Before the Trip
At last, I was finally put in the position to go on my very first trip outside of Canada with my friends. This trip was everything and more for us as we have never left our hometown much and for us to go to Varadero, Cuba as our first trip would be iconic. Before I get into the trip I want to talk about the planning as well as everything that was needed for the trip. Being that this trip had a total of nine people it was already hectic, and planning would get very complicated as even though communication was there it would lead to a lot of conflicts and disagreements that we had to overcome as well. For us to plan accordingly we had to think logically as the resort we booked, Barcelo Solymar, is known for young adults and drinking a lot of alcohol we knew that we needed to get multivitamins so we were able to function the next day as well as some healthy snacks to gain more energy.
We talked to people around us who have gone on trips like these for their advice and were recommended a lot of useful tips that came out be very handy for us in the long run for example travellers insurance which we all ended up getting as a just in case because you could never be to safe as Cuba’s laws and regulations is not the same as Canada’s. Being that Cuba attracts a lot of tourists, especially from Canada we ended up meeting a lot of people who were from Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, as well as Ottawa and it just made it more home felt as you can talk and relate to a lot of things with these new people. One of the most stressful times was just when we got to the airport and I found out the my passport expires really soon, like less than six months and for most countries you need your passport to be good for more than six months but thank god that Cuba was not one of those countries and it was the biggest relief I have ever felt.
Once we got to the airport and through customs and waiting to be boarded was the most relaxation I felt as it was just calm and nothing hectic going on as I would always expect airports to be hectic. Once we boarded the plane it was smooth sailing from there except that the takeoff was a lot more intense than I was expecting as well as some turbulence really hit me.
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting anything like it as I have been on four plane rides in total prior to this one and I was young, so I do not recall it much. The plane ride was only three and a half hours, but it felt like forever as there isn’t much to do in a plane other than listen to music, watch something or talk to others.
First Day in Cuba
Once we arrived at the resort, we got checked in ferly quickly and once we all got to our rooms we all got ready to meet up in the lobby and figure out what to do. We noticed that a lot of people at the resort were heading to the Cave Club as it was one of the few that was open that night that was bumping. We all got in the local taxis and headed over where we saw a lot of people in and out of the club just having a good time and vibing. The great thing about this club was the people it attracted as well as the aesthetics of it being it is in a cave it gave it a very echoey and glowing feature.
Another great thing was the music that was being played as it had the hip-hop as well as dancehall music and some EDM. The environment was great as everyone was having a great time meeting new people and having exotic drinks. Once it started to die down, we went back to the resort to explore as well as off the resort to see what it had to offer and it was very culturally active as it is nothing like I would have pictured with all the lights and people. There wasn’t much to do being we got there around late evening, so we saved some spots for the daytime the next day.
Second Day in Cuba
The next day we woke up and got ready to have breakfast as the buffet that was apart of the resort where the food was pretty good as they had a lot to offer from eggs to bacon to all the fruits you could think of sliced neatly. They even had a DIY pancake and waffle machine that was bizarre. Once we were done with breakfast we chilled in the lobby and met some people who were from Toronto as well and just had a great time. We later than went to the pool and bar that was at the back of the resort to get some sun and listen to some music and just enjoy the moment. Around midday we went to a restaurant that was just off of the resort to have some lunch and the food was amazing, better than the buffet as their food is very westernized and the restaurant food is more authentic and cultural which is great for me because I love to try new dishes as I have never had Cuban food. We went to the beach after lunch to go swimming and to look off to the horizon.
The beach was everything I was expecting it to be as they had huts and a couple of bars and just a lot of people either laying, swimming, or walking along the shore as the strip is very long. We found a friendly stray dog that liked us, and we played fetch as well as went swimming with the dog before it ran off.
Once it got to around 6pm we headed back to the resort where we all showered and got ready for dinner at the buffet. The food option was quite surprising as they had pasta, chicken, steak, shrimps, rice, etc. Once we got our tummies full we went to the lobby to have a couple of drinks before we went to Composita, a tourist favorite club as there is an entrance fee and unlimited free drinks. This club was a lot more for the younger adults and being that it was almost only Canadians there it gave a very club in Toronto feel which just made it more comforting as well as energetic. The music was all Western with hip-hop and rap with a couple of other genres as well as a stage performance from the locals that just elevated the whole mood. After the club we were all drunk and didn’t want to go back to the resort just yet so we went exploring off resort where we met a lot of friendly locals who were just excited to see the tourists as well as gave us places to visit during the day if we needed something to do.
Third Day in Cuba
On day 3 of our trip, we all started off by having some breakfast and using the Wi-Fi cards we purchased from the receptionist so we could connect with family back home. This day was to be more for relaxing and somewhat of an exploration as well later throughout the day as we were hungover as well as somewhat exhausted. For majority of the day we were in the pool having fun with a couple of drinks and socializing with others. We made our own teams and played volleyball in the pool, there was foam being blown out of a tube machine and the weather was just amazing where you felt like you were in paradise. After that we all laid down on the pool bench to lay in the sun and just live in the moment.
Around evening time, the weather got cooler, so we decided to walk around off-resort and visit some of the locations and sights the local tourists were telling us about the day before which included restaurants, sights to see, and prime spots for tourists that aren’t too far from the resort. Surprising part was we saw them at one of the sight-seeing spots they told us about and it was a just funny coincidence.
Fourth Day in Cuba
The next day, we decided to go to a restaurant for breakfast as the food off the resort is a lot more flavorful and very filling for very cheap. Our plan for the day was to visit the other resorts that are on the same strip as ours so we can use the amenities they had to offer such as a volleyball pit, soccer pitch, and a way bigger pool for us to just use at our disposal. We talked to the other tourists at these resorts and found out that tonight was Havana Club night as all the tourists were heading over there later so that became our plan as well. We didn’t want to go there on empty stomachs as it wouldn’t be the greatest idea as we were going to be drinking so we decided to go to another restaurant for dinner where they served us chicken and beef fondue as well as chicken breasts covered with cheese and seasoning with some rice that all just blended in perfectly.
After dinner we all went to our rooms to go get ready for the club as well as pre-drink before to enjoy the trip to the club as well as not spend all your money at the club for drinks. We decided to take the taxi there as it would be a long walk and upon us arriving there we see the tourists we talked to earlier and formed a big group for us to go in and have fun. This club is one of my favorite clubs that I have been to as it is known to be one of the better ones in Cuba as it is for the tourists while still having a lot of cultural and traditional look and feel that it also attracts a lot of locals and when partying together you can feel the Cuban side of you to come out as the music and environment brings it out of you. We met a bunch of locals who taught us how to dance and speak a little bit in Spanish at the club. When the club was at its peak they had a performance with the locals dressed up and dancing to the music which was just great to watch in between dancing and drinking. In a way, this club was part theater as well with the huge stage and performances throughout the night just made one feel very energetic and in tune with the environment as well as the culture. This would defiantly be a club I would love to go back to…even for a night.
Fifth Day in Cuba
Day 5 of our trip was the most awaited one yet as this day was when we went on an all-day excursion that went from Varadero to Havana and back with sightseeing stops, cave pool, and so much more. This excursion started around 8am and went to around 6pm and this was a great way for us to not keep re-doing what we were doing rather add some new bizarre event for the trip. We started off leaving the resort in a coach bus that picked us up and took us to a huge parking lot where we were split up to groups of 4 and got to drove manual Jeeps to all the stops of the excursion. The leader of the group took lead and we all followed, and it was great because we took backroads for all the stops and the nature, animals and horizon you see along the way is breathtaking.
We drove through villages and by the coastline looking at what you would see in a brochure or magazine. Our first stop was along the coastline where we changed into scuba diving equipment and went into the water about 3 kilometres from the shore to see coral reefs below us as the water was clear. We played in the water for a bit before returning back to shore. We changed back into our clothes and drove off to the next stop which was under a huge bridge where there was this magnificent river where we all got turns to drive a boat and go down the river for some sightseeing. We followed the instructor down a path and then came back around as the hosts of that spot gave us some snacks and put on a show for us to volunteer in that symbolized their religion and culture through the movement of their bodies and the paint on their skin. After that we hopped back into the Jeeps and drove to a huge farm where they had the most exotic fruits that included mangoes to sugar canes. From what I noticed and tasted is that it is one thing having those things in North America but having them in Cuba where the weather is perfect for them to ripe and maintain the sweetness was outstanding as a Cuban mango is the best fruit I probably ever had to this day. I had to buy a couple for myself later as it was a great thirst quencher. We then had lunch on another part of the farm where they served us rice with a pork stew with some desserts that tasted great and authentic of their culture. We had some free time after lunch so were able to go explore on the farm by meeting animals such as horses and goats as well as laying on a hammock which is something I always wanted to do and glad I got to.
After this stop we went to a cave pool that is exactly what it sounds like as it was deep in the cave. The cave was shallow on the left and deep on the right and my friends and I are creative as we decided to do back flips as well as cannonballs off the cave rocks into the deep end. We didn’t have too much time in the cave as we had to get back to the resort. Once we left the cave we drove back to the parking lot and then hopped back into the coach bus that took us to the resort. For the remainder of that day we all just relaxed as this day was fun but exhausting as well. We drank a little bit with our dinner and decided to stay at the resort and socializing with others for the remainder of the night. Overall, this was my favorite day of the trip as we did a variety of things, things I never thought I would try as my first time, especially in Cuba.
Sixth Day in Cuba
Being that this was the second last day of our trip we decided to do everything we loved from the days prior as we won’t be able to do them again for a while. We started off a little slow as we woke up mid-day and missed breakfast. We had lunch at the buffet and decided to relax in the pool for a bit, but it was kind of hard as there was a party happening at the same time, so it made it annoyingly entertaining.
We then went to the beach where we watched the sunset off on the horizon and enjoyed tacos that were given to us by the resort staff at the bar on the beach. It was delicious and made us very hungry so we went to a restaurant not too far from the beach and brought our food to the beach where we set up towels and beach chairs for us to sit and eat on while still admiring the view.
Shortly after, the beach staff started to let fireworks go off that flowed beautifully with the sunset and it was just a peaceful moment. We later went back to the resort and realized that we had a good amount of alcohol left that we purchased from Duty-Free prior from leaving the airport back in Canada. Being that we can’t take it back with us we decided to drink all of it that night and it was about 4 litres worth of vodka to drink between 9 people. Surprisingly we finished it and found out that there was a club in the resort that is only open one day of the week which was today so we decided to go and it was a lot of fun as others from the neighbouring resorts came as well.
After the club on the resort we went to the beach for a night walk as we were drunk and evidently energetic somehow but at that point it wasn’t about asking why rather just going with the flow of what to do. What was supposed to be a relaxing day turned into do as much as you can which I had no problem for as it was our last full day in Cuba.
Last Day in Cuba
At last, our last day in Cuba. We all woke up feeling horrible as we were all hungover and trying to piece what we did last night in the right order. Throughout the whole trip we were drinking our premium drinks but majority of it was Cuban drinks and since we had to finish what we brought we drank all the premium resulting in a whole lot bigger hangover than what we got used to and I feel like that was the wrong move but there wasn’t nothing we could do but get through it. We decided to go out to eat at restaurant as we wanted very heavy foods that would tone down the hangover effects and get us by up until we had to leave.
This last day was just slow for us as we all had our memories of the trip that we could look back on and reminisce. We had to leave the resort at 8pm as our flight was scheduled for around 12am. We spent a good part of the day packing and getting our luggage to the storage unit at the lobby as we had to check out of our rooms. They gave us complimentary room to us in case we needed to change or relax for a bit which we ended up staying in the whole time to joke around and laugh at all the drunk memories we had as well as piecing together what we couldn’t remember. The bus came and picked us up on time to take us to the airport where we went through customs and baggage check. The airport was really hot and had no air conditioning which made the wait unbearable and what made it worse was the flight being delayed by 2 hours. We finally boarded the plane at around 1:30am and lifted off at 2am. The flight didn’t feel as long as when we were arriving, but it still felt long as we were all just tired and waiting to get home to take a shower and hop into our own beds. We finally got back around 5am and went through the customs and baggage claims ferly quickly as it was pretty dead in the airport. While waiting for our Ubers we saw a Tim Hortons in the airport, and all rushed there as we all had craving for North American food as it was going to hit different after only eating Cuban food for a week. Once we stepped outside it was extremely cold and unbearable that I realized that I really missed the weather in Cuba. We all got home safely around 6am being that we all live ferly close to one another. This trip was definitely one to remember.
After the Trip
We all met up again later that day to talk about the trip and how much fun we had, and we never realized it until we got back to the cold and dreary weather Canada has around early April. At that point we were just trying to mix and match the good and bad from both countries to make the most ideal version of the countries in our heads. At the end of the day we all knew that this trip was needed amongst us as we have never done anything like it which just made it more bizarre and memorable for us for the years to come. This will definitely be something that we can look past on when were in our 50’s being like ‘do you remember the time…’ This trip has allowed us to look past what were doing in our hometowns and open our eyes to the beauty in the world from sights to entertainment in different countries. This trip has allowed for me to put travelling in my bucket list as there is so much out there to be scene. I would definitely recommend travelling to Cuba, or just travelling in general as it will allow you to forget your problems and live in a true bliss moment that will stay with you forever.