A Retrospective View of Cuba

Life is tough.

Another busy beach in Baracoa.

Street market Havana, the wheels on his cart are old bearings!

My first opinion of Havana was it was a dirty, smelly, noisy, decaying city, after 5 days of exploring the place I had no reason to change my view but by then I had met the funny,happy, friendly people and it put a whole different slant on the experience - and that is what Cuba is away from the all-inclusive resorts, an experience.
I traveled by bus and stayed in Casas particular (the Cuban equivalent of B&Bs) and spoke to the real Cuban people and I am glad I went when I did because the day I landed back in the UK Barrack Obama announced that after more than 50 years the US was restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba, it won't be too long before Cuba is just a suburb of Miami.
I think that this is what the majority of Cubans have been waiting for, the declared national wage is around $5000 a year but the people at the bottom of the ladder are on something like $60 a year, I saw litter bins being picked through up to four times an hour for anything that could be reused or sold and in the towns and cities there are many people who live by collecting and selling aluminium cans, plastic bottles etc.
I stayed in Casas particular where the husband and wife both had university degrees and had had good jobs but they made more renting out one room on an occasional basis to tourists.

Not just American classics available.

If you want to see the real Cuba before it disappears go soon, but don't get me wrong besides the lovely beaches, wonderful hills, caves and waterfalls the main attraction for me is the people. They are amazing and I had many involved conversations where words formed less than 25% of what we were trying to communicate with each other but whether it was trying to book a bus, order a meal or just talk about our families it just worked without shouting in English - lovely people.

1950s American cars used as taxis, I bet they all get bought by enthusiasts before 2020

The view from my casa in Havana.