Cuba: The Undiscovered Country

The Accidental Tourist Prepares to Journey back in Time

Several months ago, my little sister Sonia came up with a crazy idea to visit Cuba. Sonia is a bit of a world traveler. Most recently hosting a New Year’s Yoga retreat in Iceland. For her, that’s the tip of her travel iceberg. She’s explored countries all over the globe. She says, ‘why not’ and then off she goes. I’m not sure who else lives like that. For me, I pretty content to go Belize or the Hill Country in Texas.

Tickets

First things first, purchase airline tickets. Lucky for me, I have Southwest Airline points. The flight would cost less than 75 dollars! Then I had to secure (and pay for) a VISA application online. I worked through an airline VISA program to secure the proper document. You could choose one of several reasons: artistic, teaching, journalism, supporting the Cuban people. Guess which one I selected? Nope, I didn’t select journalism. I pick up my Visa at the airport in Fort Lauderdale during a 4 hour layover. Sonia asked several of her friends to come along on this journey. As of this note, there will be six of us flying on different flights, arriving either Thursday evening or Friday. We’ve connected a bit on social media. But, this will be a journey where no one person knows everyone. An interesting dynamic for sure. Lil sis also secured an Airbnb for our housing. Divided by 6, I think it’s costing roughly $140 dollars for 5 nights for a 5 bedroom home just outside of Havana!

Packing

Packing: Shorts, T-shirts, swim trunks (I don’t swim), bug spray, khakis, sunglasses, flip flops, meds and yeah- sunscreen. My biggest issue is what camera gear to take. Of course my Nikon D610, travel tripod, main tripod, multiple memory cards and lens cleaning clothes and battery charger. I hope to take nearly 2-3 thousand photos for a travel book I plan to make (and of course sell). I spent an hour the other day at Houston Camera Exchange, talking to other travel photographers about some of the challenges I might face.

These are exciting and scary times for me. Behind the scenes, the world is somewhat chaotic. In the past 18 months, God touched me to utilize my photography skills and open doors for me to capture history. I am following His will and you’ll see how it goes.

From one Accidental Tourist to another, my last blog before leaving will be at the Fort Lauderdale Airport shortly before boarding for Havana. I’m told internet access is somewhat suspect in Cuba, so I’ll share my experiences once I return to the states.

Until then, tell someone how much you love them. Life is short Love you Mom.

Glenn, The Accidental Tourist