Castro's Cuba w/ Gary

Gary wanted to see Castro's Cuba and this Spring realized his dream. Travelling to Cuba with a group of Toronto friends, he spent time in Havana and Varadero, explored Cuba, Hemingway, Food, Music, and the Sun.

One highlight was the Varadero Peninnsula, two hours from Havana. A slender finger reaching into the Atlantic, Varadero practically winks at the Tropic of Cancer. Some of the very best beaches in the entire Caribbean are there. Experiencing Arenas Blancas or white sands was treat of a lifetime.

Varadero was once a playground of the very rich and Al Capone's summer house and chemical dynasty member Irenee Dupont Nemours' palatial estate still stand and are open to tourists.

Another highlight was a visit to El Floridita, the cantina where author Ernest Hemingway drank his trademark daiquirís.

Gary enjoyed entertainment and dancing every night, and spent time in the Mambo Club dancing salsa, merengue with some cha cha and reggaeton. And, Gary took in outdoor music at La Cumparsita with its live salsa bands and Afro-Cuban floor shows.

Ever resourceful, Gary and his Toronto gang brought their own party with them, a boom box for impromptu salsa parties and music to share with Cuban residents. They enjoyed the bands that seemed to be everywhere, on corners and in the cafes. Cuban salsa dancers move in a casino or circular pattern rather than the linear or slot pattern North Americans tend to dance.