New tourists take heed of Cody's case
CHRIS DOUCETTE, Toronto Sun
SANTA LUCIA, CUBA As Cody LeCompte anxiously awaits the end of his Cuban vacation from hell, dozens of other Canadians have just arrived on the tropical island eager to begin their holiday in the sun.
A busload of new tourists pulled in early Saturday to the Gran Club Santa Lucia, the same resort where the Simcoe teen has been detained for over three months.
It seems most, but not all, are aware of Cody's plight, having heard the story in the news over the last week or so.
And while it was too late for this bunch to change their travel plans, many said they would not be renting a car in the Communist country after hearing the 19-year-old's story.
"Although, there was one man I met in the hotel lobby who was planning to rent a car until he overheard me talking on the phone to the Canadian embassy," said Danette LeCompte, who is over $30,000 in debt from trying to get her son home.
...
Cody has been detained in Cuba since the end of April because of an accident that wasn't even his fault.
Although the teen's story has been talked about across the country recently, Montreal native Isabelle Ledoux, 35, hadn't heard anything about it until she bumped into Danette at the resort.
Ledoux said she has been to Cuba nine times, so she is well aware of the perils of rental cars.
"We really need to make sure everybody knows about this so it doesn't happen to anyone else," she said. Ledoux said even though she arranged her trip to Cuba online, she received a notice in the mail with a list of warnings on it.
"If my travel agent had told me about these Cuban laws (that can leave a tourist detained indefinitely), we never would have rented a car," Danette said
3 comments:
I just read that Cody will be coming back to Canada soon. The Cuban authorities did try to accomodate the foreigner by allowing him to stay in a hotel instead of a jail. See here: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/07/29/ont-cuba-lacompte.html
The bottom line is: always educate yourself before you fly to another country. Get information from travelling agencies, check with friends who have been there before or, check the web for tips.
Last, whenever I am in a completely foreign country where I do not master the language I always have the telephone numbers with me from local MDs and lawyers who were recommended to me my colleagues and friends. In case of emergencies, I will not be alone but have some locals on my side to help.
Canadians must always be careful when travelling in foreign countries including the United States. The rules of law (or lack of formal rules of law) can get travellers into trouble. Dual citizenship could mean being conscripted in the local military. Ignorance is no excuse.
It was a natural thing, wherever we go, where [un we are, we are obliged to comply with existing rules. Because the rules are made to be obeyed
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