We arranged our travel with National Geographics Society. We had tried to travel in 2011 and 2012 but had been on waiting lists. Then in 2012 we received this message from National Geographic Expeditions:

Because you are someone who has expressed interest in traveling to Cuba with National Geographic Expeditions, we are thrilled to announce new dates for our popular program Cuba: Discovering Its People and Culture. Join us on an extraordinary journey that focuses on immersive encounters with Cuba’s people, from the colorful neighborhoods of Havana to the colonial boulevards of Cienfuegos, and discover this fast-changing island nation through their eyes.

We scheduled our trip for the end of March. It was an expensive commitment, but we assumed it would be uniquely worthwhile.

The National Geographic people sent us a lot of preliminary materials and recommended reading, including recommended clothing! (Of course, we were very much at ease in our Ben Silver classics!) Among the reading suggestions was the book “Telex from Cuba” by Rachel Kushner, a dramatic historical novel bracketing the end of the Batista regime and the beginning of the Castro takeover of the government. I always recommend this book to anyone with interest in mid-century Cuban history and its aftermath.

National Geographic Expeditions urged us to arrive the day before departure for Cuba in Miami and offered specially priced rooms at Sofitel Miami.

Since we had never traveled in a tour group before, we felt some trepidation about traveling with strangers and decided to defer joining up with the tour until departure for Cuba. Instead, we chose to get to Miami on our own; yet we knew that the schedule for departure for Cuba required us to arrive at the Miami airport the following morning at 5:30 am.

We were on time that morning, and so were the 25 people traveling with us, along with our “guide”– a former CIA employee. One additional American joined us – a photographer who had worked closely with National Geographic over the years. Our tour group was comprised of Americans of diverse backgrounds. Some had been children of diplomats in Cuba, many years past, and had not been able to return to visit until this trip. Some were physicians who were committed to bringing medical equipment to hospitals they had arranged to visit. All were curious, educated, interested and not judgmental. While their backgrounds were entirely different from ours, they were all interesting and open to discussions, always posing questions. Our concern about traveling with “strangers” was unwarranted.

As we boarded the plane for our 90-mile trip from Florida to Havana, we realized that everyone else on the flight was a Cuban, returning home after a visit to family in Florida. Many were lugging televisions purchased in the US.