One of my favorite parts of visiting Cuba is meeting the people that live there. While beaten down by years of economic hardship, Cubans possess a natural vibrancy that shines through even in the most difficult circumstances.
One special lady that I met in Cuba is Angela, a 96 year old Habanero who runs a local palador restaurant. She used to be a singer in a Havana Nightclub in the 1950's before Castro took power, and talks with an air of nostalgia of the old Cuba gone by. Over the years, she has endured much hardship, but the one thing that has always pulled her through dark times is singing - Castro took a lot from us, she says. But one thing he couldn't take is my voice.
Patricia at El Morro is a mother of three who uses the common Cuban expression "no es facil" (it's not easy) to describe life in Cuba. Her government salary is $12 USD a month, but as a guide she has the opportunity to make tips exceeding that amount daily. Previously, she had worked as a schoolteacher but could not make ends meet on the meager salary. Yet that was the work she enjoyed most, and she still misses seeing the children every morning.
Below are some photos I took in Cuba - the black and white filter seemed appropriate in a city that time has left behind. Travel to Cuba with our World in Color People to People Tour to meet and help support the local Cuban people.
 Cuban Farmers in Vinales Valley  Angela, 96 Years Old and Still Singing  Classic Car on the Malecon Sea Wall  Schoogirls In Havana  Cuban Classic Car |  Patricia, tour guide at El Morro and former school teacher  Streets of Havana  Clothes bake dry on a Havana rooftop clothesline |
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