Cuba - January 2011

Initially when I started planning this trip I was more interested in relaxing at one of the resorts in Varadero than exploring but I quickly changed my mind when we arrived in Havana. If you're looking for a fantastic resort experience, I wouldn't necessarily recommend Varadero. There are plenty of other places you can go that will have better food and scenery (although Varadero Beach is beautiful).

(If swimming with dolphins is on your bucket list I'd recommend doing the program that starts at the Marina Gaviota Cuba in Varadero. It's a half day with lunch included and was fantastic. The price is 95 pesos. Their contact info is: (53-45) 664115 or reserva@marinagav.co.cu.)

Havana is another story all together. You feel like you're in a time warp when you're there as colourful 1950's American cars and taxi's drive by. The food was surprisingly good considering the trade embargo, the locals were friendly and if you're a Hemingway fan you'll be in heaven.

The city itself is divided into Old Havana, Central Havana & Prado and Vedado. If you want to see the most in the shortest amount of time I'd recommend staying in Old Havana - you'll get the biggest concentration of sightseeing activities, museums and restaurants there. We didn't venture into Vedado at all but did see some great things in Central Havana. Here are some of my favorites:

CENTRAL HAVANA -

Sights:

The Capitolio - Built in 1929 this impressive building is modelled after the Capitol in Washington, DC.

Gran Teatro de la Habana - One of the world's largest opera houses, it's beautiful on the inside and out.

Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagas - Cuba's largest cigar factory, it also has a great store inside where you can buy every kind of cigar imaginable.

Paseo del Prado - This tree lined street is a favorite of the locals. It's a beautiful spot to relax with a coffee and a good book.

Hotel Inglaterra - French actress Sandra Bernhardt and Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova are among the famous guests that have stayed at this hotel. They have a great patio to people watch from and make a mean mojito.

La Zorra y el Cuervo - This is one of the most famous jazz clubs in Havana. Dark and smokey there was a full house when we were there. You'll have to pay a cover charge but it includes two free drinks. 

Parque Central - Designed in 1877, this park lies on the border of Central Havana and Old Havana. It's a popular spot for locals to chat and play music.

Museo de la Revolucion - A Castro propoganda machine, this museum is still worth a look as it features a wide variety of pictures and artifacts from the Cuban Revolution. Don't miss the Rincon de los Cretinos (aka The Wall of Cretins) which features former dictator Fulgencio Batista, former president's George Bush Sr and Jr and Ronald Regan.

Restaurants:

Los Nardos - This restaurant was recommended to us by a few people at the resort. It was dark and a bit gloomy but we ended up going back twice for the gazpacho, which was delicious.

OLD HAVANA -

Sights:

La Bodeguita del Medio - Hemingway used to drink in this colourful bar which is packed at all times. The graffiti laden walls are covered with pictures of Cuban musicians and of course Hemingway himself. The best part for me was the handwritten note from Hemingway they had framed over the bar which said: My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daquiri in El Floriditia (a local hotel).

Cathedral de San Cristobel - This Jesuit church in the middle of Plaza de la Catedral was declared a national monument. It's definitely worth a look.

Palacio de los Capitanes Generales - This beautiful palace sits on the border of the Plaza de Armas. It was built for Cuba's old Colonial rulers and houses everything from horse drawn carriages to weapons to a very comprehensive display of marble busts of illustrious Cuban figures.

Calle Obispo & Calle Mercaders - The two most popular and populated streets in Havana, they are definitely a shopper's and sightseer's dream.

Hotel Ambos Mundos - Hemingway wrote most of For Whom the Bell Tolls in room 511. If you have a drink at the rooftop bar you can sneak down for a look. Otherwise you'll likely be questioned on the main floor by the eagle eyed elevator operator.

Museo del Ron - Find out how rum is made, visit the Havana Club store and get a free sample - all in the space of 45 minutes. 

The Malecon - Havana's boardwalk. This beautiful boardwalk is lined with majestic old buildings. In the afternoon with the waves crashing along it's walls there's no better place to be.

Museo del Chocolate: I didn't find the actual chocolates at this museum to be very good but the chocolate milk was to die for. The museum itself is tiny so don't expect much.


Restaurants/Cafe's:

La Imprenta (Calle Mercaderes No. 208) - this lovely restaurant has great lobster and flan. Don't miss the churro stand right outside. It will be a long wait for churro's but it's worth it. Tip: get the chocolate sauce.

Cafe el Escorial (Plaza Vieja) - the wait will be long and the waitors should consider other professions but I'm still dreaming about the vanilla milkshake with caramel syrup. If you have a sweet tooth this milkshake is a must.

Hotels:

Hotel San Miguel (Calle de Cuba 52) - we loved this Colonial style boutique hotel. So much so that we extended our stay for another night. At $180 per night it isn't cheap but the ambience, friendly staff and fantastic continental breakfast in the ornate dining room made it well worth the price.

Bahrain and Dubai - December 2010

I've wanted to travel to the Middle East for as long as I can remember. I didn't know anything about Bahrain (and couldn't even find one guide book in Chapters about it) so I arrived with very little information (not a great start for a planner like me!).

Conversely, I had lots of ideas about Dubai. I'd been hearing about it for years from various friends and family who had lived there. In my mind I thought it would look like the modern equivalent of the city from Blade Runner - futuristic was the word that kept coming to mind. In Dubai there are two distinct areas - the new and the old. Bahrain is like Dubai's younger more laid back cousin. There's more open space, it's less touristy and in some ways also more charming.

I fell in love with both cities - for different reasons. Here's some places/trips that I'd highly recommend in both cities:

BAHRAIN -

Areas: Aliyah in Manama (filled with lots of quaint restaurants and bars)

Restaurants in Aliyah: Cafe Lilou (a great french bistro), Coco's (a lovely outdoor patio. Try the hammour fish. You won't be disappointed), Al Bandarya (the place to go for shisha smoking), The Ritz Carleton brunch (we ate in the Mediterranean restaurant. It's not cheap but highly recommended)

Sights: Bahrain National Museum, Al Fateh Grand Mosque, the Souk in Manama, La Fontaine Contemporary Arts Centre

Food: Make sure to try the halwa (i.e. sweet jelly). You can find stores that sell this in the Souk. It's normally red or green with nuts in it). A local favorite. I loved the lemon and mint juice which is served in the majority of restaurants. And don't forget to try some hummous!

DUBAI -

Tours: Hop On, Hop Off - I highly recommend doing the Hop On Hop Off tour if you only have a few days in Dubai. There's were 20+ stops and you could do them over two days. Included in the ticket price was the free boat cruise along Dubai Creek

Sights: Dubai Museum (in the old Al Fahidi Fort), the Gold and Spice Souks, Jumeriah Public Beach, The Mall of the Emirates (don't miss Ski Dubai!), Burj Al Arab (one of the world's only 7 start hotels), Palm Jumeirah (on the Palm - the aquarium was great), Emirates Towers, Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building)

Insha'Allah :)

10 Things I Didn't Know About Iceland - December 2009

1) They love their geyser humor. What's the fastest way to boil a tourist? Put them in front of an active geyser of course. I had the pleasure of witnessing one soaking in particular.

2) Rot cured shark, called hakarl, is one of their smelliest delicacies. The shark contains toxic levels of ammonia so can't be eaten raw. It's edible only when cut into small pieces and buried for a few months to let the poison drain away. Best to chase it with Brennivin, a local schnapps.

3) In the winter there is only about 5 hours of daylight and in the summer there's only 2 hours of darkness, from 1-3am, so hotels have installed two layers of heavy drapes to combat the neverending sun.

4) Whale tastes like beef and hardfiskur, a popular dried fish found in grocery stores, smells and tastes like fish food. Eww.

5) In December the locals put electrically lit crosses up at their relatives gravestones to mark the holiday season. When you venture closer you can see the white electrical cables criss crossing across the graveyards.

6) Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, in downtown Reykjavik, is the most popular hot dog stand in Iceland with a photo of Bill Clinton devouring a hot dog behind the counter. It was voted the best hot dog stand in Europe by The Guardian.

7) Alcoholic beer was banned in Iceland until the mid 1980's an effect of the prohibition that lasted there until the 20's. Icelanders would often put vodka in the non-alcoholic variety to provide a buzz.

8) The country's geothermal water smells like rotten eggs because of the sulphur so whenever you turn on the hot tap in your sink or shower be prepared for a nosefull.

9) Icelanders use the first name of their father as their last name. So if their father's first name was Johann his son's last name would be Jóhannsson (for son) and his daughter's last name would be Jóhannsdóttir (for daughter). Family names aren't commonly used in Iceland. Even the prime minister is called by his first name.

10) Traditional Icelandic houses circa the 1700's were one level and built from rocks and grass. When the first two storey houses started appearing the main floor was for the animals and the 2nd storey was for the owners. It was an old fashioned form of heating as the animals heated the house this way. Quite ingenious I think.