By Sharon
Weatherall
Have you
ever kissed a dolphin – it’s quite an experience. Just to touch their rubbery skin is something
you will never forget. I had the
opportunity to get to know one up close just a couple of weeks ago on a family
trip.
My mom and
siblings (save one older brother) and three of the older grandkids vacationed
in Cuba recently – a special trip to celebrate my mother’s 80th
birthday. It was a lot of fun considering we had never really gone away in a
large group like that before.
Located on
the stunning beachfront of Cayo Santa Maria, we stayed at the all-inclusive
Hotel HUSA Cayo Santa Maria resort. It was a massive place with 1368 rooms, 21 buildings,
four pools, medical services, a spa, eight restaurants and seven bars - as well
as bar fridges in your rooms. We were allowed three a la carte dinners
during our stay. The hotel had just added new menus to these restaurants
featuring Seafood, Italian, Spanish, Cuban, French, Asian, Mexican and
Peruvian. In fact we celebrated mom’s birthday dinner at the Italian a la carte
and management went out of the way to make this a very special evening complete
with birthday cake and champagne.
Aside from
the a la cartes unfortunately we had to suffer buffet dining options offering
anything but the delicious international culinary experiences they boasted. In
truth the food sucked, but we survived and I for one did not gain any weight on
the trip like I usually do at all-inclusive get-aways. When people tell you “Cuba is Cuba” when it
comes to the food - believe them and only go to places that have been tried and
true. The Cubans are simple people who prepare simple menus – but at Husa the
cooks could take a few culinary lessons for sure. I mean I am not a picky eater
and just about anything will satisfy my grumbling tummy but there are times
when I draw the line. I lived on fresh bread and buns - which were warm and
tasty, BBQ turkey and pork at the lunch buffet for the most part. In the
morning grilled ham and cheese sandwiches hit the spot better than cold eggs
and greasy uncooked bacon and tasteless sausage. Dinner was the same thing day after day – a
lot of rice, pasta and minced meatballs.
There - that’s the worst I have say
about my Cuba vacation – the rest is pretty positive.
The place
had nightly entertainment featuring lively theatrical productions, and close by
a business centre, spa and nightclub were located in the small village of Pueblo
Estrella – just a short distance from the resort. We went there twice to a
market place they hosted with local venders during the daytime. They also had a
really good pizza place where you could enjoy a pizza for four Cuban paseos and
a cigar store where they rolled them right in front of you. My nephew enjoyed
the night club twice so it must have been ok. The Pueblo La Estrella was inaugurated in
December 2009. People who wanted to visit could get a shuttle ride or walk
there.
Hotel HUSA
Cayo Santa Maria is 90 minutes to Santa Clara Airport, 30 minutes to Caibarien,
and 10 minutes to Pueblo Las Estrellas. The ride along a giant causeway with over
40 different bridges is nice to see in the daytime but at night when we arrived
it was pitch black outside. They were selling beer on the bus so we had to make
one ‘natural’ toilet stop and everyone one got off the bus to pee on the side
of the road with warnings not to step too far to the left in case you fell into
the water! It was funny to see the shock on people’s faces – but hey when you
gotta go, you gotta go.
The ultimate
and most beautiful part of the vacation was the magnificent beach – miles of
powdery white sand along the sparkling shoreline. The water was crystal clear multi-coloured
shades of aquamarine - calm on some days and with foamy wave tops on others. It
is 100 percent the number one draw to this destination and people couldn’t seem
to keep away from it. I know I walked the beach every morning and swam at least
twice a day. Where else do you find tepid water you can peer through from waist
deep and see the colour of your toe nail polish as if you were looking through
a magnifying glass?
The HUSA
Cayo Santa Maria is located in the central sector of Playa Santa Maria which is
the main beach on the island. There is a shared service between the Beach and
the Colonial sides which were sold under one name ‘HUSA Cayo Santa Maria’ and
share services. Depending on the occupancy rate, one section might be closed which
was the case when we were there – the Beach was closed and we stayed in
building number 27 of the Colonial section which was close to the pool, the
ocean and the lobby. The original project was apparently four hotels: Beach,
Colonial, Caribe and Tropical. Caribe and Tropical (former Barcelo) are
administered by Blue Diamond Hotels & Resorts a division of Sunwing Travel
Group under the name of Memories Paraiso Azul Beach Resort. Memories is a short
distance from Husa.
We flew to
Cuba via Sunwing and had no problems
with the flight except the times were late – we didn’t arrive at the resort
until 11 p.m. our first night and the flight out on the day we left was delayed
by two hours. So after leaving Husa at 6:30 p.m. we arrived at the Santa Clara
Airport to wait three more hours and then boarded just before midnight. We were
going through customs at the Toronto Airport at 3 a.m. – good job we had booked into the
International Plaza for the night. This
was where we had left our car for seven nights and I tell you there are no more comfortable beds
at any place I have stayed in the city than at that lovely place.
During the
holiday through our Sunwing representative we booked a fun and relaxing
catamaran cruise on the crystal waters of the Caribbean Sea. This was my gift
to my mother who enjoys being out on the water and it was a full day excursion
for her enjoyment. The only one who couldn’t go with us that day was my brother
who had gotten too sunburned the day before in the Husa pool enjoying a few too
many brews. Luckily he got his money back the next day with no questions asked.
On the
catamaran cruise we let the wind catch our sails gliding us out to the sea. As
it sailed east, beyond the coast of Cayo Santa Maria, our catamaran made three
main stops throughout the voyage, where we enjoyed exploring in crystal clear
waters along a sandy shore and environmental area, a lobster lunch and interaction with dolphins
at the dolphin center, snorkelling at the Coral Reef Barrier. We also enjoyed a
well-stocked bar onboard, sun decks for basking in the sun, and comfortable
shaded lounge for breaks from the sun. This relaxing voyage was a great way to
work on our tans and enjoy the stunning beauty of the Caribbean. The seafood
lunch was the best food many of us had eaten since arriving in Cuba and well
worth the money.
As mentioned
above the dolphinarium in Cayo Santa
Maria was a huge hit. Located near Cayo Ensenachos a few kilometers from Cayo
Santa Maria, it is operated by Gaviota Marinas. Prior to it’s opening in August
2011 customers who wanted to swim with dolphins had to go in the neighboring
province of Cienfuegos - a trip of over three hours including a city tour of
Cienfuegos. The largest in all Latin America, the dolphinarium is quite impressive.
Cubans have put a lot of effort into this successful project which features pools
of 2.400 m2 on average where the dolphins can swim happily. The project will
someday include an aquarium and a lobster breeding farm from which many will supply
the restaurant! In total there will be six pools for a total of 21 dolphins, a
dolphin entertainment area with 260 seats that features two shows per day and
also a special area for sea lions giving two shows per day.
There were
other excursions available from Husa including going on a jeep tour into the
countryside, driving speed boats/motor bikes or hopping a small plane for
Havana and much more to do if you wanted. Some of the excursions were full day
and some were half and the cost varied. But if you didn’t want to go anywhere
you could just sit back and relax at the resort around the pool or spend the
day down at the ocean.
We had a
great time just being together. After spending long days out in the sun then
meeting for meals in the evening some of us didn’t last long enough to attend
the shows, while others hit the sack immediately after. We intended to go to
the club one night but in all honesty we were just too tired to get there. It
operated from 11p.m. until 2 a.m. so it was hard to stay awake.
Between
cleaning up at the end of the day and actually having dinner – we sat in a
breezy lobby and were served drinks and chatted. The service here was good but a little on the
slow side at times. The Cubans do not really like people going up to the bar to
order and in some cases will let you stand for quite some time before they get
you a drink. It’s better to find a table and wait for a server. Order a couple
of drinks at a time to make sure you don’t run out before she/he comes
back.
As far as
cleanliness the place was ok. We heard some people complaining about their
rooms, bugs and maid service etc., but in our case all of that was acceptable –
we had clean bedding, clean towels and a fridge stocked with beer, water and
pop. We even had a happy gardener who
worked hard to keep the grounds looking great and monitored a family of small
kittens outside our building. The colourful
gardens of Husa were beautiful and in full bloom when we were there.
It was a
nice holiday and a good experience for my mom who hadn’t been away in many years
and had never been to an all-inclusive. In hind sight it’s we could have made a better
choice than Cuba because of the food – but the price was right and it got us
away from the snow. The whole time we were gone we had excellent
temperatures and sunshine every day –
in fact the heat was often intense. It was a bonus after coming from the worst
winter in years.
Next time we
will pick Dominican, Jamaica or Bahamas where we know the food is better
because we have been there and tried it. Even a different location in Cuba
would do as the last time we were in Varadero it wasn’t so bad. But the
experience was well worthwhile and the ocean was to die for so we can’t
complain. It’s part of life trying out different locations and getting the best
experience out of them that you can. Being together as a family in an exotic
get-away created some memories we won’t soon forget.
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