Near and Far with The Friday Flyer: Former mayor cruises through the Caribbean

Former three-term Mayor of Canyon Lake, Mary Craton, visited Cuba and other points while on a cruise through the Caribbean with Gordon Fosberg. The two met 55 years ago while they were both on the faculty of the LA County USC School of Nursing.

One of their stops included a tour of the Hemmingway haunts in the old section of Havana. “That section of Cuba is very poor even though the housing is free. It is in great need of repair and painting. Most yards were just dirt,” said Mary. “The people are very friendly and the downtown area is quite nice.”

Other stops on their Caribbean cruise included Mexico, Montego Bay, the capital of Saint James Parish on Jamaica’s north coast, and George Town, the capital of the Cayman Islands.

Mary Craton poses with The Friday Flyer on her stop in Cienfuegos. Photo provided by Mary Craton