Holguin September 2012

Holguin

Holguin was about a 5-6 hour journey from Trinidad. It's less poverty stricken that Havana. I didn't really do much sightseeing here apart from visit Fidel Castro's old house aka Sitio Historico de Biran.
Bici-taxi
If you're interested in Cuban history it's a must see. It's 10CUC/$10/£6 per person and an extra 10CUC per camera/photographic device. A guided tour is given, the tour guide only speaks Spanish so take a native speaker with you or try to understand the lingo. The tour is about 45 minutes and includes a tour of Castro's father's house, Fidel's house, Fidel's school, the teachers houses, barn, bar and restaurant. It's quite an impressive piece of land and an interesting tour if that's your cup of tea.
Playa Esmeralda
Fidel's house is a 32 mile car journey from Holguin. There are coach tours offering this service. 
La Loma De La Cruz Restaurant view
Later that evening we went to a restaurant upon a hill with a magnificent view of the city, La Loma De La Cruz. There is partial alfresco dining, the food is good and cheap which is all you can ask for. There's a selection of chicken, fish, beef, prawns, vegetables and rice but a limited selection of desserts. Main course and an alcoholic drink came to 14CUC/$14/£8.
La Loma De La Cruz Restaurant
After Castro's house we went to the closest beach which was 30 miles away, Playa Esmerelda. It is worth going to, it's blocked by two large all inclusive hotels but the beach is open to all. You can walk through the hotel to get to the beach. The water is clear and the sand white, there are surfboards, volleyball court, paddle boats and sailing boats on offer all at a price. The beach is also quite mountainous which offers picturesque views.  
Playa Esmeralda




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Praha 14th April 2011

Image
Trdelnik We woke up at 8:45 to the sound of drilling as there were some roadworks going on outside our windows :(  Everyone got showered and dressed and we left at 10am to go to the Old Market Square, we saw the Astronomical Clock, walked around the market and had these sugary sweets called trdelnik. There were several stalls selling them. They are the most devine dessert I've ever had and the thing I miss the most about Prague. It is made out of dough and like a pretzel but with a more crispy consistency. It is made by wrapping the dough around a roll pin type device which is then rolled above hot coals to cook the dough. After it's golden brown it is then rolled in a sugar and cinnamon mix. Then you get to wat it! This has to be tried and searched for when you go to Prague as it's delicious! Trdelnik Outside the town hall there are several tour guides waiting to with umbrellas which is a sign that they are tour guides. Some are free and others you need to
Read more

Buenos Aires April 2013

Image
Today I attended my first Spanish class. I was supposed to have group classes but there is nobody else at my beginner level so I am having 1:1 classes at the moment. I currently have 2 hours of lessons per day and if I change to a group classes I will have four hours a day. It was a bit weird at the beginning, kind of like my first day of school. I was introduced to my professor Bruno and was given a textbook and a tour of the school which took no time at all. There are a few computers, wifi throughout and several leaflets with information about Buenos Aires and things to do. The first class was good and I was given homework for the next day so it really felt like I was 14 again. I continued classes for the rest of the week in addition to my own form of studying from reading Spanish books, magazines, watching telenovelas and talking to as many Argentines as possible. One night this week me and Corrie had heard of the round the world party at a bar in Soho. Basically you are given
Read more

Amsterdam 10th December 2010

Image
We woke up at about 8am so that we could leave at 9am to see the house of Anne Frank. We got dressed and went downstairs for our free breakfast which consisted of juice, toast or cereal. We used our map and walked to the Anne Frank House which was on Prinsengract which was about a 20-25 minute walk from our hostel, I would recommend walking as much as you can in Amsterdam as most things are nearby plus you get to see more when you walk. The Anne Frank House costs €9 or €4.50 if you are between 10-17 years, those under 10 only have to pay €0.50. You can buy tickets online and print them or buy them on the day. I would recommend purchasing your tickets in advance if you are visiting Amsterdam in the tourist season and if you are going in the afternoon or if there is a group of you. We went early in the day so there wasn't much of a queue so we didn't buy our tickets online. The House's opening times vary depending on the time of year.  Signpost The House was very in
Read more