Recent posts by lovecuba | Debbie's Caribbean Resort Reviews Forums

I could see them from my room and they are working – most likey putin in the services for

?….anyone else know what this means?

I tried google translate but I can’t say what it spit out as a translation!!! It is getting tiring trying to understand what he is trying to say on these threads.

Ah! So were talking old school "supply x demand = price" or Market Equalibrum?Now, I think I can wrap my head around this. But I’m still not convinced.

Less government spending > fewer people on gov’t payroll > for every gov’t employee, probably a spouse and children > less demand > airlines try to cut prices to maintain market share > they can’t because rising costs including the 100M more due to the fuel price increases > cut-throat business causes some airlines/tour co to go out of business > market supply diminishes > prices RISE.

There are some experimental vaccines in the pipes. Now that Chickengunya has hit the Carribean, prob Mexico and recently reported LOCAL cases in Southern U.S. the economics (doesn’t everything come down to money) make it even more of an incentive to develop. As this spreads, in these tourist areas the alternative will be a reduction in tourism without a vaccine. Not everyone can tolerate things like DEET to protect themselves.The "Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología" needs to visit Brisas S.M. and other areas because we were eaten alive in December…first time in 10 years that has happened. Clearly mosquito control is difficult, but if they are the carrier and they are that active, it will spread. (We saw fogging in February). Not trying to scare anyone away but if tourists are impacted in an area, that area’s economics/tourism will be impacted. We all know HOW to control them, but actually carrying it out is the hard part. All it takes is one pool of stagnant water for breeding, so I see it as virtually impossible to eliminate them. Good for the birds and bats, bad for us.

This is in no way isolated to Cuba, but all warmer climates, and even us in Canada if tourists bring it back, get bitten then that infected mosquito bites someone here who hasn’t even been to the Carribean. Now that would suck, getting it, but not even having had the chance to enjoy the Carribean experience!

A mixture of passion fruit juice and tangerine juice, fresh squeezed, by Lydia and Elaina(?) the ladies who host the fruit farm tour off resort (Brisas Sierra Mar). The best. No alcohol in it, in case you were wondering, since most mention alcoholic drinks.

Spouse discovered Cacique brand beer last trip. I think it is what the locals drink…and it was cheap.

	I had no problem with the new polymer ones being accepted last December or February, at the airport CADECA in Santiago, or at the hotel desk at Brisas Sierra Mar. (although now that the CADECA’s seems to be being removed from many hotels, they didn’t always have currency.

Thankfully I did not hear yet that someone got Chikungunya in Cuba. Have family living in Cuba and many friends. They have daily advertising on TV how to protect house and what to do regarding mosquitoes. There are inspectors who come and visit houses to make sure people do not have water around their houses and mosquito problems. Government try to help to reduce illnesses caused my mosquitoes in Cuba on daily basis.

If mosquito control is what we have to rely on to stop this or other mosquito borne diseases, in all honestly, I think we are toast. There are just too many natural places for them to breed, even with eliminating things like old tires, to a small metal dish or barrel. Just a matter of time I’m afraid. Hopefully the % of mosquitos carrying it will remain small. If it only takes one bite.

Searched for any mention on the cuba board and nothing so I am starting this thread.This mosquito borne disease seems to be becoming more of a concern in the Carribean since last December. My spouse was eaten alive in December for the first time in 10 years in Cuba. Developed some similar symptoms but never confirmed by blood test. I mentioned it a few times as she was being treated for a variety of symptoms but the doctor never thought to test. Doctors here may change that approach once it becomes more widespread. (I have no reason to think it won’t).

Even with mosquito repellant we seem to get the odd bite and can’t help but be concerned. No treatment and no cure, just suffer through it with potential long lasting effects. We’ve seen them fogging at the resorts but there are still skitters around.

	We are booked for late November. Never tried anything earlier than December because of hurricane season. August could be a scorcher from what we’ve always heard. This is the first year in 10 years, going to Brisas Sierra Mar (Santiago de Cuba) without the kid. Empty nesters now could be fun. We’ll probably still go in December with the kid between semesters.

Defn weird, always two sides. Biggest thing for me was they couldnt remember if it was broken or not?????!But if they werent allowed back in the room to see/verify either is kinda strange. It must have been obvious damage if they "noticed" it that quick to pull them off the bus!But I know I wouldn’t be one to want to cause a fuss on my way out of their either. You are kinda at their mercy really.

And the resort had police at the site that quickly who took his passports?!

Your observation struck me as somewhat funny….cuz they were on their honeymoon so I don’t think they were watching tv, but their ‘other’ activities might have been vigorous enough to cause damage in the room that they might not have noticed due to their preoccupation with the nuptials. lol

Well this is timely. Cuba feb 16-23. Added a telus text pkg for unlimited incoming and 50 outgoing. Just checked our telus bill and noticed Cubacel was charging multiple times for the same text. Anywhere from 2 to 4x charges for sending an individual text. The invoice shows the time with maybe 2-5 seconds between each charge to send the text. It was easy to spot because the "sent to" number is the same. So check your bills folks, you might be getting charged multiple times for sending one text. This occurred for the entire week. No problem with incoming though.ie. time item Amount details 5:36:09 PM 1 msg $0.15 Roaming Txt Msg – Sent from/to 011535xxxxxxx 5:36:07 PM 1 msg $0.15 Roaming Txt Msg – Sent from/to 011535xxxxxxx 5:36:06 PM 1 msg $0.15 Roaming Txt Msg – Sent from/to 011535xxxxxxx 5:36:04 PM 1 msg $0.15 Roaming Txt Msg – Sent from/to 011535xxxxxxx 8:30:39 AM 1 msg $0.15 Roaming Txt Msg – Sent from/to 011535xxxxxxx 8:30:38 AM 1 msg $0.15 Roaming Txt Msg – Sent from/to 011535xxxxxxx 8:30:36 AM 1 msg $0.15 Roaming Txt Msg – Sent from/to 011535xxxxxxx 8:30:35 AM 1 msg $0.15 Roaming Txt Msg – Sent from/to 011535xxxxxxx 11:19:25 PM 1 msg $0.40 Roaming Txt Msg – Sent from/to 647xxxxxx 11:19:22 PM 1 msg $0.40 Roaming Txt Msg – Sent from/to 647xxxxxx Maybe they are trying to charge for each cell tower the text is routed through lol.

madrugada,Your post was informative. It is always good to ensure you have coverage wherever you travel, be it out of province, where OHIP will only pay the base amount, or out of country.Even when one ‘thinks’ they have coverage there is so much fine print, and exclusions that one be sure they actually have coverage until the get reimbursed/or costs paid. Insurers like to find loopholes to minimize their costs!

Good to know, whether you are attacked by a polar bear, or bitten by a killer whale. lol

Perhaps I misread but I thought there was a suggestion to just delete a thread. I’d hate to feel I was wasting my time contributing if that were going to happen (deleting). If someone was outright offensive, swearing then it would be appropriate to remove that post. Life is too short to hold animosity toward one another and I actually like having a debate with someone who holds an opposing view….because it is always possible that they may change my mind on a subject,…or vice versa lol.

I know it is important to keep on topic for someone who wants to come and learn about a particular issue in a thread and it can be distracting if things get off topic, but it is usually easy enough to just skip over a particular post(s) in a thread once you start to see the thread take a different direction.

If a thread is just going to get deleted, on or off topic, we run into the same problem as with the previous owner/mod in that you never know at what point the line is crossed, from friendly banter etc. Conversations eb and flow and you never know where a discussion might lead. If I saw that my contributions were just going to end up being deleted, then why post at all?

JMHO.

No, really. Tell us what you really think. At least separate the front line service providing civil servant from the bloated bureaucracy/management/politicians. There are some services that should be provided to citizens that ensure an educated, food and water safety, health care system that doesn’t just benefit the rich. Lol The reality is that politicians come and go while the "bloated bureaucracy" of union cash-for-life civil servants rule with an iron fist!

As to education/food and water safety/health care, compare today’s services to 20 yrs ago and see the major decline in all the above.

Demonizing, stereotyping civil servants, when many are actually trying to ensure the well being of the public, is small minded. Just as is describing them all as as ‘union cash-for-life civil servants’, (there are always some who take advantage or abuse the system both in and out of the public service). It is bad enough having to be under constant attack from politicians but then having to put up with people like yourself does little to make improve things. Those who want to serve the public have no choice to be in or out of a union. Both politicians and unions have both gone to far from time to time but that doesn’t mean we don’t have one of the better systems for society. If there is a decline in ‘all the above’ it isn’t because of the front line workers who are doing the best they can with the limitations imposed by the higher ups! But that doesn’t mean you scrap the entire system and go back to having nothing and leave everyone on their own.

Thanks for that info djenning. I was aware of a few isolated cases but nothing to that extent. That is really sad that people feel they need to control the public beach. We once looked at buying an old disused resort that was mostly run down cottages and it was made clear to me that even though the cottages were right at the shore, they could be upgraded but not torn down and replaced because they were built on public land so close to the shore. I was under the impression that the high water line was a historic mark and not subject to change with the seasons. Dax you are right on the ‘high water mark’. I re-read what I typed and wasn’t clear, in these cases the deeds are to the ‘water’s edge’ which changes significantly in our area at least. Despite not having tidal changes on our Great Lakes, water does still change as water levels rise and fall due to St Lawrence Seaway/Welland Canal control/drought.The Region/Municipality basically ‘thought’ that things were being sold on the basis of the high water mark and was supposed to have an easement along all the lakefront properties to allow others access to walk. There are additional lands yet to be devleoped along the lake and we have been ‘assured’ that the developer will have to have it structured with public access even if he sells lakefront lots to future homeowners. This is where public due diligence will be critical…to ensure that no one ‘forgets’. I think if this can’t be resolved then those claiming ownership to the water’s edge should also be TAXED on that basis. MPAC should reassess all these properties, as they do the rest of us, on the basis of your property lot SIZE. The property size is currently not determined when the water level is at it’s lowest(Winter here on L Ontario based on what I’ve seen). Some of the properties I’ve seen basically double in lot size when the Lake recedes in Winter LOL.

Canada does not like it’s citizens to travel, they might lose their rose-coloured glasses & see it as it really is, a country with 10 months of winter, 2 months of mosquito infested poor sledding, governed by a #### civil servant dictatorship!

I was one of those who spoke up on TA about having restrictions placed on the use of the beach. Since all beaches in Cuba are public, it would be hypocritical of the gov’t to allow a resort to deny access to the public or other ‘cheaper’ guests. I got slammed. If I want to walk the shoreline, that should be public.Believe it or not, that’s the case in Ontario, last I checked when we were looking at buying land on a beach. There is a certain depth from the water line that is considered public and people cannot be restricted. The only exception to this has been certain areas that are Native Reserve areas. I have heard of boaters being handed a charge for ‘parking’ their boats on those areas.

My suspicion is that the resort backtracked on denying access to certain beach areas.

Not to get off topic dax, but I can say with 100% certainty that in Ontario people can and are restricted from certain lake access. We live in an Homeowners association on Lake Ontario and when we bought 10+ years ago the developer sold off lake property first with supposed lake access. He then sold the lakefront lots and depending on the deed, the earlier ones were supposed to grant non-lakefront owners access to walk on the beach etc. The reality is, the lake front owners own to the HIGH water mark. In the Winter the water recedes 60+ feet making an even bigger beach which they own. Someone mentioned the Navigable waters act and if you have an emergency you can land on the ‘private’ property.Trust me, we spent thousands trying to get access after the developer ‘screwed up’ and the municipality allowed what was once accessible to all Ontarions, to now be private. Don’t get me wrong, for the lakefront owners that were told, and sold on the basis they owned the beach, I have no issue with. Both sides got screwed and it created real animosity. Kim Craitor, Liberal MPP, tried 3x through a private members bill, to essentially restore access for all Ontarions to at least be able to WALK on the beaches of the Great Lakes, but sadly the legislation died before ever getting passed, with each election call!Ironically the Region of Niagara and the Municipality allowed the loss of public access…and guess where significant parts of the Waterfront Trail in Ontario now run…on the LAND side of numerous houses that now own what were formerly all Onations our beaches!

www.shorewalk.ca/index.html

savethebeaches.ca/

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