Holquin to Varadero - excitement builds :)
After spending a rather interesting time in Holquin airport, I was really looking forward to seeing the real essence of the country, and to put my mind at rest on seeing the hotel and that it was not cockroach infested or something! The next plane journey was a short one, and went without issue, but did have a host of tanned people boarding in Holquin to head back to the UK, which made me look even whiter!
After landing, we headed on through to a rather stern passport and visa control. Having been used to passport controls in many places, including a stern lot in Tunisia who carried guns (not THAT alien a sight to a girl from Northern Ireland considering it's troubled history, but definately not so prevalent today). Cuba, however, seemed to specify that a sense of humour was not required to work passport control. Normally a little smiling at the officer at least softens their expression, here it just seemed to harden it. But that said, once passport control was passed and the sniffer dogs back to their kennels, the Cuban people's love for live and smiling demeanours started to come through. I guess a steely entrance to the country reminds you of the political situation, and the trouble they have had with invasions, and attempted assasinations on Fidel Castro over the years.
Next to find the bus. Not so difficult as I expected, and enjoyed the fact that all our luggage had arrived with us. We drove through the night to the peninsula, where we dropped off person after person, and began to worry about the standard of many of the drop off accommodation choices. Dad and I said nothing, but kind of looked at each other, a little worried.
Finally, when only 2 other people were left on the bus, and there was not much of the peninsula left, we pulled up to a hotel, which we couldn't really see, but because I had had a look at the Trip Advisor photos, I did recognise it as ours. Immediately, we were both happy at the choice of hotel, in comparison to those of our counterparts. Just to see if the rest of the inside of the hotel matched the exterior, so the proper Cuban fun could begin!
