Cuba

UPDATE: New Cuba Travel Restrictions: Can You Still Go?

August 7, 2017 By Caroline Peterson

Hats off to wonderful readers! After emailing back and forth with a fellow Not Your Average Gal pal, I got my hands on some updated information regarding Cuba travel restrictions.

Need a Cuba catch-up?

Hubster and I on our AirBnb balcony.

Jessica reached out to me concerned that her and her husband weren’t going to be able to go to Cuba now. They had purchased their plane tickets prior to the announcement of the updated travel restrictions that I listed here.Â After some back and forth and no “real” answer per se, Jessica decided to go Not Your Average Gal style and ~~grab the issue by the balls~~Â take the reigns.

“I was on trip advisor and came across the link to the government site for travel to Cuba, so I emailed and got this response. Just thought I’d share with you in case you have other people bugging you about travel there.”

Please read the response she got from aÂ Consular Assistant forÂ American Citizens Services at the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba.

President Trump announced on June 16, 2017 policy changes which could impact Americans planning to travel to Cuba.Â The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) will make regulatory amendments regarding travel by Americans to Cuba in the coming months, but the announced changes will not take effect until the new regulations are issued.

We advise Americans planning travel to Cuba to regularly consult the Department of Treasury's Frequently Asked Questions for the latest updates atÂ https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/cuba.aspx.

Provided that the traveler has already completed at least one travel-related transaction (such as purchasing a flight or reserving accommodation) prior to the President's announcement on June 16, 2017, all additional travel-related transactions for that trip, whether the trip occurs before or after OFAC's new regulations are issued, would also be authorized, provided the travel-related transactions are consistent with OFAC's regulations as of June 16, 2017

Awesome intel, right?

So, basically, if you planned your trip in any capacity by making reservations before June 16, 2017, you should be okay. If you made plans afterwards, it’s a bit dicey, like I mentioned in my previous post. You can go, but there will certainly be more scrutiny.

Sites and sounds just walking around Old Havana.

In the end, that type of scrutiny will prevent travelers from seeing such an incredible country. It’s pretty disheartening.

What do you think? Will you still travel to Cuba?

New Cuba Travel Restrictions: Can You Still Go?

July 13, 2017 By Caroline Peterson

With the announcement of new travel restrictions to Cuba, many Americans are left wondering:

Can I still go to Cuba?

Yes. Maybe, sorta.

Super helpful, right?

As I stated back in the winter, the time to go is NOW. I’m actually sad that I was so correct about it. I can only offer you suggestions based on what I know now. Please be aware: Your decision to go or not, in the end, is up to you.

Tourism Travel Was Always Banned

I think this is the biggest misunderstanding most people have. Even when we traveled to Cuba after Obama rolled-back restrictions, it was still against the law to travel strictly for tourism. As I stated, we had education activities planned out each day, ready to show any customs agent who may ask (but never needed to). We fell under the “people to people” educational trip.

“While tourism to Cuba is banned by federal law, the Obama administration had been allowing people to travel to Cuba and spend money as part of â€œpeople to peopleâ€ educational trips for visitors who plan a full itinerary of educational exchange activities, though there had been little to no enforcement of these requirements.” Politico

New Restrictions

Once the new travel restrictions take effect, you will essentially need to avoid anything that is government run; this includes hotels, restaurants, stores, etc. Is it possible to avoid? Sure. Just makes it a bit tougher.

“While travel to Cuba won't be banned completely, you won't be able to support businesses directly controlled by the Cuban government, but rather only with small independent businesses. So you won't be able to stay at big hotels, but you can stay in an Airbnb, casa particular, etc.” One Mile At A Time

We stayed at an amazing AirBnb, so we would have be “okay” under the new restrictions. But, it also looks like you will needÂ to keep your receipts from everything for five years and have heavier documentation of your activities.

“The Trump administration is stepping up requirements on those sorts of trips, requiring a full-time schedule of activities that â€œenhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban people's independence from Cuban authorities, and that the travel must result in a meaningful interaction between the travelerâ€ and Cubans, according to the draft. Travelers to Cuba will have to keep detailed records of all their financial transactions in the country for five years to make available to the Treasury Department if requested.”

When Will This Happen?

The Secretary of Treasury was instructed to provide new rules 90 days after the presidential policy directive was issued. Trump issued his statement on June 16th. So technically speaking, this should happen around mid-September.

As One Mile At a Time stated, the US will have a tough time enforcing what people do there. But, it’s the fear of repercussions that will likely lead to less Americans going to Cuba. And man, I hate fear-based reasons not to travel to a country.

Would I Still Go To Cuba?

Today? Yes. After mid-September, I honestly can’t give a definitive yes or no answer until we see the new restrictions. It breaks my heart to say that because Cuba is such an incredible country.

One of my friends reached out to ask me this very question and I’ll tell you the same thing I told her: get your documents in order, book educational tours and activities for each day, plan on staying at an AirBnb and keep an eye on the news.

What do you think of the new travel restrictions? Do you plan on going to Cuba?

My Travel Plans for 2017 + Beyond

March 3, 2017 By Caroline Peterson

Well, we’re nearly done with Q1 of 2017 and perhaps I should share my travel plans with you lot, huh? Some travels have, obviously, already happened, but as with much of our medical school/residency life, theÂ restÂ are subject to change. I suspect, though, the only options that are constantly in flux are traveling back and forth between Fort Lauderdale and Detroit. Everything else is pretty darn set. (But, the best laid plans…amiright?)

2017 Travel Plans

Havana, Cuba – January

We spent 5 days and 4 nights in Havana, as I wrote about here and here. What an amazing country. I want to hit up Trinidad next time.

Washington D.C. – January

As most of you know, I gave myself a birthday gift and celebrated my birthday with about 1 million other women during the Women’s March on Washington. It was one of the most powerful and positive experiences of my life.

Detroit, MI – March

I head to the frozen tundra to see the hubster next week. In general, we schedule it so he comes here more during the winter months and I’ll be up there more during the summer months. We didn’t take into account the flight prices during busy season here, so having him fly down in March would have been essentially the cost of a flight to Europe. So, I’ll be heading there in March…where it can still snow…and sleet…and be grey…all.the.time. Boy, I sure must love that guy.

Cancun, Mexico – April

To unfreeze from Detroit, we’re making our now annual trip down to Cancun while the hubster has a week off from work. Yes, we’re staying at our fave all-inclusive adults-only resort again: The Hyatt Zilara Cancun.

The same girlfriends we went with to Cuba are coming too. I affectionally now call them sister wives. But I’m wife #1, always and forever.

Las Vegas, NV – April

The most adorable girl in the world turns 3 in April! AKA- my niece. My brother lives in Las Vegas (no, not near the strip) and they’re having a party (no, not at a strip club). JetBlue had an amazing deal months ago, so I’m flying there nonstop for $225!

Peru or Puerto Rico – June

Against my type-A planner heart, we have not purchased flights for this yet. But such is residency. We aren’t totally sure if we’ll even go because of schedules. If we haveÂ more time – Peru. If we haveÂ less time – Puerto Rico, or somewhere close by. Isn’t that crazy – Puerto Rico is close by for me. Ha!

Detroit, MI – July or August

Michigan in the summer is glorious. I hope to be up there working remotely a few times. Maybe we can make a long weekend up north to Traverse City.

? – Thanksgiving

Recently, the hubster put in for this week off as part of his vacation allotment. Part of me wants to jet off somewhere, part of me wants to stay home. Like I’ve mentioned, the hubster and I are usually the ones who travel to see family for holidays, so we’ll see. Thanksgiving in Florida is pretty darn nice. I guess if Peru doesn’t happen in June we can do it here.

——

I know it seems nuts, considering everything I just listed, but because the hubster and I are flyingÂ to see each other close toÂ every 3 weeks, we unfortunately need to limitÂ spending anything extra on travel other than planned trips. Any PTO is dedicatedÂ to vacations,Â including just coming here. So it’s tougher to travel more on a whim or just fly to see people. Plus, I live in a magical place with beaches – come see me!

2018 +Â Beyond Travel Plans

*drumroll please…*

Southeast Asia!

Yes, yes, my favorite portion of the globe may be welcoming me back. It’s tentative at best right now, but there’s a chance for enough time off to travel back here. I’m thinking Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and then hit Japan for shits and giggles on our way back, because we know how much I fell in love with Tokyo last year.

Where are you heading? Any suggestions for my best laid plans?

Things To Do In Havana Cuba

February 4, 2017 By Caroline Peterson

So you’re thinking of heading off to that large island in the Caribbean, heralded for its strong coffee, friendly people and often shaky relationship with the US.

After you’ve figured out how to travel to Cuba, jot down a few of these items and I promise you’ll be happy you did.

Things To Do In Havana, Cuba

Explore Old Havana all day

Honestly, give yourself at least an entire day to explore every alleyway, church and market in Old Havana. Pop into La Floridita for a famous daiquiri or bargain over Cuban antiques in Plaza de Armas.

There is always something going on and with Cubans being ever-so-friendly, and willing to teach a quick dance or smile for your photograph – you can’t go wrong. Plus, I’m a major people watcher — just sitting in a park snapping pics is one of my favorite things to do. That sounded creepy, didn’t it? Carry on.

Try a traditional Cuban dish

Ropa Vieja – Braised shredded pork or beef, often over rice in a flavorful sauce.

Moros y CristianosÂ (black beans stewed with white rice) – I will never look at black beans and rice the same again. Stewing the black beans is the way to go, plus hot sauce.
Sofrito – This is often the base used in soups and black beans.
Cubano – Cuban sandwich which is a variation of ham and cheese with pickles.
Pollo a la cacerola (not sure how traditional it is, but it was my favorite dish of our trip) – Probably had enough butter to make Paula Deen happy, but the chicken was falling off the bone. Mix it in with moros y cristianos … *heaven opens*

Two of our favorite restaurants on the trip:

Paladar Los Mercaderes

La Bodeguita del Medio

Drink a Mojito…or Cuba Libre…or Cubata…or Daiquiri

The mojitios are less sweet than the American version, but just as potent. I’ve never been a huge rum fan, call it PSTD from my college days, but the smell of it often makes me shrivel my nose. That is until I had Cuban rum, Havana Club specifically. It is great! The Cuba Libre is rum, coke, sometimes sugar, always lime. A Cubata, which ended up being my favorite drink of the trip is the same as a Cuba Libre, except they use old/aged rum.

Thank me later.

You can also get the best daiquiris I’ve ever had in my entire life from La Floridita in Old Havana. Apparently, Hemmingway also frequented this place and said as much. Psst. I agree.

Ride in an old American car

We worried we may not be able to get a chance to ride in one, but don’t you worry. They are everywhere! Relics of our American past, these well-tended puppies are just a wave away from being your taxi.

Bonus points if you get to ride in a pink convertible.

Sip on Cuban coffee

Also referred to as:Â CafÃ© Cubano,Â Â Cuban espresso, cafecito or crack, as we like to call it in our office.

Oh Fort Lauderdale and Miami, you have ruined me. I will never be able to sip weak coffee again. Why? Because it’s all Cuban-based brews and styles here. The cup is small, but the brew is a big punch in yo’ mouth. A cafÃ© cubano is an espresso sweetened with sugar while it’s brewed. There are plenty of variations of this, but most use a darker Italian or Spanish roasts.

Now typically, in the states, I’ll enjoy it without sugar, but I guess that would just make it an espresso… I digress.

Learn about The Revolution

The government influence in Cuba, especially Havana, is hard to miss. There are constant reminders of The Revolution and how it is working. Whether or not it is, is probably up for debate in another post on another day.

That said, take some time and learn about Batista, The Bay of Pigs, The Cuban Missile Crisis, Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and now his brother, RaÃºl. All play a major role in La RevoluciÃ³n Cubana and how Cuba operates today.

Grab a seat on a rooftop terrace

In a past life, I must have been a monkey. I like to climb and observe where I am. That’s why when we asked each another what the one thing we wanted to do most in Havana was, I said, “Get on a rooftop with a drink, my pals and some laughs.” And we sure did. Our AirBnb had an amazing rooftop terrace.

Plus, any chance we got to eat, we looked up for a restaurant. Havana is beautifully chaotic and it’s best to be viewed from up high.

Bring toys for kids

Perhaps our favorite memory was handing out soccer balls to boys and giving necklaces to girls. I may have been attacked at one point, but it was worth it. We were told toys are expensive and hard to come by in Havana, so we brought some in case. Just small items. I hesitated to bring toys at first because I didn’t want it to be condescending, nor part of a missionary trip. It at the very least helped to strikeÂ up a conversation with the kids and adults around.

I handed a Barbie-like doll to one girl and told her in my best Spanish it was a gift from friends in the US. Her mom asked me in perfect English where I was from in the US. I bet she totally heard me reciting my Spanish before I gave her daughter the doll. Doh!

Take a locally guided tour

The best way to explore a new area? Have the locals show you. We took a walking tour of Old Havana the second day we were there. It gave us the best lay of the land and our tour guide Jorge, absolutely was the icing on top. He wanted to hear just as much about us, as we did about him and Cuba. He was open and friendly and full of facts that you won’t get by reading any signs. If you’re in Havana, look him up!

Cuba Tours with Jorge

Put your phone away!

This was incredibly hard at first. I wanted to Snapchat everything. But soon enough, I wasn’t even looking at my phone other than to snap quick pictures if my nice camera wasn’t nearby. I learned an essential lesson that trip:

The world still revolves if I’m not on my phone.

I hope you have the most amazing time in Havana — shoot me a comment below if you’re heading there or have been there before! I’d love to hear about it.

How I Traveled To Cuba As An American

January 15, 2017 By Caroline Peterson

WithÂ travel restrictions slowly being lifted, lots of Americans are interested in heading to the land of mojitos, cigars, music that gets your hips moving and beautiful, wonderful, amazingly strong coffee. Ah, Cuba. A forbidden country for so many years as Americans, it’s easy to see why there’s such an influx in tourists.Â I was just there two weeks ago and wouldn’t hesitate to head back again.

My current recommendation? Go now. First and foremost, we ran into plenty of Americans while in Cuba. In my experienced traveler opinion, this will only increase and with such a tourist increase, there’s bound to be some complications and drawbacks. Second, and perhaps most important, we were asked by more than one Cuban what will happen once Trump becomes president. All of us sadly shrugged our shoulders and shook our heads. The fact is, no one knows how much longer this will last and my inclination leans more towards the relationship declining between our two great countries. While you’re still able to — Go!

So, how does one travel to Cuba as an American. I’ve laid it all out below:

How To Travel To Cuba As An American

12 Categories of Travel

“Travel to Cuba for tourist activities remains prohibited by statute. However, the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued general licenses for 12 categories of travel.” Â From The US Embassy in Cuba

These 12 broad categories are as such:

Visiting family
Humanitarian projects or to provide support to the Cuban people
Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments and certain intergovernmental organizations
Journalistic activities
Professional research
Educational activities by persons at academic institutions
People-to-people travel
Religious activities
Public performance, clinics, workshops, athletic or other competitions and exhibitions
Authorization to provide travel services, carrier services and remittance forwarding services
Activities of private foundations, research or educational institutes
Exportation of certain Internet-based services

We chose the bolded category. Earlier in 2015, the U.S. government made a significant change to the rules around people-to-people educational travel. Before the change, Americans were required to be accompanied by a sponsoring organization subject to U.S. jurisdiction. If you looked into that, which of course I did, it was really expensive. Now, we can organize our trips as individuals, as long as we had a full schedule of educational activities planned – and we did.

We were fully prepared to show the excel spreadsheet of our daily itinerary, including tours and guide names, in case any one asked. (And they didn’t.)

Perhaps I could have tried to use the journalistic activity category because of this here blog, but ideally I didn’t want to push the validity of this site. But I have 600+ followers on Facebook, Cuban immigration officer.

The categories are broad and my assumption is this is meant to be more welcoming, but you still need to state the purpose of your trip. You simply can’t go only to lay on the beach and drink Cuba Libres all day. And honestly, why would you? Â This country is full of absolutely wonderful things to discover and learn. It is up to you which category you feel you fall into, if any. Tourist travel to Cuba is still prohibited, so you will need to choose in order to get your Tourist Card.

Cuban Tourist Card

Most American-based airlines now fly to Cuba. While before, you’d need to fly to Mexico or the Bahamas first, now you can head straight to CubaÂ from your homeland. We flew from Miami, MIA, to Havana, HAV, on Delta Airlines. Even got upgraded.

Money shot.

You can get your Tourist Card at the airport before your flight. Once we got to the airport and since we weren’t checking bags, we asked an agent if we needed to get our Tourist Card prior to security or at our gate. She pointed us to a large table to fill out our form stating one of the 12 reasons why we were traveling.

Once filled out, even though we were checked-in online, we simply showed our Certification of Travel to Cuba paperÂ to the agent, she checked our passports and then gave us a Tourist Card to fill out. “Don’t mess up,” she warned, “If you fill it out improperly, you’ll need to pay for a new one.”

THE PRESSURE!

The Tourist Cards cost us $25 each.

Then we were off!Â We arrived in Cuba where they took the second half of the Tourist Card at immigration. I simply looked at the camera (wasn’t allowed to smile), was told I had beautiful eyes (duh) and then I heard that wonderful pound—BAM—as my passport was stamped. Next stop, Currency exchange.

Currency

As I’ve mentioned before, there are 2 types of currencies in Cuba: Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) and the Cuban Peso (CUP). While this may seem confusing, it’s not, because as a tourist, you won’t be using the Cuban Peso (CUP). The CUP is designed for Cuban citizens and the CUC for tourists.

$1 USD = $1 CUC

While this is great, there’s an extra penalty for converting US dollars in Cuba. It’s a hefty one too – 10%. So it’s really more like $1 USD = .$90 CUC…probably closer to .$80 CUC once you add in the exchange fees.

Anywho, a great workaround is to bring Canadian dollars or Euros. There is not an extra penalty for those currencies. You can go to your bank prior to leaving and request it or, if you’re lucky like us, have one of your friends who is in Europe traveling bring back Euros and then pay her back.

Boo-yah.

Â American credit cards will not work in Cuba. It’s essential that you have enough cash.Â Your budget is personal, but I would allocate at least $100/day per person. It may be excessive, but you don’t want to be left without any cash to get around an island that does not recognize your credit cards.

Accommodations

We stayed in an amazing AirBnb and if I were to go back to Cuba, we’d use AirBnb again. For one, you can pay with your US-based credit card prior to leaving and for two, you really get to experience the culture from a local perspective.

It’s hard for me to share this wonderful place since I don’t want it to be booked the next time we go, but Antonio was so wonderful, it would be a shame not to share the love: El Paseo Penthouse

How To Travel To Cuba As An American — Our lovely bedroom with A/C!

You can also stay in places called Casa Paticulares. These are privately owned Bed & Breakfast houses. We have heard that since they are private, not government owned, the accommodations are a bit better. Very often, you’ll get breakfast and interact with the owners.

Additionally, you can stay in government owned hotels or major non-American resort/hotel chains. The latter will cost you a bundle and, due to the infrastructure, you will not be getting the 5-star experience that comes in the price tag. US-based hotels are now making their way to the island, with a Starwood property just opening this past month.

Pre-planned Tours

While I will post in more detail about our tours, these are the 2 tours we took and I would highly recommend each. Don’t expect a good internet connection in Cuba, so you need to book these prior to arriving. Additionally, it’s important to have it all laid out if you choose theÂ People-to-People travel category.

Cuba Tours with Jorge

Havana Tour Company

Again, I highly recommend traveling to Cuba. It’s left a footprint on my heart that is hard to describe. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot them my way below!

The Re-Entry Process & My New Intentions

January 5, 2017 By Caroline Peterson

After nearly every international trip and cultural exchange, I go through this re-entry type-process back into my daily routine. It’s more than reverse culture shock, this is walking back into your routine with new a perspective, an appreciation for the things you have and a mental note of what’s truly important and needed in your life. In my post-vacation glow, I yearn to not get sucked back into my mundane routine of just “trying to get through the day.”

Cuba, oh you guys, Cuba taught me so much. Not that other countries and experiences haven’t, they all have offered their own, unique perspectives. But, Cuba…

I was without any sort of social media connection for 5 days. Lies. I signed into FitBit and used 3MB so I could join my weekly Workweek Hustle Challenge with friends because I knew I’d have tons of steps walking around Havana. Oh, and maybe I signed into FB once too. Basically, I just cost myself $14 for 7MB of data use in Cuba. Mad problems.

After 5 days, when I got back, I didn’t want to sift through hundreds of emails. I didn’t want to check into work. I didn’t want to see how many Likes something got. I had no desire to “keep up” with the daily trends because, guess what, I survived without it! The earth still revolved around the sun without me checking to see if a project I busted my ass for had client feedback yet.

I know this seems petty and perhaps superÂ first world problemsÂ (although, I hate that phrase after traveling to more than a few third world countries), but the first step in addiction is admitting you have a problem, right?

I need to shift things aroundÂ and it’s going to start right meow.Â

Sometimes, after trips, I go through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and unfollow anyone or anything that doesn’t add value to my life, doesn’t educate or motivate me in some way, shape or form. Additionally, I also seek out to learn more about the places I just set foot in, so I’ll follow those accounts.

But, I want to do something more and now is the time of year people start making resolutions. But here’s the thing, I’d rather not have them be resolutions, but be more-so like cutting the chord to shit that doesn’t represent me but just fills an empty void.Â

Rip that mundane Band-Aid off.Â

I’m riding Cloud 9 after an incredible vacation where I learned so much and I want to make sure it continues. So, here it goes.

Operation: Achieve Lifestyle Shift

Actually use my Rosetta Stone and improve my Spanish

I could not believe the Spanish that came out of the cobwebs of my brain while we were in Cuba. The same happened in Spain. My Spanish teachers would have been both proud (and maybe a bit embarrassed – conjugating is hard!) I want to ride this post-Cuba wave and really soak up the 2nd language that I know, at least well enough to hold a decent conversation.

Stop recording Bravo & MTV reality TV shows

This is perhaps, sadly, the biggest change for me. I updated my DVR settings and deleted reoccurring series. It was that simple. Some people are often surprised that I watch these mindless TV shows, but I do and I don’t want it to take up any of my time anymore. They are great for getting your mind off the day, but perhaps I should focus more on making sure I don’t need a day to get my mind off of?

Make my blog a top priority

Guess what takes a backseat when I get busy? Oh, that’s right, this here bloggy-poo. It’s so, so, so common amongst bloggers with full-time jobs. But if I ever hope to make a living off my writing or this site, I need to show more, do more and share more. Which leads me to the next item.

Do not feel chained to my desk

I rarely take a lunch break. In Q4, I rarely left before 7. As many people in marketing know, that’s the name of the game when the time calls, especially as a copywriter. But now it’s a new year and I’m going to make it a priority to have a better work/life balance and go eat my lunch at the damn beach at least once a week, okay?

Realize that people are sometimes just shitty people.

Stop trying to assign intentions to their behavior or make excuses for them. Some people are just self-centered and will somehow make the conversation about themselves. Some people are not really interested inÂ listening to you. Some people will only talk, text, visit, call or write when it’s convenient for them. Some people are just hurt and behave like aholes. I need to accept this more and move on.

So, muchas gracias, Cuba! Here’s to a more intention-filled life.

Do you ever experience a reawakening after traveling? What about your New Year resolutions?