>>>Here's what I wrote last year, based on my 2014 visit...
>
>What you saw feels like my experience in Zimbabwe in the '80s, once you got away from the showcases. I think Cuba's outcome will be different, though: my brother visited twice in the last year and raves about how it's up and coming. Preservation of vehicles and buildings while the rest of the Western World moved to disposable commodities, may be their saving grace! There's also a lot of art that was seen as "grandma stuff" and thrown out in the Western world in the '60s and '70s. Also lots of good Degue and other art glass ceiling lamps that were thrown out by Westerners and now are worth thousands as people hark back to a more cultured age. Basically Havana is what New Orleans wishes it could be. ;-) A few years back before US people could visit, Canadians were going across to buy art and pottery to be sold at huge profit on eBay. I hope the Cuban government wised up to national treasures being sold for a song by people for whom $500 represents 2 years' earnings.

Yeah, I'm fairly hopeful for a good outcome for Cuba (though Trump's election may slow that down, since I think US investment is important).

Tamar