This week I will be accompanying Bucky as he is welcomed by the Caribbean Sea and the hundreds of tropical Caribbean Islands that I and many others call paradise. As befits heaven-on-earth, there is much to enjoy, see and do.
Beaches, boats and bikinis are Caribbean vacation essentials. But the number one playground for the tourists also comprises movie-set beauty, coconut-tree-clad mountains, verdant valleys of sugar cane and bananas and seashore galore.
In a more organized approach to Caribbean islands in the sun, I offer first the largest tropical island in the western hemisphere: Cuba.
About as big as some of the other Caribbean islands laid end to end, this alligator-shaped island is all about mountain ranges and plains, stunning beaches, history, culture and frenzied nightlife that continues into the wee hours. Cuba is also about Cohiba cigars and classic cars.
Cuba is busy 24/7 building big new marinas for big new yachts, a host of classy waterfront hotels and several tropical island hideaways of four-star quality.
A must-see for Bucky and me was the Tropicana, billed as "Paradise under the Stars." This comprises acres and acres of rainforest greenery and blooms serenaded by music that's as good as it is loud. Scores of some of the world's most attractive men and women display their talents in the cabaret show on a huge, cobweb-shaped stage.
Cuban culture is much influenced by its melting pot of cultures, primarily those of Spain and Africa. Cuban music is very rich and is the most commonly known expression of the culture.
The "central form" of this music is Son, which has been the basis of many other musical styles like salsa, rumba, mambo, an upbeat derivation of the rumba, the cha-cha-cha and reggaetón.
Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish and Caribbean tastes. Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish cooking, with some Caribbean influence in spice and flavor. Food rationing, which has been the norm in Cuba for the last four decades, restricts the common availability of these dishes.
A traditional Cuban meal is not served in courses. Rather, all food items are served at the same time. The typical meal consists of plantains, black beans and rice, ropa vieja (shredded beef), Cuban bread, pork with onions and tropical fruits.
In the streets of Havana, the architectural style is modeled in the spirit of the Colonial period of Sevilla, Spain. This, combined with the classic 1950s American muscle cars are the only form of motorized transportation in the city.
With little sign of any modernity, only peoples' attire and culturally American products punctuate through the otherwise traditional Latin-American style, uniquely set in a Caribbean landscape.
A large part of Havana’s attraction lies in the visceral and the abstract. The ins and outs are often hard to define and the contradictions endlessly confusing – perhaps this is why Havana’s real essence is so difficult to pin down.
Much to discover but restricted time to find more of the island’s hidden treasures, Bucky and I head off to Dominican Republic next week.
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