Month: December 2018

Half Moon Cay: HAL’s Own Private Island

Holland America owns an island in the Bahamas and their ships frequently stop there. It’s a very manicured, polished and pristine spot and its purpose is to make this beauty  accessible to all, including older and handicapped passengers. There are large tenders that take people painlessly from ship to the island and large pathways to lead the way to the various areas.

 I spent a few hours there in the afternoon taking photos and participating in the barbecue lunch.  It sort of reminded me of Disneyland: better than the best, shielding us from the harsh reality of everyday life – in short, a perfect vacation spot. We have to return to the real world soon enough. Escapism can be therapeutic. 

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

One of the advantages of having a cabin with a balcony is watching the action of  the ship. We saw the workers on land dock the ship in the early morning hours without having to get dressed or put on makeup – such luxury!  

We chose to take an excursion to the middle of the island, where, high on a hill, we visited Good Hope Plantation, toured the house and had high tea on the veranda. The drive took an hour and a half and we were able to see the small villages along the way. The views and flowers of the plantation were extraordinary!

We returned to the ship to prepare for dinner and the evening’s entertainment but took a few images of the ship and its surroundings before going back in. I’ll write about life on shipboard in a separate post. 

Grand Cayman

We were supposed to land in Cienfuegos after Havana, but it’s a tricky port in the best of times and the captain has some technical problems so he decided to skip it and go directly to Grand Cayman. The staff busily changed shore excursions and refunds were given to those who’d planned excursions to Cienfuegos. People taking private tours had to cancel their excursions.  Some passengers were furious but most of us realized that we’d rather be safe than run the risk of running aground . It was a disappointment, however, since most of the people booked the cruise  to see Cuba. I wish we’d had two days in Havana. Perhaps some day HAL could run cruises with just one stop for several days – Miami or Ft Lauderdale to Havana and back. Good idea? 

Grand Cayman is a beautiful place with a very high percentage of income –  the richest in the area. The place is a tax free haven, with rich people from around the world hiding their loot. in offshore accounts. 

We took a tour called Land and Sea, which included a semi submarine ride to see the fish, a visit to a turtle farm  and a trip to Hell – and back.   Hell is actually a small area where one can see jagged black deposits, proof that this inland spot was once the ocean front. It was a fun and educational tour. At the end of the tour, we went back to the ship and had a beer and a piece of rum cake we’d purchased on the island. 



This is Hell, or so they say. It’s possible to  see the dark pieces of jagged rock if you look closely. 

Rum cake and beer is an odd combination but somehow it worked back on the ship at the Retreat. 
Then I went to the cabin and fell asleep!  

Havana on our own

Linda and I left the tour along with the others but asked our guide for suggestions.  We wanted to find some street photography possibilities- people and places a bit off the beaten path, the road not yet traveled.

He wrote down a name: callejon de Hamel.  He said to find a taxi driver, negotiate a price, and he would take us there. Linda also wanted to get a statue of Santa Barbara for her sister, who collects religious icons. This saint‘s day was December 4 and this saint is very important  to the Afro-Cuban cultural and religious community, so she was hoping to get one. The crafts market was closed today. Could she get one?  Could we do both at the same time?  He thought we could. He said that 40 CUCs was the going rate to do the trip.  

We waited in the street for awhile, then crossed the street, and eventually noticed a blue and white Bel Air convertible.  Was he free? He was. His name was Michel. Did he speak English? Yes, he did. We were off. We careened through the streets of Havana, seeing the blur of buildings and then he stopped.

This is the Hamel, an art and dance community outreach program! Perfect!

This young lady is playing with a small phone, above; below, our driver Michel poses in one of the rooms of the installation, showcasing the work of one of their artists.

The director and his son gave us a tour of the buildings. 


We found the statues in a modest home near the collective.  Linda chose her statue and we saw more street art. 
    We returned back to the ship, but first had a beer at the Plaza de San Francisco de Assis, as we watched the sun set on a glorious day. 

    Photos and narration of Key West and Havana

    After consulting with a young person at the front desk, I was able to take my photos from my iPhone and put them in my iPad without using the internet. How? Air Drop. I never really knew what Air Drop was all about but now I understand its purpose. Let’s see if I can make it work now. The internet service on the ship only allows me to use one device at a time..

    Enough talk..here are the photos.  Because  I had to share one photo at a time via Air Drop, I’m only taking the best of the best.  This operation is very time- consuming

    Key West:

    The Hemingway House contained his house, gardens and cats who wandered everywhere  throughout the premises.  Several of his typewriters were scattered throughout the rooms, with examples of his written word. The guide gave us a narrative about his life, works, wives, and engaged us with funny stories about his exploits. His wife Pauline built a pool in his absence on the property after she discovered his infidelities, which prompted him to bring in his urinal from the bar he most frequented.  He said that she cost him his last red cent. She took it and put it in the cement at the  pool and later had the urinal made into a fountain and planter.

    And now on to the “little White House”

    The Truman Annex was originally a government base but is now part of the state parks of Florida. The area has charming, immaculately kept bungalows with flowers festooned throughout the streets. The Truman White House is a modest two story home that holds many secrets, even to this day.  We were unable to take pictures of the interior, but the lower level contained the living room, dining room and den and the upstairs contained bedrooms, study and a sun porch that enveloped the upstairs and gave visitors a panoramic view.  It is used to this day by visiting presidents and other important government  dignitaries.

    Havana:

    Thanks to our view off our balcony, we were able to experience sailing in to Havana as the sun rose.

    We visited many places and participated in many activities on our Best of Havana tour.  Our first visit was to a community service center providing help to seniors and those with serious mental and physical issues, such as HIV-AIDS.

    After that we took a driving tour of the city, stopping at the Christopher Columbus cemetery to visit the graves of important events and people. It’s a popular place.  We saw the grave of Hemingway’s favorite bartender and the grave of a woman who died with her child during childbirth.  It’s now a grave where pregnant women come to offer flowers in hopes of a healthy baby.  We saw women come in the red car to give offerings when we were there.

    On our shopping expedition, we watched a man making a cigar in the corner of the factory store while frantic buyers gathered around him in the small room in their quest for the best cigars, rum, and coffee.

    Linda and I decided to look for souvenirs, which we found at a small kiosk near the parking lot for the bus. She negotiated for some trinkets with a handsome young vendor, and then we walked up the hill to see Jesus – the statue of Christ, that is.

    Our last  activity was a walking tour of old Havana, which showcased the beautiful parks and squares.

    We were given free time to soak up the atmosphere and see the locals and visitors in action before heading back to the terminal.

    Our tour was over but our time in Havana wasn’t.  Yes, there’s more. None of this late afternoon adventure was planned, but it turned out perfectly. I’m exhausted so I’ll continue this tomorrow. Here’s a hint of things to come..this photo is also the first one you see on this post, and  there IS a story.

    Sailing, sailing..on the Veendam: Cuba Explorer

    As I predicted to some of my friends, my postings on this trip are dependent on the ship’s internet gods. There is no longer a tech person on board so it took me two days to get online with a little help from one of the staff at the front desk.

    Today is Tuesday December 4 and my former neighbor Linda and I boarded the ship November 30.  Our first  port was Key West, then we had a sea day and yesterday we had a very busy day in Havana. What an experience!

    My photos haven’t yet been transferred via the cloud from my iPhone to the iPad, so I have no visual record as yet. I’ll be brief and explain what we’ve been doing and hope to send photos as the trip continues..they are uploading now.

    Linda and I met at the hotel in Ft Lauderdale, where we both spent the first night at the Pier 66 hotel before getting on the ship.  I came  from San Francisco and she flew from Las Vegas via her home in Utah .

    We boarded the ship the next afternoon.  I’ve sailed on the Veendam before.  I chose my old room, an inside cabin on the main deck, aft, but we ended up with an upgrade for a bargain price we couldn’t turn down,  so we are in one of the Vista suites, room 118, on the ninth floor, veranda deck, close to the aft elevator and stairs, which makes it very convenient.  We climb two floors up to the Lido, the casual dining venue, and descend three floors down to the main dining room, and two flights down to the entertainment venues, music and library.  It’s all good.

    The weather has been wonderful so far though it was quite warm on Key West.  We used the hop on hop off bus for our mode of transport there and did most of the tour via the bus, then hopped off at the next to last stop to visit the Hemingway house.  When we were finished with our tour,  I climbed  up the stairs to the top of the lighthouse across the street while Linda spent more time with Hemingway’s cats, then we made our way down to the center of town.  Unfortunately my map reading skills need improving, and we went a bit out of the way – not good in the heat of the day. I made another stop to tour the Truman little White House, which I found fascinating.

    Now a Florida State monument, Harry spent 174 days here during his presidency recovering from the rigors of his job.  All the furniture was original and showed a more relaxed way of life, with the only entertainment being a radio, piano and record player.  Unfortunately,  we were unable to take pictures inside but I hope to show you the beauty of the Truman Annex when my photos come through,  where people still live today.  It reminds me of some of the “ old fashioned “ military bases, like Hickam AFB, at Pearl Harbor, HI, where my sister and family used to live.

    We awoke to the sunrise as we sailed into Havana and took advantage of our veranda to shoot some early morning  shots.

    Our Havana day was full of activity.  We chose to take the Best of Havana tour and were escorted through immigration, money change  and customs before embarking on our tour.  The HAL staff did a masterful job in getting us all organized and the entire procedure went smoothly. A Visa is required which was given to us at our check in when we were in Florida, and the $75 fee was charged to our room.

    Our guide was Liban, a former professor at the University of Havana, specializing in foreign languages;  his English was excellent and his knowledge  was encyclopedic.  He managed to get us through the ins and outs of the tour with minimal discomfort and hassle.

    We visited a community project in an old Colonial house and had a demonstration of a rap song and dance led by some very sturdy seniors.  It was a great just  walking through the streets and seeing the people .

    I was surprised at the sheer number of beautifully preserved old American cars from the 50s and 60s in fantastic colors.  They were everywhere!

    We also visited the Christopher Columbus cemetery,  visiting some of the most popular graves and learning about the Cuban funeral customs and costs.

    We had a mediocre lunch at a black-and-red-and-pink nightclub venue down the street from the National Hotel.   The upside was that we had entertainment of dancers and musicians.  I enjoyed this show, but being confined in a black room, even with entertainment, in the middle of a beautiful sunny and not-too-warm day was not to my liking. Maybe if the mashed potatoes had not been so cold, I wouldn’t be so grumpy .  This was the only downside of the tour, though.  Everything else was well planned and very interesting.

    After lunch we went to the top of the hill to visit the fort, do a bit of shopping – cigars, rum, coffee and souvenirs – and got up  close and  personal with the statue of Jesus.  The views of the city were a little disappointing because the sun was in the wrong direction. Our last stop was a walking tour of old Havana, where we saw beautiful buildings and squares.

    We started our tour at 9:00 and we were dropped off at the ship terminal at  just after er 4:00 pm.

    We asked our guide for recommendations for street photography and art and he told us to get a taxi to go to the Callejéia de Hamel, in a residential neighborhood a bit off the beaten path..  We lucked out with an English speaking driver named Michel and a blue and white Bel Air convertible to take us.  He picked us up on the street outside the ship terminal. It was pure chance.  He drove at breakneck speed through the streets, and we saw blocks that looked like bombed out Beirut or Aleppo. It was quite amazing. Our guide pointed out, however, that the country has a 99% literacy rate and universal health care, from cradle to grave..even the buried is free – unless you want special flowers. The people we spoke to were universally polite and well-educated.  It was refreshing not to see billboards, though the population seems to be glued to their cell phones.  Internet is not universal but some agencies have websites. Change is inevitable . I’m glad we got there before McDonald’s hasn’t taken over

    The Hamel is another community arts project which involves the people in the neighborhood, specializing in art, music and dance  we were told to ask for Elias, and Linda wanted to get a small statue of St Barbara for her sister.  We were able to take fantastic photos  and also go to a modest house in the neighborhood  to find her statue.  It was a good trip,  and Michel the taxi driver found a new contact. He took the tour of the center with us! We all enjoyed the experience.

    We were taken back to the terminal and finished off the evening with a cold beer at a sidewalk café at the Plaza San Francisco, where the church  that Pope Francis  visted on his last tour is located .

    It was pleasant debriefing, taking in the air and watching the sky turn pink as the sun set.

    We will have two sea days in a row at the end of the trip.  We were supposed to land in Cienfuegos tomorrow but the captain just came on the loud speaker to let us know that we have some complications so we will no longer be landing there. We’ll be in Grand Cayman tomorrow. There are always surprises on ship, so we’re considering all the good things : we get to sleep in and we will have more time to enjoy the ship.  We are fortunate that this didn’t happen in Havana !

    Hope to send pictures soon.  Stay tuned!

     

     

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