Cuba, Your Children Cry! (eBook)

CHAPTER TWO:
FLYING SOLO –
MY FIRST TRIP TO CUBA

November 11, 2016, Friday - Miami/Holguín/Santiago:

Sights: Lunch at Hotel Pernik, city tour of Santiago.

Well, I made it to Cuba! Unbelievable. A lifetime of dreams to reconnect with my Cuban heritage and my people has finally come true.

For months, we heard stories of the check-in process. The fear of God is placed in you to make sure you have the proper documentation. Several times you are reminded of the documentations required and reminded to always keep your possessions with you. In fact, American Airlines even had a second company make a courtesy call to ensure we had everything needed to enter Cuba. We were told about the several checkpoints to pass before even entering the aircraft in Miami. The American Airlines gate agent stressed: “Do not enter the airplane until you receive a green round stamp.” I have traveled to China and Russia, neither of which had these protocols. This only intensified my fears; the same fears my parents had for me before I left.

Our flight from Miami to Holguín was to depart at 10:20 a.m. We arrived at the airport four hours prior, as instructed. Where were the extra check-ins? And the green dot stamp? It took two seconds. Apparently, entering Cuba was going to be where the difficulty lay.

The flight was about an hour long. The beautiful ocean below was a captivating, royal blue. As we approached Cuba, I immediately noticed the large palm trees scattered through the airport. When we landed and I took in my first sights of Cuba, my eyes were filled with the beauty of the island and my heartbeat was beating faster than raindrops falling during a storm. I wanted to step on Cuban land and kiss it and embrace it.

I went through customs first, which was not difficult. They asked me for my passport, took my photo, asked how many days I was staying, and stamped my passport. I proceeded through the unlatched door by the immigration officer that shut behind me with a loud thump. Not bad for a descendant of parents who left pre-revolution.

About five minutes later, Laurin came through the door. Ten minutes later, no Jim. Fifteen minutes later, still no Jim. Laurin and I continued to wait as other passengers were released. Everyone had gone through customs. Laurin said Jim had been right behind her and walked into the booth but did not see him come out.

Was he sent back? Was he in an interrogation room? Were they asking him questions about me? Why would they want to detain an American?

About twenty minutes later, Jim appeared with a woman. He had been pulled into a separate room once he walked into the booth, to answer some basic questions about his visit to Cuba.

For the rest of the way through customs we were escorted by this woman, who handed us off to our tour guide. So, the Cuban American gets through Cuban immigration without a hitch, but the all-American gets sequestered and interrogated for half an hour. Go figure.

From the minute we stepped foot onto Cuba, the service and Cuban custom and style I was raised with was evident. Our guide Félix and our driver Dago were extremely comforting and accommodating. I felt instantly at home. Looking back from the check-in at Miami to arriving in Holguín, the actual process was no worse than any other country I have visited. In fact, it was much easier than I had expected.

Me in front of Cuba’s skyline

We had to obtain Cuban currency upon landing because, unlike euros, Cuban pesos are not available in the United States currency exchanges. There are also no credit cards accepted anywhere on the island.

After changing some currency, we had a tour of the City of Holguín. Immediately you see a handful of vintage automobiles from the 1950s, which excited Jim, in all sorts of bright, gorgeous colors. Cuba is famous for its vintage automobiles. Beautiful, well-maintained cars from the 1950s and even the 1940s are everywhere.

Jim pictured with a row of vintage cars

Due to the 1959 revolution and the embargo with Cuba, the island could not receive new cars. The locals had to either let the cars run into disrepair or make do with the parts they could find in order to have personal transportation. Some people engineered parts to keep the cars running, which has turned into a phenomenon for Cuba. This frozen time period in Cuba is such a charming characteristic of the island, and probably another reason people love to visit.

I find the cars beautiful and interesting. They bring fond memories of my maternal grandfather who had a 1956 Oldsmobile in Hialeah, Florida. He would pick me up in it every day after school. I loved how it stood out from all the minivans or luxury vehicles picking up other children and made me feel special. Seeing these cars in Cuba transported me back to when I was five and six years old and my grandfather would pick me up exactly at 2:20 p.m. at Immaculate Conception School. I was reliving that moment frame by frame as a similar car passed me in the city of Holguín. I shook my head to bring me back to reality.

November 12, 2016, Saturday - Santiago:

Sights: Site for the Battle of San Juan Hills, El Cobre, El Morro de Santiago, Lunch at the restaurant El Morro, Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca, la casa de Diego Velázquez. Stay in Hotel San Juan.

Today we start the day with a tour of the battle of San Juan Hills, which is located right behind our hotel. The Battle of San Juan Hill (July 1, 1898), also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. The San Juan Heights was a north-south running elevation about two kilometers (2,200 yards) east of Santiago de Cuba. The names San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill were given to the location by the Americans.

This fight for the heights was the bloodiest and most famous battle of the war. It was also the location of the greatest victory for the Rough Riders, as claimed by the press and its new commander, Theodore Roosevelt, who would eventually become the vice-president and subsequently the president. Roosevelt was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001 for his actions in Cuba. The American press at the time overlooked the fact that the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry and 24th Infantry Regiments had done most of the heaviest fighting.

We then head to see The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre which is located on a small hill abutting a serene landscape of greenery with tall palm trees scattered about. The building is painted in a vintage mustard color, grand in height on the outside but much smaller than expected on the inside. My mom, who is dedicated to her Catholic faith, insisted this was a sight I could not pass up. It is the original Señora de la Caridad of the famous Virgin Mary who appears before fishermen.

Here the main attraction is the statue of the Virgin Mary of Charity of Copper (Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre). This Madonna is richly dressed in yellow and wears a crown encrusted with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies, with a golden halo above her head. She carries a cross of diamonds and amethysts. This statue is kept in an air-conditioned glass case behind the high altar. A beautiful sight to behold. Unfortunately, she is propped so high on the altar that it is difficult to see her.

Enter my Nikon camera with a lens that magnifies ten times the size of an object. The Madonna stands proudly and comfortably in her ten by ten box, pristine as can be. Her pressed robe is as white as freshly-fallen snow. Her decorative jewelry is shiny, as if just cleaned. Hundreds of pilgrims flocked the church to catch a glimpse and pray to her for guidance and solace.

From El Cobre we travel to El Castillo del Morro San Pedro de la Roca, a fort at the entrance of the Bay of Santiago. The fort sits at the edge of a cliff and has several floors with gorgeous views of the area surrounding the bay. We have lunch at a restaurant called El Morro, of course. As we eat our Cuban sandwiches of ham, pork, and cheese, we sit along the edge of the cliff with stunning views of the water.

From El Castillo del Morro San Pedro de la Roca we take a tour of Diego Velázquez’s home. Diego was a conquistador who became the mayor of Santiago. On our way to this landmark, we cross a major square filled with children laughing, chasing and kicking balls, teenagers taking advantage of the free internet, and elderly couples walking hand-in-hand enjoying coconut ice cream. As we approach the home, vintage rusting lamps outline the park.

Diego Velázquez’s home is the oldest in Cuba. From the outside, it looks like a commercial property. For the most part, it is a cement square box, with a wrap-around balcony on the second floor, but it is covered with a wooden lattice, as well as all the windows, mainly for privacy and protection. The home is decorated in its original vintage décor and furniture. It was designed in labyrinthine fashion so that visitors would not be able to remember where rooms were located. Quite an interesting site to tour and definitely one of the highlights of Santiago!

November 13, 2016, Sunday – Santiago/Bayamo/Camagüey:

Sights: City tour of Bayamo, Iglesias San Salvador...