Cuba & Costa Rica Blog
About this blog
Written by Cuba and Costa Rica expert Christopher P. Baker, this blog will update readers on life in these two diverse and exciting countries.
Recent Posts
- Last blog post on Costa Rica and Cuba
- First-ever group motorcycle tours of Cuba successful
- Cuba’s Mariel port readying for Panama Canal expansion
- Musings on wildlife encounters on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
- Cuba’s Steam Trains puffing their last gasp
- My top five thrilling activities in Costa Rica
- Cuba’s fun February festivals include Harleys, Books, Cigars
- Five top volcano viewing experiences in Costa Rica
- New road along Costa Rica / Nicaraguan border mired
- Cuba’s Hotel Campoamor at Cojímar to be restored?
- Cuban revolutionary Celia Sánchez honored in new book
- Christmas challenge for Costa Rica’s sexually abused girls
- Costa Rica opens Chinatown in downtown San José
- David Soul films Hemingway’s car restoration in Cuba
- National Geographic Expeditions receives license for Cuba tours
Four great new books about Cuba
I'm an avid reader and a constant stream of new books about Cuba keeps me entertained. The past months have seen some exciting new additions. Here are four books I've recently enjoyed and can recommend.
"Havana Nocturne: How the Mob owned Cuba and lost it to the Revolution" (William Morrow, 2008) is almost as fun a read as is a good novel. This is the must-read text about the Mafia in Cuba. Authoritative in his detail, true-crime writer T.J. English does a superb job describing the corruption of pre-Castro Cuba and the internecine feuding among the mobsters. However, it's the delicious tidbits that I recall most, such as the time John F. Kennedy was set up with three hookers by Santo Traficante, who watched the shenanigans through a two-way mirror... and the time Frank Sinatra was disturbed inflagrante delicto in the Hotel Nacional by girl scouts and a nun. Precious! more >>
Coffee tours in Costa Rica spill the beans!
Costa Rica, 13th among world coffee producers, grows about two percent of the world's coffee and glossy bushes carpet the slopes above 3,000 feet like rows of bottle-green corduroy. Beans grown here are ranked among the best in the world. Why is that, you may ask? What distinguishes a superb coffee from one that is merely OK?
For the answer, you should head to a coffee finca (farm) or beneficio (processing plant), many of which offer tours. There’s a tremendous amount of lore to learn about coffee production and most places, in my experience, leave you short-changed. There are tours, and then there are tours. Here are my three faves... more >>
Freedom to Travel to Cuba bill introduced to Congress
A bipartisan group of Congressional representatives has jumped the gun on speculation over whether President Obama might move to lift U.S. travel restrictions vis-a-vis Cuba.
Last Wednesday, four Democrats and four Republicans co-sponsored House Bill H.R. 874, introduced by William Delahunt (D-MA), to restore the right of U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba. The bill was proposed in a previous session of Congress, but never came up for debate.
Early in his election campaign, Obama called for an end to the restrictions. Although he later modified his position, calling solely for easing restrictions on Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba, the current sense among analysts is that he would sign H.R. 874 if passed by Congress. more >>
Train crash in Cuba belies ongoing efforts to improve the rail system
Three people died and at least 93 others were injured when two trains collided near Sibanicu, in Camaguey province, on Saturday (February 7). The collision derailed at least one of the trains, tumbling carriages down an embankment.
This is the second major train crash in Cuba in 18 months. At least 28 people were killed when a Manzanillo-bound train from Santiago collided with a bus at a level crossing at Yara, in Granma province, in October 2007.
The recent crash highlights again the sorry state of public transportation in Cuba, where the rail infrastructure is antiquated and run-down, and buses and trains are always overcrowded. more >>
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