On our tours of Cuba, many optional activities are on offer. These can be arranged and paid at local prices. Our guides are always on the lookout for new cool things to do and will help arrange these activities for you. There is no need to book ahead, and you can decide at the last minute while on the tour which activities you will like to do.

Unlike many group tours in Cuba, the guides are prohibited from taking any form of commission (回扣). In this way, the guides will recommend and help you choose activities that you will get most enjoyment from. Some of the things to do on our tours in Cuba are listed below.

Note: All prices are per person. They can vary with season and the group number of participating. Some hikes on the tour are only available at certain times of the year in Cuba, and may not be available due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather conditions.

There were initially 16 elephants in the herd, which left their nature reserve in 2020 to wander in nearby counties of Pu’er City. One adult elephant dropped out and two were born in the journey.

Officials became alert in April 2021 when the 17-member herd arrived in Yuanjiang County of Yuxi City. Another two adults left the herd for home while the rest continued to travel north. They came upon Eshan and walked the streets for six hours after authorities evacuated pedestrians (疏散行人) and vehicles and warned residents to stay indoors.

Later, the endangered animals were seen in the Hongta District of Yuxi, where authorities established an on-site command center to monitor their movements 24 hours a day and prevent them from entering populous (人口稠密的) areas by creating barriers and using food as bait (诱饵). Over 360 people, 76 police cars, dirt trucks and nine drones were called out, and 18 tonnes of elephant food were prepared.

Chen Mingyong, an Asian elephant expert in Yunnan University, said: “Migration of Asian elephants is common, but it usually happens among several habitats in a certain area. It was the first time that China had recorded such a long-distance northward migration of wild elephants.”

“We can’t tell what their destination is,” he said, suggesting that the migration might not even have a destination. “It is possible that the chief of the herd lacks experience and led the whole group to a wrong path.”

“Up to now, the giant creatures have resulted in 412 cases, damaging 56 hectares of farmland in the counties of Yuanjiang and Shiping alone, causing direct economic losses of about 6. 8 million yuan.”

“For these 15 elephants, all we can do at present is to issue early warnings and evacuate residents in time to decrease losses.” said Chen.

Although most weight-loss diet plans advocate a reduction in calorie intake, a calorie restriction diet takes that advice one step further. A true calorie restriction diet actually emphasizes a longer and healthier lifespan, with weight loss as more of a side effect. The calorie restriction diet calls for a 30 to 40% reduction in total calorie intake, but quite often nutritional supplements are used to maintain overall health. This is why some supporters refer to the plan as CRON (Calorie Restriction, Optimal Nutrients).

Research on the calorie restriction diet and its so-called benefits can be traced back to the 1930s. Modern research on test animals showed that a diet just above the starvation level allowed the subjects to live an average of 30 to 40% longer than control groups with normal diets. Supporters of the calorie restriction diet believe that the test subjects eventually improved their food processing efficiency.

The calorie restriction diet regimen (养生之道) emphasizes nutrient-rich natural foods over the highly-processed or sugary snack foods most of us eat. By forcing the body into a stale of near-starvation, but preventing the loss of vital nutrients, dieters attempt to change their digestive chemistry back to that of our caveman ancestors. Muscle tone (肌张力) is said to improve dramatically on a calorie restriction diet, and far less fat is stored in the body.

As with any diet plan, one should always consult a physician before starting. The calorie restriction diet is a carefully controlled lifestyle and diet plan, not simply a low calorie diet. Literature on the proper way to begin and maintain a calorie restriction diet is available in many bookstores and health food centers.

Beginners should drink plenty of water to cancel out the effects of hunger pains. Be sure to include beneficial vitamin supplements when reducing calorie intake. Visit a doctor if you have any concerns about your body’s adaptation to the diet and lifestyle changes.

With the global warming reaching catastrophic levels, this dramatic climate change is causing the warming up and melting of the Arctic, which has led to other potential dangers for nature there.

The danger is for an increase of pollution as well as exploitation (开采) by resource companies which are looking to drill in the area and approaching new sources of oil, gas minerals and hydropower. Shell has already revealed its plans to drill in the area, and so are other oil and gas drilling companies.

These new sources of fossil fuels will further increase harmful greenhouse gases causing permanent damage to the atmosphere, the weather and to the world and its population. The small and unique population and ecosystems of the Arctic are also threatened by the new dangers of pollution.

Recently Shell said that it is currently stopping is planned project for drilling in the Chukchi Sea, but unfortunately, the dangers are not all gone for this environmentally sensitive area. Another oil drilling company— Italian Eni has announced a 5.5 billion dollar oil drilling project for the Norwegian Arctic area.

Already, the impact on the environment in the Arctic is becoming evident and is being documented. The tundra (苔原) is disappearing rapidly as the frost is melting. The Inuit hunters are worriedly watching the sea ice disappearing, which is making sea animals such as seals change their behaviors and habits.

Overall, the climate changes in the area are now being considered as unpredictable and can cause a serious threat to the infrastructure (基础设施), the local people and the over 21,000 Arctic animal species.

With the increase of global temperature levels by an average of 2 degrees Celsius, this tendency is spreading to the Arctic as well. The level of the sea has risen by about 8cm since 2000. With the melting of the permafrost (永久冻土) in the area, a massive release of methane (沼气) in the atmosphere is expected, which can have a serious effect on the global weather.