Today I received an email from a staffer at the Washington Office on Latin America, informing me about HR 4645, a bill that would eliminate the travel ban to Cuba for U.S. citizens and increase U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba. The bill is currently in committee in the U.S. House of Representatives but is expected to go to the floor for a vote within two weeks.

One-page summary of Bill to open Cuba to travel for U.S. citizens

Normally, I don’t discuss politics on this blog, but this subject is extremely timely for me, so I’m making an exception. Why is it timely? I’m currently in the Yucatan of Mexico and I discovered that I could go to Cuba for 4-5 days for as little as $500, including airfare, hotel, and all meals. I salivated at the prospect; going to Cuba has long been at the top of my travel wish list. Cuban immigration officials don’t stamp the passports of U.S. citizens entering or leaving the country, so there would be no way for the U.S. government to know I’d been there, since I would have flown in and out of Cancun. But in the end I decided against going because I couldn’t have written about my experience in Cuba and that would have killed me. So, like thousands of others, I decided to wait until the ban was lifted.

This could happen soon if the bill is successful, but our help is needed. If you agree with lifting the ban, please contact your State Representatives, tell them you support HR 4645, and ask them to vote for the bill. I’ve provided a one-page overview of the bill above. Click on the image to download it in a PDF format.

You might also like:

Winter’s dreary skies and numbing temperatures make us yearn for warm Caribbean breezes but with today’s economy, most can only dream. Last December my visit to Curaçao was one of the most enjoyable Caribbean experiences ever, so I was delighted when I learned that Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino and Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club are offering a special “Curaçao Now” package that can turn those dreams into reality.

Guests who book at either resort for a stay May 1 through July 4, 2010 and/or August 15 through December 18, 2010, will receive the following:

• $200 per person air credit from the Curaçao Tourist Board
• $200 food and beverage credit
• Fifth night free
• One day complimentary diving excursion
• One day complimentary car rental service
• Two complimentary tickets to Museum Kura Hulanda (available at Hotel only)
• Diving discounts (available at Lodge only)
• Various additional shopping and museum discounts

Rates include air and start at $499 per person (based on a flight out of Miami) for a five-night stay at Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino, and $519 per person (based on flight out of Miami) for a five-night stay at Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club.

Located in Willemstad, Curaçao, the Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino is an 80-room luxury boutique resort featuring meticulously restored 18th and 19th century Dutch Colonial Caribbean buildings, multiple pools, award winning restaurants, a lavish spa, fitness center and more. The hotel is part of a village complex known as Project Kura Hulanda, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Lodge Kura Hulanda and Beach Club, a luxurious beachfront retreat located on Curaçao’s tranquil west end, features a beautiful white sand beach, spectacular swimming pool, and the seclusion of a unique island hideaway. The lodge offers guests the chance to experience world class diving, hiking, cycling and adventure within feet of the resort while local culture, dining, shopping and nightlife are available in Willemstad, just 45 minutes away.

For more information call Kura Hulanda at 877-264-3106, visit www.kurahulanda.com, or e-mail the hotel directly at: reservations@kurahulanda.com. Reservations must be made prior to March 15 to take advantage of this promotion.

Photo credits: Kura Hulanda Hotel and Lodge

Disclosure: Author Barbara Weibel visited Curaçao as part of a press trip provided by the Marriott Resort and Emerald Casino.

You might also like:

From the moment I arrived at the Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort and Emerald Casino, I was treated like a queen and fed like a king. Within minutes of settling into my oceanfront room, I had devoured the tray of gourmet chocolate, fine Danish cheeses, crackers, and fresh tropical fruit that awaited me and, just a short while later, overindulged with a lobster salad at one of the resort’s fine restaurants. A private van tour of the island on day two included lunch at Doktorstuin Restaurant, an historic converted plantation home that served up authentic local cuisine, and that was topped off with another gourmet dinner back at the resort. Lying in bed that evening like a beached whale, I resolved to get some much needed exercise the following day.

Welcome gift from the Curacao Marriott Beach Resort

Fortunately, the Marriott is located an easy half-hour walk from Willemstad, the capital of this tiny south Caribbean island. I walked out the front entrance, turned right, and headed toward the ocean. Just past an idyllic public beach I found the Koredor George Hueck, a broad asphalt path leading to the heart of the city. Initially, mangrove swamps and black coral coastline flanked the path. As I approached the outskirts of Willemstad, the island’s desalinization plant appeared, its holding tanks lined up like behemoth sentinels on the inland side of the trail.

On the opposite side, two dozen Lilliputian shacks squatted along the ocean, mocking their leviathan neighbors. Patched together from scraps of tin roofing, old doors, and discarded plywood, these floridly painted shanties are homes to local fishermen – piscaderos – who launch their tiny wooden boats into Piscadero Bay and head out into open ocean, hoping to catch enough fish to fill their five-gallon plastic buckets each day.

Can’t view the above slide show of Piscadera Bay in Curacao? Click here.

Many boats bobbed in the protected jetty behind the houses but just as many littered the front yards, teetering against one another, their bright colors fading away and hulls slowly decaying under an unforgiving sun. One fisherman stepped out of his skiff and held up a large fish for me to admire. “Red Snapper?” I asked. He nodded, posed for my photo, and wordlessly walked off. Although Willemstad’s famous colorful architecture and historic pontoon bridge were interesting sights, my stroll through the fishing village at Piscadero Bay was one of the highlights of my visit. Not only did I walk off the sumptuous meals of the previous two days, I discovered a true piece of Curaçao culture, existing as it has for generations, untouched by tourism.

Disclosure: Author Barbara Weibel visited Curaçao as part of a press trip, provided by the Marriott Resort and Emerald Casino, which is ideally located within walking distance of Willemstad.

You might also like:

The vividly painted architecture lining the waterfront in Willemstad may be the most famous feature of Curaçao, but the kaleidoscopic hues did not happen by design. The capital city developed after the Dutch claimed the island in 1634, beginning with Punda, the walled portion of the old city. Buildings tended to be two and three-story shops and residences built on narrow, elongated lots to maximize use of scarce land. The only materials available for construction, mismatched bricks scavenged from ship ballast, were finished with lime plaster made from crushed shells, which dried to a dazzling white facade in the intense Caribbean sun.

Can’t view the above slide show of Curacao’s stunning architecture? Click here.

It is said that a former governor of the island who suffered from severe headaches, believing his malady was aggravated by the sun’s brilliant reflections off the white buildings, mandated that building exteriors be painted any color but white. Despite later discovery that the governor was a shareholder in the island’s only paint store, the tradition of painting in vivid colors has endured, making Willemstad’s Dutch and Spanish colonial style architecture one of the most stunning sights in the Caribbean.

Curaçao Landhuizen, giant plantation houses built in the the outlying areas in the 18th and 19th centuries, were no less alluring. The hallmark of each plantation was the landhuis, where the master lived with his house slaves. The country estates were surrounded by the store houses and huts of the slaves, which were constructed of traditional wattle and daub mixed with cow dung and roofed with dried maize stalks.

In 1997 the historic area of Willemstad’s inner city and harbor was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Today Curaçao boasts more than 860 historical and archaeological sites, including some 80 landhuizen. While visits to the old plantation houses require joining a tour or renting a car, the architectural jewels of Willemstad are best seen on foot; the city’s historic districts of Punda, Otobanda, and a smaller portion of Scharloo are easily seen in a four-hour walking tour.

Disclosure: Author Barbara Weibel visited Curaçao as part of a press trip, provided by the fabulous Marriott Resort and Emerald Casino, which is ideally located within walking distance of Willemstad.

You might also like:

A steady stream of pedestrians crossing the Queen Emma Bridge in Willemstad, capital of the tiny Caribbean island of Curaçao, seemed unfazed by the shrill bell signaling that the floating pontoon bridge was about to open.

“Why aren’t they hurrying?” I asked my tour guide, Howard.

“The orange flag hoisted over the harbor master’s shack means the bridge will open soon…perhaps 20 minutes from now. But when the blue flag goes up – then you will see people running!” he explained.

Walking across the Queen Emma floating pontoon bridge

Unhurriedly, we strolled across the bridge from the newer neighborhood of Otrabanda to Punda, the oldest district of the city. Returning, we stepped back onto solid concrete just as the blue flag was hoisted and two powerful ship motors winched the bridge toward shore, allowing an enormous cruise ship to sail into to Schottegat Bay, the seventh busiest harbor in the world.

A cruise ship awaits the bridge opening

Can’t view the above YouTube video of Curacao? Click here.

When fully open, the bridge parallels the shore on the Otrabanda side of Santa Anna Bay

Affectionately nicknamed the “Swinging Old Lady,” Queen Emma Bridge is one of the oldest and longest non-military pontoon bridges in the world. Its unique design was a necessity; by the time a bridge was contemplated, buildings covered every inch of shoreline on the Punda side of the channel and a traditional bridge would have required destruction of many structures. When the original 20-foot wide steam-powered pontoon bridge was completed in 1888, tolls were charged: two cents for pedestrians wearing shoes, ten cents for horses and, later, 25 cents for each car, but so many pedestrians removed their shoes and crossed barefoot that the toll was finally eliminated.

Looking down on St. Anna Bay from Fort Nassau; Queen Juliana Bridge soars in the foreground, while the "Swinging Old Lady" is closing behind the cruise ship

In 1938, in order to accommodate increased shipping, the original bridge was replaced by a wider span, but increased harbor traffic resulted in long waits for cars wishing to cross. To remedy congestion, construction was begun on the Queen Juliana Bridge, which would ultimately soar 185 feet above the sea level, earning it the designation of highest bridge in the Caribbean and one of the highest in the world. When the Queen Juliana Bridge officially opened in 1974, Queen Emma was forever closed to vehicular traffic.

Tourists watch the Queen Emma Bridge open for ocean-going vessels

Today the “Swinging Old Lady” is one of Curaçao’s most prominent historical landmarks and a favorite with tourists who sip tropical drinks at waterfront sidewalk cafes and watch the bridge open and close to accommodate ocean-going cruise ships, cargo containers, and tankers.

Disclosure: Author Barbara Weibel visited Curaçao as part of a press trip, provided by the fabulous Marriott Resort and Emerald Casino, which is ideally located within walking distance of Willemstad.

You might also like:

What sets one resort apart from its competitors? A great location is always preferable. The physical condition of a property is also a factor. But for me, the most important quality is customer service and the proper training of staff. I am pleased to report that Marriott’s Curacao Beach Resort and Emerald Casino, which is hosting me for four days as part of their BlogParadise event, has all three: great location, exquisite facilities, and one of the best-trained staffs I have ever encountered.

Gigantic oceanfront pool at Marriott's Curacao Beach Resort

From the moment I arrived, it was obvious how service oriented the resort’s employees are, but at dinner last night I learned this is more than just training. I asked the resort’s Sales Manager, Yvette Schotting, to tell me what makes this resort so special. She turned to our waitress, another Yvette, for an answer.

“I have been here nine years and this is my family. Every year, many of the same people visit us and they are always so happy that I remember them from previous visits. I love my job.”

Family is fundamental to the Marriott story. Most management personnel started in entry-level jobs: the corporation’s President of International Lodging began his Marriott career as a night watchman and the head of North American Lodging Operations started as a waiter. John Toti, the General Manager of the Curacao Resort, graciously stopped by to meet me last night and I learned that he also started at the bottom as a cook and bartender. Today it is fashionable for businesses to talk about themselves as family, but at Marriott they don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk.

Just steps away from the pool - a gorgeous beach

Having said all that, the resort’s location is ideal. Located just west of the capital of Willemstad, it is away from the traffic and noise of the city but just a 20-minute walk or a five-minute shuttle ride away. And the facilities are exquisite: a lovely white sand beach, palapa oceanfront bar, gigantic pool, multiple restaurants, full service workout room and spa, lushly landscaped grounds. I could go on, but I need to work off last night’s delicious meal of cauliflower cream soup, goat cheese and poached pear salad, and seafood risotto by walking to town. For the moment, I hope you’ll enjoy some photos of this fabulous resort.

Can’t view the above slide show of Marriott’s Curacao Beach Resort and Emerald Casino? Click here.

You might also like:

As you are reading this, I am winging my way to Curacao in the southern Caribbean, for a four day stay courtesy of Marriott Resorts. The press trip, appropriately named “Blog Paradise,” is sending nine bloggers to nine different resorts included in Marriott Resorts’ Paradise by Marriott Caribbean and Mexico collection to promote special limited-time offers at each of the properties.

Entrance to Marriott Curacao Resort and Emerald Casino

The promotion is different for each of the resorts; for example, at Marriott’s Curacao Resort and Emerald Casino, guests get the fourth night free and a free breakfast. Check out the other offers at the “Shake Up Paradise” website – just choose the preferred resort, click to shake up the giant snow globe, and watch as the offer is revealed.

I’ll be blogging about the trip, but for real-time impressions, events, and updates follow me on Twitter. All nine bloggers will be tweeting throughout the trip using the hashtag #BlogParadise. If you’d like to check out where the other eight bloggers are headed, follow the links to their blogs shown below:

Nancy D. Brown will be at J.W. Marriott Cancun Resort in Mexico
Blog: Nancydbrown.com Twitter: @nancydbrown

Lisa Overman is headed for Aruba Renaissance Resort
Blog: Wanderlustandlipstick.com Twitter: @islandstyle29

Aaron Hotfelder will be at Aruba Marriott Resort
Blog: Gadling.com Twitter: @aaronhotfelder

Pam Mandel is winging to Casa Magna Cancun Resort in Mexico
Blog: Nerdseyeview.com Twitter: @nerdseyeview

Chris Gray is off to St. Kitts Marriott
Blog: caroundtheworld.com Twitter: @caroundtheworld

Robin Locker will stay at Grand Cayman Marriott Resort
Blog: mymelange.net Twitter: @mymelange

Julie Schwietert will be visiting Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Blog: matadornetwork.com Twitter: @collazoprojects

Charyn Pfeuffer is headed for CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa in Mexico
Blog: hotelchatter.com Twitter: @global_gourmet

For now, I’m brushing up on the local lingo, so I’ll close by saying Ayo – Papiamento for goodbye.

Disclaimer: Although Marriott Resorts is providing this trip free of charge, including accommodations and airfare, my commitment, as always, is to write honestly about my experience.

You might also like:

Last week my attorney made me an offer. Somehow our legal conversation took a detour and I began telling him about the blissful year and a half I lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. He also loves the Caribbean – so much so that he bought a home in Montego Bay, Jamaica, which he uses whenever possible and rents out the rest of the time.

Mountaintop villa's pool overlooks the caribbean Sea

Located just 15 minutes from the airport, his villa “Top Notch” is nestled on a half-acre mountainside lot at Ironshore Resort Estate. The gorgeous home is beautifully landscaped with vibrantly colored tropical flowers and fruits, including mango, banana, lime, avocado, ackee, orange, grapefruit, breadfruit, soursop, and almond. “Top Notch” is gracefully designed around a large pool, wet bar, and flora covered dining terrace which are open to the gentle breeze of the tropical trade winds and offer spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea.

A driver and a guide meet guests at the airport and take them to “Top Notch,” where they are welcomed by a staff of two or three. The villa is minutes from numerous championship golf courses, shopping, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, deep-sea fishing, horseback riding, the Hip Strip and the famous Doctor’s Cave Beach. Staff are always happy to take guests to nearby beaches and attractions like Dunns Rver Falls, where visitors can climb up the falls via a series of handholds and steps hidden beneath cascading water. Interested in renting “Top Notch?” Check out Home Away’s vacation rental website.

But I digress. Back to the offer. He wants me to fly down and stay for a week. Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse.

You might also like:

I just finished watching a 26 minute video where Senator Mel Martinez of Florida sets forth the reasons he opposes easing travel to Cuba. He provides an interesting historical overview, explaining that President Eisenhower was the first to place trade sanctions on Cuba, banning the selling of sugar, oil, and guns in response to Castro’s horrific human rights violations. When barrels of Soviet oil began to arriving on the island, U.S. oil companies in Cuba refused to continue refining, resulting in Cuba’s nationalization of the refineries without ever paying a dime of compensation to the companies.

Notwithstanding the whole discussion of whether the U.S. actually fired the first salvo by imposing trade sanctions on critical commodities, forcing Cuba to look to other sources, I believe there is a much greater issue at hand. The best way to fight communism is for people who live in a free and democratic society to interact with those who suffer under communism. Although Castro has been able to maintain power through violence and control, his most effective tool may be the policies of the U.S. government. The prohibition on travel assures that Cubans are not exposed to capitalist thought and ideology.

Additionally, our policy is not consistent. The U.S. government bans travel to Cuba, yet we are allowed to freely travel to Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and a plethora other countries around the world that either have communist governments or strong communist leanings (Colombia or Angola, anyone?). Myanmar is a case in point. For years the government successfully suppressed its citizens through intimidation, violence, and acts of atrocity, including the wholesale slaughter of monks who protested. They were able to do so with impunity because news of these actions rarely, if ever, reached the outside world. But over the past few years, visitors to the country have begun reporting these incidents via videos shot on cell phones, eliciting a public outcry against the government. Simultaneously, Burmese are learning more about democracy and capitalism through interaction with outsiders, which has effectively strengthened their resolve against the corrupt communist regime.

Martinez is intimately familiar with the historical events that led to our current Cuban policy because he grew up in Cuba and was a first-hand witness to much of what he described in his speech. He is no doubt correct when he speaks of the atrocities of the Castro regime and I am sure he is well-meaning in his opposition to changing our current policies. Unfortunately, I believe his personal history is getting in the way of effecting real and lasting change for his own people. We need to get to know one another – and I am referring to the people, not the government. The only way to do this is to eliminate the Cuban travel ban.

Watch Senator Martinez’s speech and decide for yourself:

You might also like:

Interesting old building in Cuba. Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/rudiheim/65098327.

For years I have dreamed of traveling to Cuba. My desire may have originated with the movie Havana, which starred Robert Redford, but since then I have become even more intrigued upon seeing photos of streets filled with 1950′s and 1960′s era cars and hearing stories of the wonderful music that emanates from bars and cafes on every street.

I have seriously considered entering Cuba via Mexico, the Bahamas, or Canada, as Americans have been doing for years, but just never pulled that together. Three years ago, I even booked a tour through a firm that had obtained legal permission to travel to Cuba under the auspices of a “cultural exchange program” but then had to cancel that trip for personal reasons. So when I read that the rules regarding Cuba travel had been eased, I was excited.

Previously, rules imposed by the Treasury Department only allowed Cuban-American to travel to Cuba once every three years to visit qualifying relatives and to spend no more than $50 a day. The definition of a relative was narrow – including only parents, spouses, or siblings. The bill that President Obama signed into law now permits Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba to visit close relatives for an unlimited period of time once every 12 months and to engage in travel-related transactions at the maximum per diem rate in effect at the time of travel, which is currently set at $179 per day.

Since I am not of Cuban descent, at the moment I still cannot travel legaly to Cuba. Havana will likely never again be the hotspot of gambling, nightclubs, and hedonistic lifestyle that it once was, but the beaches are still exquisite, the hotels full of old-world charm, and the music as vibrant as ever. While I may be harboring a romanticized picture of the country, I’d sure like the opportunity to find out in person. I, for one, am really looking forward to the day when all travel restrictions will be lifted.

Typical old car on the streets of Cuba. Photo curtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/75166820@N00/4467849/in/set-127752.

You might also like: