LEAVING TO CUBA TOMORROW, FLIGHT & DETAILS

Hello Everyone,

We depart to Cuba tomorrow  on Sunwing Airlines Flight 676 leaving Vancouver at 11:35 at night Sunday, Nov. 13 arriving 8:35 AM.  If things go as planned, we will spend Nov. 14-16 in Varadero at the Mar del Sur  Hotel then transfer to the Ancon Hotel near Trinidad Cuba on Nov. 17.  Then return to Varadero  Nov. 26 before our departure on the 28.

We are now a group of 8, but my sister and her two friends will fly almost a day before us on an Air Canada Charter flight leaving 7 AM Nov. 13 and arriving around 6:30 PM.

We will all meet at the Mar del Sur Hotel which is centrally located. Our lovely Cuban friend Liliety will help us fine tune our plans and we look forward to another reunion with her lovely family.

If the Mar del Sur has any problems Liliety can transfer us to a nicer hotel!!

Best contact phone number in any emergency is Liliety's as she speaks English and is generally home  8 PM eastern time (but has days off too). She will know where we are and is an English speaking tour guide so can pass messages on to us. Her number from Canada is


011-53-45-610303

Telephoning Cuba sometimes takes more than one try!

It is not easy to check our emails in Cuba but we will definitely manage to check a few times so do email us for any reason but especially if any problems arise.

eviblueth@gmail.com

We return home (weather considered) on Nov. 28 (Sunwing Air Flt. 677) arriving home at
12:30 (noon) if it leaves on time.  We hope to be on the coast and sleeping off our jet lag that day and night!

Everyone is ready, and the cooler temperatures today will not be missed.  It sounds like the weather in Cuba is currently pleasant with sunshine,  clouds, occasional wind...so we will happily dive into the warm sea, Ivan may do a shallow scuba dive,  and we will all enjoy snorkeling where magic and colour come alive.  Swaying corals, and schools of iridescent blue fish, followed by a myriad of other colourful sea life.  This is my favourite theatre!

Our  dynamic group of 8 will be a delight, and when our intentions are realized with the generous contributions from all  (we thank you all) reaching the many hospitals and clinics will be our mission.  (We have purchased some specific things requested at the Hospital in Sancti Spiritus).

"Life is a work in progress"

Enjoy the days and we will post our story and pictures once home.

We will also do our best to keep in touch by email re family but Cuba is always an "unknown quantity" so the Internet does not always work.

Keep the home fires burning, enjoy those gorgeous sunny autumn days and wish us luck!

Evi, Ivan, Irene,  Lynda, Mahmood, Sylvene, Cas, and Nori

Hasta luego!

Abrazos!




I wish everyone

My Birthday Party at our House (Sept 20- 2011)

Ivan and friends made me a lovely Birthday party and I was delighted to see so many friends from many different aspects of my life.  Ivan followed Sylvene's recipe and made that delicious cake that we had for Asaka's 16th party. (I guess I was jealous, her party looked like so much fun)

Time has passed, but thank you dear friends and family for the wonderful evening.

Occupy Vancouver

A group of us participated in the "Occupy Vancouver Movement".  I kept wondering when people would rise up and speak out.

The global movement for change is happening, and it was great participating in Vancouver's version, and I was grateful that it remained peaceful.

It is exciting to see people of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds joining in an effort to  "think out of the box" to create a new infrastructure and do it from the ground up. 

There are currently so many issues at stake,  my hope is this huge global think tank will influence change....perhaps slowly and with difficulty.  But with the determination and excitement I felt at "Occupy Vancouver"  my feeling is this is just going to get bigger.

Hope I didn't overwhelm you with my backwoods pictures

Hello Folks,

I started the blog the way I usually do, taking coastal BC with me in picture form.  If you scroll down and join me on my many local wanders (in picture form)  you will reach the text regarding our departure to Cuba re Humanitarian Aid Trip, then our departure to Mexico, Dec. 14- April 10.

I like to use the blog so you know where we are, what we're up to, and welcome comments.

Email me at

eviblueth@gmail.com

when I am traveling but now I am still at

eblu1929@uniserve.com
 

If you have a chance, let me know you are receiving it.

Abrazos,

Evi

Some Gentle Hike Photos (first one compliments of Scott Bleakley)

The Sunshine Coast B.C. Canada, exploring the hinterland and coast

B.C. coastal beauty, Exploring the Sunshine Coast

Evi and Ivan's Plans this Winter

Nov. 1, 2011

Hello Dear Friends and Family,

Life has finally slowed down, after a busy summer helping keep the Cedar Rose afloat.  Ivan mastered a variety of baking inventions for the continental breakfasts, such as  mc-ivan-english muffin style treats with eggs and cheese inside, and all the standards ( cheese scones, blueberry muffins,  fruit treats etc.). 

I enjoyed a 15 year old Japanese student who spent two weeks with us on a study holiday.  Although this was my worst spring and summer lately re- my health….I managed to teach and entertain and learn from young Asaka.  She was delightful and wrote me saying she had the “best time in her life”. (It made me a little worried about the rest of her life, but she did have many new experiences as well a lot of adult attention and I think she was missing that.) I also had the privilege of learning many things from her.

I plan to continue teaching ESL very part time in Jocotepec.

I am starting my winter blog and want to test it before we head south. 

We leave to Cuba  Nov. 13- 28 (seven of us) to bring some humanitarian medical aid to the hospital in Sancti Spiritus and various clinics up in the mountains north of Trinidad, Cuba.  This is a beautiful area and we look forward to showing it to three of our seven who have never been there.

If all goes well ( no hurricanes etc.) we return Nov. 28  then leave to Roca Azul  Dec. 14 returning April 10/2012.

It will be our 4^th winter in Mexico care-taking Dona’s Casita and enjoying the familiarity of the town of Jocotepec and our dear friends.  Each year we make new discoveries and deepen our existing friendships. 

We both feel less pain under the sunny skies of Chapala, a dry climate with cool mornings and evenings (5200’ altitude)  and gorgeous sunny days approx. 20-25 degrees by noon.  It is ideal for activity but warm enough to feel nurtured and get that vitamin D that seems to perk us up.

Ivan now has a hearing aid and I am so anxious for him to hear the morning birdsong at Roca Azul, an eco- park with a little housing community, thermal pool, and lots of other charming attributes.

My Canadian B.C. Life

I am also taking this opportunity to share some photos of the amazing beauty of the hinterland where I spend my time scouting out hikes between March and October (usually) once a week (in slow motion) for the Gentle Hiking Group.  I am amazed how the puzzle of our local geography and back roads is starting to make sense. My best days have been scouting along rambling trails and old logging roads, discovering lakes on the map then finding them by foot, using maps and GPS.  Of course we leap in each lake and name the nameless ones. 

Each season offers surprises, wild turtles, rare frogs, early spring flowers, a herd of wild elk, autumn blueberries and summer huckleberry snacks, swims "au natural"  in both hidden lakes and the sea.

Let me know if you are able to access this blog.  I will post contact numbers and details but will be more relaxed about blog story telling in Mexico and only write when inspired.  The blog will keep you posted on how we are doing, where we are, and how to reach us.

We will be at the Mar del Sur Hotel in Varadero from Nov.  14-17 then we travel to the Ancon Peninsula Hotel near Trinidad Cuba from Nov. 17- 25 and return to Varadero on Nov. 26 ...fly home on the 28 if all goes as planned. (it is still Hurricane season until end of Nov.)  My Cuban friend Liliety who lives in Varadero can take messages for us, her phone number is  Liliety Celestrun 011-53-45-667148.  Communication from and to Cuba is exorbitant but we will check our emails once or twice when possible.

Here are my B.C. pictures which will be followed by our Cuban adventure but not until I get home due to lack of internet.


Warmest Greetings to Everyone.

Enjoy these gorgeous sunny autumn days!


Evi and Ivan