Havana Ooh Na Na

Tips for visiting Cuba:

I read a whole lot about Americans in Cuba before I left, and that helped lessen some of my anxiety. Which was really high.

1. You’re required to keep your itinerary for 7 years, and could be audited by OFAC at any time.
2. I went with a cruise and they provided the paperwork for the Visa Application and added the processing fee to my ship account.  
3. The Visa application/entry process was super easy.  The Cuban officials obviously do it a lot and they have it down.  This goes for the money exchange process as well.
4. Speaking of money exchange, technically foreign currency isn’t accepted.  So you should be prepared to exchange the total amount of money you’ll need.  Also, US credit cards will not work anywhere in Cuba.  Don’t plan on getting a little cash and then charging stuff.
5. Currency exchange has a conversion fee of 3% except for US dollars which is 13%.  My advice is if you have a bank that allows you to convert currency for free (like Wells Fargo) go change your US $ into either Canadian $ or Euros before your trip.  Then when in Cuba, exchange the CAN or EUR for CUCs.
6. You cannot get CUCs (Cuba’s tourist currency) outside of Cuba. But the exchange windows in the travel center are easy and fast, but you might have to ask for specific denominations.  The first day I didn’t get any small bills and ended up buying a little souvenir just to get some change.
7. I was nervous about the whole trip and didn’t venture out alone at all.  However, I think if I were to go back (after having gotten my feet wet, and explored with a group) I’d feel comfortable exploring a little on my own after the official tours.

In New York You Can Be a New Man (Be Drunk Steve) – Getting there

Listen, I had the option of taking a non-stop flight from HOU to LGA.  But looking at the flight schedule for me and comparing it to Cort’s schedule from SLC – she would’ve been stuck waiting at the airport for a couple of hours.  So I bit the bullet and decided to fly to LGA via Dallas/Love Field so that we’d get in within about 30 minutes of each other.

The flight out of HOU was initially delayed just 15 minutes.  No problem, right?  Then it was delayed 30 minutes.  We finally boarded and the flight attendants told everyone not to worry, the flight was only 53 minutes.  Phew, okay, I knew my connection was tight, but that would still work. Except then, we sat at the gate for another 15 minutes because of some “paperwork” issue.  When we finally pushed back the Captain got on the PA and said not to worry, because the flight was only 48 minutes.  WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER 5 MINUTES?!

Anyhow, I spent the next 48 – 53 minutes worrying about my connection and hoping it would leave from a gate close by to where we deplaned. Also, I seriously had to use the bathroom, and was crossing my fingers that I’d have enough time for a bio-break before boarding. We finally landed and wonders of wonders we landed at Gate 5 and I was scheduled to depart again at Gate 7 AND there was a bathroom between them.  

Quick pit stop, and I headed toward the Gate 7 where people were lining up. But the board was not for a flight to LGA.  I panicked.  I couldn’t see any of the big departure boards anywhere, so I headed toward the gate agent to see which gate I needed to run to.  I caught the tail end of her telling someone that the LGA flight was delayed but to stick close to Gate 7. 

FOUR HOURS LATER….they were telling us that our plane was almost ready.  So yeah, I had plenty of time to make that connection, and Cort ended up waiting at LGA until almost midnight for me to show up.  It would have been faster for everyone if I’d just taken the original non-stop flight.  In fact, at one point I was considering trying to get on a flight back to HOU to catch the non-stop flight. Apparently there was something mechanically wrong with the original plane and they had to rustle up a replacement for us.  At least I came away with a $100 travel voucher.

The good news (aside from the travel voucher) was that I chose the correct side of the plane to sit on, so as we descended into LGA I could see all of NYC lit up outside the window.  I should’ve have definitely taken pictures, but my phone was waay under the seat.  But trust me it was spectacular. (I Googled it and someone has posted a video on YouTube.

We’d decided to take a Lyft to Grand Central Terminal because navigating a bus/subway/train transfer at midnight didn’t seem like fun, and there was practically no traffic.  It was an excellent idea. We fairly easily found the Metro North train going to Tarrytown and jumped on the train just before it departed.  A very drunk, Steve – with encouragement from his wife – hefted our bags up on the overhead shelf and then helped us get them down again.  Thank you drunk Steve and friends, we appreciate your help. 

Once we figured out the train station we ordered another Lyft to take us to the hotel.  After the driver accepted he called Cort and cancelled saying he wouldn’t make enough money for it to be worth it.  Class act, that one - definitely no drunk Steve. I think this made Cort a little nervous, but having been nearly murdered in Budapest in a similar situation, I just Googled a regular taxi company and we got picked right up.

The hotel concierge (another kind soul) comped us bottles of water and soda, after hearing our travel tale, and said there was a pizza place that delivered until 4 am.  When we got to the room, though, the thought of ordering pizza, waiting for delivery, eating and going to bed seemed like sooo much work.  So I pulled out my emergency snacks (ALWAYS CARRY EMERGENCY SNACKS! You never know when an emergency will happen and snacks will be necessary), and we granola bar’d dinner.

Seriously, that was one long-ass day.

The rest of the posts about the the trip to NY will be over on 1000 Places to See - a couple of times a week until the story is told. 

Far West

In August 1836, Saints began to establish a stake of Zion in a place they called Far West.  They were forced to abandon the place about two years later.  After they left, the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and a few others returned and dedicated a temple site there, in obedience to a commandment from the Lord. (D&C 115:11, 118:5)




The four cornerstones site withing the fenced area.  










I had the site all to myself, and just as I pulled away a giant tour bus pulled up.  Score 1 quiet reflection for me.  

Adam-ondi-Ahman

On June 28, 1838 the third stake of Zion was organized here.  Today, it is a place of beauty, and quiet contemplation.  And also some people still live there, not in the valley, but inside the site - which kind of blew my mind.



When I initially arrived I was greeted by this sign, which heavily influenced the order in which I saw the site.



Do you see it?


Yes, I 100% choose the outlook with restrooms.  I had (as you'll recall) been driving all over the hinterlands of Independence for hours by this time.









D&C Section 116:1

"Spring Hill is named by the Lord Adam-ondi-Ahman, because said he, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet."

I don't think I can convey exactly how verdant this valley was, I've so rarely seen that vibrant a green before.
 

Hawn's Mill

Spoiler alert:  I did not actually visit Hawn's Mill.  I got within 2 miles of it, but then had to turn down a unpaved road, and that was not ideal, but ok.  And then, there was a giant (what looked like a 90 degree) hill that I'd have to climb, and... just nope.  I turned that rental car around.

Currently, the Church owns the land, but it is simply a large open field and the website warns that during seasons of heavy rain, the site is often flooded and the roads impassable.  So yeah, I drove through BFE (with signage to prove it).  



I did also see this license plate, which kind of made me feel like I was still in redneck Texas.


Also unrelated to Hawn's Mill, but very important for the BFE portion of the day, I listened to the radio station non-stop and I would almost move to Independence just for it.


It was like the late 80s/early 90s section of iPod.  I loved it.

And finally, I ate dinner at this BBQ place by my hotel, and I actually liked it better than Arthur Bryant's.  I got the burnt ends sandwich and I loved that they'd chopped it all up so it wasn't a choking hazard.  I asked them to mix a little bbq sauce into the sandwich, but also to give me a dish on the side.  That way I could dip each bite into the sauce, which meant I could eat it without the mess.  



It came with cheesy corn, which, as it turned out...was in the same boat as weird bbq spaghetti in Memphis - not actually terrible, but also not good.

Three Witnesses Monument and Pioneer Cemetery

In Richmond, Missouri the Church maintains a small cemetery that includes the grave of Oliver Cowdery.  There is also a monument commemorating the testimony of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon.  Before the Church took over maintenance the lot was overrun by weeds and grass and most of the markers had toppled or were broken.  They were cemented as close to their original location as possible. 

JB Turner and I were born on the same day, 160 years apart.

 

Historic Liberty Jail

In the late 1830s, dissension within the Church and persecution from outside were growing. In late 1838 Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Caleb Badwin, and Alexander McRae and others were imprisoned in Liberty, Missouri for treason.  Sidney Rigdon was released in early February; the others were kept imprisoned until early April.


You cannot imagine how truly oppressive it feels and how much faith the men imprisoned here had to have in order to stave off hopelessness.




After the presentation they asked if they could pray with me and offered that the Lord had impressed them to give share a personal message.  It was an intense and special experience in such a dark and dreadful place.

Basically, these 2 cute sisters were awesome, and I especially enjoyed their matching necklaces.