Day One- Revolutionizing Air Travel

Cuban Blog

 For the next three weeks or so I will be posting a day by day account of my travels in Cuba. The first part will be more journal-like, describing the highlights of each day. It may include a few tips about costs and places to see etc.

The bottom of the blog will include a tip of the day. These are mostly for travelers from the United Statestraveling to Cubathe old fashioned way, but could be used by any traveler heading to Cuba.

You can read this blog two ways. 1. Completely through (This is how I hope my mom and friends will read it, so they get a better idea of what I did during the three weeks I spent off the grid,) or 2. If you are have dreams of traveling to Cuba, feel free to skip the journal-y part and go right to the tips each day. I assure you they are helpful. I wish I had known them before I left.

Please enjoy my blog and feelfree to ask any questions you may have. Thanks, Kari

Day one- Revolutionizing air travel

 

I woke bright and early to wait for Jimmie to arrive at my folk’s house. My mom made us turkey sandwiches with cheese and pickles for the plane ride we thought would take 5 hours. I drove through rain and sleet to our friend’s house in Denver where I would leave my car for the next month. It is always nice to leave Coloradowhen it is nasty out to go somewhere hot and gorgeous.

At the airport we drank early morning bloody Mary’s and toasted to our trip. We contemplated buying a coke from a McDonald’s for the plane ride and our little bottles, but decided on an international flight, the cokes must be free.

They were. I decided we needed to tell the lady in the seat next to me about our plan. Liz was an ex- Californian living in Vail with her South African husband and three year old boy. Her husband had given her an extra mother’s day present by letting her sit alone on the plane, he, taking all the responsibility of their young child for the flight. She was thrilled.

I would have never known any of this if it weren’t for the fact I was not flying solo. My MO when flying is to close my eyes as soon as I am buckled in and avoid any unnecessary chit chat with whomever is unfortunate enough to sit down next to me. I’m not exactly a fan of small talk, though it took this trip to realize what I may be missing out on.

When the drink cart began its decent down our aisle, I told her our plan. She sat in disbelief asking me the details of how, while asking herself how she’d made it this far without ever knowing it.  She considered herself a well traveled person, as did I, and both of us had the same reaction when we found out what we were about to do was possible.  A little bit of regret for all the flights we could have done this on, and a little bit of excitement for all the flights we would surly be doing it on from now on.

When the drink cart approached us, Jimmie and I ordered two whole cans of coke and the ice in the cup along with it.  As the cart rolled away we each took a tiny bottle from a plastic bag. I poured half the rum into my coke, Jimmie, his whole Jack. We toasted our good fortune.

I talked to Liz the whole plane ride.  She asked how long we would be in Cancunand what we would be doing. I didn’t want to lie to her, but was still a little nervous about telling anyone our true plans, especially on the plane. I had visions of getting sent back as soon as we landed, having been overheard by a flight attendant who then alerted the authorities. My imagination was working overtime due to the anxiety associated with where we were headed.

I told her anyway.  She was surprised, impressed, perhaps even a bit jealous.  She asked about how we planned everything leading up to our departure the next day to Havana, Cuba.  She wished us luck and a safe return.  The flight was pleasant and enjoyable and left me wondering what I might have missed out on with all the flights I’d simply slept through.

 

Traveling tip #1- It is true, though I am sure you will not believe me. I did not believe Jimmie when first he told me. It took traveling to Palm Springs and asking a security person there if it could in fact be true. It is, trust me!  You can take however many little bottles of liquor as can fit into the Ziplock bag as long as they are sealed. We took three each which made for perfect in flight entertainment. Now, apparently you’re still not supposed to drink these little bottles on the plane. I guess a plane, once in the air, is treated just like a bar. They must serve you. So you must be sneaky, which is easy enough when you let the person next to in on it, and she turns out to be cool.