Terminal 2, Welcome to Cuba

Photo Feature by Caridad

HAVANA TIMES, Jan 6 — Those who come to Cuba say that what’s most striking when they leave from Terminal 2 at Havana airport is the strong smell of gasoline or jet fuel. I don’t know if this happens at every international airport terminal in Cuba or if it happens to every traveler.

In any case, it never hurts to look at one of the busiest terminals in the capital city, particularly since it’s the facility where passengers arrive from Miami, and where of course their relatives and friends come to meet them or see them off.

Many of the scenes one sees there are too sad; it’s always uncomfortable to see families separated again and again, or couples who don’t know when will be the next time they’ll see each other.

But I don’t want to talk about farewells, it’s better to discuss a happier little word: welcoming.

This terminal also receives flights from Milan, so there are more than a few Italian-Cuban families that spend their last few hours together there or finally reunite after months or years of being apart.

Kids often play with the luggage carts; some people share beers in the cafeteria, while others prefer the darkness of the parking lot to exchange their last kisses.

Tourists come streaming in from Montreal and Caracas, as taxi drivers anxiously offer them seats in their cars.

Unlike Terminal 3 (the principal international terminal), only those with tickets in hand can enter Terminal 2. In the waiting area, there are very few seats for the hundreds of people who pass through this facility every day.

Maybe it would be a good idea to expand this building to make it more comfortable for passengers, and especially for those who have to wait hours to give a hug to those who are coming and going.

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