(oops this one is not in the correct Timeline....sorry)
Cuba Trip #4
Day 4 (going home)
We had a 6 am wake up call. Breakfast served especially for us at 7 am (normal breakfast time is 8:30 AFTER morning Mass). We once again had a feast prepared by our little angel nun who made friends with all in our group and has a brother in Oregon.
8 am meet in the lobby with ALL your luggage. This time i hired the 2 sons of the desk man to help with luggage. Everyone left everything behind...including tooth paste, t-shirts, reading glasses, extra aspirins or tylenol, even the American Soft toilet paper...etc.
got to the Jose Marti airport by 9 am and said goodbye to our driver....although i had already tipped him $100 (5 months pay in Cuba), the other people also tipped him...he looked VERY happy....his family will eat well...at least for THESE year
the terminal is SO BIG compare to the old one (house for American charters)....there were NO lines...we checked in in less then 30 mins...NO problems...so the ladies wanted to go shopping...YAHOO...plenty of stores in the Main terminal BEFORE TSA...and they took American dollars too (so much has changed in only 4 years and my last visit to Cuba)
I did break down and cry when the lady at the American Airlines ticket counter asked me if this was my first visit...and if i had any family left in Cuba...i had to walk away from the counter to recollect myself...when i came back she was telling the other men that i had broken down (probably from lack of sleep)...but the emotions of leaving Cuba maybe for the last time are overwhelming
TSA was a breeze and we turned in our VISA...thank God no one had lost theirs
on the other side there was little cafe's and some smaller stores selling rum and stuff.
the Bano did NOT have toilet paper...and the toilet seats NO SEATS !! we are still in a 3rd world country...so sad
we sat down and waited an hour....(we got to the airport too early...will have to adjust that in the future)...but it gave us time to relax and telling stories and have a little lunch
The Flight back to USA was delayed for 30 minutes at the Gate in Havana....some strange looking men came into the plane and REMOVED a lady from First Class !!! WTH
The pilot finally got on the loud speaker and said that there would be small delay while they REMOVE the luggage of the passenger. My best guest was that SHE was trying to escape Cuba and was found out at the Last Second. PS: a very pretty lady...maybe even an actress or girlfriend of someone important
The Pilot FLEW back to Maimi in record time....and we got off...everyone was excited about the Custom's process....we all waited for Gil who was in the Back of the Airplane (this could have happened on the way TO CUBA...i am losing my memory)
Would they ask about the Cigars ?? would they ask about the bottles of Rum ?? would they let Manny back into the USA...i have fooled them many times before (many good stories here)
most of us went to Gate A or Gate C, Sandy was picked out for Gate B....she said she was chosen randomly..she had a BIG X on her passport processing ticket..i think it was probably the weight of her luggage...lol...but after some interview...they let her through
I was asked if i was carry my cigars for someone ? Also asked if i liked to smoke cigars ? I was also asked if i did any business while in Cuba ? And what year did i left Cuba ? (my passport shows i was born in Cuba)
Meanwhile boarder patrol hand cuff a man in line and 5 guys escorted him away.
We all met at the luggage place...and waited and waited for Sandy
Then we ALL went in different directions two by two....some back to ORegon, some to the Keys (Jimmy and I) and some to Orlando and others to the Beach in the USA...it reminded me of a Seinfeld episode where all the characters travel in different directions off the Subway
it also reminded me of MY family when we landed in USA in 1961, we also went 2 by 2 to different locations
Now we are ALL back to oregon...playing bridge...our group came in #3, #4, #5 and #6 in bridge Wed (nice grouping)....all is Right with the World !! Life is Good !!
We await a picture book that Denise has promised to put together.
Cuba Trip #4
Day 4 (going home)
We had a 6 am wake up call. Breakfast served especially for us at 7 am (normal breakfast time is 8:30 AFTER morning Mass). We once again had a feast prepared by our little angel nun who made friends with all in our group and has a brother in Oregon.
8 am meet in the lobby with ALL your luggage. This time i hired the 2 sons of the desk man to help with luggage. Everyone left everything behind...including tooth paste, t-shirts, reading glasses, extra aspirins or tylenol, even the American Soft toilet paper...etc.
got to the Jose Marti airport by 9 am and said goodbye to our driver....although i had already tipped him $100 (5 months pay in Cuba), the other people also tipped him...he looked VERY happy....his family will eat well...at least for THESE year
the terminal is SO BIG compare to the old one (house for American charters)....there were NO lines...we checked in in less then 30 mins...NO problems...so the ladies wanted to go shopping...YAHOO...plenty of stores in the Main terminal BEFORE TSA...and they took American dollars too (so much has changed in only 4 years and my last visit to Cuba)
I did break down and cry when the lady at the American Airlines ticket counter asked me if this was my first visit...and if i had any family left in Cuba...i had to walk away from the counter to recollect myself...when i came back she was telling the other men that i had broken down (probably from lack of sleep)...but the emotions of leaving Cuba maybe for the last time are overwhelming
TSA was a breeze and we turned in our VISA...thank God no one had lost theirs
on the other side there was little cafe's and some smaller stores selling rum and stuff.
the Bano did NOT have toilet paper...and the toilet seats NO SEATS !! we are still in a 3rd world country...so sad
we sat down and waited an hour....(we got to the airport too early...will have to adjust that in the future)...but it gave us time to relax and telling stories and have a little lunch
The Flight back to USA was delayed for 30 minutes at the Gate in Havana....some strange looking men came into the plane and REMOVED a lady from First Class !!! WTH
The pilot finally got on the loud speaker and said that there would be small delay while they REMOVE the luggage of the passenger. My best guest was that SHE was trying to escape Cuba and was found out at the Last Second. PS: a very pretty lady...maybe even an actress or girlfriend of someone important
The Pilot FLEW back to Maimi in record time....and we got off...everyone was excited about the Custom's process....we all waited for Gil who was in the Back of the Airplane (this could have happened on the way TO CUBA...i am losing my memory)
Would they ask about the Cigars ?? would they ask about the bottles of Rum ?? would they let Manny back into the USA...i have fooled them many times before (many good stories here)
most of us went to Gate A or Gate C, Sandy was picked out for Gate B....she said she was chosen randomly..she had a BIG X on her passport processing ticket..i think it was probably the weight of her luggage...lol...but after some interview...they let her through
I was asked if i was carry my cigars for someone ? Also asked if i liked to smoke cigars ? I was also asked if i did any business while in Cuba ? And what year did i left Cuba ? (my passport shows i was born in Cuba)
Meanwhile boarder patrol hand cuff a man in line and 5 guys escorted him away.
We all met at the luggage place...and waited and waited for Sandy
Then we ALL went in different directions two by two....some back to ORegon, some to the Keys (Jimmy and I) and some to Orlando and others to the Beach in the USA...it reminded me of a Seinfeld episode where all the characters travel in different directions off the Subway
it also reminded me of MY family when we landed in USA in 1961, we also went 2 by 2 to different locations
Now we are ALL back to oregon...playing bridge...our group came in #3, #4, #5 and #6 in bridge Wed (nice grouping)....all is Right with the World !! Life is Good !!
We await a picture book that Denise has promised to put together.
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