Itineraries

[wowzz]

You will have seen from the answers to your post on TA that PB is the resort of choice for the majority of people who replied.  Obviously CT had one supporter!

Make sure you visit PB - you won't return to CT on your  next holiday! 

[tring]

13 hours ago, kruzseeka said:

 

We've stopped at the Coronas Playa some years ago and whilst not 5* we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there.   I think you have made a good choice of location if you want to get around the island.  We stayed in Playa Blanca and liked the resort but found it a bit out of the way - though to be fair we were using local buses, not driving around the island.

One of our all time favourite places to visit is the Manrique Fundacion - only a few miles from Costa Teguise but what a revelation!  How anyone could have the vision to create a home from 5 ash filled lava bubbles amazes me.  We have visited it several times but find it fascinating - something different catches the eye each time with so many creative touches.  Lots of other Manrique designed sites too like Jameios del Agua and Timanfaya National Park is spectacular - so plenty of variety.  Enjoy!

 

Thanks for the comments, the Manrique Foundation is somewhere we have looked at for cruise visits, but Arrecife is pleasant enough for a cruise port and can walk a fair way along the beach to the south, so thought we would leave it for a land stay, which I have always planned.  I have been keeping lots of plans for when we are older and not able to carry on our more adventurous jaunts, but having reached 70 we have realised it is time we looked at some of the nearer and mainstream holidays before we are too old for them.

 

We have had some great times - yes the Nacional in Havana was interesting and they do a tour of the hotel (can also be booked by non residents - no charge when we went 6-7years ago).  Were shown into the Mafia Suite to one side of the top floor (with the adjoining door to the room regularly used by Frank Sinatra) and told the Royal Suite on the other side, but no access allowed to tourists (security matter) - that would have been where Obama and The Indian President stayed.  We were also taken into the bunkers (under the hotel gardens) which were used as a command centre for the Cuban Missile Crisis and told the tale.  Apparently Russia reneged on promises made to Cuba during that, so the Cuban feeling is that Kruschev used them in his dealings with the US.  Our guide was a retired academic who said she was the tutor of Che Guevara.  We shook hands at the end and DH asked if she had known Che.  She said she had been to his flat and shaken hands with him - as a 1960's politics student DH is really chuffed he has shaken the hand of someone who had shaken the hand of Che 🙂

 

Another big memory from Cuba was the time we were taking pics of the Bacardi building on our first visit and were called over by a security guard who told us we can see the view from the top,  but clearly expected a palm to be crossed with silver (not much), which we duly supplied.  He took us to the life and and leaned in to select the correct floor before returning to his post.  We looked at each other as the lift went up and emerged in what looked like a demolition site with wires hanging down and the building in the sort of state you would imagine of many buildings in Havanna.  There was a rather dodgy looking staircase to go further up and that took us up to a viewing area around the top tower with the walls of the parapet crumbling away in places.  Timing was spot on as it was sunset - a view over Havanna I will never forget and it felt very special as we were on our own.  The building's renovations appeared to be complete on our last visit.

 

Our experiences of Cuban health care on the later visit is the main reason we are not keen to go back.  They have vast numbers of doctors and nurses and concentrate on prevention measures, but they cannot get hold of some modern medicines.  DH developed shingles on the edge of his eye and would have been prescribed acyclovir tablets over here - no problem, all gone.  The lack of that made a big difference and he could easily have lost his sight in that eye due to the 1950's style healthcare, even in tourist clinics. We were initially staying in a local b&b in Vinales, (away from our Havanna hotel) when it cropped up.  Locals are in an even worse position as what little they can get from their local pharmacies is restricted further.  I was sent with a local to their pharmacy to get something which the doctor in the tourist clinic could not supply and which he thought should be used ASAP.  It was quite an experience - being asked to wait a little distance away while the local lady kindly queued almost an hour for the prescription in the midday sun (she could have got into trouble for supplying a tourist).  The Havanna clinic (the next day) was more reassuring, especially the way we were sent straight to an opthalmologist who did a thorough examination with sophisticated equipment, saying his sight should be OK if eye creme applied.  She prescribed acyclovir eye creme and creme for his head where it had spread.  Still no tablets though and within a couple of days we needed the hotel nurse to put the creme in his eye 4 hourly (even overnight) as I could not open his eye enough to put the creme into it.  Took long time to resolve - his sight was OK but he had side effects for almost a year (severe head pains mainly) as effects could not be rectified by the time we returned home.  

 

We have had some good tourist experiences in other parts of the world, including our independently arranged tour of Myanmar a couple of years ago and even our Fred cruise up the coast of India, with 6 days in port, earlier this year when we had great fun just going off on our own having done some research.  I feel a bit at a loose end not having trips like that to research at present, but we do have some good memories.

 

Sorry I have started rambling - but CC seems to allow that now 🙂

 

Barbara

.

[kruzseeka]

45 minutes ago, tring said:

 

Thanks for the comments, the Manrique Foundation is somewhere we have looked at for cruise visits, but Arrecife is pleasant enough for a cruise port and can walk a fair way along the beach to the south, so thought we would leave it for a land stay, which I have always planned.  I have been keeping lots of plans for when we are older and not able to carry on our more adventurous jaunts, but having reached 70 we have realised it is time we looked at some of the nearer and mainstream holidays before we are too old for them.

 

We have had some great times - yes the Nacional in Havana was interesting and they do a tour of the hotel (can also be booked by non residents - no charge when we went 6-7years ago).  Were shown into the Mafia Suite to one side of the top floor (with the adjoining door to the room regularly used by Frank Sinatra) and told the Royal Suite on the other side, but no access allowed to tourists (security matter) - that would have been where Obama and The Indian President stayed.  We were also taken into the bunkers (under the hotel gardens) which were used as a command centre for the Cuban Missile Crisis and told the tale.  Apparently Russia reneged on promises made to Cuba during that, so the Cuban feeling is that Kruschev used them in his dealings with the US.  Our guide was a retired academic who said she was the tutor of Che Guevara.  We shook hands at the end and DH asked if she had known Che.  She said she had been to his flat and shaken hands with him - as a 1960's politics student DH is really chuffed he has shaken the hand of someone who had shaken the hand of Che 🙂

 

Another big memory from Cuba was the time we were taking pics of the Bacardi building on our first visit and were called over by a security guard who told us we can see the view from the top,  but clearly expected a palm to be crossed with silver (not much), which we duly supplied.  He took us to the life and and leaned in to select the correct floor before returning to his post.  We looked at each other as the lift went up and emerged in what looked like a demolition site with wires hanging down and the building in the sort of state you would imagine of many buildings in Havanna.  There was a rather dodgy looking staircase to go further up and that took us up to a viewing area around the top tower with the walls of the parapet crumbling away in places.  Timing was spot on as it was sunset - a view over Havanna I will never forget and it felt very special as we were on our own.  The building's renovations appeared to be complete on our last visit.

 

Our experiences of Cuban health care on the later visit is the main reason we are not keen to go back.  They have vast numbers of doctors and nurses and concentrate on prevention measures, but they cannot get hold of some modern medicines.  DH developed shingles on the edge of his eye and would have been prescribed acyclovir tablets over here - no problem, all gone.  The lack of that made a big difference and he could easily have lost his sight in that eye due to the 1950's style healthcare, even in tourist clinics. We were initially staying in a local b&b in Vinales, (away from our Havanna hotel) when it cropped up.  Locals are in an even worse position as what little they can get from their local pharmacies is restricted further.  I was sent with a local to their pharmacy to get something which the doctor in the tourist clinic could not supply and which he thought should be used ASAP.  It was quite an experience - being asked to wait a little distance away while the local lady kindly queued almost an hour for the prescription in the midday sun (she could have got into trouble for supplying a tourist).  The Havanna clinic (the next day) was more reassuring, especially the way we were sent straight to an opthalmologist who did a thorough examination with sophisticated equipment, saying his sight should be OK if eye creme applied.  She prescribed acyclovir eye creme and creme for his head where it had spread.  Still no tablets though and within a couple of days we needed the hotel nurse to put the creme in his eye 4 hourly (even overnight) as I could not open his eye enough to put the creme into it.  Took long time to resolve - his sight was OK but he had side effects for almost a year (severe head pains mainly) as effects could not be rectified by the time we returned home.  

 

We have had some good tourist experiences in other parts of the world, including our independently arranged tour of Myanmar a couple of years ago and even our Fred cruise up the coast of India, with 6 days in port, earlier this year when we had great fun just going off on our own having done some research.  I feel a bit at a loose end not having trips like that to research at present, but we do have some good memories.

 

Sorry I have started rambling - but CC seems to allow that now 🙂

 

Barbara

.

 

Well I for one have very much enjoyed reading of your experiences.  How interesting to have had those personal tours with the historical connections too.  And fancy even visiting the bunkers!   I would have lapped that up too.  

 

We were amazed when in the Old Town to see buildings which were clearly beautiful in their day in such a state of decay - one we were convinced must be derelict when a lady opened a door onto a Juliet balcony!  I was shocked to see it was inhabited.  No H&S constraints there!   But looking beyond the decay, you could see what a stunning city it was and as you say many were being renovated.   

 

Bit of a concern re the health care available.  Glad your DH eventually received the appropriate treatment and recovered albeit with side effects lasting some considerable time.  I don't think currently any of us would feel anything but very grateful for our NHS and recent events have highlighted its importance.  The fact that not everywhere can offer the same level of care can be quite an issue when on our travels and perhaps something we sometimes overlook.

 

Enjoy your visit to Lanzarote especially the Manrique Fundacion.  I think we've been three times and I never fail to be impressed by the imagination and inspiration involved in creating it.   Even the signs on the toilet doors are works of art!  Such a lot to take in - so many small details which make it a joy to visit.  

Edited July 23, 2020 by kruzseeka

[tring]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

You will have seen from the answers to your post on TA that PB is the resort of choice for the majority of people who replied.  Obviously CT had one supporter!

Make sure you visit PB - you won't return to CT on your  next holiday! 

Others, suggested places out to the north or south of Carmen, but well away from it.  Will spend a day touring the resorts and at least one day in volcanic region as well as relaxing half days from our hotel to other places.  We do not really like purpose built resorts, but if scenic can be pleasant for a shorter stay to enjoy good weather.  Hence could be very good as we get older.  One problem reported in Lanzarote is winds from the east, so assume that is not a big problem on the south coast.

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by tring

[tring]

2 hours ago, kruzseeka said:

 

Bit of a concern re the health care available.  Glad your DH eventually received the appropriate treatment and recovered albeit with side effects lasting some considerable time.  I don't think currently any of us would feel anything but very grateful for our NHS and recent events have highlighted its importance.  The fact that not everywhere can offer the same level of care can be quite an issue when on our travels and perhaps something we sometimes overlook.

 

Yes, healthcare not just a poor country issue either.  I have a Canadian neice and her family are in Utah.  She has MS and he has an auto immune problem.  Both are on very expensive drugs paid for by his job related, excellent, healthcare insurance, which is better than her teacher's one.  They want to move to BC, but he is from US, so Canada will not be likely to pay his drug bills.  Canadians still have insurance with their jobs, but I presume getting cover for existing problems would be tricky.  NHS really is a major boon.

Edited July 23, 2020 by tring

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, tring said:

Others, suggested places out to the north or south of Carmen, but well away from it.  Will spend a day touring the resorts and at least one day in volcanic region as well as relaxing half days from our hotel to other places.  We do not really like purpose built resorts, but if scenic can be pleasant for a shorter stay to enjoy good weather.  Hence could be very good as we get older.  One problem reported in Lanzarote is winds from the east, so assume that is not a big problem on the south coast.

 

Generally PB is less windy than the other resorts.

As you say, CT is a purpose built resort, which is why, in our opinion it has no charm or character, and is a sort of a "Bargain Brits in the Sun" sort of place. 

[zap99]

8 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Generally PB is less windy than the other resorts.

As you say, CT is a purpose built resort, which is why, in our opinion it has no charm or character, and is a sort of a "Bargain Brits in the Sun" sort of place. 

We are off to Playa Blanca again in April. Good wind in Tamara, but from the West. Good surfing but not many hotels. Much more authentic than some of the resorts. 

[wowzz]

7 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We are off to Playa Blanca again in April. Good wind in Tamara, but from the West. Good surfing but not many hotels. Much more authentic than some of the resorts. 

You probably mean Famara . We normally visit there every holiday  - reminds us of how PB was in the early days. However, not being a surfer, a day visit is enough for us.