Day 1 (cont.)

Day 1 (cont)

We get off the plane….and loaded up onto a new bus you see at airports for transporting people…we are not taken to Jose Marti Terminal like other planes from around the world…we are taken to a special terminal for planes from the USA….

On the way to the terminal one of the fathers of the soccer player collapses and starts going into convulsions…the people in the back of the bus are screaming….and the people in the front of the bus are banging on the thick glass separating us from the driver….

We get to the terminal and I am the first one out of the bus…and I am screaming to the military guys there….”MEDICO !!! Corazon !!! Necesito Medico….Por Favor !!”….they seem to react to my screaming…lol (not a good way to start our visit to Cuba…the father was ok…we talked to him later)

Now we are inside the terminal….they have completely redone it since our last visit…much more cleaner and spacey….the cool part is that there is a man calling out “Manuel Suarez….Manuel Suarez”….that is us…everyone thinks we are important….i am hoping he will take us through a side door and out….

It is our driver that Manela had arranged through Havana Tours….he tells us he will meet us on the other side…

So just like last time…we each enter into a line where they check us out on a camera…this time the lady is nicer (maybe because I do NOT have a beard and I match my passport picture better)….they let me through the locked door…

Now I have to go through a metal detector….and bag gets x-ray….no problems like the first time (where they did not like my little binder book with a xerox copy of my passport and Austin’s passport and a Map of Cuba)

They have completely re-done this side of the terminal too….much more modern…better lit and roomier…people are much more friendlier….and instead of pictures of Fidel and Raul and Che….they have big poster of children playing at the beach…and tourist on horse drawn carriage…they are getting ready for the big Tourist push that is sure to come soon, very soon

Our driver gathers us up and tells us we can follow him….i jump on the opportunity, but then a military guy stops Craig (it is the same guy as last time…his family name is SUAREZ….and he claims to remember us !!! from our last visit)….he lets us go and questions Craig.

We go outside and we wait. Craig’s sons are little anxious…especially his younger son. It takes Craig a while to come…we decide to start yelling when he comes through the doors….it works and Craig raises his hands in triumph.

Now last time we had a driver and a rent-a-car…it was a small European car and last time it was 4 BIG guys and luggage….this time it is 5 guys and luggage…but our Havana Tour taxi to Havana is a BIG 12 passenger mini-bus….YAHOO….Austin is very excited about that…we have plenty of room…again we look like VIP’s

The Havana Tours gives us a tour of Havana….in addition he gives us all kind of tourist tips…and he tells us the GOOD news that Cuba no longer has the 10% penalty tax on US dollars…we just saved several hundreds of dollars…the mini-bus drops us off at Old Havana and we have to walk 3 blocks to our hotel (the convent)…there are 2 other people waiting curb side to carry our bags….

If you are taking a group of people to Havana, this is the perfect way to start your visit. Thanks Mane !!