Early morning departure
Today, I had a brutally early morning wake-up today to catch my flight. The owner of my casa, kindly arranged a taxi at 4am. I stumbled and grumbled my way out the door, being careful not to wake Marie, who I’d been sharing a room with.
At the airport I had to wait in another line — yep, I’m getting used to them by now — to change my last few CUCs back into Canadian dollars. They of course tried to scam me, claiming they didn’t have small bills in CAD so they’d just “keep” the rest. But after a week in Cuba, I wasn’t falling for their tricks. Heck, give me another week and I’d be a pro at this stuff.
A stupid mistake
At this point, I discovered that I’d done something really dumb: In my haste to depart this morning in the dark, I’d grabbed my purse with my glasses case, but I’d left my glasses on the nightstand. Now, this would have been an inconvenience under any circumstances. But in Cuba, it was even worse. I’m basically blind as a bat at anything closer than a three-foot range without my glasses. Come on, Watarimono, were you sleeping on the job or something?
I found a guy at the information desk, and, in exchange for the USD I’d gotten at the exchange bureau, I persuaded him to let me use his phone, and desperately phoned my casa particular. Now, it was five in the morning, and the casa owner wasn’t too happy about being woken up at that hour. He also didn’t speak much English, and I was having trouble explaining what I needed. So, reluctantly, I asked him to wake Marie, who confirmed that she had the glasses. I tried to get her to send them to me in a taxi, which I’d pay when it got here. But it was New Year’s Eve, and neither she nor the casa owner was able to locate a taxi in time. There were plenty of them at the airport, but there was no time for me to go to Havana to retrieve them and get back to the airport in time for my flight, either.
Finally, in desperation, I asked Marie the only thing I could think of: She had plans to meet up with Sophie and Megan for lunch before flying out that evening, and Sophie and Megan lived in Vancouver. We had all exchanged email addresses. Maybe Marie could give them the glasses, and they could take them home and mail them to me from Vancouver? Marie said she’d try.
With no way of knowing if the plan would work, I reluctantly went through customs and security and boarded my plane, leaving my glasses — and my only means to see — behind in Cuba. I’d been dumb, dumb, dumb. If only I’d checked the room one last time before I left. If only I’d put on my glasses to read something before departing. I beat myself up for being so stupid the entire way home.
Home for New Year’s
My flights home were, thankfully, uneventful. One guy had the audacity to ask me if I “minded” switching my exit row seat with his cramped middle one, because apparently him being tall and me being short meant he “deserved” my seat. In the mood I was in, I just snapped back at him, and ignored his death stares the whole way. Well, screw him; I paid for my seat.
I slept from Havana to Toronto, mostly. I still had a cold, so my ears got the brunt of the takeoffs and landings, and hours after getting home, I still couldn’t hear in my left ear. I landed in Toronto and sped through customs at Pearson with my NEXUS card, and made my way to the domestic gate. There, I got some lunch, and connected to WiFi for the first time in nearly a week, though without my glasses, I really couldn’t read anything on my phone’s tiny screen.
My original plan was to hop on the 747, go home for a short nap, and meet up with some friends to celebrate New Year’s Eve. But, between my bad cold and my lack of glasses, I decided I needed a new plan.
My folks were out of town, so I called my aunt. She kindly agreed to help me out and pick me up at the airport, and race me over to the optician in hopes that they could make me an emergency pair of glasses in an hour. Luckily, they could, and I even got a sweet Boxing Week deal on them. Whew. She was also nice enough to swing me by the grocery store to pick up some food essentials, and even gave me a ride home. Thanks, auntie!
Reflections on Cuba
And thus ends my quick Cuban getaway. I’m officially back on the grid now. I have a zillion emails, Facebook messages, posts and updates to catch up on. The digital detox was really refreshing and worthwhile, in the end. But, as Billy Joel would say, “it comes down to reality and that’s fine with me ’cause I’ve let it slide.”
Cuba is, honestly, like nowhere else on earth. Travelling here is like hitting the rewind button. Everything is frustratingly slow, entirely offline, and government-standardized. If you come to Cuba expecting great food, great customer service, or to be spoiled, you’ll likely come away disappointed.
But, if you come with the right mindset and expectations this is an amazing country. Time and again, I was struck by the beautiful architecture, lively music and culture, creativity and ingenuity, and fierce pride of the Cuban people. This tiny island, only ninety miles from the United States, has — for better or for worse — determinedly forged its own path. And despite the enormous problems that they face, Cuban people are resolute. They’re hoping for a better future with the thaw that Barack Obama started, and they’re nervous about what a Donald Trump presidency will mean. But they also believe that they will survive Trump. They’ve survived a lot worse.
For me, this was an eye-opening week. I came to Cuba hoping to see something of the country. It wasn’t easy, and I didn’t have a lot of time, but I think I succeeded.
Gracias, Cuba. Thanks for the hospitality. It was a short trip this time, but one I’m glad I took. I hope to be back someday.