It’s hard to believe that it has been five months since I returned from Cuba. At least, I’ve a good amount of time to process the experience and formulate a few final thoughts on what I now see as a life-changing trip.

Cuba is one of those places that I knew I might never visit before it changed forever. Thankfully, I managed to make it during a time when it is in transition but closer to what it was than what it will become. Most of the ways in which it is changing is to make me – the vistor – feel more comfortable.

Restaurant food can be quite good and is getting better in both the state-owned as well as the private restaurants since the state-owned restaurants are being forced to improve food quality and service because of the explosion of privately owned restaurants – paladares.  State-run eateries still dominate by the numbers, but, as is general the case with large entities in all economic systems, they don’t have the flexibility and adaptability of a smaller enterprise.

While I didn’t get the chance to check out the gay scene on this trip, our guide did bring up the topic of gay rights during our tour. Raoul Castro’s daughter, Mariela, is a strong advocate of LGBT rights and has been pushing for same-sex marriage in Cuba. Cuba is far from the days when it was imprisoning and deporting anyone suspected of being gay, but it is still struggling against a homophobic Caribbean culture. For now, Cuba is probably the most progressive in the region and is on a trajectory towards increasing acceptance.

Politically, the people we met freely shared their perspectives on where Cuba is in terms of the internal discussions that are taking place about what the future holds. There seems to be a lot of optimism regarding the U.S. finally lifting the embargo and, eventually, normalizing relations with Cuba. I hope they are right. I really would need to write a separate post on how wrong and preposterous the embargo actually is, so I will simply say that it is long past time for a free-flow of people and goods between the two countries.

Here are a few more memorable photos: 

And, finally, come with me on a ride along the Malecon!