Entering Cuba #SaturdaySnapshot

We got home from Cuba last Sunday. I’m going to post photos and stories from the trip on the next several Saturdays.

View from the plane of the tip of Florida

Amazing adventures begin after flying over the tip of Florida.

View of Cuban farm fields from the plane

Cuba has red dirt. I learned later that the soil is very fertile and rich in minerals, including iron.

Our group arriving at the tiny Cienfuegos Airport. Check out that air traffic control tower!

The Cienfuegos Airport is the smallest one I’ve flown into yet. The small passenger plane we were in taxied up to two Cessnas — they were the only other planes on the field.

My first Cuban bathroom

Most public bathrooms in Cuba are tended to by a woman who doles out the toilet paper. Tips are expected.

While I was using the restroom at the airport, Rick changed money. Cuba has two currencies. We used CUCs (pronounced like kooks) which can be exchanged on foreign markets. Cuban pesos are used by Cubans to purchase basic necessities — generally in subsidized markets. For special items like TVs, window-unit air conditioners, or cars, Cubans need CUCs, too.

One CUC is worth about a dollar, but by the time we got hit up for exchange fees and the like, we got ten to fifteen percent less.

Sorry for the blurry photos of coins and bills — we were on a moving bus when Rick showed me the money.

CUC coins

CUC bills

Next week, I’ll post photos of Palacio de Valle, a palace in Cienfuegos.

Check out West Metro Mommy Reads today for more Saturday Snapshots.

Comments

Entering Cuba #SaturdaySnapshot — 25 Comments

Wade Carlton on October 31, 2015 at 8:07 am said:

I’ve been looking forward to your pics; some of your travel buddies tagged you with their pics on FB, so I had an idea what you and Rick were up to. Looking forward to more!

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Jackie on October 31, 2015 at 8:12 am said:

Crazy, we’ve never been to Cuba!! May go next year so looking forward to your posts.

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Haralee on October 31, 2015 at 9:43 am said:

Already I am intrigued and looking forward to more vicarious thrills from your Cuba trip!

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Vicki on October 31, 2015 at 10:20 am said:

One of my friends growing up was born and lived in Cuba until he was about 6 yrs. old. He had some really interesting stories.

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Laurel-Rain Snow on October 31, 2015 at 10:27 am said:

Thanks for sharing…I’ve never even been to Florida, much less Cuba. This week I read a book about the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and some residents of Florida waiting it out.

Here’s MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST

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Sandra Nachlinger on October 31, 2015 at 10:52 am said:

My husband and I lived in Miami, Florida, for many years, and we heard a lot about the beauty of Cuba. I hope to go there one day. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the island through your photos. I’m looking forward to more!
My Saturday Snapshot post is HERE.

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Karen Booker Talk on October 31, 2015 at 1:28 pm said:

Looking forward to seeing more of your adventures

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Deb Nance on October 31, 2015 at 9:15 pm said:

Thank you so much for sharing your photos of Cuba. I can’t wait to see more.

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Susan on November 1, 2015 at 7:32 am said:

Neat adventure! Unlimited access to the culture or still restraints on where and how you can get from place to place?

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- Joy Weese Moll on November 2, 2015 at 7:27 am said:
  
  The culture is remarkably open these days. They’ve realized that they need the opinions of every one of their highly-educated populace to figure out how to maintain the good things they have (education, health care, low crime rate) while fixing the problems that remain.
  
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Sim Carter on November 1, 2015 at 10:12 am said:

I’ll be living vicariously, tagging along with you on your adventure. Looking forward next Saturday and more details like the bit about the woman doling out the toilet paper.
By the way, I apologize. I forgot to put to link back to you on the last British Isles Friday post. That’s been corrected now. How do you say ’sorry about that’ in Cuban?

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- Sim Carter on November 1, 2015 at 10:15 am said:
  
  Actually I just realized, duh!, that there are Cuban cigars, Cuban shoes and Cuban music but the language they speak in Cuba is Spanish. I just gave myself thirty lashes for that Cuban language reference.
  
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Louise on November 2, 2015 at 5:38 am said:

Oh I didn’t know you were going to Cuba, how fascinating that must have been. I’d love to get there one day- it’s a looong way from Australia though. (But then so is everywhere)

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carol on November 2, 2015 at 9:23 am said:

What a tiny airport! I’m looking forward to more of your photos. I think it’s so cool that you got to go.

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Tina on November 2, 2015 at 8:32 pm said:

What a great trip. I like reading about the differences in money and seeing that little airport. Looking forward to more of your photos.

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