Cuba 14.2 Marea del Portillo - Part 8 / Going Home Is Such A Ride
The going away party on our last night was rained out but as we had an early flight the next morning we would likely have passed on it anyway.
When we had booked our trip we had mostly considered our arrival time back in Toronto which was 4:35 pm. It seemed like a better time than arriving home at 2:00 am as we had last time.
But we forgot to do the math to determine what time we would be leaving. Once we realized there would be a stopover in Varadero we checked to note that our departure time leaving Manzanillo airport was scheduled for 11:15 am.
That still didn’t seem too bad until we realized we had to be at the airport 3 hours ahead (8:15 am) and the bus ride is 2 hours (6:15 am). As we were required to have our bags in the lobby to load onto the bus by 6:00 am, this meant, if we were mostly packed the night before, we would still have to get up at 5:30 am.
On the way back to our room on our last night a young couple from Toronto noticed we were struggling to walk along the poorly lit path which was very slippery with the rain. As they had a flashlight they insisted on following us right to our room to ensure we were okay. In one sense it made us realize we are getting old but on the other hand it did much to restore our faith in the kindness of our fellow human beings.
We had booked the VIP Room at the airport so after getting our bags off the bus we were taken to the front of the line to check our bags. This took a little longer than usual as the computers were down for awhile.
Once our bags were checked in, however, we were led through customs to the VIP room where Shirley and I were the only guests to enjoy the air-conditioned comfort with complimentary drinks and snacks.
When the plane was ready to board, we were again taken to the front of the line for priority boarding. The seats we had preselected were in the first row with a little more leg room.
Fortunately, in spite of rumours to the contrary, we did not have to de-board at our stop over in Varadero which would have required clearing customs again.
The flight home was uneventful and clearing customs back in Canada is much quicker now with the automated systems.
We had a great time in Cuba as we always do but after two weeks away, we were ready to return home, mission accomplished as the ugly of spring back in Northern Ontario had passed - at least in our neck of the woods.
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| Towel Art and a nice goodbye note from our maid. |
When we had booked our trip we had mostly considered our arrival time back in Toronto which was 4:35 pm. It seemed like a better time than arriving home at 2:00 am as we had last time.
But we forgot to do the math to determine what time we would be leaving. Once we realized there would be a stopover in Varadero we checked to note that our departure time leaving Manzanillo airport was scheduled for 11:15 am.
That still didn’t seem too bad until we realized we had to be at the airport 3 hours ahead (8:15 am) and the bus ride is 2 hours (6:15 am). As we were required to have our bags in the lobby to load onto the bus by 6:00 am, this meant, if we were mostly packed the night before, we would still have to get up at 5:30 am.
On the way back to our room on our last night a young couple from Toronto noticed we were struggling to walk along the poorly lit path which was very slippery with the rain. As they had a flashlight they insisted on following us right to our room to ensure we were okay. In one sense it made us realize we are getting old but on the other hand it did much to restore our faith in the kindness of our fellow human beings.
We had booked the VIP Room at the airport so after getting our bags off the bus we were taken to the front of the line to check our bags. This took a little longer than usual as the computers were down for awhile.
Once our bags were checked in, however, we were led through customs to the VIP room where Shirley and I were the only guests to enjoy the air-conditioned comfort with complimentary drinks and snacks.
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| We had the room to ourselves complete with complimentary drinks and snacks. |
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| It's dangerous to leave me alone with an open bar at the best of times. |
When the plane was ready to board, we were again taken to the front of the line for priority boarding. The seats we had preselected were in the first row with a little more leg room.
 |
| Going home is such a ride. These are guests just arriving in Cuba to start their holiday. Once the plane is cleaned and refueled, we will board to go home. |
Fortunately, in spite of rumours to the contrary, we did not have to de-board at our stop over in Varadero which would have required clearing customs again.
The flight home was uneventful and clearing customs back in Canada is much quicker now with the automated systems.
We had a great time in Cuba as we always do but after two weeks away, we were ready to return home, mission accomplished as the ugly of spring back in Northern Ontario had passed - at least in our neck of the woods.
- 30 -
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