The Forbidden Isle

JC Perez, author of “Heisting the Beard”, is today’s guest writer. Cuban born, U.S. raised and Caribbean cultured, he is a true Caribbean gem and we are to have him. Today he brings us “The Forbidden Isle”.

“The Forbidden Isle”

Traveling to Cuba can be a daunting thought, most Americans only know it as Castro’s communist Regime, or associate it with the Cuban missile crisis, not that those aren’t things to consider, but they are products of the cold war, an era gone by. Yes, Cuba still is a communist State, but it is also much more than that. It’s rich with history and beauty, and the allure and mystery of it having been closed off to most of the world for the last 50 years makes it a place of great interest. It has without a doubt, become the darling of European vacationers, as well as many Americans. You will have no problems with the language, as English is spoken everywhere, and the US dollar is the number one form of currency, preferred by all.

There’s only one problem, Americans are barred from traveling to Cuba, but somehow that doesn’t stop the thousands upon thousands that travel there every year. I’m not advocating breaking the law to travel to Cuba, but there are ways to go, where you can bend it a little, and not suffer consequences. So for those of you who are brave at heart, die hard island travelers, who enjoy it a little bit off the beaten path, I will give you a brief rundown on getting to the “Forbidden Isle”.

Getting to Cuba is a lot easier than you might think, today it’s as easy as a click on the internet, and I’m sure you’ll find plenty of agencies booking passages to Cuba. I’m sure they’re all good, but they’ll all book your trip the same way, via another country. (I.e. Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas). So if you decide to take the plunge, just find your best price from one of the many to choose from.

On the other hand if you’re more adventurous you might want to go by boat. Once again you’ll find that you’re just a click away. There are more than a few qualified Boat Captains in the Florida Keys who make forays to the Forbidden Isle for a price. A little more costly than air travel, but the fun and adventure are priceless. Now I’m not contradicting myself here, I know I said that travel for Americans is banned from the US, but there’s always a loophole. With the consent of the US government travel to Cuba is allowed for certain reasons, I.e. Religious, Educational, some Business, and actually a myriad of other groups and organizations. Back to the loophole, these savvy Boat Captains give you a historical education on the “Pearl of the Antilles” on your trip across the Gulf Stream to the “Forbidden Isle”. I don’t know how extensive or thorough these history lessons are, but they qualify your trip as educational. Never underestimate an old salt, modern day Caribbean Pirates; who doesn’t love a pirate.

Now, as with travel to any foreign country, have your papers in order, don’t break the law, and you’ll find that the Cuban people are gracious and kind, fun loving, and always willing to lend a hand. They love Americans and always want to hear about the States. Remember, English spoken almost everywhere and the good old US greenback is King.

Maybe I’ll get back to you soon and let you in on where to go and how to get the most bang for your buck. Hope to see you in Paradise.

JCP

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JC Perez’s first book, “Heisting the Beard” will be out later this year.  I’ll post links to places you can buy.  Keep posted.

I again want to thank JCP for the guest post today. If we are lucky he might just surprise us with a few more.

Over and out from some where south,
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