With 2021 coming to a close, DW and I realized that we hadn't used very many of our vacation days. And because we have to use them or lose them, we decided to take the last three weeks of December to get some rest and relaxation, and to get away from Canada.
Now, I know what many of you may be saying: how responsible was it to travel during a pandemic? It's a great question, so let me try to answer it.
Both DW and I were double-vaxxed (we're triple-vaxxed now) and have always been very cautious when going out in public. When we originally considered flying somewhere, we looked to the Dominican Republic, but upon further investigation, we learned that the vaccination rate in that small island country wasn't great and there didn't seem to be strong protocols. And because Americans were allowed to travel there, as well, we felt the risk was too high.
Cuba has a vaccination rate that is greater than 90 percent. That's higher than the vaccination rate in Ottawa or Ontario. Everyone who was getting on the chartered airline had to show proof of vaccination before passing through security, so we felt the risk was no greater than being at home.
From the moment we entered Pearson International Airport, in Toronto, until we were checked in at our resort, DW and I wore N95 masks. Everybody who was near us—at the airports, on the plane, and on the shuttle bus—was also masked. Passing through the city of Holguin, we noticed that even people who were walking on the streets were covered up.
Our hotel had a strict policy for wearing masks. All staff were required to wear masks at all times while on the resort. Guests had to wear masks when they were at the reception desk or in any indoor facility. Even though the buffet restaurant was open-air, with three sides open and a fresh breeze constantly moving through, you were required to wear your mask whenever you weren't sitting at your table, eating.
At the main bar, near the theatre area (also open-air), you could not approach the bar without a mask. If you did, the bartender stepped back, pointed to his or her mask, and refused to serve you until you had covered up.
I felt very safe.
Fourty-eight hours before our stay was up, we had to take a COVID PCR test. If you tested positive, you were immediately sent to a hotel in Holguin for a mandatory five-day stay, when you would be tested again. If, at that time, your test came back positive, you had to stay five more days and repeat the test until you received a negative result.
Getting back on our chartered flight, we rested in the knowledge that everyone on our plane had tested negative for the virus.
Our only risk point, we figure, was when we arrived back at Pearson airport and had to stand in long lines with passengers from other destinations, as we passed through customs and immigration lines.
Since we've been home, I've limited my exposure to people. At first, I thought I would do it as a further precaution from the time in Toronto's airport but I later did it because of the exploding rates of the Omicron variant and my desire to not catch it.
The Canadian government recommended suspending unnecessary travel on the day that I was being tested, at the resort. When DW and I left for Cuba, Omicron was spreading worldwide but the rates were negligible in Ontario. The rates had only spiked after we had left.
Was the trip necessary? For our mental health, yes, it was. Was the trip worth the risk? Again, yes. Given how contagious the Omicron variant is, our risk in Cuba was much lower than remaining in Ottawa.
Had we known that the rates of infection were as high as they are now, I dearly wish that DW and I had stayed in Cuba.
So, is it okay if I share some highlights from our trip this week? I'll do that, this week, for Wordless Wednesday. More stories may follow.
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| Our bungalow (bottom corner). |
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