Random Thoughts 9: Cuba Stories, and Other Stuff

It has been a while since I actually did a “Random Thoughts” post. If you’re not familiar with how this works, it is basically thoughts I have that are too long to be tweeted on Twitter, and too short to be actually made into a proper blog post. So I collect them into one single blog post. The “Random Thoughts” blogs tend to be a lot more fun for me to write and tend to be on the lighter side of things (though there are some occasional serious thoughts as well).

Well, let’s get into it, and I will start with the Cuba vacation I had not too long ago. I already talked about the hotel we stayed at, but now I’ll talk about some of the experiences I had.

The very first time we went to the disco to drink and party, we met some very interesting people there, including some Brits, and Cuban locals. But the people who made the biggest impression on me that night were a lesbian couple who were vigorously making out all over the dance floor. Security tried to get these two girls to stop, but they kept going at it. One of the girls wanted to make out with my cousin, but she flatly refused. The final act the lesbian couple did that managed to get the disco shut down was when they laid down on the bench and started having sex, right there, in the view of everyone in the disco. Security came in and kicked out everyone, while the drunken lesbian couple was arguing with security. Shit was going to go down, so we left.

There was another time we had at the disco. We were chilling, drinking and on the dance floor when this random girl took my drink and started drinking it. Well, she was pretty hot, so we began to chat, while she kept stealing my drink (drinks were free, by the way). Then when I asked her for a dance, she blew me off! What a bitch! She has the audacity to steal two of my drink, but she wouldn’t give me a wine? That’s straight disrespect.

I don’t think I have ever seen an actual ugly girl in Cuba. All the local young girls (18-30) were amazingly fit, and very sexy. Would love to take one home, but I don’t think the Cuban government would permit that. Also, there are a lot of nice classic cars in Cuba as well.

At the resort, there would always be a small dog wandering around. I resisted every part of my body to want to see how far I could kick that dog.

Olympic Closing Ceremony Thoughts: I watched Austin Powers instead. I have no regrets.

Last thought: I come from a family who loves to put pepper sauce on everything. Not just on the food that would regularly need it, but on regular food that people would never think of putting pepper sauce on, such as pasta, and various breakfast items. Now, if you are someone who likes to put pepper sauce on every food imaginable, then do you really know what good food is? If you are cooking food, and you have to put loads of pepper sauce on your already cooked food, then you are simply not a good cook. You can’t appreciate the food for what it really is.

That’s all for this edition, the next one should be coming soon. Peace.

My Thoughts on the Canada-USA Match and Post-Game Reaction

If you all didn’t know by now, the United States pulled out a 4-3 win in extra time in the semi-final of the Women’s soccer Olympic Tournament from an Alex Morgan header in the last minute. I’ll spare you a full tactical analysis because I personally find it boring and you can get that from many media personalities and analysts. I’ll say this; Canada showed an astounding amount of heart in that match and Christine Sinclair put in one of the most memorable performances in recent memory in the women’s game. But all too often, Canada easily gave away possession to the USA, and didn’t mark very well, which showed in the USA’s 1^st and 4^th goals. I would call the match pretty even between the USA and Canada.

Now on to the controversy, when the match was 3-2 for Canada, the Canadian goalkeeper got called for the 6-second rule, and the USA got a free-kick inside the 18-yard box. When that free-kick was taken, the ball struck a Canadian player in the arm and a penalty was called, which Abby Wambach scored to tie the game up. A lot of Canadian supporters were incensed at those calls, as well as at other decisions the ref has made. Also, a lot of Canadian supporters (and even some players) thought that there was “a fix” for the Americans to win the match, because of the perceived bad decisions that the referee has made.

Okay, my thoughts on the post-game reaction…

There was no “fix” in this match. I think that was nothing more than emotion coming from the angry Canadian supporters. Don’t get me wrong, the Canadian supporters have every right to feel angry from this match, but to say that there was a “fix” for the USA to win is a bit rubbish. What exactly will FIFA profit from this if there was actually a “fix”? TV Ratings? Money? I really don’t know. To those Canadian supporters who continue to believe there was a “fix,” I want to see some hard evidence of this. When I actually see it, I’ll believe it, but until then, this match wasn’t actually a “fix”.

A lot of Canadian supporters are understandably upset at some of the refereeing decisions made in this match, but it wasn’t like Canada didn’t get away with tackles that the referee didn’t call, because they certainly did. It seems like almost every single match, Canadian supporters (and other fans of clubs and countries) are upset with the referee about something. The referee isn’t likely to call a perfect match between two teams, so then why do we demand perfection from the referees? Maybe it is because in this time we live in, we get more and more access from soccer matches, such as camera angles, crowd reactions, and interviews. Did the referee in that Canada-USA match ref a bad game? That is debatable, but it seems like every time a match is played, supporters get upset over something the ref calls or hasn’t called.

For the 6-second rule that was called on the Canadian goalkeeper, I have never seen that rule implemented in a match in all my years of watching soccer, but no matter how obscure the rule is, it is still a rule of the game that has to be observed. But there were also instances where the USA goalkeeper Hope Solo held the ball for more than 6 seconds, but that is the failure of the referee to spot, not because of some “fix”. As for the handball call, the Canadian player clearly blocked the ball with her arm. That’s a penalty, no debate. There are some people who attribute inexperience as to why the referee made those calls, but there has to be a time where a referee makes that step to reffing an important match such as this one, and for that Norwegian referee, that time was this match.

I even saw some tweets from actual Canadian players saying basically that it “was already decided that the USA was going to win this game” and that “FIFA should look over this match”. I thought those comments were a bit classless and rather emotional, but once again; the players have every right to feel angry about the outcome of the match. Some of the American players, coaching staff, and supporters weren’t exactly graceful in victory, but I think that pales in comparison to Canada’s “outrage”. This is merely a minor gripe.

Well, there is no use crying over spilt milk right? We can talk about a “fix,” or bad refereeing decisions, but the only thing I will remember from this match is that the Canadian Women’s Team played their hearts out and gave their absolute everything. That is what I am proud of. Next is the bronze medal match against France, and we need to give the ladies all our support and will them on to a medal.

As for the events that happened against the USA, let’s put all of this behind us, shall we?

Cuba - Special Shout-Outs

I want to use this blog post to send out a few shout-outs to those who have made my vacation in Cuba an enjoyable one. First, I would like to thank the resort staff of the RIU Varadero for making our stay at the resort as comfortable as possible. You men and women are a special bunch. Now onto my particular shout-outs...

Special thanks to our maid that cleaned our hotel room and bathroom every day. There are not too many people in this world who can do the job that you did. I hope you enjoy the hat we gave you, as well as all the other stuff too.

Special thanks to our Havana tour guide, who was very knowledgeable about Cuba and the City of Havana. I learned a lot from you about daily life in Cuba and the Cuban government. Also, the places you took us in Havana were really cool. For a history buff like me, being in Havana was an unforgettable experience.

Special thanks to our Varadero cab drivers who showed us around the town of Varadero and took us to the various shops in the town. I hope the lunch you had with us at the restaurant was good for you as it was for me.

Shout-out to the pianist at the piano bar, who played a song I requested, and it was beautiful. That song was "Hello" by Lionel Ritchie.

Shout-out to Waldo, the bartender at the lobby bar. Fun guy to be around, that's for sure.

Shout-out to Adrian, the bartender at the disco, who I'm convinced the only reason why this guy is around is to get me drunk. Haha, I'm kidding. You were top-notch. You also got some nice bartending skills.

Shout-out to the Welsh boys and the sexy British girls we hung out with at the disco, you guys were awesome.

Shout-out to the people we met from Brampton, y'all were fun to hang out with as well, and one of you guys is a Customs officer, who we ran into in Customs while coming back to Canada!

And finally, big shout-out to the people we met from Markham. We all gotta hang out again, that's for sure. Good times at the disco.

That's all I can remember...

Hotel RIU Varadero Review - Part 2

Beach

I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the beach was. There are enough beach chairs and huts for everyone, and the water was a healthy bluish color. There was also a bar nearby do you can do some drinking right by the ocean. The beach was a little bit narrow from the ocean to the bushes, but that is a minor gripe. The beach was very nice.

Rating 7/10

Pools

There’s the main pool, which is the busier of the pools. There are always different shows going on and live music will play at the pool sometimes. There is also a swim-up bar to get your drinks. It can get really busy at the main pool and the swim-up bar sometimes, and if it gets to be a bit too much for you, you can go to the relaxation pool. Always less people than the main pool and offers a very tranquil atmosphere. It also has a swim-up bar and a waterfall. I spent most of my time in the relaxation pool. It is one of my favorite spots of the entire resort. There was also the Royal Section pool, but we didn’t go to that. Overall, the pools were pretty good.

Rating: 7.5/10

Theater Shows

I went to see most of the theater shows while at the resort, and I found myself bored at the majority of the shows. There were a couple shows where I walked out before the show had even finished. Seriously, the only show that was any good was the Michael Jackson show, so if there is only one show you should go see in the theater, make it that one. As for the other shows, they can be a bit better, and less boring.

Rating: 4.5/10

Disco

After the show ended, the disco would open for dancing. The place itself is pretty okay, maybe a little bit small, but still okay. There were some nights where a lot of people were at the disco, and other nights where there wasn’t as many people. The absolute worst thing about the disco was the DJ. The DJ played mostly latin music, mixed in with today’s popular club jams, which was fine. But the music he played couldn’t get people on the dance floor at all. Thankfully, the DJ was open to requests, so I requested some real dancing music, and all was good. Oh, and did I mention he played the exact same song twice, one before the other? Yeah, pretty crazy.

Rating: 5/10

Internet

You can purchase internet cards, 5 pesos for ½ hour, 10 pesos for 1 hour. The internet isn’t fast at all, but it wasn’t terribly slow either. Also, one of the PCs wasn’t working, which left only two working PCs. If you’re not stingy about hi-speed internet, then the internet in the resort shouldn’t give you much trouble.

Rating: 5/10

Games Room

The games room offers billiards, ping pong, and various board games. The ping pong paddles were half broken and the pool table only had one cue stick, which was cracked at the tip. The games room is pretty garbage, but at least it is something.

Rating: 3/10

Lobby Bar/Piano Bar

The lobby bar is the main bar in the resort, where people can come relax and have a drink. The lobby bar can get really busy at times, especially in the evening. The chairs to sit in were pretty uncomfortable, as well. The piano bar always had someone playing in the evening time, but the pianist always plays the same 2-3 songs. The most common song on the piano is “Someone Like You” by Adele. I must have heard that song at least 15 times during my stay. Overall, the lobby bar is a decent spot to chill at.

Rating: 5.5/10

Final Verdict

The newly-opened RIU Varadero has some nice pools, a relaxing beach, and decent rooms, but the terrible food was the deal-breaker. I would not come back to this hotel, and if I were to come back to Cuba, I would look elsewhere. If you have a strong stomach and food is not an issue for you, then take a chance on this resort. But for everyone else, see if you can find something better. I also add that this all-inclusive resort was a bit on the cheap side, and the saying of “you get what you pay for” rings true here. If you can spend more money on a better all-inclusive resort, then don’t hesitate to do it. RIU claims that this hotel is a Cuban 5-star resort. I disagree; this was probably 3 and ½ stars, maybe 4 stars at best.

Final Rating: 5.5/10

Hotel RIU Varadero Review - Part 1

We stayed at the Riu Varadero from July 19 to July 26. This was one of the newer-built hotels in Varadero, and it shows. All the buildings were very clean and well taken care of. The hotel staff was very friendly, and they would always greet you every time they pass you by. Check-in was very quick and one of the hotel staff took our luggage to the room. We stayed in Building 24, which was very close to the beach.

Room

The room was very clean and well-kept. The double-sized beds we had were comfortable, but there was another small mattress in the room that felt like you were sleeping on a rock. I slept on that mattress one night, and it was honestly one of the worst nights of sleep I ever had. There was something wrong with the TV, in which the colors was all messed up and couldn’t be fixed, but that was only a minor inconvenience. The mini-fridge was pretty cool, which came stoked with water, soft drinks, and beer. It was replenished every other day. The balcony was also very nice. Other than that, the room was pretty standard. The maids came by every day and did a great job in cleaning the room.

Rating: 7/10

Bathroom

Once again, pretty standard. A major problem is that there is a very high step to go in the bathtub, so young children, the elderly, or others who need assistance may find it difficult to step into the bathtub. Be sure to ask one of the hotel maids for some sort of step ladder if problems arise.

Rating: 6/10

Towels

From reading previous reviews of this hotel, there were many people who had issues with exchanging towels, so I brought my own. There were already beach towels in the room, so I used those first before I used my own. Indeed, exchanging those hotel-issued towels was a pain. The towel desk had inconsistent hours, and they always ran out of clean towels. This is something that needs to be fixed.

Food

Please note that I am a vegetarian. My review of the food may not reflect on those who are not vegetarians.

The main buffet restaurant has a wide selection of food for everyone, including pizza, pasta, stir-fry, and more. For breakfast, there’s an omelette bar for people to enjoy. Honestly, the food was not very good at all. You tend to say that when the food you eat in the resort has you running for the bathroom.

The snack bar by the main pool has your typical fast-food grub, such as hamburgers, hotdogs, and French fries. They also have a mini-buffet. The food here is slightly better than the buffet food, but not by much.

The worst (for vegetarians) is the a la carte restaurants. I went to the Creole and Oriental restaurants and they didn’t offer any vegetarian options. The Creole restaurant offered me a spaghetti (which was horrible), and I walked out of the Oriental restaurant. For a so-called Cuban 5-star resort, Riu really needs to offer vegetarian options for their a la carte restaurants. Absolutely ridiculous.

Overall, the food was pretty bad, almost terrible and inedible. Also, the food is left open, so that brings in bugs and insects toward the food. In the snack bar, I’ve seen birds fly to the open buffet food and pick at it. That is very unhygienic, if I do say so myself. My stomach was killing me at the end of the vacation.

Rating: 1/10 (seriously, it is that bad)

If you have the opportunity to eat outside the resort, please do so. I recommend the Salsa Suarez in Varadero town. Tell them Randy sent you.

Gift Shop/Vendors

The gift shop and the various vendors outside it sell various souvenirs and other products. They are a bit expensive though, so I suggest taking a taxi to the town of Varadero, where there is a lot more choice on what souvenirs to buy, and at a cheaper price.

Part 2 will come tomorrow, where I will talk about the beach, the pools, the entertainment, and give my final verdict.