TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

You’d think that Cuban fashion is like this... Or this... Well yes, that is correct, for the most part. Cuban women like wearing insufficient fabric on their bodies that leaves nothing much to the imagination. They love to swagger down the decaying streets of Havana in their tanned or very dark skins. Pull down that cleavage more, throw out that overflowing chest, rock that waist, strutt off that voluptous belly and do the salsa with that bum. And they don’t care even if they are showing off copious amounts of stretched and sagging skin either. No one cares. I guess it’s part of the sexy, exotic, confident and somewhat promiscuous culture in the Caribbean. Maybe it’s the weather. Who knows? Your guess might be good as mine. But what we really found odd in Cuba were the women security guards. They are like gate watchers of buildings, museums and important establishments in the city and they wear DIMINUTIVE SKIRTS and BLACK LACE STOCKINGS. When Blondine and I first saw our fi...

During our morning DIY walking tour on Calle Obispo – Plaza Armas – Plaza Vieja – Plaza de la Catedral – Plaza de San Francisco, we came across Hotel Santa Isabel. In my previous entry I’ve mentioned about this hotel as my first choice in Old Havana. The hotel was fully booked on the dates we are staying in the city so that’s how we ended up at Florida Hotel instead. Our table at the portico restaurant facing the plaza at the Hotel Santa Isabel. Very curious now on what we have missed, Blondine and I went inside to check out the premises. We came out of the hotel’s doors concluding that we are much better off at Florida Hotel because of its impressive atrium courtyard. However, Hotel Santa Isabel does not disappoint. It has a gorgeous restaurant terrace portico facing Plaza de Armas. Probably the best and most elegant place to sit down, have a drink and watch Cuban daily life in this part of Havana. The hotel has another restaurant on top as well called Condado that offers a b...

Havana is literally a colonial architecture dump. Time stands still in Havana, frozen during the majestic 18th century and fast forward into the 1950’s. Cuba in faded glory. So obviously our voyage into this island country was to experience what time warp is like in the 21st century. A stay at one of the historical hotels in Old Havana otherwise known as ‘Havana Vieja’ to the locals will be a great start. The colonial atrium courtyard lobby of the hotel. I initially eyed Hotel Nacional de Cuba but this lovely hotel was tucked away far from the heart of Old Havana. We want a historical hotel in the centre where plazas and important sights are easily reached from our doorstep. Hotel Santa Isabel at Plaza Armas was also in my list but they were fully booked. I still have three other hotels to choose from and in the end the decision was placed on Hotel Florida, mainly because I love its colonial courtyard and its white and green colour scheme. Before I booked this hotel online at C...

I’m just back from Cuba and not sure yet if I will be suffering from the infamous transcontinental jetlag malady (we will see!) but I was able to sleep nicely on the plane. It was quite a packed flight but fortunately we had 2 empty seats beside us that we were able to take advantage of. So yeah, I have gone in hiding for almost 2 weeks. Internet is sadly a rarity in Cuba, it is almost non-existent. The country is frozen in time and internet is only for the privilege few over there. Most hotels starting from 4 stars have internet access (there is no wifi) and apart from having slow connections, they don’t work most of the time, and when there is rain, the country’s telephony infrastructure shuts down. No kidding. Hence, the silence in this blog. But before I start with my Cuba blog entries, let me introduce to you an important person in Havana: ‘Coralia’ (or Coralla, or maybe Coralya?) Meeting Coralia was one of my beautiful experiences in Havana City. I personally think that sh...

So, flying tomorrow morning to the Caribbean, to Cuba. It is going to be a long flight. This trip just came in at the right time. I badly need a longer break right now. Seriously. I need to relax and think of NOTHING. Yes, think of nothing. Ahhh, that sounds so peaceful. No stress at all. I am also tired of the cold weather here. Nevertheless, I will be back in the Netherlands at the end of the month but will be blogging during the trip when able. Travel Period: May 2012

Nyhavn or New Haven is unquestionably Copenhagen’s or Denmark’s best landmark. It’s a lovely and lively place. Many would probably argue that (for the country’s landmark) it should be the Little Mermaid. Honestly, I don’t quite understand what’s all the fuss about this plain bronze female statue. For me, Nyhavn offers what Copenhagen is all about. I have more pictures of Nyhavn. I will post them later on a separate entry once I am done polishing them. Polishing a picture for me is very basic—Picasa style, adjusting light and darkness and such only. I don’t have any Photoshop program and I don’t even know how this works. Anyway, more pictures of Nyhavn soon. Promise! Travel Period: April 2012 Destination: Copenhagen, Denmark Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)

With Noma recently taking the spotlight as the best restaurant in the world, Denmark is seriously becoming a foodie paradise. Before the Copenhagen trip, which was before Noma was again selected as the best restaurant for 2012, I earnestly checked out my options of having dinner at Noma but later on realised that my chances are regrettably very slim, i.e. getting a table at Noma is like getting invited to a presidential dinner, and secondly, since when is it nice to dine alone in a Michelen starred restaurant? So while in Copenhagen I backtracked at the idea and concentrated on finding my way to Torvehallerne KBH instead, a showcase of culinaire slash farmer’s market haven. My hotel’s concierge informed me the night before that there will be snow flurries in the morning, however he said that after 10AM it will stop and then we will have sunshine. It is now past 10AM and I have just finished dressing up and now watching TV in my hotel room but outside is grey and I can still see ...