A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. Mahatma Ghandi
Visiting Cuba had been on our bucket list for quite some time. Family members who had visited this foreign and forbidden country gave great reviews about the culture, kindness of the people and unheralded beauty. The problem was sailing there – not in the distance or direction, but in the obstructions with insurance, fees, and paperwork. The Queens Garden is one of the most beautiful and pristine dive sights in the world. We so wanted to sail to this area of Cuba and experience for ourselves the oldest and most diverse underwater marine park. This was another “no go”. The park is regulated and only allows about 300 people a year to visit so you can’t just show up and dive from your own boat. To do so, you must pay to be part of a liveaboard dive boat which costs about 3 grand a person. This was not in our cruising budget.
We had all but given up on the idea of visiting Cuba when friends of ours, Jonathan and Lori from the sailing Leopard 40 Catamaran Asteria, decided to sail to Cuba from Ft. Lauderdale and graciously offered us the opportunity to accompany them. Leaving our boat, Equus, for the duration of this trip was a bit of a conundrum. We were unsuccessful in finding a vacant mooring ball to attach her while we were away, so we had to find a safe and secure place in Georgtown to anchor her. Fortunately, we had friends aboard another Catamaran, Rovin, who had to wait in the area for parts to arrive. They offered to keep an eye on our girl while we were away. This was our only option at this point and we welcomed the help.
The common rule of thumb in the sailing world is that you never make a plane ticket to meet or leave a boat until the boat you are visiting is already firmly in place. Too many variables can occur at any given moment to predict a reliable date for airplane arrivals and departures. Since Asteria was already docked in Ft. Lauderdale, we booked our tickets to meet them there but left our return ticket open. The plan was to sail back to the Western Bahamas with Lori and Jonathan, then find an island hopper to get us back to Georgetown… (the best-laid plans of men.)
We lightly packed for our 7 to 10-day adventure in Cuba and met Asteria in Florida without incident. It felt good to be back in the states after 4 months away. The first order of business – we stopped at a restaurant and ordered a big, juicy, hamburger! Not sure the burgers in the Bahamas are truly beef. Just saying. Jonathan and his daughter Neta, Lori, Dan and I departed early on the 15th of March for a 20 hour trip south across the Gulf 
Stream. The much-dreaded stream, which can be so notoriously cranky and rough, was as smooth as a lake, untouched by a whisper of wind. There was very little time with sails up, but the sunset, stars, glowing phosphorescence and moonlight, was stunning. We all took our night watches and eagerly anticipated the sunrise and our early morning arrival into the mysterious country of Cuba.
The moment we entered Hemmingway Harbor, a lone man stood on shore waving us toward the port of entry and waiting entourage of Cuban inspectors. The boat was tied up, immediately boarded by a doctor and dock official. Our temperatures were taken, many questions asked, and much paperwork filled out. Next came two sets of contraband searchers, complete with sniffing canines. The drone and satellite phone were taped up along with the instructions not to use them during our visit. A photo of each of us was taken, passports examined and then we were good to visit Cuba for the next 10 days max. A piece of cake.
I think the best way to describe Cuba is to say that visiting this unique country is like going back in time. It is true. Most of the cars date back to the 1950’s when the drug lords, mafia and movie stars spent so much time there, they brought their own cars. They are a proud people, proud of their history, heritage, heart and of course, the great Castro rebellion. Their mascot is the rooster – a small but feisty animal that has great courage and will fight to the death. We learned this from our guide Armado, who spent several days showing us around Cuba and answering our many questions.
During the course of the week, we traveled to the mainstays like Havana and Old Havana. We walked down streets admiring the architecture which was bold with a Spanish style and very reminiscent of many older towns in Europe. We explored the mountain area of 
Vinales, with its caves, tobacco and coffee farms. The people working these farms hand pick and process their goods the same way it was done hundreds of years ago. They take great pride in their work and in the fact that the entire country uses no preservatives or chemicals in any of their processes.
Along the way, there was a row of men dumping bags of something along one side of the road. We all took guesses as to what it was – were wrong, and discovered this was how they processed their rice. The workers separate the grains from the chaff and pour it on the roads to let the wind do the separating. We took an overnight trip to Trinidad, which is the most enchanting and magical city imaginable. We stayed in a bed and breakfast on a hill overlooking the town. The burnt orange clay
tiles spread across the rooftops below creating a mosaic of color and texture. Music floated through the air as the local performers began playing and singing, a nightly ritual at their town’s music center. Every local bar had its own band. The streets were paved with the original cobblestones from when the city was built hundreds of years ago. The townspeople refuse to modify them in any way, giving the city the ambiance of original culture and feel.
It is difficult to relay the beauty, culture and incredible pride of the Cubans. Many of the people are poor and live in shacks along the road. Almost every shack had immaculate, perfectly laundered clothes hanging along their porches, a testament to the cleanliness and pride these people feel to be citizens of their country. Most of them don’t have transportation. The long country roads, which are riddled with potholes and strange obstructions at times – livestock, rice, horse, and carts, have loads of people standing beside them with their hands raised. They wait for a bus, a taxi or any mode of transportation to get where they need to go. Horse and carts are a main source of transportation for many Cubans. Almost every home has a horse and a cow or two, perhaps a few goats, wandering around the yard.
For me, the main areas of culture shock were the food and the plumbing. There were many restaurants in the cities and in all the small towns. Many people built small additions to their homes or used their porches and patios to serve as eating establishment. The menu was pretty much the same everywhere. Rice. Rice and beans. A choice of chicken, pork or seafood. Meals were served family style and started with fried plantains, fried potatoes and very occasionally a plate of tomatoes. Every meal was delicious and plentiful and priced between $5 and $10 Cuban pesos. Vegetables other than root veggies seemed very elusive. And if you had to use the bathroom during your travels, you needed to supply your own toilet paper! This is apparently a valued commodity in Cuba and not given away lightly. You could find toilet paper in the some of the bigger hotels, but not in the smaller establishments. There is a conspicuous lack of toilet seats on the commodes. In addition, you have better than a 50% chance that the toilet you were about to use would not be flushing. It was a real crap shoot. (Sorry! Had to say it.)
What do you need to know about visiting Cuba?
*First and foremost, bring more cash than you think you will need. Once you are in the country, they do not take American credit cards and there is no way to get more cash once you are there. We know, we ran out. Things are not expensive but if you want to take tours and see the sights, you need to have PESOS.
*Don’t expect to grocery shop in Cuba. They don’t have grocery stores, they have small stores they call grocery stores. In them, you will find lots of cans, juices, jellies, and condiments. There is no bread, milk, eggs or vegetables – and no freezers with frozen food. You cannot buy ice in Cuba. The rum, however, is very cheap to the tune of 4 to 7 pesos for the lower end brands. You can buy beer
at a liquor store and at the bar they are usually 1.50 to 2.00. And sometimes when you buy a mohito or pina colada, the make the drink then give you the entire bottle of rum to pour your own amount into your drink. Dangerous!
*Getting in and out of Cuba by boat is not as complicated as everyone makes out. You only need to fill out a Coast Guard form CG-3300 . This details your reason to be in Cuba and it is a simple form you fill out on the internet. You provide the approximate dates and locations you will be entering and leaving and specify one of the General licenses from the Department of Homeland Security as a valid reason to visit. We used the category People to People Education. Have your passport ready and it is that simple. You can stay for 14 days. You can’t see all of Cuba in that time span so do your research and map out where you want to visit.
*Expect to be delighted and captivated by the antique cars, the friendliness of the people and the natural beauty of this country. You will hear lots of music, feel as if the entire country is an antique car show, and listen to the stories of the people who live there. They love to tell their tales. You will feel safe. The last day Dan and I were there after Asteria departed – without us, we walked through Old Havana and didn’t want to carry our luggage around. A cab driver, who we had never met, dropped us off at a hotel in the city. He kept our bags in his trunk and promised to pick us up later that afternoon and take us to our B&B. It was only after he left, I realized the man could take our belongings and never return. We had no way to identify him. He returned promptly on time, transported us as promised, and talked to us 
vehemently about many things. Unfortunately, it was in Spanish so we didn’t catch too much of what he was saying. LEARN SOME SPANISH BEFORE GOING TO CUBA, or have Google Translate on your phone. Wi-Fi is very spotty and you can’t download applications in Cuba.
Okay, back to the comment about being left in Cuba by Asteria. Our plans were to sail back to the Bahamas with them, however, we couldn’t find any flights, boats, ferries or well-provisioned pieces of driftwood for rent – to get back to Georgtown from the outer islands. We ended up getting a flight to Nassau and then an island hopper back to Grand Bahama. While we were disappointed not to sail back, we did get to spend one more magical day in Cuba, wandering the city streets and meeting people. Jonathan and Lori were amazing hosts while we lived aboard their boat. They secured all the tours for us and made the visit to Cuba more wonderful than we could have hoped. I highly encourage anyone who is 
hesitant about visiting Cuba to visit soon. You will love it, and the magic of the past that permeates this country will not be around forever. It is a gem, frozen in time. With the upcoming turnover in power may come the desire to bring in Americans and change the culture to something more modern. I feel privileged to have seen her and view her in her capsule of the country where time has stood still.