Cuba

Cuba a fascinating place. Food rations, separate tourist and local economies, but if you get away from the old city you see how Cubans live. They play baseball in the streets, blast music out their windows, cook pizzas from their roof tops. While the country is poor the culture is thriving, incredible art, beautiful dark skinned women. People gather at the Malecone for a late night drink or smoke, or stand in line at Coppela for a cold ice cream. It is a country of two worlds--the few elite and the working class. While you don't see beggars in the street, houses are crumbling and food is scarce. While health care is provided to all, the state hospital looks old and warn down. But the old cars still run and the streets still filled with young vibrant people.