I went to Cuba expecting something completely different than what I experienced! First, my last few trips have been booked as last minute bookings with @aircanadavacations. Without their reasonable deals, I would not be able to travel as frequently. I’m forever grateful! CAYO COCO, CUBA is a beautiful part of the world. Everywhere I looked was just effortlessly pretty. It was hot!!!! Middle of winter here but scorching there. I read mid twenties before I left. I’d say it was in the mid to high 30 degree in Celsius. Pleasant surprise! I stayed at the @valentinhotels which is fairly new. They just opened prior to pandemic. I was part of their second wave of guests after being closed for 3 years. That was perfect for me. They were not at capacity so I could always find quiet time in the sun if need be. Overall, I got the vibe that this spot was very relaxing. Everyone always complains about THE FOOD! Honestly, it was not that bad. I didn’t enjoy the a la carte restaurants as much as I did the buffet. I brought my own salt, pepper, hot sauce and didn’t use them even one time. I thought people were just exaggerating. But after speaking to the more frequent Cuban tourists, they all said that this was the best food they have ever had in Cuba. THE STAFF were amazing. I spent time picking their brains and asking about life on the island. They are very proud people! Once comfortable though they told me about their joys and pains. If I could do anything differently to help them, I would have brought a lot of extras. Clothing, especially shoes. They also really appreciate toiletries. I would have been so happy to share what I have at home or even a quick shop at a dollar store. I assumed that because I was in Cuba and US citizens are not welcome there, that they would not take US money - FALSE. It’s actually preferred. They will take Canadian dollars of course but it’s difficult for them to change out our coins. So we are better off stocking up on our US 1s. I have so much more I’d like to write but not enough space. Meet me below if you have any questions.