After Christmas holidays we ventured to Varadero, Cuba.  We were looking for some sun and relaxation.   Relaxation we found. Sun we got sporadically.

Cuba was a mixed bag.  On one hand, the beach was beautiful. 

Our resort was very nice. 

The culture was interesting. 

The food though -- hands down awful.  Maybe it was my delicate state but I really had a hard time with the food.  It wasn't always easy to determine what you were eating - N claimed at least twice to be unable to determine what kind of meat he was chewing.  The food was bland and always the same everyday.  Even the fruit was disappointing... nothing was in season and even when not ripe, it was put out to be consumed.  Everything was cold and very very bland.  Further, if I had been able to tie one on, I would have grown tired of Pina coladas very quickly since I'm not a beer drinker.  There was just no variety at all to choose from.  This in my mind is probably the single biggest reason I would not go back to Cuba unless the price was amazing.  I think that you can get much better in the Caribbean elsewhere for similar prices.

That said, everything wasn't all bad.  I really enjoyed our day trip into Havana. 

We had a walking tour through old Havana, followed by lunch at a fancy hotel where the roof-top restaurant offered spectacular coastal views. 

Afterward we ventured through a rum and cigar shop and checked out the parking lot that is their Revolutionary Square.

Then we had time to wander near Centro Habano to take in the El Capitolio and the Great Theatre before heading back to Varadero.

Unfortunately, the three days after our foray into Havana were cold.  Not cold by Canadian standards but at 19 degrees celcius with a nasty wind by the water, we spent the remainder of our trip like this:

If you're interested, the rest of our Cuba pics can be found here.

Note to self:

If we do go back to Cuba:  Must read Hemingway.  Also, pre-trip,  spend four hours watching Benicio del Toro as Che.