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Caption: CUBA A country on the edge of change
Caption: In 2015, I visited Cuba, eager to see it as it may no longer be known - raw, under-resourced but resilient. With US relations thawing, though, it may not be resilient to huge changes. While some of those changes will bring improved conditions for some in the country, I hope the more negative changes that tourism can bring do not adversely affect a great and vibrant country of truly special people.
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Caption: A tourist takes a selfie while riding in a "yank tank" through Old Havana.
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Caption: "North Americans don't understand that our country is not just Cuba. Our country is also humanity" FIDEL CASTRO
Caption: CIGARS Many visitors to Cuba will enjoy a cigar, or several. Many will bring a box home. Cigars are a part of Cuban life. The geography of the country is tailor-made for their production, with conditions perfect for the growth of tobacco plants. Those manufacturing cigars, though, make little money from their work. The government currently reaps 90 per cent of the sales profits from the farms that produce them, chiefly in Viñales, where 70 per cent of Cuba's cigars are produced. Of course buying Cuban cigars outside Cuba is not a cheap pursuit. With US embargoes sure to be lifted, those prices could change again. Perhaps, too, those making the cigars may be better able to truly profit from their hard work.
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Caption: The biggest of these cigar packets, containing about 20 cigars, costs about $80 locally. These are top quality Monte Cristos, which outside Cuba could cost that much per cigar.
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Caption: "A smoke in times of rest is a great companion to the solitary soldier" CHE GUEVARA
Caption: YANK TANKS Another iconic sight in Cuba is, of course, the vintage cars, also know as "yank tanks". Most were imported prior to the US embargo, which began in 1962. Around 60,000 remain running in the country now, but the majority of those have been fixed multiple times with all manner of things, including coat hangers, rubber bands, other random mechanical parts. It's a metaphor for Cuban life in general. No matter how hard or broken things become, the people find a way. It's the spirit of "La Revolucion", which lives on.
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Caption: Viva Cuba Photos | Foraggio Photographic
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