Cuba (2022)
Inhalt/Content
Off to Cuba!
On Friday, July 22nd, we picked up our backpacks, which we had packed the day before, and set off. We didn’t carry much because the Camino de Santiago had taught us to travel light. In addition to three or four tops per person, I also had a small amount of detergent, so there was no need for more tops. The same applied to pants and underwear. The clothes would probably dry quickly in the Cuban sun anyway. At Frankfurt Central Station, Gabi and Michael, Dominik’s parents, picked us up. We had to arrive the night before because there was no train from Weimar in the morning that would get us to the airport on time. Fortunately, we were allowed to stay with them. It was a really nice evening. We sat together on the terrace, ate wraps, and talked for a while. Kevin spent the night in Dominik’s childhood room, and I stayed in Janina’s room, Dominik’s younger sister. The next morning, Michael was kind enough to drive us to the airport. We said our goodbyes and thanked them for their hospitality.
Chaos at the airport
Those who followed the news this summer know that there were significant issues with luggage handling at Frankfurt Airport. This was directly relevant to us. Before our departure, we were informed to arrive four hours before the flight instead of the usual three hours to check in our luggage. So, when we entered the airport hall at the planned time, a scene of chaos unfolded before us. The line for our luggage check-in stretched across the entire hall and extended into the previous one. Due to staff shortages, a single employee behind the counters was struggling to handle the heavy suitcases. We stood in line for luggage check-in for exactly one hour. The pandemic was far from over, but due to the long wait and the heat, some people felt it was appropriate to pull down their masks or not wear them at all. Fortunately, we had our FFP2 masks on because we really couldn’t afford a COVID-19 infection during our vacation, especially not in Cuba.
The fact that Cuba attracts a lot of all-inclusive tourists was unfortunately reflected in the choice of airlines. The only airline that flies non-stop from Frankfurt to Cuba is Condor, an airline not exactly known for its great reputation. Unfortunately, the reputation proved to be true in several aspects. For instance, you had to buy the headphones for the entertainment system separately for €2.50 each. Only two random movies were unlocked per flight, and for all other movies, you had to pay separately. This led to me watching one of the movies, a really bad American comedy about teachers fighting each other, and then reading the book I had brought for the trip cover to cover. At least the food was surprisingly good compared to other airplane meals. There was no option to choose from; instead, everyone who hadn’t paid extra got noodles with lentil Bolognese, which was actually a vegetarian dish. Masks were mandatory on the plane, but far too few people adhered to it. We were surrounded by a large Dutch family who eventually spread out maskless around us in the entire aisle, shouting throughout the entire plane, and the dad downed one beer after another.
We breathed a sigh of relief when the plane finally landed in Havana…
