3.5 - ¡POR FIN, TENEMOS LA VISA!

Hooray the Visa is here!

On her face a Smile did appear.

So Shoe shopping she’ll go

It’s most important you know

To stroll El Malecon in Style, My Dear!

Nantucket's still on the shelf -  But... She  is ONE HAPPY Cuban Lady!!!

Not that Chucky wasn’t running to the mailbox every 20 minutes while she sat and fretted.

Ok… it was Chucky fretting that she would miss her trip, the Cuban Lady took the “lo que será, será” [what will be, will be] stance, pretending that all was well in her world, while we all know inwardly she was quite “Verklempt”.  But our friends at the e-mail ignoring, phone un-answering Cuban Consulate in Washington finally came through, albeit one month after we applied – talk about your dysfunctional bureaucracy.

BUT THEN… after celebrating and rushing to advise her entire Facebook following of the good news, the panic once again set in. While carefully checking the “Permiso de Entrada” she notices that it is in her birth name only “Ileana Teresa Canda Montalvo”, with no mention of Mercurio or any of her many other names.  For example: her Naturalization Certificate reads Ileana Chouinard [her married name at that time] no Montalvo.  AND… her US Passport is in an entirely different name as is every other form of identification etc.  Now she’s worried that she may either not get into Cuba… or even worse, cant GET OUT!!!! 

Chucky tries calming her with the logic, that research on Trip Advisor shows that the Cubans don’t even recognize an American Passport and don’t even stamp it at immagration coming in or out unless you ask them to. The only thing that counts is that she has the “Permisso de Entrada” - Top half to get into the country and the bottom half to get out.  Hey… W T F so she’ll have an extended Caribbean vacation!  This is NOT what she wanted to hear!  Soooo... Fingers Crossed - Chanting a Tibetan Mantra... Ooooommmmm

Now all attention turns to final preparations.  Currency buys, Shoe Shopping, assembling supplies for the “CUZ”  in Cuba, also getting stuff together for our Host “Maria on Linea” as she has  come to be called, Shoes, adequate prescriptions meds, getting an old Blackberry unlocked for emergency use in Cuba, Travel Sized toiletries [curse you TSA] did I mention Shoes?   Yes Elyse this also includes a “Practice Pack”, even though Chucky is resigned to the fact that there WILL probably be extra weight charges no matter how hard he tries to avoid it.

Then there is the meticulous printing out Google Map directions to various places on the agenda - not that they have ever done much good in the hands of the navigationally challenged “Navigator Illy” – remember no cell phone data connection for Google Maps Navigation help.  Then Chucky discovered the he can download certain Map shots as “Offline Maps” to his Galaxy S II wondering if it can be done with her iPad as well [nope]  We'll see how it works out on his phone when he gets there.  

The  other reason he’s taking a non-functioning smart phone along in addition to the emergency GSM Blackberry is that it has his travel tunes and E-Books  loaded so he doesn’t have to carry paper-backs for flight and airport  down time as well as a translation app and currency calculator.  Of course any other down time in Cuba will involve large quantities of adult beverages, visiting some famous Jazz clubs, a little Salsa dancing and composing NOWAT – not necessarily in that order.

It’s late and he has lots to do in the AM along with a little REAL business to conduct so we'll say buenas noches for now and pick this up again when he decides he has something else clever to say.

 HASTA LUEGO,

Uncle Chuck & The Oh So Happy to have Visa in Hand

Cuban Lady

Seriously Ready for Hot Salsa, Sweet Plantains, and Fine Aged Rum