Tourists take timing of their visit in stride

Greg Schultz, a marketer from Kansas City, Mo., always wanted to see Cuba, so he booked a cruise with his wife six months ago to tour the Caribbean island.

“We had no idea Fidel Castro was going to die,” he said.

Schultz was one of the thousands of tourists visiting Cuba last week who stumbled into the nationwide week of mourning for the fallen communist dictator. The ceremonies and four- day funeral procession interrupted travel plans across the country. And the governmentimposed ban on alcohol sales, dancing and nightclubs for the week put a serious damper on trips.

“No music, no alcohol — it’s not Cuba,” lamented Franck Bonnet, 27, a French tourist spending three weeks in Cuba with his girlfriend.

Despite the restrictions, many felt lucky to be in Cuba for such a historic moment.

Charles and Joanne Spalding, retired health care administration workers from Columbia, Md., said it was a surreal addition to their tour of the island.

Charles Spalding came to Cuba hoping to learn about the architecture and infrastructure of a country that has crumbled under the weight of the U. S. embargo and a disastrous economy. Joanne Spalding marveled at the income inequality and one particular Cuban specialty. “Old cars!” she said. But as they stood in Céspedes Park on Saturday morning as people waited for Castro’s funeral procession to roll past, they couldn’t help but laugh at their luck.

“It will be an interesting time for the Cuban people now to see what happens next,” Schultz said.