I'm Esther Ruiterman; photographer, blogger, traveller and creative thinker. Interests are: marketing, visual design, travel, photography, skiing and more.
During my trip to Cuba I learned a lot from the people about life here. Here are a few random facts. Government salaries are low. A doctor earns 50 CUC a month, someone with a good diploma 30-40 CUC and someone like a cleaner only 12 CUC a month. A casa particulares is on average…
Since my flight is from Varadero, I decided to spend my last two days here. Varadero is a place for the all-inclusive packages with huge resorts. I stayed at a casa particulares in town close to the beach. I soon found out there isn’t much to do here. I hoped/expected the beach would be the…
Trinidad is a small city in Cuba which has its very own unique look and atmosphere. Cobblestone streets and colorful houses characterizes this place. It’s also the most East of Cuba the majority of the tourists will go to. Trinidad at night The city really comes to life after 4 PM, the sun is slowly…
Cienfuegos is a popular stop between Vinales and Trinidad. Some people stop here because else the journey is too long, others because they’re interested in French architecture and for me it’s a completely different reason. To be honest I think the city Cienfuegos isn’t worh th stop, you’ve seen it al within two hours. I…
With the Viazul bus (12 CUC from Havana) I arrived in Vinales around 12.30 PM. Getting out of the bus I was surrounded by loads of Cuban women who try to rent out a room at their casa. I already arranged my stay at Villa Los Reyes who is a top pick in the Lonely…
My Cuba trip started in the capital Havana where I spend 2.5 days. Enough time to explore, drink and even get ripped of. The fifties cars Cuba is known for being stuck in time and having these old American cadillacs driving around. So yes, I expected to see some, but I didn’t expect to see…
The time has come, I’m finally boarding my flight towards Cuba. While waiting at G6 I realised this trip gave me the same suspense / feeling as I had going to Asia for 6 months. But now it’s only a 2 week trip; maybe beause it’s been a few years since I traveled alone, maybe…
Internet is something new in Cuba, it only exists for 2.5 years now. To go online you first have to login using a scratch card from ETECSA. These cards are 1 CUC each and give you 1 hour of wifi time. When using less, make sure to logout. Where to buy ETECSA cards? Officially you…
When I planned my visit to the Algarve, on top of my to-see-list was the rocky coastline. Strangely enough my lonely planet focused on which towns to see, which routes to drive and which highlights to visit. But I missed information about which beaches would be most spectacular. Luckily the best beaches and rock formations…
At this moment I work as a visual designer for prospex; a business-to-business lead agency. On a summer day in 2018, prospex held a summer challenge for their agents in the call center. A day where employees can win prizes by scoring extra targets. That same morning I was asked to make photos and videos…