Travel to Cuba?
 

My husband would like to go and visit friends <BR>in Cuba in Feb. We will be traveling to <BR>the Cayman Islands and would leave from there. <BR>We would go back to Cayman for a few days <BR>and then go home to NYC. <BR>In the NYT travel section two Sundays ago it <BR>wrote about Bush cracking down and fining <BR>people pretty stiff charges. <BR>My question is should I chance it and go??

There are flights from GC to Cuba, and I know many people who go there. They don't stamp your passport, coming or going, so you really don't have to worry.

Bush is indeed allocating big bucks to track tourists who visit Cuba. For more information see: <BR>http://www.cnn.com/2001/TRAVEL/NEWS/...ban/index.html <BR> <BR>And, Cuba DOES STAMP PASSPORTS. For more stories check out the various dicussions on Google Groups, including the following: <BR>http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...g.google.com#p

Bush has not allocated big bucks for the Treasury to clamp down, he can't because he needs someone else to approve his request for $. News reports state that it is doubtful he will get it, especially in light of the attitude Congress has on this issue. The Treasury Dept. has stated that the increase in fines is due to the clearing of a backlog of cases. Seems, at Bush's request, they've moved personnel over from other depts. to muddle through the paperwork. <BR> <BR>Many believe Bush's attitude is due to the fact that his brother is up for re-election soon in Florida and requires the support of a certain segment of the population that is very biased against Castro. Sad that one small segment of the population can wield this kind of influence over the rights of other citizens to travel freely in the world. <BR> <BR>There is no good reason for this embargo, or if there is one, it has yet to be explained to us. The Cold War is over. We carry on economic and diplomatic relations with China, Russia, Vietnam. Human rights violations are often brought up as a reason, but Amnesty International has identified numerous other countries with worse records. Yet the U.S. still allows its citizens to travel to these countries and spend U.S. dollars within their borders. <BR> <BR>Just something for the average person to think about.

Go to Cuba. It is fascinating, the people are friendly. make sure you take some basic supplies, chips, granola bars, maybe soap & toilet paper. Depending on where you stay there are still shortages. <BR>I recommend you stay at the Hotel Nacional, it is inexpensive and looks like a smaller version of Breakers, Palm Beach. <BR>They will NOT stamp you passport (I live in Cayman and visit whenever I want). <BR>Go and Enjoy