Cuba

Curiosity about this island nation led Mike and I to take a short cruise to see this long revered enigma of a nation.  Having grown up in Florida, ex-pats from Cuba were numerous and full of stories about their homeland. From our short visit, we felt that the warm, friendly people have been stifled by the politics of the area. The grandeur of the buildings needed to be imagined as they are crumbling from the lack of prosperity over the last 60 years. The classic cars, although anachronistic, were yet another oddity of this beautiful country. We wanted to see it before it became Americanized, and we could already see the creep of the influx of cash, creating a Disney-like atmosphere as they renovate and put facades on old  and deteriorating homes. If  I used my imagination, it reminded me of the exquisite 1920s homes of coastal Rhode Island,  had they been left without care since being built. It also gave us a sense of the opulence of 1950s Havana. We would love to go back and see more of the country, meet more of the people after this small taste left us wanting more rather than less. We highly recommend it! (it was also VERY romantic!)