Majestic Princess in Papeete, Tahiti, en route to Auckland, New Zealand
I’m behind on blogging as we settle into our year back in Paris. Still, I do want to write about our time in New Zealand (which included 2000 miles of driving!) before too much time slips by. So, first here’s a quick recap of the Princess repositioning cruise that got us there:
The Covid-19 pandemic canceled a three-week trip to New Zealand we’d planned to start in March 2020, within days of New Zealand shutting down. With the pandemic mostly behind us and New Zealand again opening, we were finally making the trip.
We’d originally planned to fly to New Zealand and return via repositioning cruise during their fall (our spring). This time, we were going in our fall (New Zealand’s spring) so the order was reversed: We sailed from Los Angeles to New Zealand via Hawaii and Tahiti and flew home. As always, one-way cruising has the benefit of eliminating jetlag, and the price on repositioning cruises is almost always a great deal. Usually, there’s also the bonus of unusual out-of-the way stops along the way. Our original cruise would have stopped in the Kingdom of Samoa, Tonga, Bora Bora and Maui in addition to Hawaii and Tahiti, a much more appealing itinerary. This cruise (leaving from Los Angeles) had originally offered only the addition of American Samoa, but that island was closed due to Covid concerns. Likewise, Tonga suffered a devastating volcanic eruption in January 2022 and looks unlikely to recover any time in the foreseeable future. So, we were left with overnight stops in Honolulu, Hawaii; Papeete, Tahiti; and, a new one-day stop in Tauranga, New Zealand. I wasn’t thrilled with this itinerary, but it was still a pleasant-sounding way to get from the U.S. to New Zealand.
Iolani Palace, Honolulu
The three-week cruise turned out to be a mixed bag. Engine trouble had us staying longer in Honolulu than expected and an extra night in Papeete. There was also a Covid outbreak onboard, but that didn’t effect us too much. We’ve been to both Hawaii and Papeete, so weren’t really interested in too much touring. We went to Iolani Palace in Honolulu, an easy walk from where our ship docked at the Pier 2 Cruise Terminal. I hadn’t been in years and enjoyed revisiting the only royal palace on U.S. soil. After that, we just caught a Lyft to Waikiki Beach and a favorite beachfront spot for maitais, The Edge of Waikiki at the Sheraton. Not a bad way to spend a day!
I’d planned to rent a car in Papeete and do the ring road around Tahiti, something we’d not done before. Unfortunately, due to the delay in Honolulu, the ship arrived so late in the day that I decided to cancel the car and spend our full day at a resort where I’d purchased day passes. Te Moana resort turned out to be a great choice and we had a lovely, leisurely day there lounging around the pool, enjoying a top notch lunch, and kayaking along the coast. The resort boasts a spectacular view of nearby Bora Bora which only gets more dramatic at sunset. [Note: It’s an easy ferry ride from Papeete to Bora Bora which is more naturally beautiful than Tahiti. If you’ve never been or are willing to hire a tour or do a little planning (and spend a bit more) to rent a car, it’s well worth the trip. We’d been to Bora Bora not too long ago, though, and decided to relax and stay on Tahiti this time.] I highly recommend a day pass at Te Moana for those looking for a way to spend a day in Tahiti.
View from our lounge chairs of the Te Moana infinity pool and beyond
Te Moana offers 3 types of “relaxation”/day passes. We chose the 7000 CFP/person package (10am-6pm) which included pool/motu access, lunch plus coffee or ice cream, and two hours of kayak or paddle board. (The “motu” is a manmade “island” with a small snorkeling area, not an actual small private island as you might find in Bora Bora.) Other options ran up to 14,000 CFP/person and included a scuba dive or massage sessions. Other day pass options were available at the Hilton for a higher price and less positive reviews. The Intercontinental apparently now has day passes, but didn’t at the time.
View of Bora Bora at sunset from Te Moana resort
We arrived in the port of Tauranga to local fanfare and waiting media. It turned out our ship was the first to dock in New Zealand since the pandemic. The cruise port is actually at Mount Maunganui, a pretty resort town, across the bay from the city of Tauranga. We had a great view of the small mountain for which the town is named from the ship and couldn’t wait to get ashore and do a little hiking there. We originally thought we’d need to take a ferry to Tauranga, but a woman who was part of the waiting information brigade on the dock told us not to bother. The town and mountain of Mount Maunganui were the places to see. We took her advice and had a great day.
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
After a quick walk into town to an ATM machine, we strolled along a waterfront promenade to a trailhead at the base of Mount Maunganui. The small mountain is well covered with paths and popular with locals. A hike to the summit rewarded us with sweeping views. The mountain sits at the tip of land that shelters the inland bays and harbors from the Bay of Plenty. We headed back down the opposite side of the mountain to wide Maunganui Beach (which makes lists of most beautiful beaches in the world) to watch surfers before walking on to Maunganui Road, the main street of the town of Mount Maunganui. The town bustled with cruise ship visitors and shop owners seemed thrilled to be busy again. We had our first encounter with “possum merino,” a unique New Zealand knit made from Australian possum fur, sometimes combined with sheep wool and/or silk. The Australian possum is an invasive pest according to some, and a treasure according to the many vendors of possum products we met during our time in New Zealand. The wool is soft and very warm. I bought a gorgeous sweater in Mount Tauranga and David bought a cap. It was still cold in this antipodean “spring!” Stops for lunch and local beer and iconic sauvignon blanc wine boded well for the rest of our trip. This first, unexpected stop in New Zealand was a great beginning and had us looking forward to leaving the ship the next day in Auckland where we’d kick off our three-week explore of the country’s two islands.
Enchanted Princess docked in Ponta Delgada, Azores, en route from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Copenhagen, Denmark
I haven’t blogged since last fall’s Belgium/Paris/Kenya/South Africa travels, but that’s not to say we haven’t traveled. David and I spent three months doing a transAtlantic cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Copenhagen, 5 weeks in Antwerp, 2 weeks near Geneva and a final stay in Corsica in the spring before heading home to Texas for a 4th of July family reunion and some summer pool time in the sun. Our spring travels were great, but I wasn’t sure I had much to add to the ever-swelling ocean of travel reviewers and bloggers. A dear friend disagrees, so I’m back at Wanderwiles just for you, Phyllis. I won’t detail it all (I’ve written a fair amount about our much-loved Antwerp already.), but there were some fun discoveries I’m happy to share.
First up, I guess a quick recap of the cruise is in order. We always love a repositioning cruise, but in 2022 it made more sense than ever given the travel frenzy as the world emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic. We needed to be in Antwerp in early April and flights were ridiculously expensive (in dollars or miles/points) and inconveniently routed, too. So, I went to Vacationstogo.com (“VTG”) to see if any repositioning cruises would get us there. We’re not brand loyal when it comes to cruises, choosing them for destination, usually as a one-way trip to start or end longer travels. I found a really intriguing Princess repositioning cruise from Florida to Copenhagen and a less interesting and more expensive option on Norwegian. We had a little bonus credit which Princess cruise line gifted to us in addition to a refund for a transPacific cruise to New Zealand that was canceled as the pandemic took hold. I confirmed lots of cheap direct (1 hour) flights from Copenhagen to Brussels Airport (the main airport for Antwerp), and the choice to go with the Princess cruise was a no-brainer. After deducting our credits, we paid a mere $1478 for both of us for 14 nights in a balcony cabin. (Without our credits, the total cost with taxes and fees would have still been only $2102.) With all lodging, meals, transportation and entertainment included, this was cheaper than the economy flights I’d seen, forget about business class! (There are gratuities to be factored in, although this cruise remained a great bargain.) The stops were appealing, too: Ponta Delgada in the Azores, Brest and Cherbourg in France, and Skagen and Copenhagen in Denmark. We’d been to Ponta Delgada before, but really liked it. Despite all my years in France, I’d not been to Brest or Cherbourg. It had been ages since I was in Copenhagen and David had never been. Fun!
In the spirit of keeping reviews of this cruise brief, I’ll hit only a few highlights and tips:
Ponta Delgada is a great cruise port, allowing an easy walk into the charming town. For those with the time and inclination to explore the island, there’s a car rental agency ANC Rent-a-Car (azoresholidays.pt) at the end of the main pier to the right as you head ashore near the swimming area. We rented a car last time we were in port for an overnight and made a full circuit of the island, eating lunch cooked by volcanic heat and admiring the gorgeous views and prolific wild hydrangeas. A favorite Ponta Delgada restaurant that demanded a return is A Tasca which offers tasty local food and reasonable prices. It’s a popular place and fills up quickly with a line forming outside. We were there and waiting at the lunch opening along with a few others in-the-know. A food tour stopped in on our last visit so I guess that’s a possibility, but we much prefer to skip the cost and restrictions and eat when and what we please for as long as we please. (A Tasca’s tuna steak is my personal favorite.) Another, quirkier, recommendation are the mojitos in the bowling alley on the pier just before the cruise ship boarding area. When we returned to the ship and discovered multiple excursions had just arrived creating a huge line, we decided we had time to grab a drink to go. Atlantic Bowling was the closest spot, and the bartender quickly produced as good a mojito as this Texan has ever had, poured it in a go-cup, charged us an extremely reasonable €4, and we were off.
Bayeux Museum courtyard. Photos of the famous tapestry are not allowed.
We also really enjoyed Cherbourg (another walking-distance port, boasting a seafaring history and flair), but only after we hopped a train to picturesque Bayeux to see the famous Bayeux Tapestry. [We walked to the train station and bought tickets from a machine. The machine is only in French and I helped two other English-speaking couples purchase their tickets. Senior rates mentioned online weren’t available on the machines. There was plenty of available seating on the trains to and from Bayeux.] Despite living in France for years and wanting to see the tapestry since my parents read to me about it as a child, I’d never made the trip. It was well worth it and an easy train ride from Cherbourg. Bayeux is a charming town of half-timbered buildings and a lovely cathedral. The tapestry is actually a 70m x 50cm (230ft. x 20in.) embroidery which wraps around several walls of the viewing room. It’s an amazingly intricate work of medieval art which tells the story of the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy in 1066.
Nyhavn in Copenhagen
I was disappointed when rough seas canceled the scheduled stop in Skagen, the northernmost town in Denmark. Such changes are part of traveling by ship, though, and it hardly ruined our cruise, we just ended up with an extra night in Copenhagen. Construction is underway to extend the local metro out to the end of the cruise port which will be great, but for now, it’s a distance into town and too far to walk to the closest station. Princess offered complimentary buses in and out the first day, but we were on our own on debarkation day. We caught a cab to Orientkaj metro station and took the modern M4 metro into Copenhagen Central Station. The metro exit opened onto Stampesgade where we could see the sign for Hotel Tiffany, my choice for our stay. With its reasonable price, nice rooms and fantastically convenient location, Hotel Tiffany was perfect for us. The close proximity to the main train station made a daytrip to Malmö, Sweden, (over the Øresund Bridge, the longest combined rail and road bridge in Europe) and our departure to the airport very easy.
That’s all I’m going to write about the cruise except to say it was smooth, sunny sailing the entire time, fun and relaxing, and it’s always good to arrive overseas sans jetlag. As I mentioned at the start, I’m skipping our five weeks in Belgium as I think I’ve written enough about some of our favorite things there over the years. We did explore a few out-of-the-way places while staying in a village just outside of Geneva that I think are worth a mention, so in coming posts I hope to share a little about daytrips around the Jura Mountains and alpine lakes followed by highlights of Corsica. In September, we took a transPacific cruise to New Zealand where we spent three weeks and 2000 miles of driving exploring both islands.
Isla Bartolomé with the volcanoes of Isla Santiago in the distance
We wanted to celebrate a big anniversary somewhere memorable, but as always in these strange times, Covid played a major factor in determining what was open to us (and with not too many related hoops to jump through) and what felt reasonably safe. That first “bulletproof” feeling after getting our vaccines was waning as breakthrough cases started popping up everywhere (including among family). Focusing on outdoorsy destinations seemed like a good idea… and, after a little research, the Galápagos Islands moved to the top of my list.
Dramatic red sand beaches, flamingoes and sea lions on Isla Rábida, first stop on our Galápagos cruise
While its possible to visit the Galápagos and remain on one island and take daytrips or take ferries from inhabited island to inhabited island, I wanted to do a yacht/small boat cruise to maximize the islands we could visit and the wildlife we hoped to see. These cruises are notoriously expensive, so it was going to cost, but (as always) I wanted value for our dollars. I spotted a 15-passenger yacht I liked through a German travel agency, did a little research to determine the owner of the boat and ended up booking directly through Galagents. It was a great choice. We got excellent service and lots more included items, including the final Covid test required for reentry into the United States. My helpful and quick-to-respond Galagents contact, Johana Cobos, even arranged for someone to come to our hotel on the mainland and do the Covid test there. So easy!
Early on our first snorkel off of Isla Rábida I was met by these two curious sea lions. Exciting and fun! We found ourselves swimming often with sea lions.
Getting to the Galápagos from the U.S. means flying to either Quito or Guayaquil on mainland Ecuador and then on to the Galápagos Islands. (Flights from Quito stop over in Guayaquil before continuing on to the Galápagos.) There are two airports serving the Galápagos: one on Isla Baltra (just off Isla Santa Cruz) and one on Isla San Cristobál. We flew into Baltra and out of San Cristobál, spending a night on each island on either end of our cruise to do a little exploring. This was especially important for me since our only chance to see giant Galápagos tortoises was at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz, a short walk from our hotel in Puerto Ayora.
At the Charles Darwin Research Station
Our cruise turned out to exceed expectations. We had a wonderful time on what felt sort of like a grown-up summer camp. We visited two islands a day for dry or wet landings followed by hikes. We also often snorkeled twice a day for nearly an hour each time. The snorkeling was amazing. I swam multiple times with penguins and sea lions, enjoyed massive swarms of colorful fish, huge sea turtles, rays and more.
A favorite shot: Huge sea turtle with white tip shark in the background
We saw lots of sharks, both from zodiacs and some in the water. A highlight was spotting a big hammerhead while snorkeling off of Isla Genovesa.–Awesome and a little unnerving as it resolved into view below us in the murkiest water we’d been in. On land, we saw large numbers of blue- and red- footed boobies, nazca boobies, and frigate birds, all often with chicks. We saw black marine iguanas, and land iguanas, penguins perched ocean-side, lots of sea lions with suckling pups of varying ages. Wonderful!
This penguin swam up while I was watching the big sea turtle above feeding. Amazing to swim with these wonderful birds! They also let us approach within 2-3 feet as they perched on rocks along the water. The wildlife of the Galápagos is wonderfully unafraid of humans.
Getting closer to the 6′ white tip shark that I spotted behind the sea turtle
I was able to book my first choice cabin on the yacht of my choice, the Galaxy I, so we had a king-sized bed on an upper deck with big widows running the length of one wall. Given the season and a stop at remote Isla Genovesa on our itinerary, we knew we were in for potentially rough seas and the higher deck meant even more rocking. Scopolamine patches worked their magic, though, and neither one of us felt even a twinge of seasickness.
Galaxy 1 Yacht
The sheer number of birds on some islands, especially North Seymour and Genovesa was impressive. Their lack of fear of humans was something I’d never experienced and it was amazing to walk right up to mothers and chicks, mating rituals, and more: boobies, frigate birds, short-eared owls and more.
Our naturalist, Wilo, provided insight into what we were seeing. For example, we nearly missed a smaller second chick beside the older chick and mother in the top pic above. In a sad example of the cruelty of nature, the boobies have two chicks as insurance should the first not survive. The poor second chick is shoved aside by its older sibling when it comes feeding time and often starves to death. We saw them often laying, weak and dying beside their parent and strapping sibling.
Birdlife in the Galápagos extends far beyond boobies and frigate birds
Another fun aspect of the timing of our trip were the sea lion pups. We found suckling pups of varying sizes on many of the islands we visited. Adorable and fun to watch!
Sea lions are a common sight in the Galápagos: curious, playful and assertive.
Our cruise ended on Isla San Cristobál and it was only a short walk from the pier to our harbor-side hotel. We visited the island’s Interpretation Center with the boat’s naturalist, but weren’t given enough time to hike the trails that begin there. After depositing luggage at our hotel, we went back to explore the trails, finding beaches and great overlooks with views of Kicker Rock a/k/a Sleeping Lion in the distance. We could see sea lions and sea turtles swimming far below us in the clear water.
View while hiking the trails beyond the Interpretive Center with Kicker Rock in the distance
Details and practical info:
I decided to concentrate this trip on the Galápagos, choosing to fly directly to Guayaquil. I wasn’t interested in visiting Quito on this trip for several reasons: the very late arrival time of flights, altitude (especially when I’d first been planning to scuba dive), Covid and crime. Guayaquil, unfortunately, has the highest crime rate of any city in high-crime Ecuador. Timing meant we had to spend a night there on either end of our trip, arriving at nearly 10pm from Miami. I booked us in the nearby TRYP by Wyndham (visible from my plane window on the runway), and we were very happy. Our rooms both nights at the TRYP were very nice, the included breakfast buffet was vast and stylish, and–especially given the armed guard outside our hotel and in front of every neighboring business–we really enjoyed the enormous, attached Mall del Sol. We had lots more time to explore on our end-of-trip stay, and the mall offers a huge variety of restaurants and stores in a secured environment. The TRYP also provides free taxis to and from the airport, a ride that takes about three minutes. Covid protocols were strictly observed on both our stays.
Ecuador ended Covid test requirements for entry earlier this year, but maintained the requirement for visitors to the Galápagos Islands. We were fortunate that Ecuador dropped the Covid test requirements to enter the Galápagos not long before our trip. This made things even easier, but we still had to get our $20pp entry tag and pay the $100pp Galápagos Park fee. Like I said, the Galápagos are notoriously pricey. We just looked at these fees as donations to one of the planet’s most unique and fragile natural wonders.
Choosing to stay pre-cruise in Puerto Ayora meant we had to get ourselves all the way back to the airport on Baltra to meet up with other guests arriving by plane the day of the cruise. This is about 1 ½ hour process given you need a taxi across Isla Santa Cruz, a short ferry to Isla Baltra, and then a bus ride to the airport. Oh well, it is what it is. When arriving by plane buy a bus ticket for $5US at the booth to the right as you exit the airport. When the bus drops you off at the ferry location, leave your large luggage at a drop-off spot at roof-level to the boat. Someone will off-load the incoming luggage from the ferry roof and replace it with the outgoing. Walk yourself down to water level to get on the ferry and pay $1USpp onboard to someone who will come around before the short ride is over. On the other side, a bus(es) and taxis will be waiting. The bus is slower but cheap. We opted for a taxi that took us directly to our hotel in Puerto Ayora for $30 we paid to our hotel. The going rate is more often $25, which I knew, but I was happy to pay the extra $5 to eliminate any worries about finding our brand new hotel.
Our hotel in Puerto Ayora on Isla Santa Cruz, pre-cruise, was the stylish Hotel La Isla. The hotel sits a short block back from the main street providing welcome calm plus a large, deck with a great sea view. I’d definitely recommend this one. I chose La Zayapa Hotel in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on Isla San Cristobál for location and a room with a large window facing the harbor. The view was nice, but the hotel didn’t particularly impress.
I chose a 5-night/6-day cruise for a number of reasons and we were very happy with that timeframe. We had a fabulous time, saw all we hoped to, and really felt like we’d be starting to repeat ourselves if we stayed much longer. This is a very personal decision, though. We met people who planned to cruise the islands for two weeks and were thrilled about it. Some were returning. We both felt we’d be restless and tired with more. Mornings were early as were nights, and while the “hikes” were easy rambles (on admittedly rough terrain), snorkeling in cool water twice a day left us pleasantly tired (and hungry!). We visited 8 islands, in total, (9, I suppose, if you count little Baltra where the airport is), only two of them inhabited. I could envision going back only to do the far northwest islands of Darwin and Wolf for the large numbers of big sharks and whales, but it’s low on my personal list, at least any time soon.
It really was worth it to book directly with Galagents, too. We got great value for our money and much more included than some of the other passengers on our boat. Other agents tacked on charges for things like daily snorkeling equipment that would have been galling to pay. We brought our own masks and snorkels by choice, but used the boats full-length 3mm wetsuits. Some people wore optional shorties instead, but that wouldn’t have been enough for me. I tend to get cold, so also brought 5mm diving gloves which I was happy to have while using my GoPro. I also brought a dive hood, but didn’t wear it.
Speaking of GoPros: I was very glad we opted to upgrade to the latest model GoPro. Although our old 3+ still worked, the new one is lightyears beyond and I was able to pull some really phenomenal still captures from my videos.
I first thought we’d do a scuba trip since I’ve been diving for 37 years, am fascinated by marine life, and we were going at the start of the cooler season when the Humbolt Current brings colder water and lots of nutrients which makes for great opportunities to spot sealife. When one of the first scuba yachts I contacted sent me a list of dive spots, I did research on those locations and quickly scratched diving off our list. I found too many stories from experienced divers of unsafe dives with newby divers, some leading to deaths. [Click here for one sobering example.] While I swam competitively when young and I’ve been diving for a lot of years, I’m strictly a pleasure diver and know my limits and David’s. Sure enough, on the short ferry ride over from Baltra Island to Isla Santa Cruz, where most planes from the mainland land, I sat next to a trio of young divers, one of whom proudly proclaimed she’d done three dives. I leaned over to David, whispering “She’s exactly who I didn’t want to dive with.” No doubt most people manage their Galápagos dives without death or injury, but strong currents and downdrafts, cold water, challenging rock formations and budget dive outfits were enough to make us opt out. Happily, the snorkeling we did–often twice a day–was spectacular, and we saw all we hoped for in the way of marine life.
We did make one fun find on our perpetual search for interesting local beers: Galápagos Republic Brewing Company. Our first attempt to visit after their 4pm opening found the place closed, with only a couple of friendly dogs to greet us at the low gate to the main courtyard. We headed back after dinner and this time they were followed by the brewer himself. He gave us a tour of his immaculate and modern brewing equipment, then returned with us to the cute courtyard sitting area where he offered us a tasting of the three handcrafted beers on tap that weekday night: Chatham Blond Ale (5.6% ALC, 20 IBU, 5 SRM), Norfolk Red IPA (6.7% ALC, 52 IBU, 16 SRM, Ablemarle Stout (7.2% ALC, 31 IBU, 37 SRM). We enjoyed the samples then ordered our pints. We had a great time visiting with him about his beers and his plans to expand and use more local ingredients. I’ll blog more out this intriguing microbrewery later.
A Salay colonial relic: Beyond “faded” and all the way to “derelict”
The final stop on our Irrawaddy flotilla steamer cruise before Bagan was the former colonial outpost of Salay. We unfortunately arrived in the heat of the afternoon, maybe because our schedule had been off for the last couple of days due to a 3-hour delay when we ran aground on one of the Irrawaddy’s many sandbars. We’d been warned in advance to expect such minor mishaps and to be flexible, and the delay had been a non-issue for the most part (and actually kind of interesting to watch the maneuvers involved in extricating the boat from its predicament).
Anyway, for whatever reason, we trooped up to Salay in the heat of the afternoon, past small groups of locals resting in the shade and no doubt wondering what we were doing out and about at that inhospitable time of day. We wandered through an extensive group of monasteries and temples, to visit a small temple housing the Mann Paya Buddha, the largest lacquered Buddha in Myanmar. The Mann Paya is a hollow wooden statue said to date back to 1300AD that was found in 1888 bobbing in the Irrawaddy after a flood. Locals fished it out of the river, covered it with gold leaf and lacquered it. Yen speculated that it had come from a temple that had fallen into the river, a victim erosion.
Yoke Sone Kyaung monastery
Our next stop was a lovely old teak monastery, Yoke Sone Kyaung, built just prior to the British colonization of Burma. It housed many carved statues and wooden trunks and was decorated extensively with carvings inside and out. We laughed at one bas relief carving outside entitled “Passion for sensual pleasures (or) sensual bondage.” Hmm.
Something’s lost in translation with this carving outside Yoke Sone Kyaung monastery. I think it’s supposed to be about freeing oneself from earthly attachments.
Despite the scattered temples, stupas and monastery buildings, Salay derives its uniqueness from the once-elegant colonial buildings that line many of its main streets. These are remnants of the presence of British military and the Burma Oil Company which housed rig workers in the area starting in 1886. The owners have mostly abandoned the stately buildings to their fate and moved away, and we saw only one newly restored building, its bright pink paint standing out from the faded, peeling glory of its neighbors.
We wandered the streets as the afternoon cooled to evening, arriving at Salay House, another (the only other?) restored building dating back to 1906 that is now an inn and restaurant. It’s the only business of its type in tiny Salay and does boast a pretty garden and a nice river view (although I can’t imagine what I’d do in Salay on an overnight stay, much less for longer). There’s also a shop up front with a museum-style second floor that recreates rooms from the era. It was nice, but felt too touristy to us so we skipped the over-priced sunset drinks and headed back to the ship with a group of like-minded shipmates for our much-loved cocktail hour onboard.
Main stupa at Tant Kyi Tuang Pagoda (Can you spot the little bird with nesting material in its beak in the metal “flower tree?”)
Although Bagan and its 2000 stupas was the ultimate destination of our river cruise on an Irrawaddy Flotilla Steamer, the first time we saw the city was from across a wide spot in the river and only a few days into our week aboard the steamer. We stopped overnight at Tant Kyi village, so we could visit the hilltop Tant Kyi Taung Pagoda with its sweeping view of the Irrawaddy and Bagan in the distance. Also, being there in the morning allowed us to see the many boats full of locals arrive at sunrise to visit Tant Kyi Taung Pagoda before heading back across the river to Bagan. The point of this early pilgrimage was to try to visit four special pagodas in one day, Tant Kyi Taung and three in Bagan. Yen explained that doing this is said to bring about the granting of a prayer, but the only way to visit all three is to begin in at dawn.
Boatfuls of Burmese arrive at dawn at Tant Kyi to begin their four-pagoda pilgrimage
Sure enough, we heard the loud roar of local boats starting before sunrise. (It’s a miracle everyone in this country isn’t deaf by thirty given the onslaught of loud noises in so many places: engines, pounding hammers, slamming looms, blaring music… and no ear protection in sight. Thank God things quiet down fairly early in the evenings!) Boat after boat moored along the dirt bank as crowds of locals streamed ashore. In the distance, as the sun came up, we watched the first hot air balloon launch over Bagan, soon followed by more.
Sunrise over Bagan and the first hot air balloon is up (to the right of the sun). Meanwhile, boats of pilgrims still stream towards Tant Kyi.
Although visiting the Tant Kyi Taung Pagoda was on our agenda, too, we had no intention of trying to do the holy four so were able to get a more leisurely start to our day. Vans drove us through the village into the countryside and dropped us off at the base of a hill. We followed yen up what was nothing more than a forest path, past an ancient man-made reservoir with a naga-sheltered Buddha overlooking the quiet spot.
Buddha watching over an ancient reservoir on the path to Tant Kyi Taung Pagoda
Further up the hill, we reached steps that took us into the shops and monasteries surrounding the steps and tall, free-standing elevator up to the main stupa of the pagoda. This might be a good place to explain the terms “pagoda,” “stupa,” and “temple” as used in Myanmar. In Myanmar, “pagoda” refers to a whole religious complex and may contain many stupas and temples. A stupa is a solid religious structure, often but not always, bell-shaped and frequently gilded. A “temple” is a hollow religious structure that may be entered and/or that houses a Buddha. At least, these are the definitions I’ve been given and how I’ll use them here.
Tant Kyi Taung Pagoda centers around a large golden stupa (see top photo). Several smaller temples surround it, including one with a tall golden Buddha pointing east towards Bagan across the river. The view from the terrace surrounding the main stupa is, pardon the pun, stupendous.
View from Tant Kyi Taung Pagoda
After visiting Tant Kyi Taung Pagoda, we stopped at Ayardaw Clinic, one of eight in the area supported by Pandaw, the company that owns the fleet to which our riverboat steamer belongs. The clinic has an indoor waiting area, one small examining room, and outdoor seating on a porch overlooking the river. A sign informed us that 76,804 patients had been seen since 2011 at a cost of pennies/patient. Most received simple care, while some 543 had received “treatment” or more complicated procedures. The clinics are open two days a week and doctors travel a circuit to man them.
Elephant dance acrobatics. I loved watching the children, especially the boy holding his little sister (whose face is fully covered with thanaka). We saw lots of older siblings cheerfully caring for the younger ones.
Our last stop for the day was an “elephant dance” set up on the river bank near our boat, something that turned out to be charming and much more fun than we expected. Two men danced inside an ornate elephant costume to the music of a live band while local children and adults joined us to laugh and clap.
The men manipulated the heavy costume in head-wagging, trunk-swinging moves, then climbed atop a table or stairs to a small disc to continue their dance on the precarious perch. At times, one man would hold the other so that the elephant stood on its front or hind legs. Impressive!
My Pakokku friend with her pretty longyis and scarves
Another fun stop on our river steamer cruise down the Irrawaddy was at the large town of Pakkoku (population of about 100,000). As always, we moored at a rough bank of the river, no pier in sight. This time, we hiked up a steep flight of narrow stairs to find ourselves at a single-file footpath along the side of a field. As soon as we made the top of the river bank, we found women waiting to sell us the ubiquitous souvenirs: longyi (the local tube skirts worn by nearly everyone), jewelry, scarves and the like. One woman latched onto me immediately and we went through the now-familiar “you like?/maybe later?” routine. Although they can be persistent, we’ve found the Burmese to be much less pushy than other Asian vendors. Burmese are generally a friendly, cheerful group; the people on the street tend not to make overtures to us first, but they beam back when we smile at them and wave, or greet us with a bright “Mingalaba!,” the local greeting that is sort of a combination of “hello” and “auspiciousness to you.” Vendors do approach or call to us, of course, but they’re not overly aggressive, just hopeful. There was something particularly charming about my new friend, and I found myself considering that “maybe later” as she followed along the footpath with me. At the far end of the field, three larger, truck-style tuk tuks awaited our group. Climbing aboard, we were off on a dirt road through fields and past ox carts until we came to the intersection with a major paved road.
Our tuk tuk passes an oxcart on the road from our riverbank mooring to the main road to Pakokku.
We followed the paved road into town and our first destination, a large food market. Here, the boat organized something clever and fun: We were each given a scrap of paper with the phonetic spelling of the Burmese word for a vegetable and sent us off with 1000 kyat (about 66 cents) to try to buy the indicated item. We quickly realized the vendors nearest the road couldn’t hear us over the traffic noise much less understand our poor attempts at Burmese, so we headed toward the interior stalls, but found the vendors there just grabbed our scraps of paper and tried to sound out the word themselves using their school-learned knowledge of English. (We’ve found all over that a fair number of Burmese know some English, but, in general, their pronunciation is extremely difficult to understand, they often don’t comprehend what we’re saying, and there is a lot of confusion on both sides before some level of understanding is worked out.) The first stall I asked, took my paper, then pointed me to another stall, calling to the woman there the name of the vegetable I was to buy. That woman gave me a light green vegetable looking a lot like chayote squash…and handed me back 700 kyat. Hmm. Asking others in our group, I decided to go back and buy another two of the things, leaving me with 100 kyat in change. Alrighty, I was feeling like a success. Our guide, Yen, quickly popped my bubble when we got back on the boat and I showed him my purchase and my slip of paper. Apparently, I was supposed to get some sort of chilies. I wasn’t alone in my failed vegetable search, but we had fun listening to Yen explain what the unknown items were, how to cut and prepare them, and the dishes they were popularly used in.
In the Pakokku vegetable market
After the market, we made a stop at a school supply store to let us buy some items for a local “orphanage.” Although the home for children is labeled an orphanage, the children have parents who’ve sent them away to be raised and schooled as monks/nuns. The children ranged in age from 6 or so to a few older teenagers. Boys dressed in orange robes, girls in pink, all had their heads shaved. We noticed several with bald patches on their scalps, skin disease which Yen said resulted from sharing razors. We glimpsed the girls’ dormitory, a jumble of plywood beds, pink robes…and a favored teddy bear.
Girls’ dormitory at the Pakokku “orphanage”
We watched the children begin their lunch with a chanted prayer as they sat cross-legged at long tables. This mid-day meal would be their last of the day, and they ate breakfast at 4:30am.
I tried to picture my boys on such a restricted diet at the ages of these children. Growing like weeds, my children were ever-hungry at those ages. I remembered, too, all the hugs, love and attention I lavished on them and all the love I received in return. It saddened me to think of the circumstances that would make this poor orphanage seem like a better option for my child than home.
Lunchtime prayers at the Pakokku orphanage.
My friend from the first moments off the boat had preceded us to both the vegetable market and the orphanage, she and a friend speeding ahead on motorbikes. She’d greeted me at both places, making sure I didn’t forget her and that “maybe later.” We posed together for photos at the market as she’d asked when we first met, wanting a photo to show her children she said. (Of her with one of those strange-looking foreigners, I guess.) Now, back at the footpath through the field, I gave in, haggling with her a little to buy a pretty, tourist-style longyi (which have waist ties, unlike the tube skirts worn by the natives which they simply fold and tuck). Just as we were parting, she told me she’d sold a longyi to another woman in our group for more than she’d sold me mine and asked me not to tell the other woman. I thought it was sweet that she didn’t want the other woman to feel bad…but had to wonder if maybe she’d sold me mine for more and didn’t want me to know. Oh well, the difference couldn’t be much as the price was not expensive in any event. Later, a friend on the boat who saw I’d bought the same longyi as her in a different color asked me what I’d paid. I wouldn’t have said anything if she hadn’t asked me directly, but I couldn’t see not answering her since neither of us would ever see my Pakokku friend again. Anyway, it turns out I did get the cheaper price.
One of my favorite stops on our Irrawaddy riverboat cruise was Yandabo, a village known for pottery production. Yandabo is cleaner and more prosperous looking than many of the villages along the Irrawaddy. The government is assisting with funds to build a river wall (erosion being a big problem along the Irrawaddy) and the locals organized to clean up trash (another big problem along the river and in the villages). We were impressed to learn that the entire family of potters we visited had university degrees. Sadly, though, they could earn more making terracotta pots.
Corn cobs and husks are used in pottery making. Corn husks are also used to roll cigars. The kernels are exported, mostly to China.
The pottery-making process was interesting and impressive, in part because the methods and equipment are so primitive and labor-intensive. The potter’s wheel is powered with the help of an assistant manning foot pedals. Pots are shaped and stamped by hand, each decorative pattern indicative of the family who made the pot. We see the distinctive-shaped pots everywhere on the many water stands provided free to all by families who establish these stations as a way of obtaining good karma. Clay pots are also the preferred cooking vessel in Myanmar, metal said to give certain curry dishes a dark color.
Stamping the family design onto a pot (This lady has a degree in history.)
As always, we found the locals to be exceedingly friendly and welcoming. A boy of twelve or so gave me a tiny clay dog figurine. Unsure if I was expected to pay, I asked our guide, but he assured me it was a gift and nothing was expected in return. Later, after demonstrating the making and decorating of pot (and also how to carry three at a time, one on each arm and one on the head, see the top photo), our main hostess did offer small pottery souvenirs for sale, but there was absolutely no pressure to buy.
In Yandabo, we lucked into arriving while the village was preparing for the sticky rice celebration. These celebrations were taking place all over Myanmar because of the full moon. We’d gotten a kick out of joining a sticky rice street party in Mandalay where a mob of young boys danced to blaring music around big paella-style skillets of cooking sticky rice, but this was different. Unlike sticky rice in the city which is made by machine in factories, the village makes its communal sticky rice with a large pounding mallet-like contraption requiring the efforts of five people.
Preparing for the sticky rice “festival.” The celebrations take place on the full moon. Once the rice is poured into the stone bowl (which serves as a sort of mortar), the girls to the right will provide the pounding action while the young man reaches in between beats to pull and turn the glob of rice. The women to the left are making the sticky rice into balls.
We found the process as interesting as the scheduled pot-making. I couldn’t help but snap several photos of a beautiful little girl dressed in emerald green finery for the celebration. Looking no more than three or four, she was pensive with expressive little hands as she crouched or stood by her mother who was one of a small group of women rolling balls of sticky rice as it came from the mallet-machine. She wore a gorgeous emerald green blouse and longyi, her face made up with ever-popular thanaka. This little beauty is the focus of some of my favorite photos of the trip so far.
Although everyone around her was laughing and chattering, this little one remained serious and quiet.
We’ve really been looking forward to our time on a wooden Irrawaddy Flotilla Steamer. Prior to WWI, the largest river flotilla in the world was on the Irrawaddy River in Burma. Most of these classic teak wood boats were destroyed, either by bombs or by scuttling. Pandaw, the river cruise line I’d chosen, salvaged and restored one of these boats, then built others, copying the original 1930’s style, but with modern updates. I’d carefully chosen our intimately-sized boat and even the side of the boat I wanted our cabin on. So, I was worried and disappointed to read an email from my booking agent the day before we boarded in Mandalay saying we’d been changed to a larger riverboat. A little research revealed this new boat, the Pandaw Orient, was 8 years older than the original, Pandaw Kindat; worse, the Orient had 30 cabins vs. 18 on the Kindat.
My agent contact, as always, was quick to respond when I voiced my concerns. She did her own research and found that only 12 of the cabins were booked and the cabins were the same size and layout as the original. I felt much better after her reply and after seeing deck plans that showed we were actually gaining a deck and more common space.
Outside our Upper Deck cabin
Sure enough, on boarding, we found a charming and spacious teak wood riverboat. Teak deck loungers, wicker sofas and potted plants give a wonderfully period feel to the boat. Modern touches like air conditioning, common-area wifi and updated bathrooms make for a luxurious cruise. The crew pampers us so much it’s almost embarrassing. Food has been elegant, fresh and plentiful, exceeding expectations. There’s a nightly happy hour on the sun deck with appetizers. Musicians and dancers from a Mandalay school boarded last night to provide a surprisingly high-quality show to our little group of twenty.
Lots of room on the Sun Deck of the RV Orient
We’re only into our second full day as I type (on a teak lounger, watching river life pass by), but already we’ve had several well-thought-out excursions including a sunset outing where we were rowed out, 4 at a time, in small boats for the perfect view. When our oarsman stopped our boat and positioned us among others to watch the sunset, our guide and crew paddled up to deliver cocktails in champagne glasses. Lovely!
Cocktails on a rowboat near Mandalay
We spent our first day aboard moored at Mandalay. After lunch, we were taken on local excursions, first in large tuk tuk trucks to a hilltop pagoda with sweeping views, then by motor coach through Mandalay to the sunset rowboats. As we drove through Mandalay, we got a surprise treat when our bus came upon a sticky rice street party. When we were all curious, our guide Yen asked our bus driver to stop so we could get out and mingle with a group of young men who were dancing (to music blaring, in typical noise-loving Myanmar fashion, from across the street) around two big paella-style vats of cooking sticky rice. They welcomed us to their bash, most dressed in green polo-type shirts…save for one young man who showed up to great fanfare dressed in women’s clothes.
The next day the ship sailed upstream to the village of Mingut before returning to Mandalay for the night.
A “taxi” at Mingun. Thankfully, we could just walk from where we’d moored.
The approach to Mingun is impressive with the large brick remains of a square stupa looming over the river. At first, I wondered if it was some dramatic natural rock formation, but as we walked up to it, we could see the thousands upon thousands of bricks comprising the structure which was severely damaged over a century ago by a violent earthquake. Huge cracks cut through the stupa threatening to cleave large sections of the building away.
Mingun stupa, severely damaged by earthquake
Two enormous lion statues are also in ruins nearby. The king who ordered the building of the structure hoped to build the world’s largest stupa. Instead, our daily briefing describes the Mingun stupa remains as the world’s largest pile of bricks. You’ve got to love Burmese “bright side” thinking! Along the same lines, they describe the huge nearby bell as the “second largest bell in the world that can be rung.” They admit that the largest bell in the world is in Russia, but say you can’t ring that one. Of course, “ringing” the Mingun bell doesn’t involve an interior clapper, but rather pounding on it with logs on the outside.
So, I think I’ll end here with the focus on the boat and our first days. I’ll post more about the river cruise stops later when and if I get time, internet, and the inclination.
Practical info:
I booked our Pandaw Cruise via Happy Travel Asia. My agent, Ms. Hong Nham, was exceedingly responsive and helpful. I am very happy with her and the agency. Our cruise was a Mandalay – Pagan – 8 day/7 night downstream cruise. The total price for the two of us in what was originally to be a main deck cabin on the Kindat and was upgraded to a upper deck cabin on the Orient was $3,352.00. We paid 30% upon booking in July and the balance in November for a February cruise.
All cabins are identical in layout, cozy at 16m squared, and totally paneled and outfitted in teak wood. (Even our shower has a louvered teak door!) Each cabin has two single beds that can be configured as one large bed. The front is further from the engine, but closer to bridge crew activity and the horn. The stern has crew activity as well.
There is a lot of noise on the Irrawaddy in general and boat traffic starts early. Engine noise on passing boats can be almost absurdly loud; it seems you’d have to try to create a motor that loud. No one navigates the river after dark as it is perilously studded with ever-shifting sand bars. We’ve been stuck once for a few hours. Boats moor for the night and villages are quiet soon after dark as well. Our boat had considerable engine noise at times, depending on the maneuvering. The higher deck must be quieter than lower one simply because it is closer to the engine, but that is simple deduction, not personal experience. Front cabins seem to be quieter than those near the stern, but pulling in and extending the gangplank is said, by those with the bowmost cabins to be extraordinarily loud. Despite the occasional noise, nights are quiet and we sleep well.
Local beer and spirits (gin, rum, vodka and whiskey) are included. Wine and premium (non-Burmese) spirits are extra, but not unreasonably priced.
The makeup of our particular group is all British save for 3 Americans (including us) and two Frenchwomen. We have an English-speaking guide who goes everywhere with us when ashore. We’re as well looked-after ashore by helpers who greet us with icy disposable wipes after each stop where we take off our shoes (every temple and monastery) so we can clean our feet. Very nice.
Some stops require climbing up dirt or sand banks which could be difficult for persons with mobility issues. Crew do stand along the way to lend a hand and help, though, and at least partial steps are dug out to make the going easier. We had no problem at all with any of this.
We’re just back from a short 4-night cruise, the highlight and point of which for us was to finally visit Havana, Cuba. We actually booked the same Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) cruise last summer, trying to beat the new Trump-imposed regulations on travel to Cuba, but were thwarted when Hurricane Irma canceled the cruise. This time, all went beautifully and we found our day in Havana to be fascinating and the travel easy and hassle-free. [Note: Find more practical info and links at the bottom of this post.]
I had lots of questions and some concerns about the new regulations, pre-trip, and learned a lot by researching online. Still, I had questions to which I could find no answers, so this post will have plenty of practical info and details that I wish I’d known in advance.
Choosing a Category of Travel Under New Restrictions: We settled on making our first visit to Cuba by cruise ship simply because it was easy and the most sure-fire way to travel there without worrying about U.S. restrictions on travel. These reasons seemed even more relevant after the new regulations went into effect, doing away with individual “People-to-People” travel which had previously been the main way for Americans to do a general visit to Cuba. “People-to-People” is just one of many so-called “licenses” that Americans much choose in order to travel legally to Cuba. This is a U.S. requirement and means nothing to Cuban authorities.
Group “People-to-People” is still allowed and that is the category under which most cruise-line-sponsored shore excursions fall. Given the ridiculously high prices and large-group/motor-coach nature of those ship-sponsored excursions, I wanted to book a private tour. Under the new regulations, the preferred license category for individual travel is now “Support for the Cuban People.” We checked that box on the form supplied by NCL used by them to obtain our visas, and in addition, checked “Journalism” as we both freelance from time to time in addition to writing this blog. Since we specifically wanted to visit and write about breweries and beer in addition to travel and that would comprise a part of our itinerary in addition to the basic “Support for the Cuban People,” we wanted to be sure we covered all our bases.
Private Tour with Havana Journeys: After doing my initial research, I chose Havana Journeys for our tour. At $120/100CUC for a 6-hour private tour (not including lunch which we paid for separately), it was one of the best prices I found, had solid reviews, included a vintage car for the driving portion of our tour, and offered to provide a written “Support for the Cuban People” itinerary. We paid a deposit of 20CUC online (which resulted in a modest extra processing fee) with the 80CUC balance due on arrival in Havana. Havana Journeys were very professional in the lead up to our trip, replying promptly to questions, sending a photo of our guide, Katiusca, and telling us where to meet her (“by the Chopin statue” in Plaza de San Franciso, just across the road from the pier). Our ship was scheduled to dock at 10am and we were concerned that formalities and money exchange (Cuba is a cash-only destination) would take time, so we agreed to meet Katiusca at 11am.
Tour Disaster Averted. The only issue that came up with Havana Journeys–and it could have been a huge one–was an unexplained change in the date of our tour. We were arriving on Wednesday the 12th. I initially requested that date and they confirmed the date, but somehow on the final itinerary document sent by Havana Journeys shortly before our departure, the date was changed to Tuesday the 11th. I totally missed the change, so bear some responsibility, but I simply never imagined such a change, this being a port stop set by the cruise line and fixed from the time we purchased the cruise months prior. We spent 11am-2pm Tuesday the 11th on NCL’s private island in the Bahamas, so had no Internet access although I’d bought ship wi-fi (something I had not intended to do) due to a last-minute situation at home that required my availability. Thank God I did! When we returned to the ship Tuesday, I found I’d missed several WhatsApp calls and messages. Havana Journeys was trying desperately to reach me: The guide was waiting for us. Where were we? Katiusca would wait 1h45m for us before giving up…and that time was passed by the time I got the WhatsApp messages. What to do?? I quickly tried to call back, but got no answer. I emailed every address I had for Havana Journeys, wondering what we’d do if I couldn’t reach them…and very thankful I at least had the notice I did. If we’d just showed up the next day, ignorant of the situation, we’d have waited in the heat, wasting our precious time in Havana, and eventually going off in search of some way to reach Havana Journeys. I had contact numbers for them in the U.S. and mobile and land line numbers for the contact in Cuba, but not a number for the guide since we would not have phone service in Cuba or on the ship. Internet is scarce in Cuba, so we’d have had some problem finding wi-fi before I could even begin to try to contact someone. Thankfully, I did finally reach Havana Journeys by WhatsApp call. While I waited on the line, they rescheduled Katiusca for the original, correct date and we were back on. Whew! Moral of this Story (which I knew and didn’t do): CHECK AND RE-CHECK DATES.
Docking in Havana. Although scheduled to dock at 10am, we actually docked earlier, sailing past iconic landmarks I’d only see in photographs and video: El Morro fortress, the Hotel Nacional…It was thrilling. The cruise terminal in Havana is wonderfully convenient. We pulled up to the pier, “parking” like some mammoth car, just across the street from lovely Plaza de San Francisco. We joined other passengers on the bow of our ship smiling and waving at the people just below and the vintage American cars gliding by. I could even spot the head of the bronze Chopin statue were we were to meet our guide. Cruise ports don’t get much more conveniently located.
Looking over the bow of our ship toward Plaza de San Francisco. The Chopin statue where we met our guide is circled in yellow just above the white pole on the bow of the ship. (In the distance and hard to see, I know.)
Group tickets assigning debarkation times were to be handed out starting at 8:30am, but they started early and David was only able to get us in Group 4. This turned out to be a non-issue as they started calling groups before 10am, called Group 2 about 10 minutes after Group 1, then called Groups 3 and 4 together. We stepped off the ship at 10:02am. Despite our concerns, we breezed through customs, security and money changing and were out on the street 20 minutes after we exited the ship. At the customs booth, the agent took the paper tourist visa we’d been given by the ship, snapped a photo, stamped our passports and we were off. Security is just a standard airport-style x-ray machine. Money exchange is at the far end of the rectangular terminal building. Many people were on duty there and there was virtually no wait. The man we dealt with was friendly and spoke good English, and was very patient as we exchanged both the last of our euros and U.S. dollars. (There’s a 10% penalty for changing dollars due to the chilly relations between our countries, so the exchange rate is better for euros.) Despite being warned repeatedly that foreigners must change money to the local closed tourist currency, the CUC, we found out later that many individuals and places apparently do take foreign money. I wish we had known. Havana Journeys did, however, require us to pay the balance of the tour (80CUC) to Katiusca in CUC.
With nearly 40 minutes before we were scheduled to meet our guide, we opted to visit the 16th century basilica and the monastery of San Francisco de Asis (Saint Francis of Assisi) on Plaza de San Francisco. The building is undergoing renovation, but much is still open including the sanctuary, and two floors of the monastery surrounding an open central courtyard; it’s a lovely spot. A small orchestra playing in the main sanctuary added to the experience and the guides scattered throughout were helpful and friendly, even encouraging me to climb up on the wall of an upper floor terrace to take photos and a video of the lovely square below where I could see the bronze Chopin statue where we were to meet our guide.
Our Tour Begins. Although our plan was to meet Katiusca by the Chopin statue, it was hot and humid and Chopin sits on his bench unprotected from the sun, so we waited on the steps of a nearby building in the shade along with other ship passengers looking for their guides. The photo Havana Journeys sent me showed a platinum blonde woman, so there was a little hesitation on my part when I first spotted a brunette that looked plausible. Sure enough, we’d made our connection and were off. She began by taking us to a free open-air art gallery just across from the basilica of San Francisco. The gallery boasts a beautiful and enormous wall sculpture composed of a number of 3-D clay tiles as well as other quirky works of art. Katiusca described the central role of art in Havana and the privileged life of some artists who are allowed to travel more than average citizens. She got side-tracked, though, when she realized that David and I are attorneys. She is an intellectual property attorney and we spent much time talking about Cuba’s legal system, the proposed new Cuban constitution and her hopes or lack thereof for any positive results. I finally suggested we walk while we talked, and we moved on to walk the remarkably clean streets of Old Havana from Plaza de San Francisco to Plaza Vieja.
Beer! Or not. “It’s Cuba.” One of the three small breweries we’d asked to visit, Cervecería Factoría Plaza Vieja, occupies one of many elegant colonial buildings on Plaza Vieja. We didn’t expect a lot from Cuban breweries based on what little we’d been able to find in our pre-trip research, but we were looking forward to trying the closest thing to local “craft” beer and talking with local brewers. This was something new for Katiusca, so she was intrigued, too.
David and Katiusca waiting for Cervecería Factoría Plaza Vieja to open
Although just opening, Katiusca was able to get brewer Nivaldo to talk with us and we got a private visit to the working area of the brewery. Nivaldo explained basic brewing with which we’re familiar, but was also able toa answer some of our questions about ingredients used in their three beers, uninspiringly labeled simply Clara, Oscura and Negra (light, medium and dark). Local yeast is provided by a Havana “Center of Research”and Cervecería Factoría Plaza Vieja uses local cane sugar, but that’s where any semblance of intriguing local ingredients ends. They use Austrian hops imported via Panama and there’s absolutely no attempt and innovation of flavors and techniques. Part of this is due to the sheer difficulty in obtaining supplies of all types given the U.S.-led embargo; part is due to government control and lack of vision. When we urged the use of rum barrels to age dark beer, local fruits for flavoring, brewery-collected wild yeast and the like, Nivaldo just shook his head. Katiusca, both translating for Nivaldo and adding her own input, tried to explain how completely stifled enterprise and innovation is in Cuba. We asked about maybe home brewing creative beers and they both said it would be impossible and illegal.
Nivaldo and David in a brewery with no beer of its own
So, while not expecting much, we were ready to try Cervecería Factoría Plaza Vieja’s beers. Not so fast. Nivaldo informed us that the equipment had been broken for seven days and they had none of their own beer. Maybe a local bar had some of their beer? No. And it would be 3 weeks before they could get the equipement fixed. Wow. We were disappointed, but Katiusca just shrugged, “It’s Cuba.” So, we’d have to visit one of the other breweries on our list that was nearby. Nivaldo informed us the equipment at that other brewery was broken, too, and that it broke at the same time and would be fixed around the same time. Maybe we misunderstood and it was the supply chain that was “broken.” No, it was the equipment. We were incredulous. How could that be? Another shrug. “It’s Cuba.” Hmm. This was turning into a beer story that wasn’t exactly about beer. We thanked Nivaldo for his time, slipped him a little compensation for his time and continued our explore of Old Havana.
Old Havana is beautiful, parts of it are derelict, most of it is very clean. Lots of restoration has happened since Old Havana was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a whole lot more needs to be done. Some of the old colonial buildings look to be in great shape; others are literally falling down, and people live in both. The renovation is mandatory, so people are moved in and out as deemed necessary by the government. We passed or wandered briefly through hotels, art galleries, museums. There was so much more to see than we had time for and I was already thinking about coming back.
Old Havana street; no trash in sight here
We met our driver, Danni, around 1pm and climbed into our big, gorgeous warm-brown-and-white 1955 Ford Fairlane. Havana Journeys offered us a convertible for an extra fee not understanding that I would have paid extra for an enclosed car. I know all about hot and humid and I wanted air conditioning. Boy, were we happy with our choice! We enjoyed watching other people in convertibles, but they can have them. Everyone we met who opted for a convertible was hot and sunburned. No thanks!
After rolling along the famed Malecón seawall, past the Hotel Nacional and Mafia-spawned hotels from the 40’s and 50’s, we drove down “5th Avenue” viewing mansions in the exclusive Miramar neighborhood before arriving at Buenaventura, a paladar (privately-owned restaurant) in the residential neighborhood of Marianao. Eating at this sort of restaurant was part of our “Support for the Cuban People” itinerary and the family-owned outdoor restaurant turned out to be nicer than expected. Prices are geared towards foreigners and are undoubtedly much, much higher than the average Cuban could afford. We paid 59.40CUC ($68.30) for lunch. Not cheap, but then again, we ate and drank well: a shared ajiaco appetizer (a thick soup made of pork, pumpkin, sweet potato, malanga and plantain), rum-glazed lobster/langosta tail for David, pork ropa vieja for me, 2 mojitos and 2 piña coladas. At the end of the meal, we were comped 2 cigars and our choice of a small glass of coffee, chocolate or pineapple liqueur…while we enjoyed an impromptu music and dance performance by the owner and cooking staff. Good fun!
Santería. Our tour took an unexpected but fascinating turn after lunch when we made a stop at lush Parque Almendares on the Almendares River. Katiusca wanted us to see yet another side of Cuban culture; she told us some people hesitate to visit the park because of its popularity with practitioners of Santeria, a voodoo-like religion with roots in Africa and mingled with Catholicism. As she talked, two men on the waterfront held two for-the-moment-live chickens by their legs, moving back and forth between dipping the chickens towards bowls placed on the riverbank and wading into the flowing water. The squawking of the chickens was disturbing, and as we walked and Katiusca gestured, we realized the ground around us was literally covered with feathers and chicken bones. Grim. Katiusca said that Santería had bloomed after Russia pulled back from Cuba and, although the government had driven practitioners from the seafront, their numbers had grown. They met regularly at Parque Almendares and their children sported amulets and “protective” bracelets, despite laws prohibiting the wearing of religious iconography at schools.
Santería ritual in progress in Parque Almendares
Hot and sweaty for the moment, but a/c awaits in our beautifully preserved 1955 Ford Fairlane
Later in the afternoon, we visited Plaza de la Revolución a vast expanse of pavement bracketed by government buildings sporting giant metal portraits of Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos and the immense memorial to José Martí, the revered Cuban poet, author, national hero and inspiration of Fidel Castro and so many others.
Jose Martí Memorial viewed from Plaza de la Revolución
Still No Beer. A stop at another small brewery at Antigua Almacén de la Madera y el Tabaco on our list confirmed that the equipment there was broken just as at Cervecería Factoría Plaza Vieja and none of their beer was available. “It’s Cuba.”
Katiusca encouraged us to buy tickets for a night of dancing at a “social club” claiming it was more authentic than elaborate shows at the Tropicana and the like. We swung by to look at the place, but decided against it not wanting to tie ourselves to one place on our only night in Havana. Located on the top floor of a 3-story building surrounding an open courtyard, the club shared the building with a girls’ school and an old theater. The middle floor was absolutely derelict, an unpleasant smell wafting up from the rubble and old theater chairs.
Third floor social club with view onto 2nd floor rubble; very Havana.
Life in Cuba. We discussed Cuban life with Katiusca and asked about the nearly empty shelves we’d seen through pharmacy windows. She explained the ramifications of the U.S.-led embargo and how many things were hard to get. I told her I wish I’d had a way to contact her before we came; we’d have been happy to bring hard-to-get items. Before our trip, I searched online regarding things to bring, having brought school supplies and the like on other trips to countries in need. I told Katiusca that some of what I read indicated that offering items might give offense, implying some sort of inferiority. Her response: “Cubans don’t take offense,” need trumping pride. At one point, I asked Katiusca if she thought things would get better for people in Cuba if relations with the U.S. normalized. “It would have to be better,” she answered. “It couldn’t be worse.”
Katiusca and Danni dropped us off back at the ship at 5pm, sweaty and tired. We opted to reboard to shower and eat before heading back out to wander Havana. Katiusca assured us Old Havana was safe to explore on our own and that the buildings looked beautiful lit up at night.
On Our Own: Havana at Night. With the general idea of heading toward’s Hemingway-favorite El Floridita Bar and walking the wide Prado boulevard, both of which we’d passed with Katiusca, we left the ship and walked to Plaza Vieja. As promised, the elegant buildings looked pretty at night and cafés with outdoor seating boasted bands and couples dancing to Latin rhythms.
Pausing to watch the dancers at a restaurant just down from Cervecería Factoría Plaza Vieja, we found ourselves in an extended conversation with Alejandro, a 28-year old who’d initially just been trying to lure us into the Italian-owned café. More than eager to talk, he vented his frustration at opportunities in Cuba. Despite his IT Engineering degree, he found the pay much better at the café. He confirmed what Nivaldo and Katiusca told us about the impossibility of starting a business like the craft brewing we’d imagined (then added that the beers at Cervecería Factoría Plaza Vieja were “very, very, very bad”). He expected no improvement whatsoever from the new Cuban constitution being developed and thought nothing would change for the better going forward. He said his mother had felt the same way when she was his age…and now here he was. Nothing changes. He wanted to emigrate to the U.S. (His brother was in Florida.), Canada, Europe, Australia, anywhere.
Finally bidding Alejandro goodnight, we decided to walk down Teniente Rey towards the Capitol. Katiusca had indicated that was the way to walk towards the social club, so we figured it would be a nice stroll. Teniente Rey between Plaza de San Francisco and Plaza Vieja was clean and beautifully restored; we expected the same continuing on the street on the other side of Plaza Vieja. Boy, were we wrong. With each block, the road got seedier and the lack of street lights made it more uninviting. People were scattered about, clumped in small groups; occasionally, children joined the mix. For blocks, there were no open restaurants, clubs or shops. At one intersection, we looked up to see the second floor of a building completely collapsed…and fresh laundry hanging on lines amongst the rubble. I’d have loved to have photographed the area, but felt it wiser to keep striding along. People called out to us from time to time, offering taxis, usually, but we just said “No, gracias,” and no one hassled us. Beyond a small, public wi-fi-equipped square crowded with people looking at their phones, we finally reached the Capitol and shortly thereafter a livelier area and Floridita.
El Floridita, self-proclaimed birthplace of the daquiri, exceeded expectations. It’s a pretty period bar with bartenders inverting two rum bottles at a time into perpetually busy blenders. Decorated in red, beige and black with a long dark wood bar, the place was full, but not unpleasantly packed, and a great little band by the front door added to the experience.
We staked out a spot at the bar and ordered a couple of the famous daquiris, striking up a conversation with another couple from the ship. We had to step aside every so often to let people pass who wanted to pose with the bronze statue of Hemingway propped against the far edge of the bar. When a woman singer began to belt out classic Spanish songs in a clear, strong voice, we ordered another round. Floridita may be a tourist staple, but the old lady has class and we had fun.
Leaving El Floridita, passed the Hotel Inglaterra and the ornate Gran Teatro de la Havana. Strolling down the wide, paved median of the boulevard Prado, I found myself pulled into an impromptu street dance with a man whose dark features blended with the night. Scattered along the median people sat and talked, danced and drank. A group of young people did tricks on skateboards.
The Prado
Neighbors chatting in a building on the Prado
People in once-elegant buildings in various stages of repair along the way looked out of windows and rooftops or chatted with neighbors across balconies. When the Prado reached the water of the Canal de Entrada, we turned right to stroll the seawall towards the port, passing a Spanish fortress and small fishing boats anchored and bobbing with the huge statue of Christ of Havana lit brightly and shining on the far bank. We reached the Cruise Terminal at midnight to find it well-lit and security and immigration waiting to pass us quickly back to the ship.
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More Practical Info:
Katiusca would like to book tours independently. She can be reached by email at katiusca77@nauta.cu and I’ve found her quick to reply. I can highly recommend her as a guide. In addition to being an attorney, she’s the mother of two teenage daughters and needs the guide work to support her family. Her English is excellent and she’s very knowledgeable about Cuban history and culture.
Despite the date mix-up, I’m happy with Havana Journeys and recommend them as well for those more comfortable with a go-between.
Click here for a fascinating and not-so-clear list of examples of what does and does not qualify as “Support for the Cuban People.”
Click here for a list Cuban government- and or military-owned entities and subentities with which Americans are forbidden to have direct financial transactions. Note: “Entities or subentities owned or controlled by another entity or subentity on this list are not treated as restricted unless also specified by name on the list.” Many bars, restaurants and shops are thus not covered by this restriction.
We did everything we could to qualify under the “Support for the Cuban People” category of “license,” and I feel comfortable we met the somewhat nebulous requirements. Still, I see very little chance of anyone questioning tour qualifications for the “Support for the Cuban People” category. Simply check that category on the cruise line affidavit that arrives well before departure, the cruise line will then obtain a tourist visa which says absolutely nothing about why you’re in Cuba. Local Cuban authorities only look to see that there is a visa. Upon returning to the U.S. (the only country that cares about the “Support for the Cuban People” and other “license” requirements), we were just one of hundreds getting off a cruise ship from Cuba. We went through passport control in Miami without question. We are, of course, keeping all our records for 5 years as required, but it seems like a pointless exercise. I’d like to return to Cuba for a longer stay someday and feel comfortable about doing so, even under the new regulations.
Drop-off point for shuttles to and from the Civitavecchia cruise port. Note Hertz sign circled in green across the street where rent car companies pick up their customers. Cruise shuttles let passengers off in a big parking lot to the right of where I’m standing to take this photo.
Our month cruise from Singapore to Italy was better than we could have hoped for, but now it was time to be back on our own and we were looking forward to it. Civitavecchia is the nearest port to Rome and most information about the port assumes people are going to Rome either to stay or to fly out of the airport. We’d used a driver in the past to get from the port to Rome, but this time we were skipping the Italian capital and heading north. I wanted to rent a car for the 2+ weeks we planned to tool around Umbria and Tuscany, but I had trouble finding clear info online. I knew the port was too big to walk out of and that passengers not wanting to rely on expensive cruise ship excursions and transfers needed to get out of the main port gate to get to other modes of transport–taxi, train, rent cars–but the info was vague. This short post is just to clarify transport options and the lay of the land at the Port of Civitavecchia.
The ship offered a free motor coach shuttle to an area just outside the port gates where other transportation is offered. Buses for the train station pick up here for €2 per person. Rent car pick up is just across the street. I’d booked us a Hertz rent car and emailed with them from the previous port. When we left the ship, I called them (Hooray again for T-Mobile international!) and a van arrived to pick us up shortly after we got off the ship’s shuttle. Another 5-minute drive and we were at the Hertz office in a nearby strip center where we did paperwork and were on our way in short order.
