Cuba Trip, Wednesday, February 27

When the sun goes down...

Prayer Partner: Barbara Shaffer

Bye, Bye, Miami!

This morning I woke up so excited I could barely contain myself! Though I travel nearly constantly, Cuba is a new place filled with mystery and excitement! While I have heard stories about how great it is from past participants, I couldn't wait to experience it firsthand!

Our flight was scheduled to leave Miami at 11:00am, but they had told us to be there by 7:30. Since it was my first trip to Cuba, I abided by the rules. Sure enough, we used every bit of the prep time. From documents checks, to waiting in line to check bags, to security checkpoints, we were at our gate with only time to grab a quick cup of coffee and enjoy the last USA toilet! The flight was uneventful, and no sooner had I shut my eyes than I heard the announcement we would be landing in Havana. I had prepared myself for Haiti-like experiences - chaos, multitudes of people, and poverty. Upon arrival, we were nicely greeted by a lady from the airline, who took us to retrieve our visas and escorted us through customs. (Note to self....don't lose the green card in my passport!)

Taxi!!!

After customs, we went through a security checkpoint to xray our bags and each got a nice pat down. Then we handed in more forms to agents before entering baggage claim. Kary's bag was one of the last to come off, and then the nice lady from the airline escorted us through the final checkpoint to hand in the last forms, and kindly stood outside with us until we found our hosts. The crowd outside was jovial and celebratory, not the "scary" scene one may find outside the Port Au Prince airport. We remembered to change money to Cuban Pesos before leaving, and then set off for Matanzas.

My first impression of the outside areas of Havana was very positive. There was light traffic and the streets were cleaned and pretty well paved. (You must understand by now that I compare everything to Haiti!) The cars we did pass were straight out of Detroit, 1950s style! (See picture..) I thought at times I had entered onto the scene of Happy Days!

The Seminary at Matanzas

Midway, we picked up a man to bring to Matanzas. Wouldn't you know, he was a Quaker Pastor! We had a lot to talk about! The drive was a couple of hours on a good road, and the scenery along the coastline was gorgeous. Vegetation filled the roadsides, and we hit the 100 km/h many times!

As it is with many trips, the folks we were to meet with at the seminary in Matanzas were not here. We did have one man stop by who said he was supposed to meet with us today, but instead had to attend a funeral. He'll be back in the morning. So this comes to you live from Cuba, under the shade of many trees, with a magnificent breeze. Music is playing in the background, and it reminds me of a lazy Sunday afternoon. Where's the rocking chair? Can someone bring me a lemonade?

Peace, friends!