Where to eat near Casino Rama: Duckworth’s Fish & Chips

House Special Fish & Chips Premium West Coast Halibut @ Duckworth's

When we are in Orillia for a show at Casino Rama or for a quick getaway, we try to stop by Duckworth’s Fish & Chips. We mostly do take out (especially when we have our yorkie with us) but we also dine in. Hubby and I always get the Premium West Coast Halibut & Chips or the house special which includes a beverage, coleslaw and bread. The kids totally love the halibut as well.

The halibut has not disappointed in all the times we have eaten there. It is always moist and flaky, with the batter crunchy and not greasy.

Their dessert offerings are deep fried, too, but of course! The girls wanted to check out the deep fried ice cream. A big scoop of vanilla ice cream coated in marble cake and deep fried in the house batter—how can you go wrong? It can only get better as they smothered this in chocolate and strawberries. So sinful and so delicious. Deep fried Mars bars next time!

Deep fried ice cream @ Duckworth's

Duckworth’s will always be our go-to place in the area for fantastic fish & chips!

A Day in Havana

Old Havana,  Cuba

Our group of two families went on a private tour to Havana. It was about a 2-hour drive from Varadero with a stop at Mirador de Bacunayagua (Bacunayagua lookout). From the lookout, you can see the Bacunayagua Bridge crossing a deep canyon over the Yumuri valley.  It is the highest bridge in Cuba. 

Mirador de Bacunayagua, Cuba

Here we not only stopped to use the washroom (tips needed), take photos and check out some souvenirs, we also got some of the best piña coladas I have tried. Now, am not really fond of coconut-based drinks, but the bar served such delicious piña coladas made from freshly squeezed pineapple juice and coconut, that I could not resist! They will make it virgin for you as well, which the kids loved!

the best piña coladas at the Mirador de Bacunayagua

It felt like being transported back in time when we got to Old Havana. And while it seemed similar to Intramuros in Manila, with calesas (horse-drawn carriages), Spanish architecture, and cobblestones, the presence of vintage cars on the roads made it truly different. 

Havana is beautiful, with brightly-colored buildings and old structures. It is, after all, a UNESCO world heritage site. But there was nothing quite like seeing classic cars driving about like it was just part of a regular day. For us, it was like being in a different time altogether. Vintage cars which we only see in auctions, and that aficionados would spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on, were just ordinary, everyday vehicles. Mostly these were used as taxis and tour cars. Locals would take public transport and you would see a long line up for the sardine-packed buses. While we saw some beautiful Oldsmobile and Plymouth, there were also newer cars. The tour buses were Yutong (Chinese) and our tour van was a Hyundai (Korean).

the old cars in Havana, Cuba

We checked out a couple of nice structures. The big ones, were of course, like in any previous Spanish colony, churches. We saw the beautiful Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis 

Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis, Havana

and the La Catedral de la Virgen María de la Concepción Inmaculada de La Habana (Havana Cathedral).

La Catedral de la Virgen María de la Concepción Inmaculada de La Habana (Havana Cathedral)

We walked around Havana and checked out the city’s most iconic sites like Hotel Ambos Mundos (Spanish colonial hotel where Hemingway used to stay),

Hotel Ambos Mundos, Havana

Bodeguita del medio (a bar which famous personalities patronized), and the mini-museums around.

Bodeguita del Medio, Havana

We also went to the Plaza de la Revolución (Revolution Square) square. There we took the obligatory photos with the José Martí Memorial (a 358 ft with a 59 ft statue). 

Old cars by the José Marti memorial, Revolution Square, Havana

Opposite the memorial are the offices of the Ministries of the Interior and Communications. The facades of which featured steel memorials of the two most important heroes of the Cuban Revolution: Che Guevara 

Memorial for Che Guevara,"Hasta la Victoria Siempre" (Until the Everlasting Victory, Always) 

and Camilo Cienfuegos (sometimes mistaken for Fidel Castro).

Memorial for Camilo Cinfuegos, "Vas bien, Fidel" (You're doing fine, Fidel)

They also had the El Capitolio (National Capitol Building) which housed the seat of government until the revolution. It most definitely looked like the United States Capitol in Washington.

El Capitolio, Havana

Of course, no trip is complete without checking out a cigar factory. Rum and Cigar = Cuba. We went to visit Romeo y Julieta. We no longer did the tour but we did see some other smaller factories with cigar rollers in action. As cigar is paired with rum, stores sell both.

Rums at Romeo y Julieta cigar factory, Havana

Best pairing--Cuban cigar and rum

Cigars at Romeo y Julieta factory in Havana

Would highly recommend a visit to Havana. It is so rich with history and culture. 

What to Expect in Varadero

Varadero, Cuba

We had a wonderful time in Varadero, Cuba! The beach and waters were beautiful and the weather was just so delightful. Before we left for Cuba, we got some tips from folks who have been there. Here are some helpful ones which worked for us!

1. Set low expectations on food. We got many accounts that the food in Cuba was bad, that it was bland. We did not think it was bad at all (unless maybe it is resort-specific?)! Anyway, with low expectations, we actually were pleasantly surprised. We went to Cuba not to eat American food. We did not go there to eat dimsum, sushi, pizza or burgers. We want to be immersed in the culture and eat Cuban food! Now, if you are staying in an all-inclusive (anywhere for that matter!), you really get tired of pretty much the same food everyday. This is when the ala carte becomes handy and you can add some variety to your meals.

We liked the Cuban rice with black beans. It was a nice change from the usual plain white rice. We also stuck to the grilled stuff—grilled fish, shrimps, pork, chicken and beef. How can you go wrong with that? 

Fish and Cuban rice with black beans

We did see some folks bring in their own condiments and spreads. I didn’t like their ketchup, which we tried with some fries. Beyond that, I made sure to eat food which did not require ketchup! I can have all of that back home! Some brought small peanut butter jars. I hope those people tried the local cheese because it was delicious! 

We also checked out a local restaurant. The lobster was not only beautifully presented in Barbacoa, it was delicious!

Trip Advisor-rated La Barbacoa restaurant, Varadero

Beautifully-presented grilled lobster at La Barbacoa, Varadero

Oh and do not get me started with the coffee… It is absolutely delicious! In this trip we also discovered the Spanish coffee (we usually get Irish if we want it spiked). It was so good—espresso with coffee and cocoa liquor. I have to attempt to make this at home!

Spanish Coffee in tiny plastic cup--Varadero, Cuba

2. Bring travel mugs. We brought those promotional ones we could actually leave behind. We used these mugs to refill filtered water, have a bigger mug of coffee (and mojitos and piña coladas!). Otherwise, you are left with having to go to the bar many times (and use up so many tiny plastic cups! I don’t think these are recycled!!)

Mojitos --Varadero, Cuba

3. Speaking of drinks. Surely the tour guide will advise you but water is filtered in the resorts and is safe to drink—except the tap! We did however, take oral anti-diarrhea prior to our trip to make sure we don’t spend our vacation in the toilet.

4. Bring mosquito repellent. It is not something to be alarmed about as we had no news about diseases related to mosquitoes at that time. However, you should be aware that there are mosquitoes and that repellent is highly recommended (as well as bringing along pants, long sleeves). I did not see any local stores or hotel convenience stores having these on stock. Hubby had zero bites while I got some, which just proves that my blood is tastier, right? :P Oh wait, don't tell the vampires!

5. What about gifts? There were some recommendations to bring goods/gifts that the Cubans don’t have access to due to the embargo. But these are mainly American goods. They do trade with Venezuela, the Netherlands, Canada and China. We saw many resort staff wearing Toronto shirts under their uniforms and having Canada pins and stickers. You can even find the Blue Jays logo stamped in some of their leather goods in the local markets! Point is, in my opinion, the locals already get enough of the gifts from Canadian tourists. I think they appreciate it, but as with any other destination, my sense is that they appreciate the cash more. So when you get your dollars changed, get some smaller bills for tips.

And other things we learned:

1. Make sure you have toilet paper, hand gel and tips (CUC—Cuban Convertible Peso) to use the toilet/washroom outside of your resort. On our day trip to Havana and while walking the streets of Varadero, we found out that there is a “charge” to use the toilet (even in the airport!). Well, at least there will be a person outside waiting for you to hand over a CUC to use the facilities. Some free toilets are reminiscent of a porta-potty experience and would not have toilet paper or soap available.

2. Going around Varadero—it is easy enough to walk to many stores selling souvenirs. There are also taxis, calesas, Coco taxis and Double decker buses which are reasonably priced.

Coco Taxi in Varadero, Cuba

Calesas in Varadero, Cuba

3. Prepare to unplug. Wifi is not a big thing over there. If you really MUST post, you can get Wifi cards for something like CUC$3 but the connection may be spotty (or use your roaming—but, really?!). It was a vacation for us so we were not expecting any emails. Roaming was reserved for emergencies, which thankfully we did not need to use. As for not being able to post on social media, it was a delightful break. I would daresay that unplugging is great for truly enjoying your vacation. Try it.