Couldn't Stay Away....

Of course Harry, there has always been some Americans going to Cuba even with the embargo but the numbers expected when the doors open freely for all is also expected to push pricing way up and that is expected to have a negative effect for Canadians. Offer and demand!

I'm glad to see you back! Can we kiss and make up?

I agree with your assessment of the impact of the new tourism that will arrive from the USA as well as the conundrum it poses for the suspicious party liners. I expect once the tourism starts back up there will be some incidents between a few crudish loudmouths and a few true believers, but I'm sure the resort AIs where those folks will undoubtedly stay are already well accustomed to such types.

I'm just glad I got to see Cuba before the USA normalized relations, because it will never be the same afterwards.

A few things have changed since your last visit. Some food is more plentiful because small private co-op markets are now permitted, certain small businesses are now permitted, and Cubans can now actually buy and sell their homes instead of having to trade them on the black market as they had done previously. Certain restrictions on freedom of movement have been lifted, and now Cubans who can afford it can actually stay at the same hotels as the foreign tourists, a privilege they had previously been denied.

Nevertheless, a stark reminder of where you are occurs when going to a waterfront seafood restaurant that offers some dish made with tuna, and since Caribbean tuna is so delicious you will of course be tempted to try it. But lo and behold when that dish arrives there is no mistaking the fact that the tuna came from a can (likely from China or Vietnam). If you aren't a fisherman you may ponder the reason why for quite some time. But any fisherman knows that tuna schools tend to run quite a distance off shore, a place where Cuban fishing boats are not allowed by their government. As a matter of fact, one thing that will strike anyone on a fishing trip to Cuba is the fact that it seems all the fishing vessels have undersized motors and plod along at extremely slow speeds. ¡Viva Cuba!

i am happy too!

harry's long absence had me fearing the worst, but i know he has a good heart...
his off-color humor helps brighten the occasionally dismal thread.

bienvenidos, martin

Thank you Martin..(and all who have welcomed me back)
I did in fact have some health issues that kept me from travelling for a time, but it seems to under control at the moment. In October I had an ultra hi-tech ablation procedure to correct an arrhythmia. Pretty amazing stuff. They put you out for a few hours and a very well trained electro-cardiologist threads a catheter through your body to fiddle with the electricity of the heart. As near as I can tell it's been quite successful. My trainer thinks so too and has been amping up my workout routine bit by bit. Still get my aches and pains like everybody else, but very much in the game.
In September I retired from one service group that I served in, but am still active in my local Rotary club. Doing P.R. work and am involved with a "new fundraising concepts" committee. Our latest gig there is flogging platters of handmade traditional shortbread, for which we have a bang-up recipe and a nice low price point. Our Saanich, BC club is taking big inspiration from the Harbourside, Victoria club who have made a grand success out of selling Christmas fruitcakes every year. That's a project that now dependably clears about $15,000 which is put towards good causes in the community.