Planning planning

Okay, so Cuba wasn't a big success.  Luckily Belize/Guatemala WAS, so I'm still holding on to the travel bug.

So, Australia next.  I've been planning on heading there around beginning of March, for two months, but now there are two small changes.  For one, I don't think I want to do two whole months for my first big travel, and my first SOLO travel.  So I'm going to do six weeks.  And second change, is I won't be leaving until March 10, so I can go see LADY FUCKING GAGA.  Hells yes.  With Alanna, Dusty, and DD.  If anyone thinks it's odd that I'm postponing my trip in order to see Lady Gaga with a bunch of punks, you clearly don't know me very well, hahah.

So, Australia for six weeks in March.  Then...duh duh duh... I'm postponing moving back to Toronto for school from this year til next year.  Too much traveling to do, plus I'm not ready to move back there just yet.  So, this means I can head to England/France for six weeks in the fall.  Then next year, I plan to do Thailand, and not sure on the second one, but I'll be doing two 4-6 week trips then.   Aaaaaah.  So much to see!

Home time yet?

Can we go home yet?  Today is our last day here, and while I know we both will enjoy the sun and the waves, both of us would be so much happier if we could just get HOME.  We've learned for sure, that if doing the resort thing, SPEND MORE MONEY.  Getting a cheaper place has meant terrible food, shitty service, NOTHING available to you when the restaurants close, etc etc.  And the place is full of barely-legal French assholes who scream and pick fights. 

The week hasn't been terrible by any means.  But, besides the dolphins and my initial excitement at swimming in the ocean waves, nothing has been spectacular either.  I'm currently COVERED in bug bites (definitely not bedbugs, don't worry!).  Like actually covered.  About ten on my left thigh three on my left calf, not sure how many on my right leg, one enormous one on my ass, and a bunch on my upper arms too. YAY!  Bug bites are sexy!

We tried to make last night a Party Time night, but basically failed.  We checked out the resort disco but neither of us really felt like dancing much on the liquid-soaked floor, cause we could barely stand on it without slipping, and they kept playing crappy American music like Taylor Swift, followed by Cuban music, followed by Ke$ha.  Weird.  Neither of us were really into it, but we sat in the common area and had a couple drinks before heading back to our room around midnight.  OH YES we know how to party!

Right now all I can think of is how happy I am to be going home tomorrow.  Its too bad.  I wish we'd had the time of our lives.  For me, I don't think that will ever be possible on a resort.  I keep thinking how I wish I'd had a nice little hotel in Havana, so I could have taken my time, walking through gorgeous old Havana, being able to just sit and look around in the squares, having time to enjoy a nice, relaxing meal at one of the pretty little cafes, being able to just soak up the sun and people-watch.  Rather than have six days on the beach and one day there, I wish it had been opposite.  One day on the beach would have been enough for me, and six days spent on the move, seeing MORE. 

30 hours til I'm home to my wonderful little furry feline family, where I will revel in the kittycat love, while planning out my trip to Australia.  Two months til I head out for my first solo trip, I'm soooo fucking nervous for this!  But I can't WAIT :D :D :D :D

Dolphins!

Today, we swam with dolphins.  One gave me the tongue, twice! HAHAHA!  Amazing. 

  Want this to never end  Never ever ever EVER.

THE OCEAN

I take back everything negative I've said.  It's 12:22pm, Ive spent my morning swimming the waves in the Atlantic Ocean, an soaking up the sun while drinking mojitos.  LOVE.  Want this to never end  Never ever ever EVER.

Havana

Back in bed after a day spent in Havana.  Havana was incredibly beautiful.  Unfortunately, we went on a tourbus there, which meant we had about 5-15 minutes in each area before we were herded back onto our bus.  It was nice, because if we'd gone on our own we wouldn't have had a chance to see everything we did, but at the same time, we didn't get to actually SEE anything.  It was like, 'Okay, we're in Revolution Square.  You have five minutes to take pictures then get back on the bus'.  Uhhhh.....seriously????

Tomorrow we're going to take the bus into Varadero to check out that town, and hopefully find an adapter so I can charge my camera battery, otherwise I'll be done with photos by tomorrow night.   I looked in the Ottawa airport before leaving, and asked at the resort, and no dice.  Monday should be the best day of the trip, we're heading out on a catamaran and are going to SWIM WITH DOLPHINS.  Oh yes.

I'm tryng really hard to remain positive, but honestlly, I'm hating almost everything about the all-inclusive resort experience.  People who work here are paid so low they're literally pushing each other out of the way to try and serve us to get tips, and since the drinks are free, Imade myself finish my last sangria before coming back to the room, so I could get a refill, but chugging that drink has only resulted in me having a swollen, full stomach from drinking too much. 

So far I can definitely say at least I've seen enough of Cuba to know I want to see more.  To come back to Havana and actually spend time there, not just take a photo to show I've stood in that spot. 

The biggest difference so far between this and my last trip is that I can't WAIT to get home.  I' already thinking of going to Montreal and giving cigars to my men and partying while drinkinkg the rum I bring back.  But on my last trip, even though I love some people back home more than life itself, going back wasn't an active thought.  I wanted to keep going, going, going.  Being on a resort, I could go home tomorrow and honestly not feel like I've missed anything, even though I've only spent one day on the resort so far.  And it was fun! We layed in the sun, watched an incredible sunset, and met some decent people.  Not a bad day at all - but not my kind of day.  I want adventure!  Or at least,  I don't want to only be able to get breakfast between certain hours of the day because thats the only time the resort will feed us. 

Whine whine whine huh?  At least I'm not home in Canada, with blizzards of snow whipping me in the face!  I guess I'll shut up now :P

So far...so shitty

So far, this experience has shown me how I never would have traveled again if I'd let this be my first 'travel' experience.

Flight was fine, but upon arrival  - shitshow.  We get on a bus to our resort with a family of 21-francophone assholes, who think its funny to interrupt our guide by doing things like sing 'who let the dogs out', and who clearly know that they are more important than the rest of us, which they prove by actually pushing me out of the way at the reception desk so they can check in first.  Awesome. 

We check in, then are told to wait for the bellboy.  So we wait...and wait...and wait.  Finally he comes, looks at our room number, and moves on to another group.  Um, hello?? I'm losing my fuckign mind at this point - all I want is to check in to my room.  One guy then takes our bags one way, while another guy smiles at us and goes another....ugh.  We eventually get to our room, wait a half hour for our bags to join us, I wash my face and relax and head for a drink.  The ONE bar that is open has no cups.  Oh yes I'm serious.  I ask for a bottle of water, something, ANYTHING I can drink.  Nope! Sorry lady!  So, three hours after I arrive, they can't make me a drink.  LIVID. 

Eventually, we got some drinks.  Try to relax.  But relaxing isn't really possible when you're in a place full of kids screaming WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! and falling all over themselves. 

Oh, and there's no internet access.  I hadn't anticipated this, based on the readily available wifi in Belize, so I haven't fully planned out where I want to go while here. 

Oh, last thing to bitch about - there is actually only ONE place open on the resort right now.  And the only food they have is crappy ham sandwiches, and they have no bottles of water.  They said the water should be in our room, but there isn't.  And the wind is blowing our window so badly it feels like the room is shaking.  So I'm hoping, tomorrow when we wake up in the sun, and can prepare to have food and water in the room, things will be better.  I hope.  I hope I hope I hope.  

Two days until Cuba!

Its weird to realize how quickly the urge to travel can fade away once you're back in the regular grind.  I don't even have a regular job, but just being back in Ottawa, back to the usual, is enough to have made me think a few times, do I really want to fuck off to Australia for two months?  Is that something I can do?

But then I look at the photos Sarah has posted, of things I wasn't there to see, and I know that YES, I have to go.  It's so easy to just stay, and do the normal - but what fucking fun is that?  It's odd too, because anyone here who knows me knows that I'm a very solitary person.  But the idea of being alone for two months - it's a little terrifying, and a little exhilarating.  I hate to admit that in some way I wish I had someone to share it with me.  I hate that because I am single by choice, but there is a part of me that wishes I wouldn't be trekking all over a foreign country alone. Hahaha maybe I'll try and sneak She-Ra into my bag, he's my soulmate anyway so he should be my travel partner :P

I'm off to Varadero, Cuba, in two days, with my sister Tracey, and it's going to be a blast.  But it's weird, I'm packing and am able to bring whatever the hell I want, because we're staying in one place the whole time - so I don't have to shove everything into one backpack.  It'll be very different from my last trip, and from my next trip, but it should still be great.  I definitely want to head to Havana for at least a day, if not more, and I'm going to take advantage of all of the crazy little activities they have.  This will likely be the only time I ever do an all-inclusive resort thing, so look out bartenders, PARTY TIME is on it's way!