Havana Cuba; - A Place of Untouched Time

 Before planning a trip to Cuba, you need to have a visa. Iand my husband went for a cruise to Cuba and we paid $75 each for the visa, but the processing were all handled by the cruise ship company, so, no hassle! 😉😊

Money Exchange: - You need to have enough US dollars to spend available on your wallet before reaching Cuban waters. It's because once you reach Cuba, all ATMs will not work due to banking restrictions.

Money exchange centers are available at the cruise port terminal (if you're cruising), and at any hotels located throughout Old Havana, if you're in the area.

Cuba has two types of currencies; - Cuban pesos and the one they called CUCs. While Cuban pesos are used by Cuban citizens, CUCs are the ones given to tourists which have higher value. Make sure you only carry CUCs. Be sure you know how to identify between Cuban pesos and CUCs. You can easily identify a "CUC" by having the word "convertible pesos" on the currency (or pesos convertibles"), and has a monument that is printed on the bill, instead of "faces".

Immigration: - Be sure to take your passport and your Cuban visa with you before exiting the ship. (If you're cruising). Your visa should be filled up. Be sure you follow the instructions given on the visa. The immigration personnel will get your visa and retain it with them. A Cuban visa is in paper form, and is not a stamp or sticker as is usually done by most countries. (see above, top most photo on this post). Depending on the situation and the crowd, it may take a longer wait at the immigration area before your turn comes.

While Havana is said to be a safe place, be always watchful of your surroundings and steps. Don't leave your belongings anywhere else and always be mindful about uneven street surfaces while walking. Visitors are only allowed with a people to people experience. So, no beach trips are allowed!

Bathrooms/restrooms are also limited in Cuba, and amenities are not always complete. So, always take some toiletries with you such as tissues, wipes, etc.. Always wash your hands well with soap and water and bring your sanitizers! Only drink bottled water, avoid tap water. Don't eat fresh veggies, just to be sure. If you want to risk it, then do find a restaurant highly recommended by many.

While touring, giving tips to Cuban nationals is highly expected. 

Honestly, visiting Cuba isn't enough for a day!...we only had a few hours in our case because we were in a cruise so we thought, the best way to tour Old Havana was signing up for a 4-hour Old Havana City Sightseeing tour which wasn't really bad. We got our money's worth!

Cuba has a distinct and a fascinating local culture!

Highly recommended places to visit are castles and 18th century fortresses like Morro Castle and La Cabana fortress, the Revolution Square, Colon Cemetery, Christ of Havana Statue, and be sure to witness the colorful vintage cars around! Then enjoy your walk on cobbled stone paths as you discover and witness timeless architectural building designs that dates back to the 15th century. Each place and building has its own story to tell.

Colon Cemetery for instance is worth visiting as you visit some of the gravestones of famous Cuban residents and with more than 500 mausoleums!

Don't forget to visit and shop at Almacenes San Jose, a waterfront market built in 1885!

Knowing Key West, Florida Through Train Conch Tour

 This isn't our first time to visit Key West, but there are so many things we haven't seen or done the last time we were here with my husband, so we decided to sign up with the conch train tour.

Key West has a unique charm that's called a little Florida and a lot Caribbean. It was originally a part of Spanish colony, but most who settled on its shores were the Cubans and Bahamian fishermen.

Key West became the wealthiest city when the cigar business boomed, as more Cubans and Bahamians kept arriving by the numbers. Consequently, it also became the place of famous artists, writers and free-spirited types of people like Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway.

You might be wondering where the term "conch" got its name, and how and why Key West was called "Conch Republic"! It's actually interesting knowing the story behind this.

Key West declared itself as a Conch Republic in April 1982. The story about this started when the US Border Patrol started blocking US Highway 1, just north of the entrance to Florida keys, and all residents and visitors were intercepted and asked to provide documents for IDs and prove their US citizenship.

The economy suffered because of this and the Key West mayor including some "conch" residents brought their complaints to the Miami federal court to seek for an injunction to stop the federal blockades. Their plea was denied causing the mayor to lead the Conch Republic Rebellion, and lasted a minute...(that fast!), then followed by his surrender to the US navy admiral in Key West.

Although this short instability happened many years ago, the name Conch Republic wasn't forgotten, and many say that when you live in Key West, you officially hold dual citizenship; - American and Conchs! 😁

The term "conch" itself probably comes from the name of a large sea snail that can be seen in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico that surrounds the Florida Keys! It is the name given to the Key West natives who actually were the first settlers and long time residents of Key West.

Today, Key West still remains to yield fabulous riches both in the waters and in the neighborhood itself. It's been always blessed with bountiful harvests of fresh fish and lobsters!

Disney's MGM Studios - (Now, Hollywood Studios)

Disney's MGM Studios displayed its last name in December 2007, then finally closed its doors in January 2008. The good thing is that avid customers didn't need to worry about, because it was re-opened the next day with anew name; - Disney's Hollywood Studios!

The new name also came with the idea of providing interactive exhibits from the mega-hit movie "High School Musical" and its sequels, the popular animated movie stories from Pixar Entertainment & Disney's "Toy Story"; "The Chronicles of Narnia's" big screen version, and the TV blockbuster reality show "American Idol".

Today, Disney's Hollywood Studios is one of the most visited theme park in the US, with almost 10 million visitors every year. It is here where you get to experience the thrills, action and glamour of today's entertainment industry in the fields of music, TV, movies and theater.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

This is the ideal theme park to visit if you want to experience the "wild" side of Disney! Whether be it a real or fantasy adventure, you'll all experience the fun while doing it.

If you love real adventure encounters with real animals, try safari and trail rides to get to them up close. The kids will enjoy more every activities they would choose; - from musicals to thrill rides and adventures.

Downtown Disney

If you want to enjoy a little shopping, dining and a little extra entertainment, aside from the theme park, you can take a stroll at Downtown Disney.

There are at least 70 shops (or more)...restaurants, some family fun favorites, all-in-one place here.

Did you know that dining at Downtown Disney is an attraction itself? Many of the greatest dining that serve authentic, tasty cuisines, from quick bites, casual to fabulous feasts - name it, and you can find one.

You can also find here an indoor entertainment such as the Disney Quest Indoor Interactive Theme Park that has 5 floors full of fun games, and the La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil, both ideal for kids and adults.

Go to Pleasure Island if you and your friends are thinking of having some party fun, - from live entertainment to hip hop and comedy shows.

If you think of Downtown Disney, it also means F-U-N! :)

The Disney's Boardwalk

Disney's Boardwalk is just another charm where you can enjoy your walk along while at the same time enjoying the serenity of the water's edge, the unique shops and the restaurants. The boardwalk extends as far as a quarter mile, and also is a short distance away from Epcot. You can board on to a boat for a ride going to Disney's Hollywood Studios as well.

If you want a little recreation, you can enjoy a Surrey bike equipped with a fringe top or bicycles that are for rent. Surrey bikes are available in 2's, 4's or 6 persons. So, you choose!

You have various ways of doing your exploration, - the Disney way. So, enjoy! ;)

Our Hemingway House Tour

July 22, 2011

Our Hemingway House tour started at 9:30am today where our tour guide "Jeff" met us at the pier. We already had our tickets given earlier by Carnival the day before the tour, so it wasn't a problem getting them. It is also worth recommending to pay the tour earlier online for convenience. That way, you don't need to spend your time going to the Excursion Tour Desk in the ship and wait in line.
By the way, Carnival Destiny is a big ship and for 3 days, I still keep getting lost! LOL! There are the elevators to help you get to your deck but I still couldn't figure out which elevators would take me to the nearest block going to my cabin. I would still end up walking 3-4 blocks (which is like 2 miles to me) since our cabin is located almost on the end of the block {sigh!}.

Anyway, back to the tour...we have to walk 1.5 miles until we reach the Hemingway House! Going back is another 1.5 miles...so that's 3 miles!!
Tough one for the walking, am not used to long walks, but I guess I can survive with some small stops in between.
We didn't have any water with us so we just drop by at a convenience store we happened to be passing through during the tour and bought a bottled water quick. We both were thirsty. Imagine, it was too hot this day! And hubby started to sweat like crazy!...non-stop! Whew!

During the tour, we passed the Little White House, and some other attractions where our tour guide told some basic information about them. I started to get bored and impatient and keep asking in my mind how long more before we can reach the house, lol!

At last, upon reaching Hemingway, we were toured around by another tour guide and at last, I can see the cats! :)) Ernest Hemingway was fond of cats and there are 45 cats in the house. I only saw a few of them, but the interesting part is that most of them are 6-toed cats! I took one shot of one of the cats with a 6-toe...then, I saw princess , and Harry, the alpha male cat. There is also Charlie Chaplin who happened to be sleeping! Mind you he looks like Chaplin with that black mustache on top of his nose, lol! Those are the ones I can only remember. There are a lot of them there!

We also went to a pub/club that has some intriguing and interesting decorations on its ceilings! Bras and panties!!!! LOL! I haven't been listening to what Jeff was telling about this pub because I am starting to get tired and thirsty! My hubby seemed to notice it.
Our tour ended up at the pub, then we got our soda drinks with looooots of ice!!!
Key West is really beautiful. There are lots of places to go to. If you like to shop, there are some boutiques. The neighborhood is somewhat like my country the Philippines in one aspect...you can see a lot of strayed chickens and roosters crowing at the middle of a hot day, lol! Actually, you don't need a guided tour to go around the place. You can go at your own pace, but if you are on a cruise, avoid getting lost, and be sure to get boarded on the ship before it departs because the ship won't wait for you.

Our day at Key West ended up with a vanilla ice cream before we went back to the ship! Still, it was a hot, sunny but fun day!

Sent from my iPad

The Trip Going To The Port (Going Caribbean)

July 21, 2011

We started our day rather early today for our flight going to Fort lauderdale (Florida) from Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI). A 6-hour flight, that is to include our lay over and connecting flight is no joke!
Anyway, we survived the long flight! Yehey! I also consider our connecting flight "an angel" because we were treated so well with the food and drinks and got a good comfy seats too ;). That's what should a first class seat for, lol!

A Carnival employee picked us up at the airport and took us to board a bus (Cabana Coaches) going to Port of Miami where the ship is. It was a 40-minute drive going there and thank God, traffic wasn't bad. It can usually take a drive at least an hour or more if the traffic is really bad.

We arrived at the port around 2-ish pm, and settled our luggages with the porter to be delivered right to our cabin in the ship, then proceeded to the security area and managed our paper works and all! It was done in a breeze, so far! Thank God for early preps and complete documents ;).

I still feel groggy due to lack of sleep. You know, I am not a morning person, and I need to get my usual dose before I get a headache. So, after settling in to our cabin, we thought of getting a snooze before we start to eat, hahaha!
By the way, we have an awesome view of the ocean in our cabin with an outside deck too! I and hubby love it! ;)

40 Ways to Play in Florida - Part 1

1. Do a guided walk tour, bicycle tour or self-guided phone tour and visit Miami's Art Deco District. This is all available at the Art Deco Welcome Center on Ocean Drive.

2. Visit Sea World, an amazing water park in Orlando where you can ride the slides, waves and rapids on 60 beautifully landscaped acres. The center piece attraction attracts visitors (in clear tubes) through a lagoon filled with playful dolphins.

3. Get the experience of succulent oysters harvested straight from Gulf in Apalachicola, - Florida's oyster capital.

4. Ride on a water taxi and see waterfront mansions along Ft. Lauderdale's maze of inland waterways, then make landfall and explore the upscale shops of Las Olas Blvd.

5. If you love to surf, hang with a professional instructor at Ron Jon Surf School in Cocoa Beach, the southeast's surfing mecca.

6. Join the Ghost tours of St. Augustine which offers spine-tingling excursions into the city's colorful past.

7. Go visit Busch gardens and visit Jungala to see Bengal tigers and orangutans. They offer groundbreaking new ways to interact with animals, as well as experience a treetop zipline experience.

8. Ride a bike and travel from city to sea on the Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail then take an off-road detour into the Apalachicola National Forest for some challenging terrain.

9. Join in the swashbuckling fun at fort Walton Beach's annual Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival (usually in June 6-9), a family-friendly event which features entertainment, torchlight parade, pirate reenactments and fireworks.

10.Observe sea turtles nesting at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge off Melbourne Beach on an evening turtle watch, only open in June and July.

11. Watch the sunset at Pier 60 amid street performances and artisans in Clearwater beach.

12. Step back into the Gilded Age at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum and experience the architectural masterwork by attending a chamber music concert or annual blue grass concert.

13. Visit Butterfly Rainforest at Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainsville. Enjoy the lush oasis of tropical plants and flowers which acts as perfect backdrop of hundreds of free-flying butterflies.

14. Experience the Simpsons ride at Universal Orlando Resort, a new attraction at Universal Studios that brings the zany TV show to life with thrilling results.

15. Venture into Everglades National Park, one of the world's most magnificent wilderness area. Watch alligators slink by and birds soar overhead as you explore this 1.5 million-acre subtropical marvel. Tour by airboat, foot, tram, canoe or kayak, or try the Everglades-by-car audio tour which takes you deep into the park.

16. Shop at Silver Sands Factory Stores in Destin for designer discounts. prices can be up to 75% off retail prices.

17. Dig into luscious stone crabs at Joe's Stone Crab, an institution since 1913 in Miami.

18. Immerse yourself in a storybook Victorian world on a guided walking tour or via horse-drawn carriage of Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island.

19. Explore the Western Lake in Grayton Beach State Park by kayak or canoe, - a rare coastal dune lake characterized by the convergence of salt and fresh waters, creating a biologically diverse ecosystem.

20. Savor the breathtaking views on a swamp safari at Big Cypress Seminole Reservation in the Everglades, then spend the night in a Seminole chickee hut and learn about Indian folklore and culture.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Harry Pottery & The Forbidden Journey)

NOTE: Watch out! This is a super thrill ride! You also must leave your things including loose articles in the provided lockers inside (close to the entrance). Lockers are free.

If you have fear of heights, and sudden drops and twirling, this ride is not for you. You will be seated on a shaped chair, buckled up with metals for safety and watch out for those chairs that are constantly moving along! You have to be careful in going to your seats because they continue to move along and you have to catch an empty one.

After you've been seated and buckled up, you will then be making your way through a series of simulated classrooms and corridors of the Hogwarts, just like what you see in the movie...the typical classroom scenes. You will then be soaring up above the castle grounds, and you'll be suddenly high up in the air but all you can see is actually like a big screen that seems like you're there joining Harry Potter riding on that broomstick! LOL!

Expect a sudden drop anytime, then soar high up suddenly, a sudden twill and twist, and it goes on like that for several minutes.

You'll then end up going down the corridors as you watch the whole gang cheering up on you to a job well done!

Hurray! you've done it!

Reunited in Orlando!

July 16-19, 2010 -Trip to Orlando, Florida

It was still the peak of summer, an ideal time to meet a classmate-friend whom I haven't seen for 20 years!
So, we were reunited in Orlando, FL where she is currently based at. We met at Universal Studios on July 17, 2010. It was my request to go there and see Universal's "Islands of Adventure".
I and hubby frequent Universal Studios but the Islands of Adventure wasn't there yet so with this visit, I took the chance to suggest it, which was openly approved ;).

We did some rides, including "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" - which was the only one I got curious with, - the main reason of why I wanted to be there.


It was funny, but the first attempt to go to the ride was like - I gave up, - and the lines were horribly long and super crowded! so we skipped it and went somewhere else instead.
But we went back later, and endured the 3 hours wait in line!

Hubby had to stay behind to watch our belongings because there were no available lockers to put our small items and purses, since these are not allowed to carry on the ride.

The ride lasted for about 10 minutes or so, and I decided, I won't do it again!!!!

I couldn't stand the constant twirling and turning around. Our day ended up with a sumptuos dinner at a Chinese restaurant, meeting my classmate's family for the first time! :)


The entire day was so tiring, but we all enjoyed it.

Thank God for meeting a long time friend after 20 years! I've discovered, we both didn't change...it was still like the same old us, except that our ages have gone up and we both got married! LOL!

Caladesi Island

So far, one of my most favorite place to go tripping is Florida. If I'm not finding myself in Disneyworld, mostly that I am heading to the beach. I'm a tropical person, one major thing why I love Florida, weatherwise.

If I'm going beach bound, it might be good to try going to Florida's Gulf Coast, - Caladesi Island. Haven't been here yet, but if you want to get away from the bustling city, and want to see what Florida was like before condos, beach houses and commercial developments, here's the place.

Caladesi Island State Park has 600-acres and only accessible by boat. Ferries leave from Dunedin's Honeymoon Island every hour, year round.

Caladesi has beautiful white sand and it will be here that you will see why the beach is recognized as one of the best beaches in America.
The downside of it is that visitors who arrive by ferry can stay on the island for only 4 hours, but you can plan to have a well-packed activities in this back-to-nature paradise.

A swim in a clear gulf water is a good start, or take a stroll along the nature trails.

Wow! How I wish I would be crossing this paradise island someday.

Gatorland Experience

Entrance Area

May 27, 2008

My husband and I had a free time the whole day going to Gatorland, - an adventure park which is also called "The Alligator Capital of the World". This park is close to the hotel we were at in Orlando, FL.

This was one of a kind experience for us. If you love to visit adventure theme parks and nature conservatory, ad if you love gators and some species of protected habitat, this place is for you...bring your little ones, they would enjoy it! There are so many things to see inside the park. For kids, there's the petting zoo and the splash water park for them to enjoy the fun.

Petting Zoo

We tried the extreme encounters with the big gators with a photo opportunity. It was fun! Thank God!...those gators were too full to chase us, LOL!

Other adventure tours such as birding tours (close sight seeing of bird sanctuaries) can be done via train.

Do you want rookie wrestling with the gators as well? Go ahead...at your own risk! There's a $10 fee for the experience, and another additional fee for photo opportunity.

Our Trip To Holy Land (Experience) ...

If you're thinking we were visiting Israel, nah!...thanks to The Holy Land Experience in Orlando, Florida. :).
Fresh from the airport, we decided to go directly to the place after a late lunch. The place was just 20 minutes away, so not bad for the driving. We arrived there at 2:45pm. We were just in time for the "Character Meet & Greet" where I got to meet Jesus-the actor. Although he's not the real one because we know there is only one Jesus, - it was like a big fulfillment for me to see him look like real. We then proceeded to Shofar Auditorium to watch the musical show presentation "Praise through Ages" (35 minutes).

“Praise Through the Ages” – a 35-minute show of artistic expressions of faith and worship down through the ages with presentations of great images of art works throughout history alternated with a live musical presentation with music from the oldest in history progressing to today’s musical songs and rythms, in the Shofar Auditorium. It was awesome and captivating. The singers and performers were all excellent!...worth watching. You can sing with them as well. How I wished I could get photos but it is strictly prohibited once you are inside.

The museum closes at 5PM, and so we were able to watch the last and considered to be the highlights of all the live shows there; a 20-minute passion drama called "Behold The Lamb"
Before the show, there is a 15 minute talk presentation at the Calvary’s Garden Tomb about the injustices of jesus' trial.
The passion drama shows the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ in a musical presentation. The actors and actresses sing live and they have great voices. I love their voices! I took some short video clips as well just to share you the idea on what the show is all about.
Video are a little bit blurry, bu I guess it is still recognizable. That is usually the case when you watch it for free! hehehe...

Opening - (with the song "Via Dolorosa") by Sandi Patti.
I am familiar with this song usually sung during the Lenten season.


The Crucifixion of Christ:
I actually spent long hours to edit this video because it was long. I can't seem to share it because the length is too much on my video streaming site :).


The resurrection:


Holy Land Experience is an ideal place for church group trips and tours or for family as well.
Some Photos of the Place and The Drama:

My Disney World Adventure (Part 2)

January 20, 2007 - Magic Kingdom, Orlando, FLORIDA

The park was crowded since it was week end, but didn't stop us from going. This was our last itinerary before going back home Maryland the next day, so we had to make sure we'll take it and have fun! :)

Our future home..LOL!

There are a lot to visit in this big park. We should have stayed longer to complete the visit, but we didn't have enough time. Perhaps, next time. :).

Swiss Family Tree House: A walk-through tour of the Robinson's home. This is cute, going up on a tree house.

That's me going up the tree house! :)

Jungle Cruise: They call it a silly safari boat tour. The tour lasted for 15 minutes, but our wait for the ride was at least an hour or so...silly, isn't it? lol.

The scenes on the safari boat tour:

There are many photos of elephants in this tour...no wonder because they are hubby's favorite animal...and he was holding the camera. :)

eeeewwww...snake!

Liberty Square Riverboat: A short cruise along the river.

The haunted Mansion - we actually did this journey through the dark with happy haunts. Photos are not allowed, so better behave :). It was not actually horror. Ghosts are not scary, but cute hehehe...go find it for yourselves.

"It's a Small World" - this is really ideal for your kids. I guess this is one of the most well visited spot. Loong lines during the weekend, but pretty much fast :).
Poor me...I lost my video files for this.

Visit to Ripley's Odditorium, Titanic Experience and Pirates Cove

January 19, 2007

Ripley's Believe it or Not Odditorium

As early as 9am, we were ready for our first itinerary. Ripley's aren't new to me, but was my first time to go inside the museum. These are more on oddities and records of unbelievable, strange and bizarre things, all of Ripley's collections.



"Titanic Experience"
I became so curious about this because I was thinking we were actually boarding on a ship :)....it wasn't. It was just a big building simulated as the Titanic ship inside. Once inside, it seems you feel you're really in a ship. Nice simulations!...all fake copies, LOL!

Getting the feel on the iceberg...that's real ice, not a simulated one :)

The clothes of Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet they actually wore on the Titanic shoot. Hubby is wooing "Jack"??

Pirates Cove Adventure Park

This is a good sports at night...playing mini golf! My first time to play actual golf and I won, :)). That was so much fun to do with hubby.