Is Cuba possible for my 93 year old mother?

[lynncarol]

Hi-

My 93 year-old mother has her heart set on seeing Cuba. More specifically, she wants to take a Rhodes Scholar tour which covers Havana, Santiago, Cienfuejos and several others. We (her daughters) are concerned as her balance is not very good and we understand there are cobblestone streets involved. Two of us would be happy to go with her, but she really resists anyone taking her by the arm or assisting with her balance. As she is very osteoporotic, do we have reason to worry? My mother asked me to post this question to help settle this argument. I really hope to get some candid feedback from folks who have been to Cuba. Thank you.

[retiring soon]

Hi!

 

Would she like to see Cuba on a Cuba cruise? If so she could take excursions on the bus. There were some Roads Scholar people on our cruise (yourcubacruise, a Canadian company) last year who got on at Cienfuegos & off at Santiago de Cuba.

Some of the streets are less than perfect. Cuba is an amazing place so I hope she gets to see it.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

[lynncarol]

Thanks for your reply. The program she has in mind involves 5 days of cruising and 6 of only land tours. I don't think she would be happy staying on the bus and that is why we worry about her safety.

[Keystonetraveler]

Hi-

My 93 year-old mother has her heart set on seeing Cuba. More specifically, she wants to take a Rhodes Scholar tour which covers Havana, Santiago, Cienfuejos and several others. We (her daughters) are concerned as her balance is not very good and we understand there are cobblestone streets involved. Two of us would be happy to go with her, but she really resists anyone taking her by the arm or assisting with her balance. As she is very osteoporotic, do we have reason to worry? My mother asked me to post this question to help settle this argument. I really hope to get some candid feedback from folks who have been to Cuba. Thank you.

 

Having been on a Cuba land tour, I think I would try to discourage her unless she agrees to have you or another daughter along to be of assistance. It is a very challenging trip, and the cobblestones are just one concern. The infrastructure is not good, and roads and sidewalks are in very poor condition for walking. There are likely to be stairs in places, and I don't think the Cubans have heard of handrails. Also, if there are elevators, there is a good chance they will not be working.

 

I am a lot younger than your mother, but also have osteoarthritis to a greater degree than I would like. I got around just fine, but felt I needed to be very careful walking. I have seen few people your mother's age who I think should be on a trip like this alone.

 

That being said, Cuba is fascinating. I would call Road Scholar and see what they have to say about the difficulty of the trip. Ask them if they can put you in contact with someone who has taken the trip.