Tagged With "1st cruise to Cuba from US since 1961"
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Re: Casa Bacardi Rum Plant, San Juan, Puerto Rico
I've visited the Bacardi plant too, and remember being quite impressed by it. As I recall, the original was in Cuba and the family moved to P.R. to escape Castro. And I'm proud to see you standing after those free samples! Thanks for the post.
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Thank you Dr. F. - wise words we will keep 1-2 hotels booked ahead and be flexible beyond that. We are really looking forward to this new 'slice' of America, I never realised that the Pilgrim fathers just named every new town after their old home towns - I'm going to be quite confused!! Thanks too Garry that looks lovely! I envy you being there ahead of us!! PS we are now on the verge of booking Cuba too and are horrified at the cost that Virgin Atlantic is trying to screw us for an upgrade...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Take a look here for some ideas. Most have All-Inclusive packages. But that doesn't stop me going off exploring on the bus and getting a B+B overnight ! You're not glued to the hotel. Plus you don't want to be on the go EVERY day. Relax and take in the countryside. https://www.thomascook.com/holidays/caribbean/cuba/
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Thank you all! Our plans are now well underway for both the Fall in New England... and Cuba! Gracias amigos!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 20, 2015: Sicilian Fiat
This Tatra V570 was produced in 1933. Three years before the VW Beetle. It had a rear mounted air cooled engine. Lower centre of gravity to make it more stable. And aerodynamics to improve its efficiency. The Czech company tried to sue for copyright infringement - but Adolph H. dismissed the claim. He invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939. VW finally paid up in 1961.
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Re: Obama eliminates restrictions for travelers buying Cuban cigars & rum
You'll be pleased to hear that the price of Cuban Cigars ( in Cuba ) has rocketed in anticipation of American customers buying them. Is nowhere safe from Capitalism ?
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Re: Flights to Cuba: lots of planes, not so many passengers
Many returning tourists will be telling their American friends that life in a third world country - like Cuba - is worse than just having only one flavour of Ice Cream.
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Re: Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, Kennedy Space Center
Thanks for the comments, guys! The entire shuttle is actually much longer than I'd thought, maybe 180 ft. What was surprising is how small the living/pilot compartment is where the astronauts spent so much time. It's that space in front of the opened cargo door. The US space program is just a former shadow of itself with the retirement of the Shuttle program and nothing ready to take its place. But I was pleased to hear that NASA is working on the Orion project. It is a rocket based space...
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Re: Classic American Cars #5
I think if you take a close look at the plates on the car you'll see "CUBA" Traveland Nature !!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 2, 2014
So when do we rendezvous in Cuba, GarryRF? You've convinced me to come.... I want a bedroom view like yours, though!
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Re: "Spotted on the Road". Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
The black car is a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. You can tell it's a '70 by the line across the middle of the grille and the shape of the front-fender running lights. R/Ts only came with two engine choices - the 375 HP 440 cubic inch or the 425 HP 426 Hemi. The second car is a 1969 Camaro. It appears to be an SS, but that's pretty easy to clone. Can't wait to see what you came up with in Cuba!
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Re: March 3, 2019: Palacio de Valle, Cienfuegos, Cuba
I'm in Cuba soon Jonathan - must remember to take some pix inside buildings too !
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Aug 21st, 2014:The Cigar Man
Certainly is Rob. Think of Cuba ? Think back to basics ! US based cards are not welcome !
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Aug. 4, 2014: MURAL DE LA PREHISTORIA - Viñales, Cuba
I like the mural! There are those who get upset whenever anything "Natural" is defaced by art, but we often forget that our ancestors having been painting rocks and caves for thousands of years. I'd never heard of this mural and, besides the classic cars, gives me another reason to want to visit Cuba sometime soon.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, March 25, 2014: Waterton National Park, Alberta
DrY is vacationing this week in Cuba, GarryRF, which we know to be one of your favorite hangouts. He'll get to you when he has reliable internet connections. I posted some photos of the great Prince of Wales hotel on my blog last summer which addresses some of your questions. Here's that link if you're interested
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, March 25, 2014: Waterton National Park, Alberta
Hope DrY brings back loads of photos to share. I do miss the simple life in Cuba - but I soon miss some decent food ! Those little labels they put next to the serve yourself Ice-Cream. Chocolate - Strawberry - Lard .
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Re: Get Gumbo's Daily E-mail Update!
Just a sample for folks to see what the daily newsletter looks like: TravelGumbo Today: April 26, 2014 Quaint English customs: a scarecrow exhibition In a Cotswold village, Mac spent a pleasant day finding the 30+ scarecrows of all types hidden up and down the town's steep slopes.. Gumbo's Picture of the Day: Burma: Into the Storm A small boat in an approaching storm, trying to reach home, from PortMoresby's round-the-world trip.. New Hint! Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#34) We've added...
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Re: Americans Free to Travel to Cuba Tomorrow
According to the White House Press Office ,these are the twelve categories. (below)Without licenses ,like before, most everyone can fit into one of these categories legally if they really want to. (1) family visits; (2) official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations; (3) journalistic activity; (4) professional research and professional meetings; (5) educational activities; (6) religious activities; (7) public performances, clinics,...
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Re: Thinking Cuba? Tickets not so easy yet!
I've also heard that there are concerns not enough hotel rooms exist in Cuba for the expected flood of American tourists. Besides flights, it's important to have a room reservation at hand. I truly hope the flood of tourist money will be of benefit to the Cuban people whose plight I have great empathy for.
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Re: Thinking Cuba? Tickets not so easy yet!
Many Americans travel to the Capital - Havana. Its a big - overgrown and mostly poor city. Not really a flavour of the real Cuba and its people. Wherever you go on the Island they do 2-3 day trips to Havana. The stores are mostly empty and food is strictly rationed to the locals. So you'll be better going to one of the hundreds of All Inclusive Hotels that line the coast. Inclusive vacations fly from Toronto to Resorts all around the Island. Very much like Dominican Republic - without the...
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Re: Thinking Cuba? Tickets not so easy yet!
Most interesting Garry. I still have Cuba on my list as 'yet to be visited'. I'm not a great beach lover - a few days are fine - is there really a lot to be seen in the country as a whole if you take away the Ché-related hyped locations? Is it really worth making the effort right now before things change as they surely will? Unfortunately I still have a load of other places that are tugging at my sleeve for early visits...
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Re: Thinking Cuba? Tickets not so easy yet!
Mac. Cuba has already changed since my first visit 15 years ago. Buses and cars are everywhere now thanks to those intrepid Chinese salesmen. Living standards are rising rapidly thanks to the tourist dollar. Fields of Sugar Cane are now rare. Castro has decided that Cuba's future lies in tourism. Bicycles prevail in most Towns and a horse and buggy are common. When I first went to Cuba it was painfully poor. It's like going back in time to a 3rd world country. But with safety and very civil,...
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Re: Thinking Cuba? Tickets not so easy yet!
Maybe the answer to the number of Hotels needed to accommodate the new visitors from the US is all in the timing. Brits - Canadians - Germans love Cuba in the winter. It's the dry season with no hurricane threat. Warm in the daytime, 75-85f or 24 -29c. Cool enough for a sweater at night. Americans can have the summer !!!
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Re: Thinking Cuba? Tickets not so easy yet!
Well, that's it then, Cuba is right back on the list!! Thanks Garry.
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Re: Airbnb now open for business in Cuba
The internet is accessible for most people in Cuba. Phone lines are still a rare item for private houses. Many share a local service with business and families using the same web address. Just like we used to - when we shared a public phone. Yes - years ago - I know !
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Re: Airbnb now open for business in Cuba
Apparently Airbnb in Cuba, so far, is only for Americans who have permission to go there.
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Re: Airbnb now open for business in Cuba
Many of my Canadian friends travel independently to Cuba. They all stay with these guys -Pinot and Agnia. Too far from Havana to travel but it will give you a taste of what to expect from Casa Particulars. http://www.hostalpinoyagnia.com/
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Re: As scheduled Cuba service nears, charter operators face unknown future
On leaving Cuba last year our flight home to the UK was delayed. We had to wait on the plane for 4 hours. The airport had run out of Jet Fuel A1. So a fuel tanker was dispatched to fetch some. I do hope the US embargo stops before I go again. I'm not fighting American Airlines for the last drop of Jet Fuel !!
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Re: Ferry Service to Cuba Approved by US
$300 for a ferry trip sounds extortionate Rob. As Cuba slowly becomes an acceptable destination, it appears that too many groups want to line their pockets with the proceeds of repatriation of broken families.
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Re: Ferry Service to Cuba Approved by US
I guess I'm so focused on passenger issues that I completely missed the importance of a route like that for shippers. I'll bet that's what could ultimately keep the Florida-Cuba service humming.
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Re: Visiting Cuba.
The enthusiasts I've met in the US are looking for genuine cars ! The Cuban guys call these blasts from the past " Frankencars " Like the original Frankenstein's monster these beauties are made of parts from maybe a dozen other cars. Moskvich and Lada engines from Russia. Brakes from China and everything else off the scrap heap! Panel beaters ( now there's a dying trade ) will beat a new wing from the hood of a dead Russian truck in a few hours. You'd be surprised how much these trade for in...
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Re: Visiting Cuba.
It's similar rules for people like me coming from the Caribbean into Cuba. I flew via Panama and I was surprised how easy the process was entering Cuba given some horror stories I have heard. I planned my entire trip, thankfully with the help of locals. The only stress was getting an internal flight from Santiago back to Havana before we arrived (which I tried to do the minute we arrived). After a week of trying I finally scored the last two seats on the last flight out before our connecting...
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Re: Visiting Cuba.
Internal flights within Cuba use old Russian planes and modern Airbus and Boeing. Tourists only fly on the modern ones. Then when an old Russian plane crashes it doesn't hit the international news. And it does happen.
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Re: U.S. cuts most Cuba air routes
We last visited Cuba in April 2016, just a few weeks after Obama had been there. You could sense the general feeling of optimism amongst the people then. Most thought that their 'little misunderstanding with our neighbour' (a common euphemism for the political situation) had been settled. It's very sad that things have gone right back to the bad old days.
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Re: U.S. cuts most Cuba air routes
We were there just before that, in January 2016, and found a broad wave of (over)optimistic expectation that we were the leading edge of a wave, and that Obama was something akin to Mother Theresa and Gandhi wrapped in one. On our last visit, this past January, we had less contact with locals, but found a belief among some that Trump was a glitch and soon the Americans would come again... It seems to me that there are a lot of misperceptions on all sides, including the idea that Cuba is what...
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Re: Brits still in love with long-haul holidays
I can get an 11 hour flight from the UK to Cuba, Airport transfers, All inclusive Resort on the Beach and evening Entertainment. 2 weeks in June. Same price as I pay for a return Flight only to New York - 6 Hours. $1250 US. I'll be responsible when the UK Prime Minister gets the Train from London to Brussels instead of Flying.
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Re: 'Uncomfortable memory' tour faces Barcelona slave history
'Presentism' is always a danger for historians, but in this case, there's a real issue of interest based on the late-in-the-day entry into slave-owning by the later Catalan grandees; they went into it when all European countries had already abolished it, and when it had been abolished in many colonial areas. Sadly, not Cuba, Brazil, or, at the beginning of that period, the United States. One of the reasons it's important to consider these past things is because they do enter into the...
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Re: Neighborhoods in Santiago de Cuba
I'm not familiar with Santiago de Cuba. Casa particulares will provide you with meals and drinks. Stores and Restaurants are hard to find and most food is still rationed to the Cubans. Cuban water is safe for the locals but carries a high mineral content, which may cause gastro problems. Bottled "Montero" water is available and low cost. Quite nice too. Santiago de Cuba is not on the tourist lists for us Brits. Most Cuban food uses - Rice -Beans - Eggs - Chicken - Pork (No Beef) - Fish...
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Re: Jan. 29: Hillside Living, Santiago de Cuba
The second photo is really scary to me. I hope Cuba is not hit by a big earthquake before they reinforce their buildings.
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Re: Jan. 29: Hillside Living, Santiago de Cuba
Part of the triumph of a half century of American embargo. "This boycott provides that no vessel, be it US flagged or foreign that calls at Cuba may thereafter call at a US port"
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Re: U.S. Airlines put in their bids for Cuba flights
It's unfortunate you still cant take a short flight to Cuba to enjoy some winter sun on the white sands it has to offer. But on the positive side, it keeps prices down for us Brits and Canadians.
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Re: Georgia on my Mind
Hi Good Doctor, Thanks for publishing this. I have more I want to send you, but just need to find the time somehow! In the meantime I have started blogging on Cuba if you see my blog www.wilburstravels.com Let me know what you think if you get a chance to have a quick look. Thanks again. Wilbur. Sent from my iPad > On 26 Jan 2017, at 18:03, TravelGumbo < alerts@hoop.la > wrote: >
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Re: Georgia on my Mind
The Cuba posts look great, Wilbur! Look forward to reading through all of them!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 7, 2013: Bicycle taxi, Santa Clara, Cuba.
They sure have an interesting mix for travel in Cuba...I loved the pictures of the old cars in your other post! In New York I saw bicycle taxis, too, but they were smaller and just for tours, not really for getting around.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 7, 2013: Bicycle taxi, Santa Clara, Cuba.
A fascinating snapshot of life in Cuba, GarryRF! I am heartened by the spirit of the people, and their pragmatic innovations given the oppressive world in which they live.
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Re: Classic American Cars #1
Garry I for one love seeing all the American Cars in Cuba and I know you have a lot that will really be hard to identify. Glad we have car expert members on here!
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Re: Visiting great places -- before they're gone
When I first visited Cuba back in the 90's it was a different Country to the one today. No TV's - Radio - Phones and many had no electric ! The Cuban Government asked visitors not to show the locals photos of our 3 cars - 2 houses and 14 acres of land by the beach. And how we had a Colour TV in every room. It upsets them. Not surprising really - and quite cruel ! Now its Air Con and fast catching up with the World ! The people are now free to leave and travel. They watch American Satellite...
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Re: Classic American Cars #4
The owner will take you for a 20 mile ride for $20 ! Just get to Holguin, Cuba ......