When cold winter blanket covers northern hemisphere we do head south to recharge, discover new, enjoy and relax, whenever we can. When down there, we also introduce our taste buds to new flavors. Some we do bring with us and enjoy afterwords while remembering sun and a beach but they do not last forever. In today’s world there is always a product or two from south just around the corner, in the local store, and who knows, that little effort of getting up and preparing a southern meal or drink could easily recharge batteries just as a trip itself.

Let’s start today with the introduction to a main ingredient of drink known as Cuba Libre. As you may know, or you guessed rum is the key and what’s better way to explain what kind of rum you should use then by our host at rum factory in Havana (photos), Cuba (map). See it for yourself in our short video clip from Havana…

Cuba Libre ingredients:

• 60mL or 2oz of rum
• Cola
• Lime or lemon wedge
• Ice cubes

Preparation:

Pour rum over ice cubes, top the glass with cola and garnish it with lime or lemon wedge.

Cheers!

World Through News “Street Sounds Video Collection” of short videos from the Caribbean Islands.

Palm tree, Caribbean Islands

Varadero, Cuba

Situated on the north west side of Cuba, on the Atlantic coast, Varadero is a nice quite town. Beach is stretching from Varadero far outside of town and it is approximately 20km long.

Our visit included stay in one of modern newly build hotels (most of them are build after 1990) on the Varadero beach (photos). What I liked about hotels, villas and bungalows is that they are not rising directly from the sand, on the beach, but there is a natural vegetation or parks in between all hotel grounds and the beach itself. More in travel notes from Varadero and Havana…

Location: Varadero, Cuba
Camera: kB
Recorded: Dec. 2003/ Jan.04
Video editing: 2004 by kB
Length: 2.01 min.
Premiere: June 2004

Havana, Cuba

The capital city of Havana, on the Caribbean (discover) island of Cuba (map) left impression of a city stuck in time, judging by the number of, American made in 1950s, cars on the streets. People are trying to keep up with little they have but it was obvious that the colonial architecture that once stood in all its glory is in need of fresh capital that will enable necessary renovations.

Visiting Cuba is pleasant and one just wishes to be able to enjoy Havana and explore Cuba as Hemingway once did (hotel in which he lived is also featured on the video), by spending more time on the largest island in the Caribbean (discover). More travel notes from Havana and Varadero…

Location: Havana, Cuba
Camera: kB
Recorded: Dec. 2003
Video editing: 2004 by kB
Length: 1.33 min.
Premiere: Low resolution premiere – July 2004

Generally speaking:
• In 1492 when Christopher Columbus crew member sighted the land after 5 weeks on the Atlantic Ocean, afterward claiming in Europe to found new route to Asia, they actually landed on one of the Bahamas islands.
• The largest Caribbean island is Cuba.
• The Atlantic hurricane season also affects Caribbean Islands from June 1 to November 30. Hurricanes have also occurred before and after this dates.

Capital: Havana
Language: Spanish
Population: 11 500 000

Industries: food, rum, cigars, chemicals, textiles and tourism.

Agriculture products: coffee, corn, fruits and vegetables, livestock, seafood, sugar, tobacco.

Generally speaking:
• Before 1492 when Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas, Cuba had been inhabited by Native American peoples known as the Ciboney and Taíno.
• Official language in Cuba is Spanish.
• Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios are UNESCO’s World Heritage site.

In between north and south America, in the Caribbean sea, are located numerous islands that are proclaimed by many to be paradise on Earth. Here you’ll find few photo galleries from the Caribbean Islands.

Photo galleries:

Sunset over the Varadero beach, Cuba, Caribbean

Caribbean islands are located in the Caribbean sea just southeast of North America, east of Central America, and north of South America.

Caribbean Islands on the map: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Croixs, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands.

Click and drag map of the Caribbean Islands:

Maps of Caribbean Islands:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Bermuda
• Cayman Islands
• Cuba
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Grenada
• Haiti
• Jamaica
• Montserrat
• Puerto Rico
• St. Croixs
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Martin
• St. Thomas
• St. Vincent and Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Virgin Islands

Photo #6 – Since 1960 when all relationships with the US ended there was no import of US cars so today you can find many models from 1950’s still on the road.

Photo #7 shows posters at the Varadero airport parking lot (click & press Z key to enlarge it).

More in our travel notes from Varadero and Havana…