Day 9 - Havana to Miami
Day 8 (Saturday)
The following paragraph was borrowed from Lonely Planet... It’s hard to describe Cuba in just a few words. From the moment you set foot in the airport you
feel time stands still in this place. You feel like you have somehow traveled back in time and landed in a beautiful yet chaotic and extremely poor city 50
years in the past. From all the places I’ve visited around the world, Cuba is one of the most interesting. After my first day, I decided to strop trying to make
sense of how things work and just appreciate the beauty around me. I believe the most important thing a visit to Cuba can teach us is that the people are
extremely friendly and anxious to make new friends. Don't be afraid to visit, and don't be afraid to try the food, try to speak Spanish and try to dance the
salsa at lest once.
Having said that, I witnessed a slightly modernized Cuba, in the sense that restrictions are gradually being loosened and the island is gradually opening up
to the world. Most Cubans nowadays have cell phones and internet access (albeit too expensive and slow), are allowed to travel abroad and can open their
own business in their homes, with restrictions of course. My advice? Book those tickets and visit Havana as soon as possible, before the embargo is lifted and
Cuba changes forever. Our flight from Havana to Miami was very quick. We breezed through imigration, collected out bags and plassed through customs -
where we can now legally bring back 4 bottles of liquor and 2 boxes of Cuban cigars. We had a house party fundraiser in Lake Worth, FL at 7PM later the
same night and we raised $1,533 which will fund more water projects. We hope to return to Cuba later this year to continue our work. Thank you for your
interest in our work and supporting our projects.
FOOT NOTE: 7-days upon returning to our home in Florida we received a boil water notice. For 4-days we have been filtering water in our home using the
same type of water filter we installed in Cuba. This coincidence, once again, drives home the realization that clean drinking water is an issue that effects all
people in every country, even in the USA. The people of Flint Michigan know this. The people in drought stricken areas know this. And the people in
in Texas were reminded of the importance of clean drinking water, when 45 water plants were shut down following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and 171 towns (not
Houston) were under a boil water order.