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18 BCA A .COM WINTER 2015 (top) Robert Harding World Imagery/Alamy/All Canada Photos, Huber/Sime/eStock Photo DESTINATIONS Cuba As the sun sets over the Straits of Florida, explore the narrow streets of Habana Vieja (Old Havana) on foot. Enjoy a daiquiri at the El Floridita (floridita- cuba.com), one of Ernest Hemingway's famous hangouts, and visit Room 511 at the nearby Hotel Ambos Mundos (hotelambosmundos.info), where the legendary author lived and wrote in the 1930s. Sip a sweet Cuban espresso while watching cigars being rolled at the 18th-century Hotel Conde de Villanueva (hotelcondedevillanueva.com). Learn to salsa in Santiago de Cuba At the other end of the island, Cuba's second-largest city and colonial capital moves to a distinctly Afro-Cuban beat known as son, the mother of salsa. It's said that salsa is a way of life in Cuba and nowhere is that more true than in Santiago. If you happen to be circumnavigating the island with Cuba Cruise by Celestyal Cruises (yourcubacruise.com) – a Canadian cruise company offering a handy way to see a lot of the island in one week – sign up for the two-hour salsa and rumba lesson at Rhythm Cuba when docked in Santiago. On-board Cuban dance instructor Martha Lahens gives this advice: "Don't worry about the steps. If you can follow the beat, the rest is easy." But there's more to Santiago than salsa. When you're done dancing, take in the rich history of this city, such as the Spanish fortress El Morro, now a UNESCO World Heritage site (whc. unesco.org), and the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery where some of the country's most influential figures are buried. Get closer to Castro in Biran From the port city of Antilla in eastern Cuba, it's just over an hour's drive to the tiny town of Biran, where Fidel Castro and his six siblings were born. In that hour, you'll see sights you'd never expect: maybe a man walking a pig on a rope like a dog – the cheapest way to feed animals is to let them graze along the roadside. You'll certainly see horse-drawn buggies carrying people and supplies, and oxen pulling plows in the fields. Approaching Biran, look for the enormous billboard with jovial photos of Fidel and his beardless brother Raúl – president since 2008. Their childhood home is now a museum, but with proud portraits gracing the walls and clothes hanging in the closets, you might think the family is just out for the day. Bottles of perfume and a rosary adorn the dresser in their mother's bedroom. Angel Castro, the family patriarch, was a successful sugarcane farmer and entrepreneur who built a general store, post office, school and cockfighting ring on his property. Of course, it was nationalized along with other businesses when Fidel and his co-revolutionaries seized power in 1959. Get wet and wild at El Nicho Who knew that Cuba boasts wilderness parks as well as pristine beaches? High up in the Escambray Mountains – where opponents of Castro hid out during the revolution – El Nicho Park offers a welcome respite from the heat and humidity lower down. Its undeveloped loveliness is a surprise for a country that was colonized almost 500 years ago. But the best part about El Nicho is its series of waterfalls, each one more impressive than the last. Green and turquoise pools gather at the bases, inviting you to slip in and cool off. One final experience you need to have in Cuba is dining at a state-owned restaurant, not for the pleasure, but for the adventure. While privately owned restaurants have started to open with Raúl Castro's economic reforms, dining à la state (such as at the restaurant in El Nicho) lets you in on how Cubans themselves eat – basic fare that's heavy on the proteins (often fried pork or chicken) with few vegetables. And it makes you realize that some of the inevitable changes coming once Cuba opens its doors to U.S. businesses just may be for the better, for Cubans and visitors alike. n A lifesize bronze statue of Hemingway resides in his regular watering hole, El Floridita (top); the fortress El Morro has protected Santiago de Cuba Bay since the 17th century. BCAA Members save 20% or more, plus earn 3% in CAA Dollars, on parking at the Vancouver airport with Park'N Fly. bcaa.com/parknfly MEMBERS SAVE

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