Cuba Day 7: Adios, Cuba!

We packed up our stuff and fell asleep by midnight to wake up at 2:30 am for our 6 am flight. Madelena got up to see us off, hugged us goodbye, and told us she loved us. She said she loves all her guests. We believed her. A cab driver Alejandro had pre-arranged picked us up at 3 am and we drove the the airport in silence, lost in thoughts about the trip. The people, the colors, the cars. What a magical, weird, truly one-of-a-kind place.

We walked into the airport in Havana, got in line to check in, and heard Taylor Swift's Blank Space – twice — it was on a loop!! Cuba was obviously trying to get me to stay.

One last time, Cuba made me laugh with this sign in the airport. I have no idea what "white weapons" or "toug objects" are, or why you can't travel with a statue. HA!

We spent our last 60 CUCs on a cheese sandwich, coffee, a t-shirt and some other small souvenirs. We boarded our plane to Mexico City, and immediately fell asleep. When we woke up, it was daylight and we heard a long announcement in Spanish. Then heard, in English, "ladies and gentlemen, the Mexico City airport is closed. So we will wait." WTF. 

Turns out it was because of fog. We circled for an hour, then landed. We had 8 hours in the Mexico City airport until our flight to LA. The airport is massive, so this wouldn't be a problem. The first thing we did was find Starbucks. Before the trip, we kept saying we wanted "to get to Cuba before Starbucks gets there." Then the whole time we were there, we wished there was a Starbucks. (Ok, it was just me, not Adam. But he sympathized.)  We laughed when our bill came to $150 (that's pesos). 

We took the air train to the terminal for American Airlines, did some booze tasting in the duty free stores (what? It's 9:30 am? Who cares! It's free!), and some shopping. We pirated wi-fi for a while until we got kicked off. Then we found a restaurant that would let us camp out, plug in, and use their wifi — while eating chips and salsa and drinking tea. It was heaven. 

Our American Airlines flight had no TVs in the seats, or any other frills. Ugh. So we slept. When we landed in LA it was cold, but I was excited to sleep in my own bed and wash Cuba out of my hair. We both agreed we were glad we had gone, but we wouldn't go back.

The next morning, Adam took me out to breakfast because there was no food in the house. We kept adding things to the order and explaining to the waitress, "sorry – we were just in Cuba." She didn't get it. While we ate, we scrolled through all of our photos on our phones. I looked up at Adam and found he was looking at me already. I said, "I want to go back." And he answered, "I was just thinking the exact same thing."

Random observations about Cuba:

1. Cuban sandwiches (ham, pork, pickles, mustard) aren't a thing in Cuba.

2. Ice cream sucks in Cuba. 

3. "Happy New Year" in Spanish (Feliz ano nuevo) is very close to "Happy Ass and Eggs" (feliz anus y huevos), so be careful.

4. Cubans have no concept of how big the US is. Time and time again, people would say, "You are from LA? Omg! My cousin lives in Boston!" 

5. Cuba smells like poop. Pretty much the whole entire country smells like literal poop.

For anyone planning a trip to Cuba, here are my top 10 tips:

1. Don't even think about trying to rent a car. We were actually very lucky that our car fell through, because we would currently still be lost in the center of Cuba if we had one.

2. Don't go during the holidays. Flights were hard to get, and were expensive. Hotels/casas were even harder to get. If you can swing it, avoid holidays and go another time.

3. Don't EVER eat at an all inclusive place, or a government hotel (all of them) in Cuba. Once we bailed on our all inclusive and went to that steakhouse, we noticed that everybody there was wearing a different resort arm band, which tells me the food isn't better at any of the other all-inclusives. 

4. Don't pay for anything with cash in advance. Always use a credit card to protect yourself, because plans WILL fall through in Cuba.

5. Skip the beach. It is not worth the struggle. If it is beach you want, go to the Bahamas.

6. Negotiate all prices in advance - cabs, bike cabs, meals where prices aren't printed, etc. And negotiate the price of all souvenirs.

7. Take lots and lots of American $1 bills. For the kids. Or take a boyfriend that has lots of $1 bills and is willing to give them to you.

8. Bring EVERYTHING you might need. Imodium, tampons, sunscreen, bandaids, etc. You will not be able to find any of those things in Cuba.  

9. Don't stay at a hotel in Cuba. EVER. They are not even close to American standards. Stay at a casa particular, rent it through AirBNB.com, and carefully read all the reviews.

10. Go with the flow. Nothing will go as planned. It is ok. Cuba will take care of you.

Lessons I learned:

1. Now I get it. I understand why 80,000 Cubans have died trying to make it across 90 miles of sea to come to the US.  I totally get why a mom would strap her kids to a raft and paddle out into the ocean. They don't want to be poor. They want to work to better their lives. We saw so many of them working so hard to make very little.  But it is impossible to improve their lives under their system. They watch 24. They have CNN. They know what the US looks like and the things democracy allows us to earn and buy. They know we have things like ceilings and air conditioning. And they want those things too. Why should someone have so little based only on where they were born? If I lived there, I would probably strap my kid to an inner tube and take my chances too.

2. We've been fed a ton of propaganda BS our whole lives about America being the "greatest country on earth." It is not — by far. It is great in many ways, but I have a million examples of how things are better in other places, and how we could improve.  Let's just take airports for now. The Mexico City airport was 10 times better than LAX – bigger, nicer, cleaner, more restaurants and stores. Airport security was way better even in Cuba than in the US. We got scanned coming and going. Cuba found, and took, my cuticle clippers — which made it out of both LAX and Mexico City. Neither Cuba or Mexico cared about taking us off shoes to go through security, but made our iPhones get scanned separately, not in a purse. Their planes were far more modern, with way better service and amenities. As I travel, I always make a mental list of all this stuff. I wish there was a "make America better" board of directors to which I could send all my ideas. 

3. As I've said many times, travel changes your perspective. I swear I will never complain about the bathroom at work again. I will appreciate things I have so much more. And not even big things like my iPhone or my car. Cuba even made me appreciate little things like bathtubs, iced tea and elevators and so much more. I have always been a fan of Target, but now I also feel grateful to be able to just run to the store and get whatever I need. I hadn't been to Target in 3 weeks when I finally went, and I saw it with new eyes. I walked through every aisle and fought back tears thinking about just how lucky we really are.

4. No system is perfect. Cuba is broken. Man, is it broken. But there are still things they do right, and even do way better than us. They have one of the highest literacy rates in the world. College is free, and so is healthcare — so they never have student loans or medical debt. Their love of music and art is an inspiration. Violent crime is nonexistent there. Seriously — compared to other neighboring countries, their crime rate is astonishingly low. And Cubans, while impoverished, are happy. They are open, friendly, and place a lot of value on their families. Those are all lessons we in the good old US of A could learn from. 

5. No matter how much you looked forward to a trip, or how amazing it was, by the end, you always want to go home. 

Hope you enjoyed our adventures in Cuba!

XOXO

Why Cuba?

I have always had a fascination with Cuba. Since I was in high school, I have dreamed about visiting the one place Americans were forbidden to visit (there are probably more, but in my mind, it was just Cuba).  Over the years I read books about Cuba, listened to the Buena Vista Social Club, and admired Che Guevara’s handsome face on all those hipster T-shirts.  But it wasn’t until recently that I decided it was time to actually pay a visit.  

Last year, I had a boss who was born in Cuba. He was one of the kindest, most open people I have ever met.  We worked closely together and I loved listening to his accent and watching his expressions. He left to take another job, and my workplace hasn’t been the same since. He got me thinking about Cuba again – quite a bit.

Then, last December, President Obama announced he was easing restrictions on travel to Cuba.  What do the changes mean?  America will re-open its embassy there within a few years.  Cuba will start accepting American credit cards next year. Americans still have to fall into one of the 12 categories of people approved to travel there (journalists, religious leaders, filmmakers, etc.), but no longer have to apply to the US Government in advance to get a license. Now travelers just self-identify as falling into an approved category, and go.

While restrictions are loosening, there is still a bit of a forbidden fruit appeal. You still can’t fly directly from the US (unless you take an expensive charter plane) or book a hotel from a US-based website. But if you are crafty, you can buy a flight to Mexico, then a flight to Cuba on a Mexican airline. You can use AirBNB to rent rooms in people’s homes, or European booking sites to reserve hotel rooms.

Thee number of American visitors to Cuba is increasing by the day. Once the embassy opens and credit cards work there – can McDonalds, Starbucks and Marriott be far behind? Probably not. Travel experts are predicting that Cuba will look completely different in 5 years – once American businesses are allowed in.

Because of my renewed interest, and my desire to visit Cuba BEFORE McDonalds gets there – I decided now is the time.  After tons of research and effort, I am booked and ready to drink some mojitos while soaking in some Cuban music and sunshine.  Unfortunately, Madelyn won't be accompanying me on this trip. Fortunately, my Spanish-speaking boyfriend will be. (Well, his Spanish is limited, but better than mine at least. My Spanish comes out in French.)  In late December, we will visit Havana, Varadero, and Trinidad. I will be covering my adventures for this blog and a few others kind enough to let me guest write about my trip.  

In the coming weeks, I will be writing about what went down between the United States and Cuba, and why the United States banned its citizens from going there back before I was born.  I will share how to book a trip like mine (it isn’t easy!) and what is legal/illegal when visiting Cuba these days. And of course, I will blog about the trip in detail after my return. (There's no wi-fi and iPhones don't work in Cuba - GASP!)

I hope you will join along on this journey, because it’s going to be the trip of a lifetime!

xoxo

Packing List for Europe

Hi Travelers!
Today I thought I would share with you my packing list for a summer trip to Europe. I suggest you copy this list into Word and save it on your desktop. You will find that you can adapt it for different trips. A camping, cruise or winter packing list would be very different from this one. Each time you make a new list by altering this basic list - save it with a name that identifies it, such as "Cruise Packing List." This method will make your life a LOT easier each time you travel, as you will use these lists over and over.

When it is time to pack, print this list for EVERY person that is going on the trip - and hand each person a copy. It is their responsibility to pack everything on the list, and to fit it all into one suitcase (or you can highlight just the items they are to pack if certain things don't apply to them). Ask each person to check off each item as they pack it. That way, your kids can pack for themselves, and you can just check the list, instead of the suitcase.

Ok, here we go. Items highlighted on the list will be explained further below.

Carry On Bag:

Euros

American dollars

Accordion folder with all reservations

Passports

Medical insurance cards

ATM & credit cards (notify both of your whereabouts ahead of time)

Pens

Highlighters

Chewing gum

Books/Magazines

Airplane pillow

Sunglasses

Extra pair of contacts

iPhone

iPhone charger

iPad (pre-loaded with movies to watch)

iPad charger

Laptop

Laptop charger

DSLR Camera + bag

Prescription medications

Snacks

Any jewelry that has value

Clothing:

Light rain jacket

Panties – one for each day + 2

Bras – 2-3 per week

Socks

Swimsuits

Shorts

Tops

One light cardigan

Jeans

Day dresses

Pajamas – wear each 3 times

Belt

Shoes:

Tennis shoes

Walking sandals

One pair of ballet flats

Accessories:

Money belt

Light scarf

Eyeglasses

Extra sunglasses

Cross body purse

Ponytail holders

Electronics:

Extra memory cards

DSLR camera charger

Car charger for iPhone (only if you are renting a car)

Cable to listen to iPhone in car  (only if you are renting a car)

Toiletries:

Tissue packets

Mini curling iron

Band aids

Advil

Hanging toiletry bag

Sunscreen

Hair brush

Shampoo

Conditioner

Deodorant

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Floss

Nail clippers

Tweezers

Makeup

Face soap

Face moisturizer

Body moisturizer

Razors

Feminine hygiene products

Qtips

Lip balm

Misc:

Collapsible water bottles

Backpacks

Plug adaptor

Turkish towels

Ziploc bags – various sizes

Easy, right? Now, A bit more detail on the highlighted items:

Folder with all reservations: The easiest way to stay organized is to print EVERYTHING -- all flight, car, hotel, dinner reservations, directions, maps, etc. and put it into an accordion folder, with each day being assigned its own pocket. Label each pocket: Day one/Paris, Day Two/Normandy, etc. Tear out each section of a guidebook and put it in the right folder. So if you have a guidebook about France -- you aren't going to need the entire book. Just tear out the 15 pages on Paris and the 5 pages on Normandy -- staple them, and put them in their folder in your accordion binder. Then pop this folder into your carry on suitcase and everything will be at your finger tips for the entire trip. 

Highlighters:  I like to re-read my travel guidebook each night before I visit a new place, and highlight things I hadn't noticed before, and want to see the next day. Highlighters also come in handy for maps.

Day dresses:  In Europe, women must have shoulders and knees covered to enter a church. To make life much easier on us, I pre-select dresses that have short sleeves (instead of no-sleeves) and hit below the knee.  I also find it is easier to pack casual dresses instead of shorts outfits -- one item instead of 2!  They take up more space, are more comfortable, and look better!

Light scarf:  Picture those big square pashminas they sell for $10 in the mall. This scarf will be your savior in Europe. If you don't have covered knees, you can wrap it around your waist to enter a church. You can lay it down for an impromptu picnic. You can use it as a blanket on the plane. The uses are endless!

Hanging toiletry bag:  Bathrooms are TINY in Europe. Without counter space, you will want a bag with a hanger that you can easily hang on a hook or towel rack. 

Turkish towels:  You can buy these on eBay for about $20. They are very light and thin, but super absorbent and dry quickly. So if you want to hit the beach and don't have hotel towels, these are a life saver, and hardly take up any valuable suitcase space. 

Ziploc bags: Again -- endless uses! Use them to store all the treasures your kids pick up along the way (sea glass, if you are like us!), hold your receipts, transport wet bathing suits, wrap up unfinished snacks, etc. You will wish you had brought more!

I hope that helped!  Enjoy!

xoxo,

J & M

Our Tour De France

We’ve been to France before – a weekend in Paris before our Mediterranean Cruise in 2012, and Marseilles as a stop on that same cruise.  I loved it so much, that I wanted to see more.  When I was there, I actually FELT French.  I have French heritage – my mother’s side of the family is French.  But I never knew how French I really was at heart until I spent that weekend in Paris.

It wasn’t just the fresh croissants. Madelyn and I talked to our tour guides and a lot of locals. We learned that the French have 5 weeks of paid vacation and 35-hour workweeks – which they consider a non-negotiable right.  (What other nation has a cabinet member called the "Minister of Free Time"?)  The French believe that the economy should support social good, and they have built an enviable social security program to help the elderly, sick and poor. Those views often makes me feel like an outcast in the US. But in France, I fit right in!  And as proof that they just might be right -- their poverty rate is half of that in the US.  Which also means that their violent crime rate is way, way lower than ours.

(Political side note: I have loved the French since France had the balls to point out to one its closest friends, the United States of America, that President Bush and his administration were acting like a group of thugs. France refused to help the USA steal Iraq's oil. That doesn't make them anti-American. A true BFF will tell you, to your face, when you're acting like an ass and screwing things up for the rest of the world. And that's what France did. I had wanted to visit ever since then.)

But politics aside, there is a lot more to love.  French women have helped to teach the women of the world how to be sexier at 45 than at 25 for hundreds of years. The French serve water without ice, as I prefer it. They make more than 400 kinds of cheese. And the bread – aaahhh the smell of fresh bread wafts down just about every street. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and easy to grab just about anywhere for an impromptu picnic. Enter Pinterest with tons of images that look just like the village in Beauty and the Beast…and…. we NEEDED more France.

So we are going back.

Our Tour de France starts June 19, and runs through July 4. We will post as often as we can during the trip.

Stops will include: Amiens, Rouen, Etretat, Honfleur, Mont St. Michel, Dinard, Dinan, the chateaux of the Loire Valley, St. Cirq Lapopie, Albi, Conques, Carcassonne, Aix en Provence, Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes, Saint Tropez, Annecy, Colmar, Strasbourg, Versailles and Paris. It looks a litte something like this:

We would LOVE for you to follow along!

In the coming weeks, I will get a post up about how we plan a trip like this and share a good packing list for any type of trip.  M will tell everyone how she saves money and which souvenirs she is most looking forward to buying.

Until then, au revoir!