Saturday, March 24, 2012
Travel Writer Fails to Learn a Lesson
An article in the Seattle Times (March 25, 2012) is headlined MAKE THINGS RIGHT WHEN YOUR JOURNEY GOES WRONG. It's by Carol Pucci, one of the newspaper's travel writers. She tells the story about how she was in Havana, Cuba last November, preparing to fly to Mexico, when Cubana Airlines canceled her flight.
"How would we pay for another night in Havana?" she says. "We were almost out of cash, and American credit and ATM cards are useless in Cuba." Her problem was solved in part by Cubana Airlines, and in part by an agent for Delta who--after her heartfelt entreaty, stretched some rules. But Pucci still doesn't get it.
For "Lessons learned," she writes: "Don't assume the worst when it comes to travel, and never be afraid to ask." Here's the lesson Puicci should have learned:
"When you travel--especially when to a foreign land--carry at least an extra thousand dollars for unforeseen emergencies."
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This bit of advice reminds me of a remark my dad gave me years ago when I was a broke college student I had run out of gas at a most inopportune time and place. He asked me why I hadn't "filled up my tank in the 1st place?"
ReplyDeleteI believe that even US cash would be no good in Cuba nowadays, that because of the situation with the US they stopped accepting them a couple of years ago.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this would be an important thing to verify before going there, and if that's the case take Euro or Canadian.
The first thought that came to mind was -
ReplyDeleteNever go to Cuba.
I mean, really now. LOL