone in every square, on every corner! It's absolutely crazy! They pay tribute to everyone and anyone that made a mark on the country.

An evening of good food and drink followed that afternoon of exploring and that was followed by a wonderful day at the beach!

Yes, this is a real picture that I took! Not one dragged off some website! The beaches were spectacular! The sand was like powder and the water was blue, clear and warm for a long way!

We had lunch at the beach restaurant called the Ranchon to the sounds of live Cuban music!

We returned to the beach, drank some Mojitas, Rum Punch, Pina Coladas and of course more BEER!

More to follow another day....must return to the real cruel cold world!