Exploring historic cemeteries is a great way to understand a little bit of the culture and background of a city. Latin America has many historic and beautiful cemeteries with avenues of majestic mausoleums as well as peaceful churchyards. Take a […]
Caribbean
SANTA CLARA, HOLGUIN AND JIBARA: 3 CHARMING CUBAN TOWNS
Santa Clara, Holguin and Jibara are three Cuban towns that time forgot but you will always remember. Here, time seems to have stopped, but it stopped in an enchanted period of interior patios, leafy central squares and 17th-century churches. As […]
HOW TO ACCESS THE INTERNET AND WI-FI IN CUBA
Using Wi-Fi in Cuba is, admittedly, a big pain in the neck compared to what one is accustomed to. It can be inconvenient and time consuming. Here are a few ways to minimize the hassle while accessing Wi-Fi in Cuba. […]
WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE TO STAY IN A CUBAN CASA PARTICULAR (BandB)
People ask me what it’s REALLY like to stay in a Cuban casa particular. Here is the long and truthful answer with a little bit of personal experience thrown in. TRIAL AND ERROR As a Cuban-American, I’ve been to Cuba […]
UNIQUE CUBAN EXPRESSIONS: WHAT THEY MEAN AND HOW TO USE THEM
Cuban expressions are, well…expressive. I recently overheard a conversation in Spanish between a man and a woman on a Havana street. A “dictionary” translation would sound something like this: Man: “You know, Jose has no delayed steaks because he is […]
7 DELIGHTFUL THINGS TO DO IN VIÑALES, CUBA
There are tons of things to do in Viñales, Cuba, the certifiably spectacular town 3 and a half hours west of Havana. How many times have you said, “WOW!, this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen”? That’s what […]
4 CUBAN COCKTAILS THAT CIRCLED THE GLOBE
My article, Four Cuban Cocktails that Circled the Globe, first appeared in The New Worlder. Rum: The Common Ingredient in Cuban Cocktails Daiquiri, Mojito, Cuba Libre and Canchanchara — cocktails that conjure up images of swaying palm trees, balmy breezes […]
LAS TERRAZAS, CUBA: ECOTOURISM CUBAN STYLE
Las Terrazas, Cuba is a UNESCO biosphere reserve found about an hour west of Havana, on the way to Pinar del Rio, Cuba’s westernmost province. ECOTOURISM IN LAS TERRAZAS, CUBA Started in 1968, Las Terrazas, Cuba is an eco-project initiated […]
EL MORRO FORTRESS AND THE PIRATES OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA
About five miles from the center of Santiago de Cuba stands the most complete and best-preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture, El Morro Fortress. Its official name is El Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca, but locals just refer to it as “El […]
AMAZING THINGS TO SEE IN HAVANA YOU CAN’T SEE ANYWHERE ELSE
There are many things to see in Havana that you can’t see anywhere else. The city is unique. Despite recent changes, the city remains frozen in time. To a great degree, it is precisely this time warp that makes Havana […]
10 SANTIAGO DE CUBA ACTIVITIES YOU CANNOT MISS.
Get ready for some unique Santiago de Cuba activities. Sultry, hot, languid, bursting with color and rhythmic music, Santiago beguiles with its parks, history and tropical colonial vibe. Santiago de Cuba, in the island’s eastern province of the same name, is […]
WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT HAVANA THIS YEAR
Planning to visit Havana? My article, WHY HAVANA IS A “MUST VISIT” THIS YEAR, originally appeared in Universal Traveller. Havana is on everyone’s “must visit” list this year. If you too want to visit Havana, this beautiful capital city sooner rather than […]