Our second winter back in Canada and we’ve now completed the cultural integration milestone of going on an all-inclusive holiday to Cuba.* G’s parents arrived just before Christmas, and we flew together via Sunwing to Varadero. Despite the questionable reputation of Sunwing (there is even a Facebook group dedicated to their horror stories), our flight was cramped but okay. And the passengers applauded when we landed! (Cue memories of flying in China years ago…)
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Juan G. Gomez airport in Varadero gave me vibes of the airport in Dar es Salaam:
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After exiting immigration, everyone was funnelled out to the exit where we found a Sunwing guy who directed us to one of the several awaiting charter buses. The bus driver offered cold beers for $5 (I think this could be CAD or USD), but we declined. After all the Sunwing passengers boarded, we started the half-hour drive to Varadero accompanied by a local bus guide, who among other things offered to exchange our Canadian dollars for pesos (at 10 CUP per CAD).
It was at this point that I encountered los tabernacos for the first time: a Quebecois man insisted that our bus guide sing Guantanamera to us (which he sadly obliged, over the mic and out of tune).
After stopping at a couple other hotels, we finally arrived at ours: Hotel Sol Caribe Beach. The rooms were good, there was only one problem; it was 11 PM and this was blaring beneath us:
It was fine in the end (ended at midnight)… And the next day we enjoyed the beach that everyone comes here for. Not bad for December 25th.
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* By the first quarter of 2023, Canadians accounted for 52% of tourists traveling to Cuba — all while record numbers of Cubans were trying to flee the country.