By David Cruz

Correspondent

They played classic Cuban tunes and passed out Cuban sandwiches and flan for the start of direct service to Havana, Cuba from Newark, N.J. Maria Diaz, of Matawan, who first came to the U.S. 47 years ago, has been back a few times, but this is the first time she can fly direct from an airport less than 30 minutes away.

“We had to go to Miami, stay overnight, then travel to our home town of Cienfuegos, and it was like an all day process,” she recalls. “Now, if it continues, it’ll be much easier to go visit the family.”

Diaz, like many of those traveling to the island today, is not a tourist. She’s headed to Havana to see her extended family, bringing cash, clothing and other stuff in short supply.

“I’m very blessed to be able to live in the United States,” she said. “It’s very difficult for them living there. Their lives are very, very difficult.”

So, you still can’t grab the suntan oil and hop on a flight to Havana. Technically, you have to travel for one of these dozen official reasons, although now you’re on the honor system and don’t have to prove it. Isel Garcia, who works for United, drew the luck straw and will get to travel on the inaugural flight. She has not set foot on Cuban soil in 46 years.

“My gosh, I know I’m going to be crying as soon as we land, just to set foot on my land, my homeland for the first time in 46 years,” she says. “I do have family there; many cousins and an aunt.”

Business leaders and a few elected officials were also on hand. The hope is that this inroad to the island will encourage economic activity and lift Cubans and Americans alike. But already there’s talk that these direct flights – made possible by presidential executive orders – could be rescinded by the next president. Michele Siekerka of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, says she hopes that doesn’t happen.

“It is a historic time,” said Siekerka. “It’s amazing to see all the different perceptions around where Cuba is today, given the changing in the leadership there. You know the leadership’s going to continue in Fidel’s brother, Raul, but we are at a new place and it’ll be interesting to see where the relationship with the United States goes from here.”

Much has been made about conditions on the island, rampant poverty, human rights violations and growing political unrest. But, that’s not the Cuba that Antonio Salazar says he experiences on his regular visits.

“There’s a lot of exaggeration about things over there,” he says. “There are a lot of people who talk about things that happened more than 40 years ago. Things over there have been changing, totally, completely. There are problems in every country. Where’s the country where there are no problems? That’s how the world is.”

Gabriel Rodriguez and his wife, who’s Colombian, have been to the island five or six time, he says, always through circuitous routes and small, private carriers. The direct route not only costs less but requires less travel. It took him 15 minutes to get to the airport today. We assumed he was bringing cash, food or other necessities.

“We used to bring stuff before but now I’m the one bringing things back,” he said. “I bring back Cuban cigars, which I love and smoke all the time and we bring back rum for friends and family.”

This first flight to Cuba is sold out. And while United says they won’t all get this kind of a sendoff, the hope is that, soon, flying to Cuba will be just as common as flying to Florida.

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