Funemployment- Cuba

Jeff’s parents - Jeff Sr. and Peggy - very kindly sponsored a family trip for the four of us to Cuba. We chose Cuba because with the relaxation of sanctions, we all wanted to experience Cuba before it truly emerges from isolation and American brands saturate the place. However, it would have been unwieldy for the four of us to travel to a country where we don't speak the language. Beyond that, US citizens and residents cannot willy-nilly visit Cuba as tourists; our travels have to meet one of twelve categories of authorized travel as defined by the State Department. We therefore figured that going on a organized tour would be the wisest option to comply with US law on visiting Cuba.

When researching tour companies to book with, I asked around to find out which companies: (1) are ethical and socially responsible; and (2) don’t require you to follow a guide with a flag. My friends steered me towards Intrepid. I had heard good things about Intrepid, so I steered Jeff's parents towards them. We chose their “People to People” tour for US citizens because it focused on making contact with locals and learning about their way of life. All accommodation was in local guesthouses.

I shared the People to People itinerary with a friend who was familiar with Intrepid Travel, and she opined that the itinerary seemed packed, and that it was unusual for almost all meals to be provided. My suspicion is that the tours were structured in this manner because the burden is on Intrepid to properly document that we were indeed engaging in people-to-people activities, and that we weren't let loose on the streets to spread our capitalist ideas, or, worse still, be turned into socialists.

This was my first package tour since I was a teenager. I realized early on that I preferred to make my own decisions and what to do and where to go, and that I liked the challenge of figuring how to get around. But, I also knew that I would learn a lot more with a professional guide.

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