It's a wrap
Although we were leaving Cuba today, we hadn’t finished our tour. Out of the hotel, packed and ready for our flight, we head to the historic and ornate Colon Cemetery. If you have toured a cemetery in New Orleans, you would find some striking similarities and practices. Elaborate memorials and tombs with some of the famous figures from Cuba’s past being put to rest in this location until their bones could be packed up in a little bag, so their relatives could be buried in the same tomb. We had a cemetery guide, who was perhaps the more passionate and excited person you would meet and talk about a cemetery. Incidentally, cemetery plots are one of the few properties other than housing that Cubans can own. The design and art work was beautiful and this is a stop worth making.
Plaza de la Revolucion sometimes called "Revolution Square", was our final stop. A huge plaza surrounded with a towering monument for Jose Marti, the National Library, the Palace of the Revolution (seat of the Cuban government) and other large buildings. With the statue of Jose Marti on one side and the artistic outline images of Fidel and Che on the other side, this is the central spot in Cuba for big gatherings. Batista built the memorial, Fidel expanded the plaza and Fidel and the last two Popes have used the space to address over a million people in attendance.
Arriving at the airport, checking once, twice or maybe three times for passports and Visas we say our goodbyes to Yadi and Allan, with a few hugs. Cuban passport control and customs were a breeze and we proceeded to the waiting area to wait for our Aruba Air charter to show up. With plenty of time for last minute gift purchases we spent our last CUCs. The airport is a throwback to the 1960’s. A big waiting area for all flights, two doors to the tarmac and loading the airplanes, the old way, by climbing steps into the airplane.
There is nothing good about travel on airplanes other than it is the quickest way to get where you want to go. We arrived in Miami early evening, said our final goodbyes to our fellow travelers and some of us headed to the Sheraton again for an overnight before catching our planes home. All was well back at the Sheraton. We had a final dinner with John and Kathy, the mattress was vastly better and Mary and I were up the next morning at 0 dark early to make our flight to Louisville and the drive home.
WRAP UP
Most importantly for a trip like we have just taken, is the quality of the guides. Without hesitation, I would take another trip with Yadi and Allan. They were superb. Knowledge, personality, energy and patience wrapped into a nice package. Before you go to Cuba, ask for Yadi. If you are doing the Grand Circle Foundation tour, just hope you get Allan in the package.
Your fellow travelers come next. Just a couple of bad personalities can really ruin a trip like this. In our case, we had a great diverse group that got along on everything. A mixture from California, Colorado, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Kentucky we had professors, education administrators, bankers, psychotherapists, a car dealer, small business owners, nurses and whatever John and I can claim as our professions, all mixed in the caldron of personalities and experiences. It turned out very good with a whole lot of thirst for learning the culture, traditions, policies etc. of Cuba.
Making a trip even more pleasant, is sharing the trip with good friends. John and Kathy, friends since John and I worked together over 30 years ago, in Portland, OR, are great travel companions. Traveling together in Greece for three weeks in 2012 and now almost two weeks in Cuba, we now have validated we travel well as friends. Hopefully more to come.
As for preparation in taking a trip to Cuba. It’s very easy. Pay your money to an authorized tour company, get your visas and passports in order, pack light and go. Take a flash light for power outages, carry your own toilet paper when you leave the hotels, don’t count on cell service or internet and drink only bottled water. For Grand Circle travelers, take plenty of little gifts for the gift giving we did for many of the Cubans we visited. Some of our experienced Grand Circle friends brought a whole suitcase with gifts, providing an empty suitcase to buy and transport Cuban gifts to take home. We learned the ropes.
Finally, just a few passing comments on Cuba. I am no expert on economic or political policy, so my comments or opinions have to be regarded at the amateur level. So here goes the shortened Wolford, amateur political pundit (usually the only qualification for Fox, CNN or MSNBC) comments on Cuba.
The people we met in Cuba are warm, friendly and seem to have a real desire for a relationship with the USA. I have found in most cases that with “people to people” discussions of the issues, you can make things work between two countries or cultures. It’s when you move to “government to government” that the breakdown occurs. Is it egos? Is it policies? is it historical memories? Who knows what’s in the mix.
One of the most surprising take aways from my discussions with Cuban citizens is their overwhelming support of their social policies created after the revolution. I guess upon further thought many people would not object to housing for everyone, work for most, basic food and necessities for everyone, healthcare for everyone and free education. While fragments of these policies are built into US policy, the aspect of the government providing all of these policies in the US is foreign to our capitalist underpinnings and individuality and is violently opposed by many Americans. Not to say we Americans shouldn’t think about making a few improvements to our welfare, healthcare, education and social security systems, Cuba will probably not be our model.
The social policies of Cuba stemming from the Revolution are controversial within our American citizenry. Embedded in this controversy is a perspective and opinions that we Americans have assembled (right or wrong) from our memories of history, media reports and US government policies and pronouncements. Curiously supported or desired by some and repulsed or despised by others, the leadership and policies of Cuba remain a big obstacle for normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States. Our de facto acceptance of policies and economic trade with other Communist or Socialist countries around the world makes our policy of a continuing “trade embargo” with Cuba, only 90 miles off our coast, a puzzling policy mystery. The lingering intense anger held by some long memory Cuban’s who immigrated to the USA after the revolution, represent a powerful economic and political block in the USA and they have not been ignored by past and present US politicians.
The Cuban 'trade embargo” has stood for 53 years. It has been crippling for the Cuban economy and out of necessity, they reached out and embraced some countries we really didn’t like such as the Soviet Union and Venezuela. Now those honeymoon relations have largely ended and Cuba is clawing back an economic presence with tourism and is readying for a huge leadership shift as the Castros are aging out. Big change in Cuba seems to be eminent.
My “king for a day” quick fix, would be to immediately drop the trade embargo, because I believe US has no short or long term benefit from continuing the embargo and the only benefit we provide with the embargo is an excuse for the Cuban government to not address fundamental policy changes in its economic policy. The US trade embargo has successfully been used by the Cuban government as the whipping boy for why domestic economics were so bad in Cuba. We should take that excuse off the table. Unfortunately, only congress can repeal the embargo and we are well aware of how effective this esteemed body has been with their thought processes and actions.
Playing pretend with a repeal of the trade embargo, my guess is the Cuban government may also put up some resistance. The socialist policies around property and business ownership are big, big principles in the Cuban political philosophy. The lifting of the embargo would put a huge amount of pressure on these policies. In addition, the Cuban economic policies of two currencies and the very different individual economics between their citizens in the tourist industry vs. the rest of the economy would come under enormous pressure. If the embargo was dropped tomorrow, I expect the Cuban government will want to transition the impact of free trade with the US in a very slow and controlled manner.
I say, let’s lift the embargo. Congress, let’s make it happen.
In conclusion, this was a fabulous educational and culturally enlightening trip. Grand Circle, with Allan, did a superb job of organizing, assembling and executing the elements of the tour. Havanatur with Yadi did a superb job of giving us a host of cultural and people to people contacts. Seeing Cuba, as it is today is well worth the ticket. Meeting and getting to know the people of Cuba will be a lifelong memory. Mary and I hope to return.
It's a wrap
Saturday, December 05, 2015
Havana, Cuba
Other Entries
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1Prepping for Cuba
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2Buenos Dias Havana
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3Old Havana – A Veneer of Progress
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4PediCabbing in Old Havana
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7To Be or Not To Be - State or Private
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12It's a wrap
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Comments

2025-02-16
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Barbara Crouse
2015-12-30
Thanks Rod ... I just read this from start to finish, and enjoyed every minute of it. This trip was exceptional, and I have not stopped talking about it, although I have not organized thoughts the way you have. I am in almost total agreement with your observations, and need to write those letters to my representatives about lifting this anachronistic and unnecessary embargo! Its time is past. I can also recommend a good book that tells the part of the revolution story that really did not get much attention on our trip. It's called "Waiting for Snow in Havana" by Carlos Eire. He was part of that mass exodus of children after the revolution ... Allan talked about it a little bit. While Cubans may prefer Fidel these days, there was good reason for some to revile him, as well. Happy New Year to you and Mary ... an absolute pleasure to meet you!
Steve Fowler
2016-01-11
Thanks for your efforts here, Rod. It was nice to revisit our trip via your perspective and helpful interpretation.
Best regards