ARCHIVES: CARIBBEAN

HOW TO BECOME A DIVE INSTRUCTOR: Utila, Honduras
At 23, Tina Doran is doing what many young travel addicts have contemplated at one time or another – pursing a career in diving. After college she moved to Spain to complete her Divemaster certification in cold waters of Marbella. We discussed the practicalities of becoming a dive instructor to find out how a dream job can become a reality.

CUBAN SCENTS: Havana, Cuba
Cuba smells of cigar smoke and guava. The rich, earthy smell of cigars assails you as soon as you step off the plane, as portly airport officials smoke Cuba’s finest. The guava takes longer to place. It’s juicy, pink flesh and tart taste accompanying almost every meal. But Cuba also smells like history, like revolution, hardship and triumph.

A CULTURAL ADVENTURE: Havana, Cuba
So much has written about the crumbling decadence, the poverty and third-worldness of Cuba that it is impossible for an artist to perform or visit the country without any fears and preconceived notions. I would turn tables on deprivation and use our band’s first performance in Cuba to introduce our music to the land that gave birth to the ”Bay of Pigs.”

A STEP BACK IN TIME: Viñales, Cuba
Whenever we asked someone where to go in Cuba, they would invariably exclaim “You MUST go to Viñales!” When we asked why, the replies were seldom convincing. Words like “beautiful, rural, quaint and restful” were used. While these were admirable attributes, they didn’t really convey the unique charm of this little town near the western tip of Cuba.

THE SIREN OF BARRA DE NAVIDAD: Mexico
I have recently taken a mistress, a bewitching, beguiling siren. My siren is a small part of the Pacific Ocean that roars eastward onto a long, curving arc of golden beach whose southern end is occupied by the quaint, west coast Mexican town of Barra de Navidad.

DISCOVERING A TREASURE IN ST. THOMAS: The Virgin Islands
Climbing the 99 steps towards Black Beard’s Castle in the center of Charlote Amalie, the capital of St. Thomas, my eyes met with an unexpected sign: World Amber Museum and a tiny arrow underneath. Naturally, my curiosity was aroused and I followed the arrow to find out what it was all about.

HISTORIC HAVANA, INDEPENDENT CUBA: Havana, Cuba
Before arriving in Havana on a warm January evening I thought modern day Cuba was held together as a country by socialism, with the deteriorating health of Fidel Castro threatening its identity and survival. By the time I left Havana three days later I realised that modern Cuba is as much about history and its long fight for independence as it is about the current government and its policies.

NEW YEAR’S IN THE NEW WORLD - A CUBAN SAFARI: Bariay Bay, Cuba
Today is New Year’s Eve, the most important national holiday in Cuba, as on January 1, 1959 the dictatorial government of General Batista was overthrown. This year, 2009, thus holds particular meaning: the 50th anniversary of the Revolution led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. But today I am seeking a place of much older historical significance.