I miss the road, I miss airports and train stations, I miss the sound of my backpack clips closing telling me we are ready to go, I even miss plane toilets… ok, maybe not plane toilets 🙂 I miss all this while we are doing what my husband calls: travelling within the city.

He is optimistic that way. We continue subletting studios and enjoying different downtown neighbourhoods. At this moment, going to work means a five-minute-walk. The thought of it makes me want to jump a bit. I love the “everything – is – walking – distance” situation. Some Cubans might think I am a Vedado case. Perhaps they are right.

It has been 10 months since I’ve seen the ocean. It has been 10 months since we are back in Toronto. My months could be summarized this way: work, yoga, cook, sleep, work, meeting with friends from time to time… work, work, dreaming of Cuba… oh, yeah, that part brings me to the subject of the day: VISITING HAVANA SOON!

I am already at the point where seeing an elderly couple drinking a Sunday afternoon coffee beside me makes me cry. I can’t wait to see my grandparents, I want to take them out, tell them stories and bring smiles to their faces. I NEED to go to Cuba.

My ticket options to go to Havana are limited. I managed to get two weeks off from work but the dates are not flexible. I am looking to leave on a Saturday and to come back on a Tuesday. Here are the prices I found online for the month of November:

Air Canada price to Havana:

Total price: $1,910.81 CAD per adult ($1,840.65 + $70.16)

Sames dates to Varadero:

Total price: $547.38  CAD per adult ($477.22 + $70.16)

Dear Air Canada, why? Havana is only 130 km away from Varadero, so WHY the price difference? I refuse to spend almost two thousand dollars for a 3 and a half hour flight to the Caribbean. Were you thinking of Australia when you decided this price? Or is your greed and monopoly taking over?

Cubana Airlines price to Havana:

Total Price: $545.16 CAD per adult ($366.00 + $179.16)

Cubana only flies to Havana on Sundays and comes back to Toronto on Fridays. Thank you, Cubana! Your prices are still good but going to Cuba on a Sunday makes every Cuban worker in this city hate you. Who would want to wait until Sunday to leave Toronto and to depart Havana on a Friday instead of using the weekend to spend more time with the family?

Copa Airlines price to Havana:

Total price: $750.80 ($694.00 +$56.8) 1 stop in Panama City.

I have decided to go with Copa since it is the only company that flies on the dates I need. It is going to take me EIGHT hours to get to Cuba while taking a longer trip via Central America. I need to wait for a few hours and then change to another airplane. Dear sky lords, will you ever make going home for a Cuban as easy as visiting Vancouver?

 

Also published on Medium.