MAY 28, 2020 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON
“Oh Cuba, I love you. You make me angry.” My travel partner knew exactly what I meant as we sat there on our second to last day trying to determine if we could make it to our last 3 coveted stops. We had accomplished a lot in 8 days. We had some really high ups and a few downs. The downs came from some failures to get off the beaten track and our ups came from accepting the nice foot-worn welcome paths, and intermittently managing to design our own trek. Our smiles also came from the journey as the destination, the destinations, our chance to meet locals and fellow travelers and getting to bond again following the passing of several years since our time meeting and volunteering in South America.
I was nervous when I arrived in Cancun and especially when that video screen outside of my departure gate advised that the next flight would not be to Havana, but rather back to a destination in the US. Even asking the airline agent outside at the kiosk and her reassuring me the next flight was indeed going to Havana didn’t make me feel assured for long. Another confidence breaker: The cell phone data my cell phone company said I would still have in all of North America was nonexistent. (Access to free Wi-Fi has changed since then and more so my personal cell phone data selections have changed as well. I’ve never been one to closely follow the latest mobile trends.) Ultimately, I used the airport Wi-Fi hotspot to purchase internet access and to periodically connect with my friend on an old computer tablet I had for backup. I kept him posted on our flight status, which was becoming increasing delayed.
I will say nothing of travel regulations for US citizens and how (at the time of printing) and then you needed 1 of 12 reasons to travel there as a US citizen. My friend KS was good. He was coming from Europe and was of course not subjected to such restrictions. However, I did have the advantage of my flights being considerably cheaper than his.
Still I will say nothing of how you can go from the States to one city in Cuba before visiting some others by flying through Mexico or Canada or the Caribbean and I will say nothing but everything about how I was particularly glad to figure this out and how important it was for me to move about Cuba fairly freely, loosely based on 1 of the 12 reasons. I will say nothing of these things and technical legalities but if you reach out to me (and please feel free), I will say everything. Additionally, when you have time, there is some additional info in my 2nd spontaneous audio suggestion. Needless to write, I didn’t seem to be considered much of a threat. Maybe I should be offended. 😊
I also feel pretty fortunate in the authenticity of my experience and reactions, among us and everyone, having gone there not long after President Obama’s visit and how interesting it was that we were there during Fidel Castro’s 90th birthday. People have pretty strong reactions for or against the former leader. This trip was also not long before Castro passed away.
I also felt a reminder of how the people of a place, both here and abroad are not to be seen as a homogeneous representation of their country’s administration. The mainstream news will have you unwittingly thinking otherwise, even subconsciously. So many relatives and connections to the US and vice versa. US flags replicated in several forms here and there, traditionally seen and even as a dress. At times, they were next to flags of Cuba. The trip was going to prove welcoming, intriguing and worth some personal fails especially after getting over my bigger worry of being able to go at all.
Inside Cuba 2016 continues tomorrow: A lot can happen in 10 days.
