Trip to Cuba 6/25 - 7/9 (Pictures)

[gtalum]

It's sad that we are allegedly residents of a free country but we are not free to visit a neighboring country.

[Dionne]

Sounds like Castro really screwed up when he allowed the Russians to deploy missiles on Cuba back in the early sixties. Obviously our embargo has worked. A bummer for the locals. Although it could have been worse.......imagine if Kennedy had followed General Lemays suggestion......as in pre-emptive strike. Your info has certainly changed my mind about visiting Cuba.

[HURAKAN]

By the way, when you visit Cuba with dollars, they take from you 20% to covert them to Chavitos.

If you enter with 2000 dollars, then you get 1600 Chavitos.

[HURAKAN]

Sounds like Castro really screwed up when he allowed the Russians to deploy missiles on Cuba back in the early sixties. Obviously our embargo has worked. A bummer for the locals. Although it could have been worse.......imagine if Kennedy had followed General Lemays suggestion......as in pre-emptive strike. Your info has certainly changed my mind about visiting Cuba.

Cuban Democracy Act
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Cuban Democracy Act was a bill presented by U.S. Congressman Robert Torricelli and passed in 1992 which prohibited foreign-based subsidiaries of U.S. companies from trading with Cuba, travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens, and family remittances to Cuba. The act was passed as “A bill to promote a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba through the application of sanctions directed at the Castro government and support for the Cuban people.” The act stated that “The government of Fidel Castro has demonstrated consistent disregard for internationally accepted standards of human rights and for democratic values” adding “There is no sign that the Castro regime is prepared to make any significant concessions to democracy or to undertake any form of democratic opening.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Democracy_Act

I don't see how the embargo has worked or will ever work. Fidel Castro has demonstrated for almost 50 year that he doesn't need the support of the US government, politically, economically, militarily, or in any other way, to stay in power. Castro's regime continues to thrive first because fo the Soviet Union, and then Venezuela, and in a less important role, Bolivia. The embargo has caused the further separation of the Cuban families. It's unjust and extremely unhuman to only let you visit your country once every three years. I only have my grandparents and other relatives, but there are thousands of Cubans, including my parents that have their mother, father, sons, daughters, still in the island. Think how would you feel if they only allowed you to visit your daughter, or mom, once every three years for just 15 days. When you have to leave back to the states your heart is broken because you know it will be three years until you get another chance. My grandparents are old, and I don't if I would be able to see them again in three years. The problem in Washington is that none of them have close relatives in the island.

If the US really wanted democracy in the island they would have already invaded Cuba, established a "democratic government" and then leave. Just like they did in Haiti and Panama. The problem is that they really don't care what happens in Cuba because Fidel just talks, never takes any real action against the US, and while that remains the norm, nothing significant will happen from the US towards Cuba.

[gtalum]

Sounds like Castro really screwed up when he allowed the Russians to deploy missiles on Cuba back in the early sixties. Obviously our embargo has worked. A bummer for the locals. Although it could have been worse.......imagine if Kennedy had followed General Lemays suggestion......as in pre-emptive strike. Your info has certainly changed my mind about visiting Cuba.

I wouldn't say the embargo has worked. The goal was not to impoverish the Cuban people. It was to unseat Castro as the country's leader. Instead, the embargo solidified his position by giving him a "bogeyman" on which to blame all of Cuba's ills. The free market would have ousted Castro well before now. As it is, he will lead the country until his natural death. That is not a success by any measure. Unfortunately, we have never learned from our many failed attempts to force change of leadership of other nations in the 20th century...

[HURAKAN]

Some of the pictures I took in Cuba:

Capitolio:




Presidential Palace 1920 - 1965, Today, Museum of the Revolution:


Presidential Office 1920 - 1965:


Behind all these black flags, the US Section of Interests:


Cretins' Corner, Museum of the Revolution:




Havana's Malecon near Hotel Melia-Cohiba:
Left to right (cousin, dad, aunt, mom, cousin's wife, uncle, sister)


Havana's famous transportation, "El Camello" or "The Camel":


Restaurant "El Palenque," only can be afforted by tourists or government people:


Playa El Salado:


Dad's Family in the Airport:
Left to right (me, sister, grandma, dad, cousin, grandpa, cousin, mom, cousin, uncle, aunt)


Part of Mom's Family in the Airport:
Left to right (dad's cousin, dad, sister, cousin's wife, cousin, cousin, mom, aunt, uncle)

[artist]

thanks for sharing Hurakan. That is wonderful you got to see so many family members.

[alicia-w]

what terrific photos! thank sfor sharing. it looks like a beautiful place.

[MGC]

I wish the USA and Cuba would normalize relations and let their citizens visit each others countries. This trade embargo is foolish and has outlasted itself. I'd like to see Havana in my lifetime....MGC

[vbhoutex]

I have always wanted to visit Cuba. I am old enough to "remember" when it was a vacation paradise. It is sad that what has transpired over the years has led to the economic mess it is now.