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Travel to Cuba

golfgar

golfgar

Bueller.... Bueller...... Anyone....... Anyone?
Joined
Mar 15, 2004
Messages
6,413
I would love to go to Cuba before the travel ban is lifted versus after. From talking with some who have gone they relate the experience to time travel. There are many Europeans who regularly go to Cuba for vacation and have found the beaches and resorts to be wonderful. There are several new resorts that are world class, but I guess the appeal for me would be the quaintness of a place without the familiar chain stores, hotels and restaurants. Not to mention the old cars and good value for US bucks.

The ban on travel may be less vigorously enforced in the future so I just thought there may be some opinions on this, sans, of course, the affiliated political discussion.
 
I've heard it's not very pretty if you get caught. Major league fines and such. Best way to go would be to try and set it up all legal like. I believe you can apply for some kind of a humanitarian aid visa or something to that affect. I'm sure someone else can expound on this.
 
yup
caveat:this is not a political statement(just honest eyewitness observations) and i sure dont want to stir anything up.

from the travel i have done(south of the usa)imo cuba is better off than honduras or guatemala or el salvador etc.
by better off i mean less obvious poverty... more obvious literacy... better health care etc than any of the other mentioned countries.

if you think about it the cuban embargo is a punative thing only cuba isnt being punished just the americans.

cuba is just wonderfull without macdonalds or starbucks.

i love cuba

derrek :)
 
Golfgar -

This is a hot topic and a huge source of debate for us Cubans. The bottom line that you have to realize is this: going to Cuba now is truly nothing more than a direct (monetary) contribution to the pocketbook of Fidel - assassin, dictator and terrorist that he is. It does nothing, absolutely nothing, for the people of Cuba - contrary to what some might say or what you might believe. Everything the people have is either given to them at the will of this monster, or ultimately taken from them. There's no if's, and's or but's about that, and my family can attest to what was taken from them (as can those still there) - in addition to their country.

It's a sad, very sad experience, while very moving too. You see first hand what the effects of embargo has had on my beloved country and its people. You then see the utter insanity of continuing the embargo with Cuba, particularly when China is given "most favored nation" trade status.

If you are insistent on going, of course the official response is to get a permit from the Treasury. These aren't handed out graciously. However, you can always get to Cuba extremely easily from neighboring countries - such as the Dominican Republic. Keep in mind - going to Cuba now and hanging out at resorts, only venturing out into the neighboring city to purchase tobaco y rum is not experiencing Cuba anymore than going to Disney is experiencing reality.

Hope this helps and, perhaps, gives you a bit of a different insight. In any case, good luck. :)

And...PS - whoever said Cubans aren't being punished by the embargo, "just Americans," is absolutely out of their mind. That is a silly, utterly stupid thing to say.
 
MiamiCubano

i will not debate the "politics" of the situation.

my "eyewitness" observations of the situation(and i dont just sit in my resort in cuba or guatemala)is that cuba is better off than say haiti or honduras etc.and i still say cuba is just fine without mcdonalds starbucks etc.

"whoever said Cubans aren't being punished by the embargo, "just Americans," is absolutely out of their mind. That is a silly, utterly stupid thing to say. "

it is easy to call someone "stupid" when you dont have to look them in the eye when you say it.this is my opinion and i stand by it(if you would like to debate it further ...perhaps we should take it to pm's.)

be respectfull of other peoples opinions.

derrek :)
 
Stand by your opinions all you like. I will call THAT STATEMENT "stupid and silly" repeatedly, to your face, in your eye, looking down at you, sideways at you, or whatever else silly thing you have to say. It's also very easy for some person to sit at his/her computer in the US stating that the embargo has hurt Americans more than Cubans. If you don't see the utter stupidity in your statement, then I gave you too much credit to begin with. *PS - there's a distinction, although it appears you missed it, between calling a statement stupid and silly and calling a person such.

I guarantee you I have far more "eyewitness" experiences than you, and in far more countries than do you. I especially have more experience in dealing with the effects and ramifications of what Castro and the embargo has done to my family's country than do you. I have seen what has been taken from them, the few things they had to flew with, and the minimal things that are held by family still there (and what they have to go through to get things we take for granted). I too have seen the squalor of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Argentina, Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, and I could on and on. I also have seen the poverty and oppression some of the countries of the Middle East. The point is, so what? People in the worst ghettos of NYC, LA, etc. live FAR better than any of those people in ANY of those locales. So what does that do for your argument/position? Nothing. What the hell was your point anyway? There is worse poverty in other countries so go to Cuba? - is that what you meant?

You too should be respectful of others. There is no debate about your statement. It's stupid and arrogant and that's the bottom line. If you seriously think that Americans are being hurt worse than Cubans by the embargo, then get the hell to Cuba and stay there - you'd be better off, right? Then you can just give thanks that you are now being hurt "less" by the embargo AND that you live better than some poor SOB in Honduras. Brilliant!
 
Take it to PMs guys. JMHO
 
Not worth the trouble to go IMO.

I think a vendor once posted an opportunity to go on an education visa. Basically you go to some lectures in Miami, then travel to Cuba and attend some pectures there. Scholarly study is one of the "legit" reasons to go to Cuba so this company set it up that way. It's not cheap.

There are millions of people who have led happy, productive lives without ever setting foot in Cuba.
 
Point of order - his was a statement/message made publicly in a public forum. It warranted a public response. No need to cower behind PM's to address such.

It's over now though. I thank the rest of you for your open-mindedness and understanding in following this thread.
 
Before I started teaching, I was in the Hazardous Waste Management Business. I serviced contracts for BP, Exxon, Mobil, Texaco, Toyota, Nissan, Dow Chemical, etc... I have been in 41 states and 38 countries. I don't see the big deal in driving down to TJ (2 hours from my house) getting on an AERO Mexico Flight over to Mexico City and transferring to a flight to Havana.

Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Columbia, Egypt, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Syria, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hungary, Poland, India, Pakistan, Ukraine, Siberia, Kazikstan, Turkey, Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Detroit, St. Luis, Miami, Chicago, and even Seattle are more threatening than Havana, Cuba.

I am a Conservative Republican...............but, man...enough is enough...We've fast tracked Vietnam, China, and Iran as Most Favored Nation status in our trade policies. Closing Cuba off when the Soviets were hot and heavy made sense. But, with the fall of the Soviet Empire and it's brutal sphere of influence, I see no need for an embargo of Cuba anymore. I know there are the ex-patriots that still rally against Castro and his regime, but really............

We came to terms with the British, French, Mexicans, the Confederacy, the Germans, Japanese, Italians, N. Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Soviets, Iraqis, etc....What will it take to come to terms with a 3rd world island nation that is less than 100 miles away?

Looking forward to traveling to CUBA in the near future...........Embargo or not!

M. Gipson
 
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