Cuba will make my 91st nation visited!

Cuba will make my 91^st nation visited!

I just booked a trip to Cuba that will leave in four days. I have been watching the prices for months and it decreased so dramatically (for this sailing), I could not resist this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally visit Cuba, especially at such a great price! What's even better, is that I will be on a cruise with "fathom impact travel", a company that provides a whole different kind of travel, with cultural immersion experiences and even includes all of the shore excursions complete with walking tours, bus tours, and lunches in local restaurants.

fathom is a new subsidiary Cruise line of Carnival Cruise Lines that provides weeklong sailings every other week--alternating between The Dominican Republic and Cuba. According to fathom, "we will participate in an ongoing cultural exchange program that will give us a chance to interact with the Cuban people, one on one. We will build on the contributions of the travelers who have come before us." The "f" in fathom is not capitalized reflecting the humility embodied by their approach to interacting with members of the local culture and making a difference. The recently renovated, 700-passenger cruise ship, Adonia, was part of the renaissance fleet of ships that were eventually sold to Carnival, Oceania, and Azamara cruise lines.  Interestingly, fathom is the first American cruise line that received approval from the US and Cuban government's for Travel to Cuba. Their first history-making sailing to Cuba took place just two months ago, May 15, 2016.  I am happy they will provide us with Cuban visas. 

For an incredibly low price, I will sail from Miami, (where I live), to Cuba (90 miles away) visit three cities, have access to multiple lectures about Cuban culture and history, enjoy multiple meals all included, have 4 lunches in Cuban cities, and will enjoy all entertainment on board the ship, all while not having to enter an airport or suffer from any jet lag. We will even experience an overnight stay in Havana, where I will experience some of its nightlife. Importantly I will be able to visit Cuba while it is still a Cuban city from a bygone era.  As we all know, in no time, Cuba will resemble the rest of the cookie-cutter Western world replete with high-profile brand establishments such as McDonald's, Starbucks, Sunglass Hut, Gucci, Guess Jeans, and more, on every corner. Coca-Cola does not even exist there. Cuba has been on my bucket list for a very long time and will make my 91st nation visited. 

The ship will depart from the port of Miami at 4:30 PM on Sunday, August 7. The first day we will spend at sea; the next two days in Havana where we will visit the old town, revolution museum, Batista's presidential office, Fidel Castro's yacht, cigar factories, Hemingway's former home, and more;  then we will visit the cities of Santiago de Cuba,  the country's second largest city--home to many of its famed musicians and artists and a UNESCO world heritage site; finally French-influenced coastal city of Cienfuegos, the center of Cuba's sugar, tobacco, and coffee trades.  I will experience all shore excursions with the same cohort that will be preassigned and dinner seating is open-seating. We will even take dance lessons in Havanna and after our walking tour, I plan to take a tour of the rest of the city, in a classic car from the 1940s.

I have already begun to brush up on my knowledge of Cuban culture and history with my collection and the books I checked out of the library today.

I look forward to this once-in-a-lifetime experience to drive less than 30 minutes away to board a ship to finally visit Cuba, a uniquely beautiful country, rich in history.

 

Bulgaria as a cruise destination.

I will visit Varna, Burgas, and Nesebar on my upcoming Black Sea cruise.

Here is what Celebrity Cruises has to say about Bulgaria as a cruise destination.

London, Paris, Rome? Been there, done that.

For Europe-bound travelers looking for a new adventure this summer, Bulgaria is an undiscovered delight. The country, which is bordered by Romania to the north and Greece and Turkey to the south, has a long and storied history. The country’s origins date back to antiquity, and the Thracian rule that began roughly 2,700 years ago was followed by the Romans, Byzantium, the Ottoman Turks and the Communists. Now its own parliamentary republic, the country — which joined the European Union in 2007 — features a mix of attractions both modern and historic.

In total, Bulgaria’s most popular hotspot is Slanchev Bryag, better known as Sunny Beach. The seaside resort is the country’s most expensive location, and features 3.4 miles of beautiful and sandy beaches (with water temperatures that average 78.8 degree Fahrenheit in the summer), as well as several major water parks and discos. And while sunning and clubbing are the activities of choice for younger visitors, other popular options include everything from parasailing to exploring of the region’s numerous (and atmospheric) monasteries.

Other country highlights include Nesebâr, s a UNESCO heritage site known for its medieval churches and nicknamed the “Pearl of the Black Sea“; Lozenets, a seaside resort; Plovdiv, an ancient city popular with traveling royals and university students; and the capital city of Sofia, home to the Royal Palace and National Art Gallery and the Ethnographical Museum, and the gold-domed Alexander Nevski church.

For everyone interested in exploring Bulgaria, as well as its neighboring countries of Turkey and Russia, Celebrity Cruises offers up a variety of Black Sea cruising options that begin and end in Istanbul but make stops in both Varna and Burgas, Bulgaria. (The two cities are the country’s third and fourth largest, respectively, after Sofia and Plovdiv.) If travelers book now, they may even been in place to celebrate Unification Day, Independence Day and Revival Leaders’ Day later this year. 

Palermo, Sicily-First visit to Itay's toe

My first time in the “toe” of Italy’s boot, I spent 7 hours touring Palermo, taking in sites on and off the beaten path. What struck me most was the interesting and varied Norman Arabic, and Baroque architecture; unbelievably chaotic traffic; and that only Italian is spoken here (it is not infested w. tourists). Heavily bombed during WWII, there remain bombed out sections of the city that were never restored. I must confess: I couldn’t help but think of La Cosa Nostra—especially when there are a plethora of t-shirts, post cards, and other souvenirs that feature mafiusu and even Don Corleone! I bonded with the local merchants when I told them I am from Chicago—infamous for serving as Al Capone’s home base. Every since I began travelling 30 years ago, I find that foreigners connect Chicago to Al Capone. In France, they used to say, “Bang, Bang, do you carry a gun!” (in a really broken accent!)

I began my day by searching for stop #1 on the red line of the Hop on Hop Off bus. Because the process for acquiring tickets and boarding was so chaotic, I decided to sit back and enjoy two complete circuits that included stops at The 4 Corners Square, The Famous Markets, and The Palace Reale

I disembarked and got acquainted up close and personal by strolling through the narrow streets, visiting colorful and abundant markets, and savoring a gelato, a cappuccino, and a delectable slice of pizza.

I will save a visit to the Catacombs for my next stop here.

Cruise to Israel, Greece, Turkey, and Italy

I will take this wonderful 13-night cruise that visits Israel (my first time), Greece, Italy (including Sicily), and Turkey. I look forward to a relaxing and intellectually stimulating time and to chilling out in my balcony room on a great ship!

Here is the route:

Sept 20 depart from Rome, Italy
Sept 21 Sea day
Sept 22 Chania, Crete, Greece
Sept 23 Rhodes, Greece
Sept 24 Sea day
Sept 25 Jerusalem (Ashdod) Israel
Sept 26 Nazareth (Haifa) Israel
Sept 27 Sea day
Sept 28 Ephesus, Turkey
Sept 29 Athens, Greece
Sept 30 Sea day
Oct 1 Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Oct 2 Naples,/Capri, Italy
Oct 3 Back to Rome and Flight back to Miami