Packing & Flight

Preparing for a trip to Cuba is no easy task. There are plane tickets to buy, hotel rooms to reserve, and excursions to book. As well, there is the question of time. My parents decided that it would be best to travel before the Christmas holidays because of the hordes of people & harsher snow storms. Despite researching first class tickets (PC term is executive class) from Air Canada, my parents settled for the charter carrier Sunwing. It’s like West Jet, only without the too friendly flight attendants.

When it comes to traveling, I follow a simple saying, “Always prepare for the worst. That way, you’ll only experience the best.” With that in mind, I stocked up on Gravol, Imodium, sunscreen, Off! repellant, and earplugs. For entertainment, I packed several books & a pack of cards.

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 1900 but Sunwing suggested that passengers arrive up to three hours early when the check in counters opened. They didn’t offer online check in. Upon our arrival at the airport, my parents & I were stunned to see a lineup in front of the Sunwing counters. We guessed these people were also traveling to Cuba. Despite this, we only had to wait around 20 minutes before we checked in our suitcases and received our tickets. Getting through security wasn’t a problem and thankfully none of us were taken aside to be stripped searched. Murphy’s Law states that ‘anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.’ In our case, the flight was delayed for an hour and the reason was never explained. But after that, the plane was filled with passengers and we took off into the cold winter night.

Since international flights last several hours (in this case, four), I prefer to sit in an aisle seat so that it’s easier to access the washroom. The entertainment system consisted of several channels of music, and the movie Ice Age 3. As for dinner, it was okay but could have been better.

After some time, the flight attendants began distributing the temporary VISA cards, stressing that no mistakes would be accepted by the Cuban authorities. The worst part was that you’d be charged $20 for a new card if you did make a mistake. Rip off! With the mounting pressure on my shoulders, I slowly filled out the VISA, writing maybe two letters at a time. It felt like I was trying to diffuse a bomb. Luckily, I didn’t make a single mistake, and I breathed a sigh of relief . . . before ordering an alcoholic beverage.

Because VISAs are on separate cards, there's no need for the authorities to stamp your passport. This also acts as a loophole for Americans wanting to visit because it's illegal for them to travel to Cuba via the USA. They have to either fly to Canada or to Mexico first before continuing.

The plane touched down in Varadero at around 2300 and came to a rough stop, then proceeded to taxi to the main terminal. I was surprised to see the ground crews operating modern vehicles and that we exited the plane via an air bridge; my parents & I were preparing to exit onto the tarmac. And yes, there is electricity.

Getting through Passport Control is like in Eastern Europe and Russia. You hand over your passport, VISA card, and plane ticket to an official sitting in a glass booth. You’re to look ahead at a camera & not smile as they check your face with the picture on your passport. When cleared, you receive your documents, and they buzz a door to unlock, letting you enter the Arrivals Area. However, you have to walk through security again; Cuban authorities are really thorough so don’t make a fuss and just do what they say.

After picking up our suitcases from the carousel, we exited the terminal and were greeted by warm 25 degrees Celsius weather. It certainly felt better than the -4 degrees cold we endured on the way to the airport in Canada. A Sunwing representative approached us and pointed to the bus that would take us to our hotel. We boarded post haste and the bus sped off into the night.