Surprise; I’m Going To Cuba!

Posted on by Cristina Vintimilla

I don’t even know where to start this post. I’m currently sitting in the Fort Lauderdale Florida airport waiting to board my flight, that’s in about 2 1/2 hours. Traveling to Cuba was something I never thought I’d do so soon and in a manner of fact haven’t really put much thought to. But now here I am! I booked my flight the first week of January so I guess you can say it was kind of a last-minute thing.
Cuba wasn’t really talked about much in school, we (Americans) just knew it as a country we were forbidden to go to. I didn’t know much about Cuban history (until I started watching the Netflix Series: The Cuba Libre Story) and the country didn’t catch my attention until Obama visited last year and has re-establish government ties. But the initial moment I told myself “I want to go to Cuba” was when I watched the “DamonandJo” Youtube Video: How To Go To Cuba As An American. She created various videos on her trip there and I 100% recommend watching them all.

 

I plan on vlogging my entire trip in Cuba so check out my Youtube channel for updates.

Traveling to a country like Cuba as an American can be a bit confusing because rules are constantly changing. You must fit under one of the 12 categories to travel there, which you can find on many websites with a simple Google search. But if you want more specifics about each category to help you determine if you do/don’t quality then this document is the best to look at (scroll to page 2).

These are the major updates as of Jan 26, 2017:

  1. You don’t need to apply for a license to visit as long as you fit under 1 of the 12 categories.
  2. You do need a tourist visa, mine cost $50 from Jetblue.
  3. You will not need to pay an exit fee when leaving Cuba (that rule ended a few years ago).
  4. You can access internet while you’re there but will need to pay at a hotel or buy Internet cards (I suggest just enjoy the moment).

I’m going to visit family who moved to Havana, Cuba and will be staying with them to get a more local point of view of the city.

I think it’s important to point out the reasons why I’m visiting Cuba

  1. Who knows what the future may hold and especially with the new presidency in the States, I’m scared that I won’t have this opportunity again if regulations change.
  2. I want to visit before it becomes the “it” Caribbean destination and all Americans flock to the island (It’s cool to be one of the first).
  3. Because Cuba has been disconnected from the world, (for example, very limited access to Internet) it’s a country without western influences and I find that so fascinating because literally almost everywhere else in the world you can find a McDonald’s. I’m especially interested to document how Cubans dress.
  4. Limited access/ almost zero access to Internet (which sounds bad, but it will be a nice detox)
  5. The weather, music, drinks, palm trees, and everything else of a Caribbean island offers.

I plan on creating separate blog post about how I prepared to go to Cuba and will document my experiences there so make sure to check back soon.

 

 

 

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