Program 729: A Pilot's View; Cuba 2023; Traveling Again, Part 2

On the next Travel with Rick Steves, a jet pilot describes how he enjoys brief excursions to cities around the world, as a very frequent flier.

Cuba travel expert Christopher P. Baker updates us on government requirements for Americans who want to visit Cuba. He'll tell us how the island has been faring since the covid pandemic had shut down its tourism industry.

And Rick hears from more listeners who have been resuming their global adventures, and how they've had to adjust their travel plans.

• Pilot Mark Vanhoenacker, author of "Imagine A City" (Knopf)
• Christopher P Baker, author of the National Geographic Traveler Cuba guidebook

• Mark Vanhoenacker is the author of "Imagine a City: A Pilot's Journey Across the Urban World."
• Christopher P. Baker's website includes links to his travel writing, photography, and information about his tour guiding in Cuba and Colombia. He also authored the 5th edition of the "National Geographic Traveler Cuba" guidebook.
• Chris is also the author of the roadtrip guide "Perfect Day California: Daily Itineraries for the Discerning Traveler."
• The U.S. Embassy in Cuba outlines requirements for U.S. citizens to visit Cuba.

• "I traveled with my family in January 2023 to South America and Antarctica. It was a trip that we had been planning for years, and that had already been rescheduled twice due to the pandemic. My daughter and then my wife tested positive for Covid less than two weeks before.
• In the end, we were able to catch the ship to Antarctica on a later date, and still see Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Iguazu Falls, Mendoza Argentina, Easter Island, Santiago, and Panama City.
• Unlike travel in the US and Canada lately, where planes and trains and car reservations are getting cancelled left and right, nothing at all got cancelled or rescheduled once we were out of the country. We were totally surprised by that." (James in Beaverton, Oregon)
• "Lessons learned about checked luggage: We had booked two weeks to the Big Island of Hawaii over Christmas 2022 but bad weather/delayed flights resulted in a three-night stayover in SEA without luggage, which had gone on to Kona without us. Thankfully we had travel insurance. I recommend keeping careful receipts of all lodging, food, clothing, even toothpaste, aspirin and other toiletries if you get stuck somewhere. Also, keep good notes of who you talk to at the airline as you try to rebook, dates and times, and get people's names. The more details you have documented, the better chance you have of getting a settlement.
• This year we spent a week in Santa Fe, NM, a bucket list trip for me as a big Georgia O'Keeffe fan. We thought the O'Keeffe studio and home tour in Abiquiu was one of the best of its kind we've ever experienced." (e-mail from Alison in Spokane, WA)
• "We just returned from three weeks cruising the Norwegian fjords and driving the Highlands of Scotland (our revived canceled plans from 2020). We had to alter our previous plans because some of our first-choice accommodations were no longer open or were completely booked. We also noticed that prices were approximately 30% more than in 2020, but still very worth it." (Vanessa in Wilkesboro, NC)

• Equal I, "Equation," Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground (collection) / Omni Records - Mango Records (UK)
• Mark Isham, "Raffles in Rio," Vapor Drawings / Windham Hill
• Django Reinhardt, "Nuages," Paris By Night (collection) / EMI
• Robert Powell, "Truckstop Mirage," Desert Beach / Blue Yonder Music
• Bing Crosby, "Far Away Places," The Best of Bing Crosby / MCA
• Johnny "Hammond" Smith, "Far Away Places," Black Coffee / Milestone
• * George Shearing, "September in the Rain," Verve Jazz Masters 57 / Verve
• Eliades Ochoa, "Siboney," Estoy Como Nunca / Higher Octave Music
• JW_JW_2182_00201_Siempre_Libre_Cuba_ APM
• Compay Segundo, "Te Apartas de Mi," Stars of the Buena Vista 21st Century-When Life Begins (collection) / Tumi Cuban
• KPM_KPMWM_0051_00801_Danzon_a_APM
• Irakere, "Boliviana," Cuba (collection) / Putumayo
• Omara Portuando, "Tres Palabras," Greatest Hits / Disconform
• * John Santos and the Machete Ensemble, "Oba Lube," Africa, vol. 1 / EarthBeat!
• FDH_FDHLP_0288_00101_Red_Squirrel_APM
• Electribe 101, "Talking with Myself," Café del Mar, vol. 5 (collection) / Geffen 
• Pete Seeger, "Tomorrow is a Highway," If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope and Struggle / Smithsonian Folkways
• Antonio Carlos Jobim, "Mojave," Wave / A&M

* Indicates filler music used during breaks

• This week's segment B interview, and how it is promoted in the promo and billboard, refers to aspects of the longstanding United States embargo policy toward Cuba, and the current provisions for Americans to legally visit the island.
• In promoting the callers for segment C, Rick calls it "a very busy year for international travel" in the liner at the end of segment A (at 18:55) and in the open to segment C.
• In the open to segment B, Rick says he wouldn't visit Iran or Russia right now.
• After confirming that Cuba is a popular destination for German and Canadian travelers, Chris notes that Cuba has been hard-hit by a drop in tourism since the covid pandemic, at 22:25. He adds at 24:12 that former Cubans, displaced by the revolution, remain a major political force in U.S. policy toward Cuba.
• At 25:38, Chris notes that Rick's visit to Cuba was "a decade ago." Chris adds that the US ban on importing Cuban cigars and rum was reinstated during the Trump administration.
• At 29:30, Chris explains that the desperate economic situation in Cuba has resulted in an exodus of Cubans "last year" of more than 1.5% of the population.
• At 32:07, Chris says that Western Union just reopened offices in Cuba "last month," since US policy recently allowed remittances to Cuba again.
• Rick compares the economy of Honduras with Cuba, starting at 33:53, as two nations with a similar GDP.
• At 38:16, Rick calls the upcoming open phones segment "Part 2" on the topic of returning to travel, and mentions 2023 by name during James' call.
• Caller James in segment C describes "an amazing trip last January" to Antarctica. He also describes how his family altered their travel plans after testing positive for covid two weeks before their cruise. At 46:40, James adds that Paraguay is facing economic difficulties currently.
• At 56:13, Rick says he found the recent exchange rate on the U.S. dollar in Norway has shifted in favor of the dollar, at 10 krone to the dollar.