An American in Cuba : A Guest Blog by Leslie Spoor
An American in Cuba
A guest blog by Leslie Spoor
Why I was Nervous to Go to Cuba
I never even thought about going to Cuba – it has been off-limits my entire lifetime. But then, over the course of an hour, not one, but two emails came into my inbox promoting a trip, and I thought it must be a sign! A sign to take a trip to Cuba! And it seemed really important to go now, before the trade embargo lifts and our US commercialism mentality charges full steam into Cuba, destroying the quaint and simple lifestyle it has enjoyed since Christopher Columbus discovered it in 1492.
But here was the thing – even though I am a seasoned world traveler, I felt a bit nervous about going to a place that few Americans had visited. I tried researching information and did find some, but even with that little bit of info, it still seemed better to travel with a tour group familiar with Cuba’s customs and history.
So we ended up picking Globe Drifters as our tour group of choice, and boy, are we glad we did!
A Crazy Time to Visit Cuba
As luck would have it, we opted to go to Cuba, a third-world country by anyone’s standards, at the worst possible time. We picked the week the U.S. President decided to go too. And the Rolling Stones decided to have a concert that week. Oh, and it was Spring Break, Holy Week, and, of course, Easter.
What were we thinking? Here was a country struggling to support itself, and suddenly it was about to handle an overwhelming number of visitors. Even though Americans have only recently been allowed to travel to Cuba, other countries, especially Canada and Great Britain, have been traveling there for years.
So we booked the trip, very excited to go, but the challenges started right away. Our charter got canceled. We ran into problems with our casa particulares (the homes where we were staying throughout our trip). Havana shut down for the Presidential visit. There were no ATM machines, barely any Internet, and no cell service. If we had been on our own, we would have felt cut off, isolated, and unsure what to do.
How Globe Drifters Saved the Trip
It was Globe Drifters to the rescue! Not only did they have connections and experience in Cuban travel, but they engaged a Cuban tour company that chauffeured us from town to town. They made sure our accommodation was reasonable, showed us the best places to visit (and eat!), and explained Cuban history and culture at every opportunity.
If it hadn’t been for Globe Drifters and Jodie, Rebecca, and our guide, Tatiana, our trip could well have been a disaster. So yes, while it was challenging and sometimes downright ridiculous, it was also an amazing, beautiful, fun, and exciting adventure. And that is the key to a successful Cuban vacation – you must remember it is an adventure.
I was amazed by how much I didn’t know before traveling to Cuba. Globe Drifters puts out a fair amount of good information before you go, but there were still unexpected surprises and, of course, unforeseen complications due to the particular week we visited.
What I Learned
When we returned to the US after our weeklong visit, it occurred to me that other Americans opting to go to Cuba might benefit from a comprehensive ‘how to’ travel guide. So I wrote An American In Cuba, a quick and downloadable e-book travel guide.
Now is the time to go to Cuba, before it is disturbed by all the corporations chomping at the bit to get into the country and build a coffee shop and discount superstore on every corner. Go now! Consider Globe Drifters as your tour company and, for sure, download An American In Cuba, available for download at Amazon. For just $3.99, it may help you have an unforgettable Cuban travel experience.
*Leslie Spoor is an entrepreneur and founder/president of two successful companies – Executive Errands®, a lifestyle management company in the Palm Springs area (www.executive-errands.com), and Concierge Business Solutions® (www.conciergebusinesssolutions.com), a consulting company for small business owners and a software development company that services clients all across the US and internationally. Leslie may be reached by email at in**@************************ns.com
And if you’d like to see Cuba for yourself, check out our next 9-day trip to Cuba here. Happy travels!