Cayo Coco Cuba

[mich64]

Well, I have loaded my photos and have realized that I did not do a very good job on this holiday. I guess I was a little too relaxed and forgot to take more photos of interest. Here is a small sample of what I do have.



This was our first time on a "winter holiday". It would probably be years from now that we would have entertained a holiday like this but our dear friends were getting married and this was quite literally a trip of a lifetime. I think when they began planning this they thought they might get 20-25 people to attend their wedding but it ended up there were 53 of us. Family and friends who had said many times, "someday we will go on a trip together". And it happened...

The bride and groom chose an all-inclusive resort in Cayo Coco, Cuba. We had no idea what to expect although I had spent many hours reading reviews to try and prepare myself for this new experience. We flew Air Canada from Toronto to Cayo Coco and the resort was about a 20 minute drive from the airport. One of our tour guides had said this area of Cuba in uninhabited, except for tourist resorts and is really not a reflection of Cuba and to make sure we took the opportunity to take the day tour across the causeway to Moron, on the mainland, which we did. All the staff that work at the resort mostly come from the town of Moron and it takes them an hour to work on a bus and an hour home, long days for them. You never knew it though, they were always smiling and helpful.

Coming through customs was a little unnerving, you had to approach the custom clerks booth on your own, they took your passport, filled out a Visa form, tore it in half and placed it inside your passport, stamped your passport, asked a few questions (mine was have you ever been to Africa), then told you to look up and they took your photo. You pass through a small white door on your own while your spouse is still in line and you wait hoping to see that door open again! Our first visit to Munich, we encountered the same system though on our second visit clearing customs had changed dramatically. When we departed Cuba, they took my husband aside and wrote things down on a notebook from his passport, looked him over a couple of times and said, to keep moving. It is always interesting to have new experiences.

The resort was beautiful, quite new, 2 years old. For myself, it was too large, over 1100 rooms. I found it chaotic at the buffet, the food was very good, but it felt like a University cafeteria. There were small restaurants with smaller dedicated menus but you had to stand in a lineup that for most people took about 2 hours to book up to 3 reservations. We did not do that. On the last evening, our host gave us a reservation at the French restaurant and about 6 of us went together. The wedding reception meal was also a private room with set menu, so we ate at the buffet 5 nights.

What I enjoyed most was swimming in the ocean! We had a few days at the pool with everyone but my favorite days were those spent at the beach.





On our day trip to Moron, the first stop was to an inland lake where we were taken on a boat ride through the mangroves.





i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i444/mich647/DSC02192_zpssjh2fgct.jpg



Then it was off to a Crocodile farm.





Then finally to the town of Moron for a horse buggy ride around the city. This is where I neglected to take photos...





and finally what we seen everywhere, was people working hard.



I will go through the photos once again tomorrow and see if there is anything else to add.

[bixaorellana]

Of course I hope for more pictures, Mich, but even if you don't have any more, this is totally fascinating and quite beautiful. Your narrative was of particular interest to me. I have only stayed at one all-inclusive. Like you, it was not my choice. Ditto what you say about the food lines. And there wasn't anything to eat except at mealtimes! We arrived famished & were told we could drink as much alcohol as we liked in lieu of food. Not a consolation.

On the positive side, your beach is gorgeous and appears to be uncrowded. Y'all definitely look like you're having fun! The activities sound like tons of fun, too. I have to say, that first photo of the mangrove is magical.

[Deleted]

These pics fabulous Mich!!
I do so look forward to  seeing more as time evolves.
Thank you!!!

[Deleted]

The ocean looks fabulous, but I would really like to stay at the Hotel Perla del Norte once it has been renovated!

[lagatta]

Yes, the beach looks lovely, but I sure wouldn't be happy eating at such a set-up. I guess it was pleasant to get some sun and warmth.

Kerouac, indeed La Perla del Norte is impressive - is it being restored and renovated now?
esquinasdecuba.com/2014/01/13/moron-se-desmorona-por-mala-gestion-del-gobierno-municipal-videos-fotos/

[breeze]

Thanks for these photos of a place that's been a mystery to me. It's terrific that a whole group of you got to experience Cuba together. That's a LOT of family and friends!

[mich64]

Bixa we really enjoyed the boat ride across the lake and then the tour through the mangroves. Our guide had quite a sense of humour.







Thank you Casi! I hope you enjoy the few more I have added.

Kerouac there were so many buildings, such as The Hotel Perla del Norte, abandoned and crumbling. I think the Cuban people hope to be able to see these grand old buildings restored. There seems to be hope in that direction.

Thank you for the link Lagatta! That was fascinating. Moron is the town of the Rooster, and there is a beautiful metal statue in one of the traffic circles, I thought I had taken a photo and was so disappointed when I could not find one.

On our excursion we were taken to a privately owned restaurant for lunch (fabulous!) and then to a privately owned business, an artist who makes statues and jewelry from silver knives and forks. Slowly the Government is allowing people to open there own businesses so while there is a lot of apprehension of changes to come, some people are looking forward to embracing new enterprises.

I did learn a little of how there earning system works, if anyone is interested, I will elaborate on that topic.



The beach was superb, nothing I have ever experienced before.

[htmb]

Very interesting, Mich. Super pictures, and I like how you're including lots of details in your descriptions.

[mich64]

Thank you htmb! It was a very interesting place and the people were pretty amazing. We were driven by the school where students are trained in hospitality. The staff that are chosen to work in the restaurants take longer to train, 2 years longer as they are taught 4 languages. Once I was aware of this fact, I began paying attention to them at other tables and was so amazed at how they switched from one language to another, very impressive considering how quickly they had to learn these languages.

[bixaorellana]

I take it your guide was pretending to be first Tarzan, then Fidel.

The beach is almost too beautiful to be real!

Yes, indeed -- I would love to hear about the earning system.

[Deleted]

Yes, your pictures are stunning,
Thank you.

I would love to learn anything that you may have garnered from this trip.

I am curious, were there many other tour groups?
Did it feel safe?
And, would you recommend or have any opinion/comment about traveling there either solo or perhaps with one other.?

The reason I ask is I don't do well with groups whether it be tour or otherwise.
Most especially while traveling I want to do my
"own thing" and not have to be responsible for being at a certain place at a certain time etc.

I am in the meantime relishing your excellent report and great pics.

(As for mangroves, the first time one sees one it is astonishing and forever branded on one's brain, they are that magnificent).

[tod2]

Mich, what lovely scenery. Could well be Mozambique - white sands and turquoise ocean.
Interesting hearing about your immigration experience. It is in those moments you hope to hell you haven't broken any rules and regulations...
Your guide looks really jovial so you must have been pleased with his services. (Nice tip??)
I wonder how they would receive South Africans? My sister has been to Cuba many many years ago but flew there whilst on business in the US. It was pretty scary - the one engine of the plane caught fire as they were getting ready for take-off. Still took off.

[mich64]

Yes Bixa, indeed, he was doing a Tarzan impression!

Casi we felt safe at all times. The travel agent for our group booked our flights, our hotel rooms and hired the wedding consultant, other than that we were on our own schedules. You choose the excursions you wanted to do, or none at all, it is all up to you. The brides son and his girlfriend booked a taxi tour on their own into Moron. There was also a Jeep tour where you got to drive your own Jeep, you followed a guide but there was also free time. There was also a day trip to Havana where you flown there and back. We met many couples and families that traveled there on their own from European countries others met people from South American countries. It was a mixture of single people, couples and families.

Tod, yes, we tipped our guides, our servers (restaurant and bar), our maid and brought the free water and pop left in our fridge each day out to the gardeners. I left gifts and a tip for the maid each day. I left her nail polish, make-up and earings with a thank you note. On the last day she left me a necklace and a note.



Before we checked out we brought her a bag filled with all the over the counter medications we brought, our aloe gel, toothpaste, shampoo etc., these items are hard to come by there and we were told they are very appreciated. We also left her our floats for the pool for her kids.

One of our guides tried explaining how their earning system works but he even said he does not really understand it and now situations are changing all the time. He told us that everyone is provided with food and a place to live depending on the size of your family as to whether you get an apartment or house, it also depends on your job, whether you work in the fields or have a profession. However, even doctors do not make very much money and often work as cab drivers at night.

We thought the hotel staff must be the most well off people due to how much people tip at the resorts. Then we found out that the money tourists receive is sort of like monopoly money(convertible pesos), not the real currency. Each working group, for example, the maids or the cooks, or the bar staff or the server staff, hand in all their tips each day and then they split it evenly among themselves, but, when the leave the resort each day they must hand over this money to a guard and the Government keeps a large portion of it and they are given a small portion back in Cuban pesos. They are permitted to keep the gifts they get and they barter with them to get things they need for their family.

Tod I would imagine they would receive South Africans as well and as kindly as they do from any other country. The Cuban people are professionals when it comes to tourism, they put a lot of training and effort in providing their visitors a memorable lovely holiday.

[lagatta]

People are allowed to own their own homes now though. I think most people there (from the ones I know and from my friend who spends a lot of the year there) want more liberalisation while retaining what we would call social housing provision. I know people who have built their own house (in Holguín) with an upper storey that they will rent out to guests, but I don't know how that will function yet.

[Deleted]

I think that Cuba will be able to learn a lot from the evolution of China and Vietnam (but not Russia!) once the weight of the U.S. embargo has been completely lifted. When I went to Havana about 20 years ago, the Cubans were already glowing with optimism about a few sanctions that Washington had lifted. Luckily they are used to waiting for things, because not much happened after that, but they were at least happy that Canadians, Europeans and Mexicans were coming for visits more and more. The family I met showed me the independent room they had created in their house to rent to tourists, and it was really very nice. I regretted being stuck in my (very nice) historical hotel, which completely insulated me from normal life.

I'm so glad we finally have a new report here about Cuba although it is a bit regrettable that Cuba has created these completely separate resort areas (like Varadero). I'm sure the original concept was to eliminate contact as much as possible between decadent tourists and the struggling locals, and it worked just fine because so many of the tourists just want to lie on a beach all day and drink cocktails -- they don't care which country they are visiting. Of course Cuba is not the only country to do this, because the Dominican Republic and Haiti do the same thing, not to mention the Maldives, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco and lots of the Caribbean confetti islands.

[mich64]

Indeed, Lagatta, our tour guide just finished building his own home. There are more opportunities for people but I agree with you that the sentiment seems to be that a majority of the people want to retain the socialized housing provision. Yes, there are many B&B type rentals all over the country now.

Our guide also tried explaining how people obtain vehicles and how expensive they are. For example, a used compact car, such as a 2010 Hyundai, could cost as much as $40,000 US dollars, yet he built his house for $50,000. Most people who have their own cars get money from relatives in the US. This is one aspect that people hope will improve if the embargo situation evolves.

These large resorts are not our choice when traveling, we like smaller hotels, museums, historical sites, eating at local restaurants, picking up food for breakfast in our room and eating on our timetable. However, for the purpose of our trip and the size of our group, this was the best solution and we enjoyed our time together very much.

I agree Kerouac, there are many tourists that want to be oblivious and get straight to the swim up bar and buffet and have no interest in the experiences a different Country provides, these resorts do provide that service for their customers. They certainly provide an escape for people looking for rest and relaxation. We were just talking last night about how the integration of capitalism could affect Cuba and wondering if they were paying attention to countries like China, Vietnam and Russia to help them migrate through this transition, assuming that this is their intent.

[Deleted]

I know a slew of Americans who have made the trek to Cuba years ago traveling there via Mexico.
One a dear friend, an other my brother.
Both spoke of the major contrast they witnessed between classes economically speaking.
Virtually no middle class.
Either abject poverty or people of "means".

Much the same as another good friend of mine who has taken several trips to Rio de Janeiro because his wife is a flight attendant and that's her regular route.

One can only hope that it improves over time but my fear (and, it has likely already begun to happen ) is Starbucks, McDonalds et al. taking full advantage of the situation.

[Deleted]

I, with you, casi. The world will have lost an unique place when Cuba goes full-on 21st century.

I always find it sad and disturbing when entire cultures and economies are built on one thing alone - tourism. That ensures a lot of poverty and inequality, and a colonized mindset in the residents.

[bixaorellana]

So true!

At least four years ago a friend told me that I should hurry and go to Cuba before it was all opened up. Her prophecy is proving true.

Mich, much as I love the wonderful photos, your commentary and information is pure gold.

[mossie]

Thanks for a fascinating insight into a different world. Let us hope conditions improve for the mass of the people and that the rot of globalisation does not bite too deeply.

[mich64]

Today, the first Cruise Ship departed from Miami to Cuba with 700 passengers, stopping at 3 Cuban ports. One of the American passengers that was interviewed said he wanted to get there before Burger King does. Another that was interviewed had left Cuba when she was 6 years old (she is now 48) and was filled with emotions about being able to return to visit. The cost is about US $1800.00 per person and they plan a cruise to depart every two weeks.

I am happy we visited Cuba when we did and that we went off the resort and visited cities like Moron and Cienfeugos. Cubans we spoke to said they think it will be a long time before companies like Burger King or McDonald's will ever be able to open up there. I think most just want the embargo to lift so they can access goods that will help rebuild the country, to be able to welcome family home and to be able to travel more freely.

There will be positives and negatives to come, our hopes are that since changes are inevitable, that they are gentle.

[bjd]

Sorry I ddin't look at these pictures and your comments before, Mich, but I tried while I was away and my computer blocked. The wifi there is really not very good.

In answer to Casimira's question of going without a tour group, my daughter and her husband spent 2 weeks in Cuba in January 2015. They went on their own and spent a few days in Havana, then moved around to smaller places. They said that staying in private houses was expensive ($5 US for breakfast per person in a bed and breakfast sort of place), and it was difficult to find the places to eat where the locals did. It turned out they were little hole-in-the wall places, hidden from view. Once they were not allowed to get on a local bus but were told they had to go on a tourist bus. So it was a bit disappointing. However, they did say people were extremely friendly and helpful, like the evening they arrived in Havana at 11pm with no accommodation and people on the street went from house to house ringing doorbells until they found them a place to stay. Of course, they speak Spanish so that helped. In fact, it was indispensable.

I too wanted to go to Cuba before it changes too much, but if the cruise ships are already arriving, then it may be too late. And I don't want to go to a big resort in Varadero!

[nycgirl]

That water looks so pristinely beautiful. Looks like an amazing trip. Glad your friends had a good turnout for their wedding. Going on vacation and celebrating with loved ones is a priceless experience.

I'd love to see Cuba right now.