It's taken me over a week to get all 664 pictures/videos uploaded from the trip to @uba. I got this new, very cool camera right before the trip and I'm still going through trying to Photoshop a few of them in my attempt for creative, artistic photography. And, I still haven't quite figured out how to organize my thoughts and comments into the blog. Every time I've started talking to someone about the trip, I feel like I can go on and on with the details, observations and commentary. However, I will do my absolute best to keep it to the necessary details and as condensed as possible. I have a hard enough time with that on a normal basis. But, to experience something like this.....well, let's just say it will be a challenge.
I will upload a few pictures here and then send out a link for the photo album at some point. I also decided that this will be a multi-part blog. Too much to tell at one time. So, stay tuned. I will try to get it all finished this week.....we are off to Disneyworld with Olivia next weekend. Meeting my sister and her kids. Cannot wait. I showed Olivia a video tonight of 'The Magic Kingdom' and the smile, alone, on her face was priceless!!!
So, where to begin. We left on a Sunday morning and came back Thursday night. Fairly long trip. But, flights are hard to come by, as are the visa's required to get there. So, we had to make sure we allowed enough time to do what we needed to do as far as business was concerned. I'll leave that part out, but I can say it was a success. We made MSNBC and CNN on top of it.
Our flight was at 10:45am and we had to be there at 8am. I never get to the airport that early. Don't necessarily cut it close, but that seemed a bit excessive. I was about to learn why. One guy in our group put it perfectly...'When one Latin American comes to get on a plane, 20 family members come to send them off.' Enough said. As I mentioned before...in addition to the 20+ extra people per person on the plane, they had a ton of baggage/stuff to check in. I wish I would've taken a picture at the airport. It was truly unbelievable! After seeing everything they were putting on the plane, I just wanted to land on the ground. Really. That was all I was concerned about. If the plane banked to the left, I leaned to the right. Just in the small hopes that it mattered!
Needless to say, we made it. It was a really strange feeling touching down in @uba. You felt like you suddenly left civilization. Even though it didn't necessarily appear that way, it felt like it. We were only 90 miles from Key West, but it felt like we'd been on the plane for 4 hours. The
entire plane erupted into applause. Apparently that is a 'Latin' thing too....(this coming from the people in my group). My hear started beating again. The refrigerators, TV's, bikes, computers, and yes, humans too, had all made it safely. Whew!
From there, I thought it would be easy. Nope. It took over 2 1/2 hours for us to get our checked baggage!!! Apparently, no one works quickly over there. Although there was a disproportionate amount of luggage on the plane, this does not seem humanly possible. Then, we had about an hour or more of customs and screening. We were there forever!! Then, we stepped outside for the first time.
Let me back up for a minute. There were 10 of us in this group. 5 more that later met us at the hotel from different areas, outside the US. I was the only female and one of two 'Americans' without an direct foreign heritage. 10 of the 15 were @uban-American's. Two were @uban born and left in 1960. One gentleman was 7 at the time, and the other was 13 yrs old. This was their first time back. One man wept as we touched the land. It is very difficult for me to understand having to leave your country, living a very short distance away, and not being allowed, under any circumstances, to ever go back. But, I was honored to be there and to be witnessing this journey with them.
I will upload a few pictures here and then send out a link for the photo album at some point. I also decided that this will be a multi-part blog. Too much to tell at one time. So, stay tuned. I will try to get it all finished this week.....we are off to Disneyworld with Olivia next weekend. Meeting my sister and her kids. Cannot wait. I showed Olivia a video tonight of 'The Magic Kingdom' and the smile, alone, on her face was priceless!!!
So, where to begin. We left on a Sunday morning and came back Thursday night. Fairly long trip. But, flights are hard to come by, as are the visa's required to get there. So, we had to make sure we allowed enough time to do what we needed to do as far as business was concerned. I'll leave that part out, but I can say it was a success. We made MSNBC and CNN on top of it.
Our flight was at 10:45am and we had to be there at 8am. I never get to the airport that early. Don't necessarily cut it close, but that seemed a bit excessive. I was about to learn why. One guy in our group put it perfectly...'When one Latin American comes to get on a plane, 20 family members come to send them off.' Enough said. As I mentioned before...in addition to the 20+ extra people per person on the plane, they had a ton of baggage/stuff to check in. I wish I would've taken a picture at the airport. It was truly unbelievable! After seeing everything they were putting on the plane, I just wanted to land on the ground. Really. That was all I was concerned about. If the plane banked to the left, I leaned to the right. Just in the small hopes that it mattered!
Needless to say, we made it. It was a really strange feeling touching down in @uba. You felt like you suddenly left civilization. Even though it didn't necessarily appear that way, it felt like it. We were only 90 miles from Key West, but it felt like we'd been on the plane for 4 hours. The
entire plane erupted into applause. Apparently that is a 'Latin' thing too....(this coming from the people in my group). My hear started beating again. The refrigerators, TV's, bikes, computers, and yes, humans too, had all made it safely. Whew!
From there, I thought it would be easy. Nope. It took over 2 1/2 hours for us to get our checked baggage!!! Apparently, no one works quickly over there. Although there was a disproportionate amount of luggage on the plane, this does not seem humanly possible. Then, we had about an hour or more of customs and screening. We were there forever!! Then, we stepped outside for the first time.
Let me back up for a minute. There were 10 of us in this group. 5 more that later met us at the hotel from different areas, outside the US. I was the only female and one of two 'Americans' without an direct foreign heritage. 10 of the 15 were @uban-American's. Two were @uban born and left in 1960. One gentleman was 7 at the time, and the other was 13 yrs old. This was their first time back. One man wept as we touched the land. It is very difficult for me to understand having to leave your country, living a very short distance away, and not being allowed, under any circumstances, to ever go back. But, I was honored to be there and to be witnessing this journey with them.
The last part I will write about tonight is when we walked out of the terminal. At first, it didn't seem that different than the airport in the Dominican Republic. Spanish-speaking, dusty, a bit poverty-stricken. But, then again, I didn't have any idea where I was going and was just trying to keep an eye out for our group. As the case with everything that week, we still had to wait awhile. It was at that point, I saw and heard the yelling, screaming and crying. Not in a scary manner. But in a joyous manner. You see, people were getting off our plane and coming into @uba for the first time, much like the gentleman in our group. Only, these people still had family in @uba and were being reuinted with them. In who-knows-how-long.
This will not be a political platform in any way. But, there are important details regarding political figures. Under our previous regime, it was almost impossible for family members to visit @uba. Americans were also restricted to sending $300/quarter in remittance back to @uba. Under the current command, the remittance limit has been removed and people can get there with a visa application to see family. I think they are still limited to once a year, but they can get there. (It may be more, I can't remember).
So, if there are 20 people in the US to send off one person they probably live with or see on a regular basis, imagine how many people are there to see someone they haven't seen in many, many years. It was amazing. I tried to get some of it on video, but couldn't quite capture one of the good reunions. I was mesmorized. I wish I could've been a reporter and interviewed some of the people. I'm sure it woul
d've been good.
d've been good.Our crew.....and @uba from 10k feet 
This is the outside of the airport. There is actually a bigger terminal that looks more modernized. However, this is where the American's come in. We don't get the normal process. 
As you can see, time stopped here in 1960. I had heard that from many people prior to leaving. However, it's startling to see that it really is true. Much more on that in future posts. I am not good at history, never had been. But, I made it a point to read up before and during the trip. It's amazing to see that what is written is very much what you will see in person. More to come.... 
As you can see, time stopped here in 1960. I had heard that from many people prior to leaving. However, it's startling to see that it really is true. Much more on that in future posts. I am not good at history, never had been. But, I made it a point to read up before and during the trip. It's amazing to see that what is written is very much what you will see in person. More to come.... 
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