From Cuba To The USA
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
Canada
February 10, 2016 1:29pm CST
About ten or fifteen years ago I was invited to go on a cruise in the Caribbean with my husband's sisters.
The girls planned a sister cruise. Four of them were going but at the last minute one had to stay home. I had been invited earlier but said no, life got in my way. But I said yes the second time.
We all met at the Port in Miami. It was going to be a fun trip. I think we were on a Royal Caribbean ship.
One afternoon as we relaxed on the little deck off our rooms, we saw a man go speeding by the ship sitting in an inner tube. He was smiling and waving at us as he went by.
Within seconds the Captain was on the public speakers warning us he was going to stop quickly and go back to pick up the man in the inner tube.
He did that and we saw a small fast boat leave the ship and we watched him being brought on to the small boat and brought back to the ship.
The captain explained he had to pick up the man by law. The coast guard would pick him up and take him back to Cuba.
One of my sisters cried. She is married to a Cuban who ran to America during the Kennedy years and has made a good life for both of them. She cried knowing that young man we saw on an inner tube would go to jail when he is returned to Cuba, and possibly his family too.
Thankfully today life is better than back then for the Cuban people or at best we can hope it is.
I read a post by @ramapo17 this morning titled Looking for bodies on my cruise, and this memory popped into my head.
Do you have any stories about scary moments and strange events while on vacation or just relaxing?
15 people like this
14 responses
@Juliaacv (56180)
• Canada
12 Feb 16
@PainsOnSlate Our son took an off resort one day trip. They rode donkeys, went in speed boats to a cave and swam and they did something else. I forget.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
I've vacationed there too, unfortunately it was the year before my knee replacement, so I couldn't walk long enough to go into town and take the tour of a town. I think it was the first tourists were allowed outside of the resorts. Things have changed a lot but one wonders if that's the truth...
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
10 Feb 16
Just the usual my kid broke his arm and we had to cut the vacation short. Poor kid.
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
12 Feb 16
Broken bones can do a job on a vacation. Thankfully hasn't to me and my kids. My youngest broke his leg getting off the school bus one winter. That was bad enough. I know that feeling.
2 people like this
@ramapo17 (30441)
• Melbourne, Florida
13 Feb 16
@fishtiger, @PainsOnState My husband and I use to do volunteer work at the Nascar track in Pennsylvania and one time when we took our grandson with us he fell off his bike and broke is arm. I felt bad for him as he couldn't run around and enjoy the whole weekend. He did love the attention though.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
13 Feb 16
@ramapo17 That's exactly what my son did, fell off his bike and broke his arm.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
It was a surprise to even see something like that. I ' just glad things are getting better in Cuba
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
I seem to fall into drama, no matter where I go, even camping but it doesn't stop me from having a good time. Thank goodness...
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
Back then during the first Castro, thousands of Cuban came to the US. Life was not worth living there. I felt so bad for that young man.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
12 Feb 16
@ramapo17 I grew up in the states and loved it. We moved to Canada when given an offer we couldn't refuse, and we got to keep both our US citizenship and become Canadian too. Our children are happy in Canada but the opportunity is always there to return to their birth place if they ever choose to do that. We (hubby and I) find in our senior years its impossible to move back because of the cost of health care in the USA. We had great hopes for Obama to make life easier for US citizens but the republicans wouldn't allow his ideas to work. Shame on them. We will be in Canada for the rest of our life because of that. It's all about politics..not what is best for the people.
2 people like this
@ramapo17 (30441)
• Melbourne, Florida
11 Feb 16
@PainsOnSlate So many people think that living in the USA is so bad but if they all took a step back and looked at what goes on in the other countries they might get a better opinion of living here. So many people want to come here but are not able to.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
That is exactly what happened. My sister in law was heart broken, and the rest of us learned a life lesson.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Feb 16
A few years back I walked inti my ban o n y to be screaed at lie down lady or get shot. T hree men about sikxteen not much older were trying to hold up our b of A They were frst timeers and scared so the police overpowered them and we were freed. That was the
longest three hours of my l ife. from then on you were walked through metal dectectors and no other in cidents ev er happened/
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
That sounds like an experience you never want to be a part of ever again. IM glad no one was hut.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
3 Mar 16
It was sad to see him picked up, He would have 50 50 chance of making it to America. Life in Cuba must have been hell back then.
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
13 Feb 16
Nothing particular comes to mind but I will think about it.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
14 Feb 16
@PainsOnSlate Oh we have all kinds of funny things happen but not so much drama lol
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
13 Feb 16
In a perfect world, all vacations would be drama free..
1 person likes this
@iamshane487 (1138)
• Manila, Philippines
11 Feb 16
I never have tried relaxing to many places since I was a kid.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
Relaxing makes me happy. I do it often. You should do it more too.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
12 Feb 16
@PainsOnSlate So do I. It can be really shocking at times how people have to live in other countries.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
12 Feb 16
We will never know but that long ago it didn't look good for the guy in the inner tube. I only hope things are better now.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
He must have been in the inner tube at least overnight. I really don't know but the captain announced he was healthy and hungry and eating what we were eating for dinner. IM hoping the era of Castro is over.
2 people like this
@DianneN (254949)
• United States
10 Feb 16
I only have exciting stories to tell from my vacations. The only sad one was meeting a waiter in a restaurant in Venezuela, who thought I was a movie star. But I digress. This waiter was saving his money to get a work visa in the USA, but was turned down. He told me his dream was to work and live in the US and send for his family.
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
It amazes me how many want to move to North America. Even people on line...more than one asked me how we got to Canada...it's not east to live in Canada without the government behind you anyone can cross the border but without the right papers you can't work or get health care.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
I think we have all seen unusual things while on vacation. I`ve never been to an island resort or a cruise....its on my bucket list.
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
Bucket lists are good. You will do both before you know it.
2 people like this
