Video potovanje po svetovnih mestih

Kraj: Santiago de Cuba, država: Cuba

Koristne povezave:

Opis mesta: For February 21, 2009 we had planned an excursion into the city of Santiago de Cuba. One of the local hotel employees had taken a day off and agreed to take us around his city. He came to pick us up at 6:30 am and we took the resort workers' bus into town. Our resort was pretty remote and there was not public transport and taxis were too expensive. Riding with the local hotel workers was an interesting and affordable way of getting into the city. It was also a great way of getting exposed to the local vibe. The staff members are extremely friendly and love chatting with the tourists, particularly if the tourists speak Spanish. One of the bartenders was going home from work and graciously explained all the local sights and villages to us along the way, in rather impressive English. After our arrival at about 8:30 am our own guide then took us around the city, starting with a walk into the downtown area from the bus stop at the busy Ferreira intersection. We also looked at the modern complexes of the Hotel Melia Santiago and the Hotel de las Americas along the way and admired some of the old vehicles that were parked in the side streets. Strolling towards Santiago's main square I noticed that many of the houses were not as run down as the ones I had seen in Havana where I had travelled in 2005. Many houses looked refurbished and newly painted - for good reason: 2009 is the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, and the City of Santiago has been spiffed up for various