Thoughts of sailing to the forbidden waters of Cuba often fill my head. The Cuban waters are said to be beautiful and pristine, barely touched by today's world of tourists and commercialism. The locals aren't allowed to own boats (they might escape), which also allows for plenty of space for cruisers. The culture, buildings, old cars, music and people are said to also be amazing. It's been said that Cubans welcome Americans with open arms, and the US Coast Guard are the ones to fear.
Tell someone they can't have something and they want it even more ... ever heard of Eve and the apple? I know and understand the history of Castro and Cuba's relations with the United States, but it's hard to accept that our freedom ends when speaking of visiting Cuba. We're free, but we can get into trouble by simply visiting a place?! Hmmmm.
Hopefully things will change in the near future, and we'll be able to sail to Cuba someday. We'd love to visit soon after it's legal, before the mass amount of tourists and hotels change its ambience. Until then, I hear that we could possibly visit Cuba if we have a sponsor or some sort of project like journalism or education. If things don't change, we may have to hit up one of you Canadians to be our sponsor! What does that mean? It's my understanding that the US doesn't want us Americans spending money there ... isn't it always about the money? Having a sponsor would indicate that they're paying our expenses, and therefore we're not spending our American dollars in Cuba.
We'd love to hear from American cruisers that have sailed to Cuba. You can even be anonymous ... just share your experiences!
I came across the video below of Havana, Cuba in 1958 ... before Castro's influence. It seemed to be such a glamorous place, and I love the music. Enjoy!
Hasta luego ... until then. Mid-Life Cruising!