Another day trip into Varadero
Unlike the blue sky days we had enjoyed so far, today offered a change in weather and the possibilities of a few rain showers. I had traveled into Varadero the day before for a bit of a sightseeing tour but today Adell and I had planned to go into Varadero for a bit of window shopping and perhaps a bit of souvenir hunting. The plan was simple – go early, come back early, so despite the possibility of rain, we headed over to the bus stop to await the arrival of the Varadero Beach Tour double-decker bus. While we waited for the bus, I kept myself busy photographing some of the local construction activity.
 
The first stop for today was the America Plaza which somewhat resembled a North American mall with respect to the offerings of clothing and other items. We enjoyed looking around the mall but didn’t buy anything. The second floor offered some nice views of the ocean which was really churning with the strong winds of the day.
 
With the wind and unsettled weather conditions, the golf course was not crowded.
 
The bus travels along the south shore of the Varadero Peninsula and stops at most of the resorts or within walking distance of the resorts. Today the wind was really blowing and it was tough to hang onto hats as we drove along the shore.
 
It didn’t take us too long to get to Varadero and, once there, we got off of the bus and began our walk along the main street of Varadero. There were plenty of shops and stalls offering all sorts of carvings, bead work, paintings and hats, t-shirts and bongo drums.
 
We eventually reach the Hicacos Mall which is one of the larger more formal malls of Varadero. I had been in the mall the day before so while Adell checked out the mall I watched the traffic going by. A brief rain shower had made the streets a bit wet but that didn’t slow anything down at all.
 
 
Although it was overcast, it was still warm and each time that a shower went through, everyone would take cover in the doorways or under the tarps of the merchants along the street. We decided that a little nourishment wouldn’t hurt and enjoyed a nice ice cream bar while under cover and watching the various vintage cars. Pricing of items was very variable and the price of this ice cream bar was a perfect example. We paid $1.30CUC for the bar in the outdoor restaurant where we stopped. At other locations along the street, I was quoted as high as $2.50 CUC for the exact same commercial product. Pricing in the flea markets was equally flexible so it was definitely a ‘buyer beware’ environment.
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