Hasta la victoria siempre

I took off for my Christmas tour of Cuba just a couple of days after Obama's historic 'Gimme Five' announcement and so, as expected, many discussions to be had there about what changes might now be in store for the island, and when. With my albeit, limited experience, I would say that any changes won't happen any time soon, at least for the regular folks of Cuba. Though I'm told that even in the past couple of years, more small private shops, bars and restaurants have opened and the numbers of casas particulares has increased for sure. Meanwhile the resilience and necessary creativity of daily life there is to be admired and for us tourists - and for Cubans especially at Christmas - the pleasures of rum, cold beer, music and dancing are all to be enjoyed. Looking at the world from the Cuban perspective, it was alarming to read in the weekly Granma how the European economy is essentially going to hell in a handcart as we have 'descended to a mere banana republic, hanging on the tail of the USA'. Any moves towards entente after decades of animosity must surely be good for mutual understanding. So I reckon Cuba is up there amongst the most fascinating places I've ever been to. And I agree now with the instruction that I thought was just a trite tourist trap, to visit soon before it changes.