Marylyn and Chuck Klaus had gone to a fundraiser in Long Beach and bid on a trip to Cuba for 2.  Surprisingly, they won, and recently enjoyed their trip there.  The trip leader, who was born in Cuba, frequently takes groups of visitors there from the US.  They began their tour in Havana, known for its “bars, old cars and guitars”.  They exhibited their Cuban tourist attire including beret hats and a Ché Guevara T-shirt.  Chuck held a Cuban hand-rolled cigar (he didn’t light it, so as not to trigger smoke alarms & building evacuation), and Marilyn showed a beer-can camera (art from necessity).  They showed many slide photos of the people, art, street scenes and old buildings, mostly in Havana, and the home/museum of Ernest Hemingway.
 
 
The Cuban revolution of 1959 deposed dictator Batista and brought in the new government of Fidel Castro.  Because of his friendly relations with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the US government ostracized his government and embargoed trade to the island, a policy that still continues (in contrast to our now-friendly relations with China), although most other countries have normalized relations and trade with Cuba (in spite of its human rights record).
 
Cuba seems frozen in 1959, with US model cars from the 1950s that are still kept running.  The buses are modern and made in China.  The economy has been liberalized since Fidel’s younger brother Raul was placed in control, and many small businesses operate out of private homes now.  Because of the stagnant economy, many younger adults want to leave.
 
Religion is no longer discouraged, although many people seem unfamiliar with it.  They have a traditional fusion of African and Catholic religious traditions called Santería, whose followers are often dressed in white and whose religious art is commonly seen.  There are many old Catholic churches and squares, old cars on the streets, and old buildings, some in an advanced state of deterioration.
 
The political climate has changed, and artists freely express themselves, sometimes critical of official corruption.  Marylyn and Chuck visited many art exhibits and met with artists.  An old university for artists is being refurbished, although it still has many unfinished buildings.  They also visited the old colonial city of Trinidad de Cuba.