Varadero, Cuba — be well and bloom

We made it to Varadero from Havana thanks to Cuba’s bus company, Via Azul. I believe that the ride was around 4-6 hours. Honestly, it could’ve been less but I was sprawled on my best friend, asleep for most of the trip so we’ll go with that time span. We stayed at Hostal “El Villareno” and were hosted by Lazaro, whose residence was quaint and conveniently located 5 minutes walking distance from the beach. That night we ended up at La Bodeguita Del Medio for dinner, one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite restaurants in Havana. It was pouring rain outside so we sat under the small pavilion in front of the restaurant drinking mojitos and eating fried plantains. We were also lucky enough to be serenaded by a trumpet player who was gearing up to play for the restaurant’s patrons inside. We must’ve stayed there for 4 hours chatting, laughing, eating, sitting in silence and laughing some more.

The following day, we prepped ourselves for the ultimate beach day but not before a homemade breakfast prepared by our host with fresh fruits, toast, mini pancakes with honey and coffee. This was the best breakfast we had while in Cuba. We had lunch at La Casona Del Arte, recommended by our lovely host. The food was fresh and flavorful and gave us enough energy to perform the tedious task of lounging in the sun.That night, our host and his wife cooked us a feast (that we paid extra for but was worth every penny). We started with the BEST homemade pina colada I have ever tasted in my life, made with so much love, followed by grilled lobster with melted butter and garlic served beside some rice and beans, avocado and yams. Mmmhmm. It was just as good as it sounds. And the presentation! We must’ve snapped at least 10 photos of the grilled lobster in all of its glory.

The following morning was our last day and our host booked us an excursion which included snorkeling at Playa Coral and a dip in the Cuevo Saturno which was so fun! The water was quite cold but we had so much fun splashing around and doing canon balls off the ledge. A day to remember!