Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Cuba, Travel Guide

To get into the tropical atmosphere of Cuba at its fiftieth. Among the American automobiles, the smoky bars of Havana, the effect is assured.
For its fantastic sea. Cuba offers about six thousand kilometers of splendid Caribbean coast, with beaches and cliffs for all likes.
For the people's hospitality, not always interested as it is wanted to make you believe. The Cubans are people full of happiness and eager to leave, people who love to find the foreigner, just to exchange ideas.
To smoke the best tobaccos in the world, made by hand with the leaves of Vuelta Abajo. You can also attend to the making of the tobacco in a factory or maybe inside of a big hotel, where there are exhibited in parties, authenticate preparations for the tobaccos artists.
To travel through out the town of Hemingway, a North American writer that lived in the island from the 1939 to the 1961 and where he wrote some of his romances.

GEOGRAPHICAL DATA
Located in the Caribbean Sea, Cuba, with a longitude of about 1.200 kms and a surface of 110.860 Km., is the biggest island in the biggest Antilla. It is at about 200 Km. from the island of Keys and it is close to The Mexican peninsula of Yucatan in and the island of Hispaniola. More than the main island, The Cuban Republic gathers all the isles and islands that surround it. Great part of the Cuban coast is low and sandy, with numerous bays and areas of lagoons and paludose. Its interior is of plains, interrupted by the Sierra de los Organos to the west, the Sierra del Escambray to the center and the Sierra Maestra to the east. Its population is of about 11 million inhabitants.

Time Zone: -6.0 (summer); -6.0 (winter)
Duration of the days 13.5 hours (June); minimum 11.0 hours (December)

WHEN TO GO
Period better: February, March
Good period: January, April, December
Worse Period: September, October

WEATHER
The dry station which is naturally the best period to go, begins at the end of October and finishes in April. The rains station is from April to October, but in these months precipitations, although are abundant always occurs in the half-day and for a short period.

What to take
Without doubts the bathing suit. And then summer clothes, shirts and cotton pullouvers, short and long pants. And do not forget besides, the shoes for walking in the afternoons, to take also a pair of sandals.

CULTURE/MUSEUMS
City Museum
Address: Plaza de Armas, Havana
Schedule: 9.30-18.30
Entrance is paid
One of the main museums of histoty and culture of the isle. It offers a rich exposition ofartistic testimonies bengining from the colonial period up to firts years of the republic.

Revolution Museum
Address: Palacio Presidencial, Calle Refugio, Havana
Schedule: 10-17; Saturday up to 18
Entrance is paid
All that is wanted to know about the myth of the Cuban revolution is exposed in this place, in the ex-presidential building that housed as last tenant, the dictator Batista up to 1959,documents, registrations and movies on the revolutionary epic poem.

National Museum
Address: Calle Trocadero, Havana
Schedule: 10-17; closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Entrance is paid
The exhibition is divided in several sections. The pinacoteca, with linens from Spanish, Englishmen, Danish teachers, among them stand out Velsquez, Murillo, Goya and Turner; the Egyptian old art collection, grecian and Roman, considered the most important in Latin America, the gallery dedicated to the Cuban painting from the XVII century to our days, the ceramic collection, and a space for the contemporary exhibitions.

Hemingway Museum
Address: San Francisco de Paula, San Miguel del Padrn, 12 km from Havana
Schedule: 9-16; Sundays 9-12.30
Entrance is paid
Dedicated to the enthusiasts of North American writer who lived in this building from 1939 to 1961. It was here where Hemingway wrote Whom sound the bells for and the Old man and the sea.

Music National Museum
Address: Calle Crcel, Havana
Schedule: 9-17; Sundays 8-12; Closed on Mondays
Entrance is paid
There are exposed numerous Afro-Cuban musical instruments, besides the Fernando Ortiz anthropologist's private collection. Disks, scores and instruments are sold, also some concerts are presented in the museum saloon.

CUBAN CUISINE
The traditional cuisine in Cuba is excellente and it would be a sin to get lost looking for other inetrnational plates, proposed in other local. The Cuban culinary art is born from the encounter of the precolumbian cuisine with the African, French, Spanish, English, and the Hindu and indonesa. The result of this is a miracle of the balance. There are fruits very often so as (mango, papaya, avocado,) mainly to accompany salted plates and to form part of the base of cocktails and drinks.It is used a lot the pig meat, lots of chicken, mainly in the inside of the country, while in the coastal restaurants are intend exquisite sea plates: fish, crustaceans cooked in several ways. The national plate is the "ajiaco" a soup with the help of potato, banana, corn, calf meat, Chicken, and dry meat. Another typical food is the "congri", made with black beans and rice cooked all together , accompanied by "pig pork cracklings". The "fuf" is on the other hand a banana puree seasoned with "mojo", a fried lightly of oil garlic and cumin. Do not loose teh oportunity to taste the "Creole lobster" that is nothing else but a fried lobster with tomato, onions, peppers, spicy pepper and sour orange juice. Among the candies the "boniatillo", made of sweet potato and sugar and the "coquito acaramelado" also "la mala rabia" also made of sweet potato sugra cane sirope, cinnamon and sweet orange shell. The diffused drink is the coffee, served to the American way, that is to say not few, and the rum is pure that serve as base to any prepared swig or the numerous cocktails so as Cuba Libre, the Rum punk or Pia Colada. Cuba also produces an excellent beer. The diffused national marks are the Mayabe and The Lagarto.

FUN/SHOPPING
Who doesn't know the Cuban rum and tobacco, known for everyone as best in the world? In the island there are lots of opportunities to return home with some good music, revolutionary souvenir and why not an automobile of the fifty years.

Tobaccos
The tobaccos or cigarettes are of different sizes, they are sold loose or in elegant wooden boxes. Just to see them makes yoy buy them although you are not a smoker, maybe for a beautiful gift. The prices are almost half of the prices in Italy. For example a box with three Montecristo Sigars N.4 costs at about 10 American dollars. They can be bought in the stores. At Havana in the House of 5a and 16 (5a Ave y 16). In Santiago in Casa del Tabaco (Ave. Jesus Menndez 730). Pay attention to the conservation of the tobacco. An adequate humidity is needed for them.

Craft
Cuban craft reflex the influence of diverse cultures, mainly the African. Many objects are related with the santera, the Afro-Cuban religion diffused per excellency in the island. There can be dolls of pieces and ceramic, masks made of paper mach and wooden sculptures. Puppets of tamarind seeds are also made. Pretty hats palm feathers fibers or of knitted coconut. Baskets and bags are also made. In old Havana there is the Craft Palace (Calle Cuba 64). In Santiago in the Craft House (Cathedral Plaza).

Foods
The rum is bought obligatorily and the most famous mark is The Havana Club in several versions: Liquor, the most economic; Carta Blanca 3 years and particularly used for the cocktails. Carta Oro, 5 years, and the most refined matured during 7 years. The precise goes from 4 to 7 American dollars each bottle. For adventurers the most valuable rum in Cuba is the retained Matusalem, product from Santiago de Cuba matured during 25 years, it can be around the 15 dollars the bottle in Casa del Ron de Obispo y Bernaza in Old Havana.
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By: Pensazen

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Holiday Insurance: Five Good Reasons Why You Should Buy Holiday Travel Insurance

There are many things that can happen when you are traveling. In most cases, the most unexpected things happen when you are least prepared for it. To protect yourself while traveling, you should get a holiday travel insurance before you go on a holiday. Never take things for granted. Always remember that it is always better to be prepared than sorry. To give you a better idea about the importance of holiday insurance, here are five good reasons why you should get holiday travel insurance before you go on vacation.

Travel Assistance

Comprehensive holiday insurance can help you find a new flight in case your flight gets cancelled at the last minute. Note that these unexpected flight cancellations due to unavoidable circumstances can drain you financial if you do not have any holiday travel insurance. If you are traveling on a tight budget, a last minute cancellation of your connecting flight can spell a disaster for you if you do not have any insurance.

Help In Retrieving Lost Luggage

Although most airlines are very careful when it comes to loading checked-in luggage, there are times when things simply get out of hand and your luggage gets lost. Losing your luggage during your trip abroad can be very stressful but if you have holiday travel insurance, your holiday travel insurance will take care of your lost luggage so you can go on your way and have a good vacation.

Replacement Of Lost Passport And Money

Most holiday insurance policies cover loss of passport and money during travel so you need not worry if your bag along with your money and passport gets stolen while you are traveling. In cases like these, the insurance company will facilitate the issuance of a new passport and will provide you with emergency cash which you can use during your vacation.

Ticket Refunds

There are some airline companies that do refund unused tickets. In cases where the airline company refuses to refund your unused tickets, the only way to recover the cost thereof is to file a holiday insurance claim. If you did not get any travel insurance, you might as well say goodbye to that hard earned money that you used to purchase your airline ticket.

Assistance During Medical Emergencies

Although you did not plan to get sick during your vacation, there are times when your body is simply too weak to resist certain types of diseases. Without holiday insurance, you could end up spending a lot of money on hospital expenses.
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If you are looking for additional holiday insurance tips and advice, visit www.holidayinsurancetips.com for more information.

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