Cuba Cigar Factory

Without exception the people of Cuba were wonderful to us and never shying away from letting us take pictures and videos. We have hundreds of pictures and hours of video. Overcoming their many challenges because of the embargo appears to be a national strength. Case in point -- all those 1950's cars -- they now have four cylinder Russian diesels in them. The true recent economic dark period was when the Russians abandoned them. After the Russians got the Cubans addicted to aid, and found that they just couldn't afford Cuba anymore, they just picked up and left leaving nothing behind -- including technical skills to run the infrastructure. Things are a bit better now, but not much. The very little silver lining is that all this has bought time for Cuba to discover who they really are and what they can be, independent of foreign influence. Restoration of their past, which is in progress, without being driven from mass tourism glitz will eventually allow them to be unique in the Caribbean. I would go back in a heartbeat and I truly wish them all the best in their pursuits, whatever direction they take.