Snapshots of Modern-Day Cuba
In August 2015, the United States embassy re-opened in Cuba after 54 years — but traveling to Cuba, the largest country in the Caribbean, is still restricted for U.S. citizens. Beyond its capital city of Havana, the island country of Cuba is dotted by many towns and cities with original French and Spanish colonial architecture, glistening white beaches, and lushly tropical mountain ranges which have hosted guerilla warfare since the resistance of the Taínos in the 1500s. In May 2015, I backpacked across the island for two weeks, hopping from city to beach to mountain range to coffee plantation without Google Maps, relying on my high school Spanish skills and the friendliness of Cubans, who all seemed innately good at salsa dancing and making fun of Americans for their lack of rhythm. It’s been said Cuba is gearing up for big fundamental changes now that diplomatic relations with the U.S. have re-opened, so here are 20 photos of Cuba, from Havana to Santiago, as of May 2015.
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