This is the crazy story of how locals teamed up to find my phone in a remote region of Guantánamo, Cuba. Read on to discover one of my biggest travel mishaps – and how locals showed kindness and support to help a stranger.

Exploring Baracoa: The Moment I Realized My Phone Was Gone

In one of my previous stories, I mentioned traveling through Baracoa, in Guantánamo Province. It’s a pretty isolated area, and Angelito was guiding me around. That day, we decided to explore some mountains and rivers, so we hopped on a tricycle and left the city.

Everything was going great – until about 20 minutes into our journey, I realized I didn’t have my phone.

I clearly remembered having it when we started, so it had to have slipped out of my pocket and fallen somewhere along the road. Panic set in for a second, but we immediately started retracing our steps. We checked the roadside, scanning the dirt and grass, but we couldn’t find it. My heart was racing, and I knew I had to come up with a plan fast.

No Electricity, No Internet: Trying to Track My Phone in Cuba

The first idea was to go back to my casa particular – the local home where I was staying – and track the phone with my laptop. But when we got there, there was no electricity. A blackout, or apagón as they call it in Cuba. No power, no internet, no way to track my phone.

So I went outside and asked my neighbor for help. Without hesitation, she offered to hotspot her phone to my laptop, so I could track mine. I was nervous, balancing her phone and my laptop, but finally, I saw the location: my phone was on the side of the road!

I jumped on a motorbike immediately, ready to race to it. Before I left, though, my neighbor insisted I take her phone along too, so I could continue tracking mine while on the road. I hesitated – there was no way I could just take her phone – but she smiled and said, “I know where you live. You’re my neighbor. Just bring it back when you’re done.” – I couldn’t believe the trust.

Searching the Roadside: When It Became a Team Mission

I arrived at the location and started searching. Nothing. There was no signal in the area. No internet meant no way to update the location, no way to call anyone – just me and Angelito staring at the roadside.

That’s when two men at a nearby power plant, along with a young Cuban tending to his cattle, noticed us.

“What are you doing? Can we help?” they asked.

I explained the situation, and suddenly, it became a team mission. Five of us were now combing the area, searching every inch, but still – no phone.

Darkness was creeping in, and I had no choice but to return to the city to try again when there was a better connection.

A Moving Signal: Tracking My Phone Across Baracoa

On the way back, I stopped at a busy roundabout where people were using their phones, hoping for signal. Imagine this: a roundabout full of horse carriages, motorcycles, and tricycles, all whizzing by, and me perched on the motorbike seat, laptop balanced, trying to track my phone through my neighbor’s hotspot. Finally, there it was – the phone had moved!

Zooming out, I saw it was now at a house in a nearby neighborhood.

The motorbike driver knew the area, it was near where his cousin lived. He tried calling him, but no signal. “Don’t worry, I’ll take you there,” he said.

I jumped on the bike again, and as we rode back, cruising the same road, I shouted to Angelito and the others that I knew where it was. Without hesitation, Angelito and two of the locals jumped on their motorbikes and followed.

Knocking on Doors: Finding My Phone

When we reached the neighborhood, we knocked on three doors.

The first was a woman returning from groceries – she had no idea what I was talking about.

The second was an elderly woman who could barely move. She couldn’t have it.

Then, when I was knocking at the third door, a man appeared, tapped my shoulder, and said, “I’ve got your phone.”

The main door was blocked, but he went back inside his home and unlocked it from the inside. And there it was – my phone!!

I offered him money, but he refused. I insisted, giving him 20 USD – roughly a month’s salary in Cuba – and he accepted. I would have given him more if I had had more with me at that very moment.

A Celebration in Baracoa: My Phone Came Back to Me

Angelito couldn’t believe his eyes. Tears welled up as he hugged me, amazed we actually recovered the phone. The others celebrated too, cheering and hugging me like we’d just accomplished the adventure of a lifetime!

Later that night, I invited everyone to Baracoa for drinks to celebrate.

Losing my phone felt like the end of the world, but finding it was a reminder that some of the best experiences in travel are about trusting in the generosity and kindness of strangers in a place far from home.