Cuba Travel: Americans Arrive To Open Arms, Awe (PHOTOS)

The first group of American tourists traveling legally to Cuba under newly relaxed restrictions has been welcomed with open arms, says the organizer of a cultural exchange trip led by Insight Cuba.

"People-to-people exchanges," a euphemism for tours booked solid with cultural immersion activities, were approved in January, and tour operators have begun taking groups of travelers to the island, which remains closed to solo American travelers. Reuters reports that 30 to 35 groups have already been approved for travel to the island.

In March, the Customs and Border Protection office opened up eight new American airports to charter flights to Cuba, including Chicago O'Hare, Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Atlanta and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Previously only charter flights were available from Miami, LA and New York.

John McAuliff, head of the Fund for Reconciliation and Development, said that roughly 100,000 Americans will be able to visit Cuba this year under the new laws.

Reuters reports that "the first group of travelers have been to orphanages, medical facilities, art museums, music performances and tobacco farms and have walked the streets of Old Havana in a first taste of the forbidden fruit that Cuba has been for five decades under the U.S. trade embargo against the country."

While visitors have been greeted warmly—one calls the trip "marvelous"—tour organizer Tom Popper of Insight Cuba warns a visit isn't necessarily tropical bliss. Even the eased restrictions on travel limit what American visitors can experience. Rules mandate visitors be engaged in "purposeful travel." In other words, says Popper, "No beaches."

Popper told Reuters: "Some people are amazed by what they see and astonished by the people and the culture and everything around them. And some people feel horrible that getting coffee is a struggle and food stuff is hard (to find) and that there's two economies and that a doctor has to drive a taxi to supplement his income."

Huffington Post Associate Blog Editor Hallie Seegal went to Cuba in December. Here are her stunning photos from the trip.

Hotel Inglaterra

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Comments

[Jim8]

04:43 PM on 09/28/2011

A life expectancy chart, by country:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy

Draw your own conclusions.

[robertaruth]

09:44 PM on 09/03/2011

I went to Cuba with a bicycle tour group a few years ago. We went pretty much anywhere we wanted to go, but my preference was Old Havana. I spent a few days on my own there before the rest of the group arrived. What I remember most is the music in the air, everywhere, and old classic American cars, all beautifully maintained.

I fell during the bicycle portion of the tour, when my brakes failed going down a steep hill, and I spent a few hours at the hospital where my bruises were attended to. The doctors and nurses were so lovely and friendly, I cried when I thought of the stupidity of the embargo, and how much Americans are missing by not being able to travel there without a "big deal."

[littlebrowngirl]

06:20 PM on 08/20/2011

I would love to visit.

[Irving F]

11:51 AM on 08/19/2011

Guys, the cuban-american politicians in Miami are the ones that does not want to lift the embargo. They receive millions every year from american taxpayers, supposedly to fight Castro in every possible way. Of course, that money goes directly to their pockets and very little is used for its purpose. Right now there is a lot of fighting among the cuban immigrants, because new generations sees the embargo as stupid and they know that the only reason those politicians want to keep it, is to keep money coming from the Congress. BTW, in Cuba , nobody likes the embargo. Not even Castro and Co. But the propaganda has convinced people in USA, that it is something convenient to the cuban's regime.
Apologies for my English.

[Irving F]

11:26 AM on 08/19/2011

Hi. The building in picture #25 is not Russian Architecture. I was commissioned by a mortuary business man, before the 1959 revolution. Notice the casket shape of the balcony.

[kerriberri]

10:42 AM on 08/19/2011

Beautiful photos; thanks for posting.

The children all look calmly happy. Very nice!

[Michael Ludin]

10:22 AM on 08/19/2011

I can't wait to go. Isn't this embargo at least as laughable as gays marrying, in the military, the drinking age -- it is time to grow up as a country... You can go if you are busy but you can't go and relax on the beach. SILLY!

[Bert89]

04:29 AM on 08/19/2011

I think the US should just remove the embargo with this country, 50 years of nothing lol.. failed US Policy http://signon.org/sign/lift-the-cuban-embargo

[Contact1972]

02:33 AM on 08/19/2011

I would love to visit Cuba.

[negotiatethis]

09:51 PM on 08/18/2011

I think it's time to question the process by which comments are accepted and which are rejected. I have made a couple of comments about this story that are supportive, but correcting of facts. Both seem to have been censored. http://talkingcuba.wordpress.com/

[Patricia Cash]

08:24 PM on 08/18/2011

I want to go! yay beautiful country,beautiful people

[clarendon67]

02:53 PM on 08/18/2011

Those old buildings are beautiful.

[Contact1972]

02:35 AM on 08/19/2011

Right? Loved the old Cuban buildings-on the other hand did you notice how cold and uninspired the Soviet built buildings were? They had no passion or life at all.

[negotiatethis]

02:31 PM on 08/18/2011

Cuba is a beautiful country and has beautiful beaches, but why would you go there if not to experience the culture, the food, the music, the people? People to People trips are great fun and learning experience. Ultimately these trips may help free the people of Cuba. Going only to their beaches serves to financially support the current oppressive government. Just sayin . . .http://talkingcuba.wordpress.com/

[kyeshinka]

01:25 PM on 08/18/2011

Looks fun!

[LMPE]

01:51 AM on 08/18/2011

The artwork in #39 showed Camilo Cienfuegos, one of the revolutionaries. He died right after the revolution triumphed.

[Cuban-Knight]

01:51 PM on 08/18/2011

Rumor has been that Fidel killed him because he was getting to popular and was anti communist.